East Central

hyatt hotel charleston sc peninsula

The March of the Big Brown Brick

In reviewing the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) agenda on Wednesday, I noticed the proliferation of the Big Brown Brick in almost every proposal. In a City that is known for its colorful buildings and creative and varied architecture, it baffles my mind that somehow the Big Brown Brick is enjoying its own renaissance.  Keep in mind, all of these...

We’ve got Behemoths on the B.A.R. Agenda June 3

Update June 5 – The BAR ruled as follows: Jasper – DENIED. Apartment Building – WITHDRAWN. Hotel – APPROVED. _____________________ Three Behemoths to be precise. Three projects so large, so complex and so controversial, they had to have their own separate meeting happening June 3 at 4:30PM in the Charleston Museum Auditorium (because many many many people will be attending)....

Downtown Charleston Median Prices are Smokin’ Hot

Here’s a little statistical play for your Monday. Today we received October numbers from our Charleston Trident Association of Realtors and no lie – it’s been a pretty strong fall. In many areas of the country, activity peters off from the summer until the following spring, but around my #1-in-the-United-States pretty urban center, lots of people like to buy homes...

Charleston’s About to Get Taller and Techier

Tuesday night the Charleston City Council unanimously approved the City of Charleston’s request to change the height zoning on a particular area of Morrison Drive from 55 feet to 85 feet.  Why does this matter?? 1. Because that rarely happens, and 2. Because it was done so to enable the construction of new 76-foot tall buildings up to 350,000 square...

Surprise! New on the B.A.R. Agenda – Another Hotel

Update 9/26 – Well, apparently the BAR was not too impressed. They motioned “Denial of height, scale, mass and architectural direction” – with a 7-0 vote. Yikes! _____________________________________ As I wrote about back in May, sometimes what you see on the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) agenda gives you insight into where Charleston’s next boom is. We all know now...

See where Charleston’s booming – by looking at the Board of Architectural Review agenda

When Charleston booms, so does the Board of Architectural Review (BAR) approval agenda. Normally a mix of house additions or renovations, sign approvals, and a smattering of commercial building renovations or constructions, the most recent agendas have been full of Downtown Charleston game changers. We’ve seen proposed designs for new hotels and infill on Meeting Street, building renovations on Upper...

What is going on with home sales on the Upper Peninsula??

A whole heck of a lot. That’s what. The Upper Peninsula is defined as the area North of the Crosstown (Highway 17) and South of Heriot Street (basically) and includes the neighborhoods of the Westside, Hampton Park Terrace, Wagener Terrace, North Central, Longborough, Lowndes Pointe and parts of the Eastside. Home sales in this area recently have been out of...

All about Downtown Charleston’s Neighborhoods – a map, descriptions and more.

I created this Charleston neighborhood map years ago at the start of my ongoing project to eventually profile every single neighborhood on the Charleston Peninsula, including photos, videos, recreation, school, shops, restaurants and services. But since many of you ask ‘Which Charleston neighborhood is best for me?”, I thought I’d go ahead and give you a head start.  You might...

Condo Buildings on the Charleston Peninsula – where, what and how much.

It can take a long time to understand where all of Charleston’s condo buildings are, what they look like and what their price ranges are so I pulled together a map to help you navigate.  You’ll find luxury penthouse condos with water views at $4,000,000 and loft-style condos starting at $175,000.  Just click the blue pins to see prices and...