That year started with a move during the worst flooding South Carolina had seen in decades (centuries? millennia?). That year ended - almost to the day - with a category 2 hurricane: Matthew (OK, maybe it was a strong 1 by the time it swung by just off the coast of Charleston). What's next? I've already seen a plague of mosquitoes and fruit flies. I don't think there's been a major earthquake in Charleston since 1886; are we due?
Anywho...instead of my usual retrospection, I thought I would make a Pros and Cons list about Charleston. Could be useful for anyone wanting to move down here or [ahem] come visit me before I leave for DC in April 2017.
Pros and Cons of Charleston, SC*
Pros
Food - Charleston has an awesome food and drink culture and scene going on. While much of it is "some cuisine"-low country-fusion (think Asian-low country fusion with pork noodle ramen where the noodles are actually made from pork skin - delicious by the way) there are tons of good restaurants and bars ranging from dives, to extensions of your living room, to tourist traps, to fancy night out, to cutting edge. Not to mention all the oyster roasts (sadly, not my thing), chili contests, and ethnic festivals. And good food and drink from cheap as chips to "OMG - how much?" One can definitely eat and drink well in the Charleston area.
Friendliness - I'd heard about it but until I experienced it myself I truly didn't believe it. Southern Hospitality® really does exist. Many people down here are genuinely nice. I've certainly experienced that at work, around my neighborhood, and in bars and restaurants. Even walking down the street people (some, not all - you know who you are Ohioans) smile and say hi or hello. And yes, I've had some of the college kids call me sir (no...perv...not in that way). It makes you want to be nice back, most of the time.
History - There is a lot of history down here. Not as much as back in Massachusetts and environs, but a lot. And it's very interesting, especially the connections between Charleston, Boston, Salem (yes, little old Salem, MA), New York, and Philadelphia. Lots of Colonial history, Revolution and Independence, Plantation & Slavery, Civil War, Civil Rights, you name it. And Charleston does a pretty good job of preserving, presenting, and owning its history.
Charm - Well, as they say, "Chaahlston is Chaahming" (that was my attempt to write out a Charleston accent - which, incidentally, is not far from a Boston accent (think Back-Bay Brahman, not Southie) slowed way down). The architecture in the French Quarter and around the Peninsula is great. Plantations with houses and gardens and river views. The Battery. Trees and flowers and palmetto palms. Beaches. When you hear someone with a Charleston accent, that's very charming (as opposed to the accent that sounds like the person has marbles in their mouth). In a very slight way, Charleston reminds me a tiny bit of Venice. No, not because Charleston is basically sinking, too. But every once in a while when I'm walking or riding down in the old, historic district, there's the same sense of past decadence and slight decay. Maybe it's just that moss and mold will grow on anything down here.
Weather - Coming from Boston, what more do I have to say. I will though. My first winter in Boston was 95-96 when we got 107 inches of snow - that's 8.9 feet of snow. Granted, it was over most of the winter season. But that made it a long winter season. Fast forward and my last winter (?) in Boston was 2015. Now that was the winter that beat 95/96: 110.6 inches. Over 9 feet of snow. But all that snow fell between January 27 (my birthday, btw) and March 31. That's right - roughly a foot of snow a week. What I'm saying is after all that, a little July and August low country heat and humidity isn't so bad. Is it?
Bicycling - Bicycling down here can be fun. See that whole Weather thing above. Lots of college and med school students bike around downtown. When I can ride my bike in December and January - that's a good thing. Also, not a lot of hills (well, really none) so biking can be slower and more relaxed. Can be...see below, though.
Small-town Feel - Charleston feels like a small town. I live in a great neighborhood - Canonborough/Elliotborough. Most of the Peninsula/Downtown is tight little neighborhoods. Living here I can walk or bike just about anywhere I want to go (except Trader Joe's). That's nice.
Cons
Food - Yep, all that good food and drink has a price: pounds. I'll say it: I've gained about 5 pounds in my year in Charleston. It would be more, except for that Weather thing I talked about, where at least I can get out on the bicycle for most of the year. Or go to Yoga (which I've been a bad boy and haven't been for a while. Sorry, Meg, I'm coming back real soon, promise!) If you come for a few days, you'll be OK. A week or two - you may want to exercise a little extra. More than that - expect to put on a pound or two. If you're one of "those" who never gains wait regardless of what you eat - well F..........
Friendliness - Maybe I lived too long in New England but the overly-friendliness can start to get annoying. And heaven help men trying to open and hold doors around here. Jeesh, let's just agree that whoever gets to a door first opens it, let's whoever is right behind him or her go through and then go through him- or herself. It seems to be some convoluted chivalry thing going on down here that I haven't quite worked out. I'm sure they all think I'm some ill-mannered Liberal Yankee (well, that's half true, maybe).
History - there's a lot of, um, "history" still going on down here. I can feel it underneath ways that different people interact with each other. It's different than what I've been used to. I'll leave it at that for now.
Weather - OK, summer is hot. Hot. HOT! Like, Indonesia HOT!
Bicycling - Biking can be fun. It can also be terrifying. Especially going over the West Ashley Bridge to get to the West Ashley Greenway - a lovely bike trail that's a BITCH to get to. And what is with bike lanes that just suddenly end. Hello, I didn't want to just bike a couple of miles from nowhere specif to nowhere else specific. Seriously, who thought that. And Charleston City (or County?) Council: a bike lane on the inbound side of the West Ashley Bridge is a no-brainer. Get it done already!
Traffic - Yes, traffic can suck. Luckily, my normal commute is contra-flow, so it only takes me about 12 minutes to get to work from home. I know some people who have an hour or hour and a half commute. Yuck! While I'm on traffic can I just say that one of my pet peeves is the "In God We Trust" license plate. No, not because I hate your religion. Because my experience has been that those drivers are some of the worst (and rudest). It's as if that plate gives them license to be annoying a**holes. Both times that I've nearly been hit while riding my bicycle (see above) have been by "In God We Trust" license plate holders. And I almost got run over in the Mount Pleasant Target parking lot (another place I can't bike to, Target) by Soccer Mom® with her IGWT plate who had the audacity to give me the finger for being in the crosswalk that she wanted to drive in.
Traffic - Yes, traffic can suck. Luckily, my normal commute is contra-flow, so it only takes me about 12 minutes to get to work from home. I know some people who have an hour or hour and a half commute. Yuck! While I'm on traffic can I just say that one of my pet peeves is the "In God We Trust" license plate. No, not because I hate your religion. Because my experience has been that those drivers are some of the worst (and rudest). It's as if that plate gives them license to be annoying a**holes. Both times that I've nearly been hit while riding my bicycle (see above) have been by "In God We Trust" license plate holders. And I almost got run over in the Mount Pleasant Target parking lot (another place I can't bike to, Target) by Soccer Mom® with her IGWT plate who had the audacity to give me the finger for being in the crosswalk that she wanted to drive in.
Tourists - Holy crap there are hordes of touristas here. I know that Boston had a lot. So did Harvard (if you don't know, dear reader, I worked at Harvard for 16 years before joining the U.S. Foreign Service). But I think because of the size of Charleston it seems like they're everywhere. Yes, I know, they bring in lots of money. You know what else they do? They drive up prices for the everyday working folks who live here. Charleston is not the affordable city that many people told me it would be. Rent is expensive and so are housing prices, in downtown at least (maybe if one wanted to live an hour commute away it's cheaper). And the City of Charleston is not really investing in affordable housing stock to make living in Charleston easier for people. Instead, they're cosying up to developers for yet more hotels and luxury condos. And don't get me started on Charleston being a wedding destination. Ugh! I'm over all that, for sure. Good thing my next posting is Bamako, Mali: nobody's wedding destination choice, I'm sure.
*These are my pros and cons and don't have any endorsement by Charleston City, Charleston County, or South Carolina. I'm open to that, though.
*These are my pros and cons and don't have any endorsement by Charleston City, Charleston County, or South Carolina. I'm open to that, though.
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