North of Broad, home to the French Quarter, is still a nice neighborhood but more commercial and less glamorous. Certainly, it is far less prestigious. Today, a collection of some of the South's best restaurants are north of Broad Street. But all in all, the folks living south of the dividing line socialize in a different sphere than those who live north of Broad.
It's impossible to live in Charleston without making peace with the dead. Cemeteries, grave yards, ancient headstones along the walls of buildings are everywhere. Homes are haunted; most of the homes in the historic district have been occupied since the 1700s. Some before that. It's easy to walk the brick and cobblestone streets and imagine the life of the city 200 plus years ago.
Everywhere you go you see the color black. Or at least what you think is black. Homes have shutters and doors painted this color. Long rocking-benches are prevalent and painted the same color. The color, extremely dark, is actually called "Charleston Green". Legends say that the color was provided to the city by the occupying northern forces after the Civil War. It was the only color available so they made the most of it. There are other explanations but regardless, it is now synonymous with the city.
There are many museums and historical in and around the city. You can visit the Hunley, a Confederate submarine that sunk in 1864 and you can visit Fort Sumpter; the flash point of the Civil War. You can also visit Fort Moultrie, a significant battleground of the Revolutionary War. History in Charleston is complex and spans centuries.
This week, parents are visiting The Citadel and there are uniformed cadets all over town. The Citadel is a military college but not of the military. Its cadets played a significant role in the firing on Fort Sumpter. Today the presence of uniformed military students downtown is an extension of the close relationship between the city and its uniformed soldiers. In the 1700s, it was Cornwallis' British soldiers in town. Then it was South Carolina's soldiers (The first president of South Carolina lived here). Then, federal soldiers followed by the grey coats of the Confederacy. Then a significant U.S. Naval presence and now its home to Joint Base Charleston and one of the largest fleets of C-17s in the United States.
Restaurants are amazing here. S.N.O.B., High Cotton, Muse and Magnolia's all specialize in Low Country cooking; fresh seafood and meats cooked with southern ingredients and more than a hint of French influences. FIG (Food Is Good) is a local-ingredient restaurant owned by James Beard awarding-winning chef Mike Lata. Check out the current menu here: http://www.eatatfig.com/menus/ Charleston is also home to Husk. Named Bon Appetit's best new restaurant in America this year, it is mobbed with food tourists most every night. The earliest reservation I could get was at 10:15 on a Tuesday night. Sean Brock, its chef, is also a James Beard award winner and a regular on the Food Network. His restaurant is supplied by his own heirloom vegetables; grown on his farm outside the city. Among restaurant cities in America, Charleston has more must-eat places than most. Napa included. It's incredibly easy to eat local in Charleston. Wine lists are excellent but focused on European labels. Northwest wines are hard to find here.
I'm writing this while sitting at the bar in Squeeze. The narrowest bar I have ever seen, it is billed as Charleston's tightest bar. Its sits on East Bay street near many of the best restaurants. It's known for its handcrafted cocktails. Bowls piled high with fresh blueberries, raspberries, ginger and mint are sitting on the bar along with traditional ingredients like olives and limes. The bourbon menu is extensive. You can get Basil Hayden, Woodford Reserve and less common brands like Buffalo Trace, Pappy Van Winkle and Russell's Rye.
Beer has a place in the culture here too. Local brew Palmetto is served in most bars and restaurants and can be had as a lager, a pale ale, amber and porter. All are sold in bottles; all are excellent!
While there are a lot of great bars here, if you try to stick to Gay bars you'll be disappointed. The two bars in downtown Charleston, Dudley's and Club Pantheon are unremarkable. Unless you want to talk about the drag show that I saw on Friday night. That was pretty good... The two other bars, Deja Vu II and Patrick's are out of town.
To visit Charleston is to visit history. It's nearly the epicenter of American struggle, power, high-culture, racial division, wealth and glamour. It's a city that knows who it is, that has played on its strengths and struggled through the devastating tragedy of war and economic disaster and has come through...tested and strong. It's a city worth visiting but make sure you come hungry!
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