Uncharted Charleston

Matthew and Al Burbage stand in front of their Broad street store. credit: photograph by Peter Frank Edwards

I grew up in Charleston in the days when kids slammed tennis balls against the stately garden walls and launched water balloons from second-floor sprawling piazzas onto unsuspecting passersby, local and otherwise. Since my stomping days, a lot has changed in the city. It’s bigger, more cosmopolitan, and yes, overrun with tourists, but it still hasn’t lost its magic — or its sense of fun. If you want to get a sense of Charleston as the locals know and love it, here’s an insider’s short list.

Gaulart & Maliclet — 98 Broad Street: Before Starbucks, Charleston had a café culture courtesy of a French couple who moved here and opened what could be hard to find because it’s also called Fast & French or G & M. Both suits and slackers find a steady flow of French-pressed coffee and croissants. Indulge in over-the-counter chat about local politics and “The Wandering Eye” column in the weekly Charleston City Paper.

Gallery Hopping — Serious collectors of Southern art gather at Carolina Galleries (106-A Church Street). The oldest gallery in the city, with a solid showing from the famed Charleston Renaissance period of the early 1900s, including Elizabeth O’Neill Verner and Alfred Hutty, and such contemporary stars as John Burmeister. Ann Long Fine Art (177 King Street) represents internationally collected Southern masters including Ben Long and Jill Hooper. Helena Fox Fine Art (12 Queen Street) sells the works of acclaimed plein air artist West Fraser, whose paintings cast a glorious light on Charleston rooftops and marshlands.

The Hat Man — southeast corner of Broad and Church streets: Don’t worry, it’s not too touristy to take your photo in front of this mural of a man composed entirely of hats. This recently repainted vestige from a former haberdashery has a rightful place in the hearts of Charlestonians.

Burbage’s Self Serv Grocery —
157 Broad Street: Hidden deep in a residential section of town, Burbage’s has been family-owned for generations. Locals head here for a cold glass-bottle Coke and never leave without lunch — “Big Al” Burbage’s off-the-charts pimiento cheese sandwich.

Olde Colony Bakery — 1391- B Stuart Engals Boulevard: This bakery may have invented the Charleston benne wafer, but insiders know its cream bread is standard fare at any proper Charleston function. No self-respecting ham would grace a mahogany dining table without it.

The Unofficial Graveyard Tour — Meeting Street: Tour the noteworthy stones and vaults at the Circular Congregational Church, including that of Richard Hutson, the town’s first mayor. At St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, the mausoleum of famous Southern politician John C. Calhoun holds dominion. Just outside of Charleston, the transcendent Magnolia Cemetery lays claim to more than a few good Confederate men, including the recently recovered soldiers aboard the excavated H.L. Hunley submarine.

Sullivan’s Island — The rich cousin among Charleston’s closest beaches, tony Sullivan’s Island is South Carolina’s version of Southampton. Reese Witherspoon now owns a place here, and old-timers include Dorothea Benton Frank, author of the best-selling Sullivan’s Island. Its well-scrubbed Middle Street strip is still the center of action. Poe’s Tavern (2210 Middle Street) serves fish tacos and the Annabelle Lee Burger, a half-pound of freshly ground meat stacked with a crab cake, paying homage to Edgar Allen Poe’s Ft. Moultrie stay in the 1820s.

Folly Beach — Here you find more sand than status, shored up by a palpable sense of community that brings together year-round residents and surfers. Walk surfside to the iconic, imperiled Morris Island Lighthouse, which an organization called Save the Light is trying to keep from slipping seaward. For lunch, head to the Lost Dog Café, where there’s a jug of treats for Fido and the much-loved Sit Up and Beg Cheeseburger for the rest of us.

The Tavern – 120 East Bay Street: The Tavern (a liquor store named after a bar) has been selling booze to Charlestonians since before the Revolutionary War. Rumor has it, Prohibition did little to stop the commerce here. These days, it’s perfectly acceptable to walk away with an armful of whiskey or fine wine.

Center for Birds of Prey — off Highway 17 N., just outside of town: Black vultures, a Ural owl, a red-tailed hawk, and a saker falcon seem right at home at the center’s one hundred or so acres tucked between a wildlife refuge and the Francis Marion National Forest.

The Charleston RiverDogs —
Joseph P. Riley, Jr., Park (“the Joe”), 360 Fishburne Street: With part-owner Bill Murray as the official “director of fun,” it’s no stretch to say that this A-Ball affiliate of the New York Yankees is a Cinderella story. The actor frequently pops up in the stands to cheer them on. Also look for Tony the Peanut Man for the genuine article in boiled peanuts, and sample a signature hot dog brimming with coleslaw and pickled okra.