US - Charleston

Every time I think of Charleston I think of Midnight in the garden of good and evil. Yes, yes, I know that’s Savannah, but I can’t help it. I want to sit awkwardly cross legged in a big chair while smoking and conversing in a very very long drawl. It gets me every time. Why on earth is that appealing! haha

In any case, I’ve been here many times and yet I feel like I haven’t spent much time in Charleston. I want to spend more. It is in fact a sophisticated city with mountains of tourism. It lacks some of that slow charm I want, but then again, I mainly stuck to the popular areas.

Bay street on a nice weekend night is as hopping as any city street in the country. I love it.

The city market is a pretty nice stroll, and the night version is appealing simply because of the drop in temperature.

On a recent trip we spent a few days in Folly Beach. Kind of nice but no need to come here again. We stayed in the only hotel that’s mentionable (Tides), and the town is a little shoddy. I loved the taco place. I loved the rooftop bars. I loved the 24 hour grocery store with an outdoor bar right next door. I kind of hated the general clientele. It was nice enough, but better places abound.
Booze isn’t allowed on the beach for some stupid reason as well…dumb.

Go to Millers all day. It’s rad and a great example of a modern coffee and breakfast bar.

High cotton has gone to shit. Magnolia looks like shit and so does their oyster sister restaurant.

Leon’s is the jam. I bet everything that group puts out is cool. Poultry and oysters, love. Plus frozen gin and tonics and frozen rose!

*Went to Isle of Palms most recently, Covid summer 2021. For starters we were there for July 4th, and their parade is the most quaint cutesy tootsy thing ever. Almost all golf carts, both people and carts dressed up, cart riders shooting water guns, bystanders along the road shooting water guns, everyone throwing candy. It’s like a kids dream. Tons of fun.

Isle of Palms is small, but I happen to love golf cart living, and this is wonderful golf cart living. To be clear, Sullivans Island is more quaint, and has far better restaurants. You can get there in a golf cart from isle of palms, but it’s uncomfortable crossing the causeway bridge. Sullivans has a pretty rad Mexican place called Mex 1, and a rad bar/restaurant called Obstinate Daughter.

Isle of Palms has Sea Biscuit Cafe which doesn’t get better or more crowded for a beach breakfast, and it has Acme Low Country kitchen for a good seafood dinner, but the whole restaurant area feels designed rather than happening by chance of commerce. Even the beach side bars are just a little too margaritaville rather than boutiquey and cool.

Notes to self:

-The Vendue was a perfect location…but don’t stay here! lol
-Spent 3 nights in Edisto on this trip as well. Nice beaches but the high tide completely eliminates them. Checking out the crazy amounts of dolphins is pretty neat. Mostly, there is nothing there, so make sure you stay with people you like. I did of course.
-You must never forget what United did to you on the way to Charleston. 12 hours of hell, and may they burn in it.
-McCrady’s Tavern is pretty rad. Great atmosphere. Great food and great service. I am done with 10,000 course prix fixe chef meals for a whil so give me the Tavern or nothing.
-FIG was a little bit of a let down. I would go again and sit at the bar but the place itself is pretty meh. Good food but stuffier than it should be.
-High Cotton was simply great. Awesome atmosphere. Killer brunch. And giant bottles of champagne with mixer samplers…pretty sweet.
-King Street Cabaret is the closest “club”, but it’s not really all that close. It’s small, but it’s pretty nice. No dances on the main floor and it’s 30 bucks a song for a basic dance in the back room. Girls are super nice though and the drinks are outrageously cheap.

Renaissance Charleston - Jul 2017

I liked this hotel.
They had a nice lobby with a nice lobby bar (though the bartenders were slow and kinda weak).
They had a nice restaurant (though it was new and they didn’t totally have their shit together).
They had an ok pool that was elevated and kind of sexy (though it was small).
The rooms were pretty nice with hard wood floors and great TV’s and beds. (plus our adjoining room with the bean was killer)
The location is pretty perfect.

BUT…BUUUUUUTTTTTTT.

The freaking AC was not working. And it was a thousand degrees outside!!! No, box fans do not make up for it. You are in the south. There is no option, your AC must work. The rooms were too hot, the bar was too hot, everything was too hot. Big fail.

Upon the next visit…
Had AC this time!
Got an executive room which worked well putting the kid on the pullout.
Still love this location.
The bar is still cool but the restaurant is no longer a restaurant. They
only open it for breakfast and the bar only has sandwiches and snacks.
Kind of a waste!

Notes

-They kind of jack you on the free breakfast. It’s like 3 items on a menu that has like 30 items on it. Everything else is regular price.

Tides Folly Beach - Jul 2017

This hotel was perfect for us.
It wasn’t super nice or anything, but the location is the only location you want to be in. The pool was big enough. They offered beach service (umbrellas and towels and shit). They had an outdoor bar. They had a giant restaurant. The rooms were big and comfy and the balconies were right on the ocean. It’s one of those old school hotels with way too much concrete, but it just fit for this trip.

And did I mention the location. Perfect.

Notes

-Just fine. Reminds me of beach week!

The Vendue - Aug 2016

Oh dang. Number one hotel in Charleston. The new hipness. The new hotness. BUT as a hotel, this shit offers nothing. Go to the bar, go to the restaurant, go to the rooftop. All of those things are actually very cool, very hip, very Charleston. Go everywhere except for staying in the hotel.

The rooms are an utter waste of time. No mini bar, no pay per view, limited room service. Our room didn’t even have a window. The hotel is separated across streets and buildings with zero amenities in most spaces. Oh, you offer milk and cookies every night? Really? That kitschy shit only works when you have other cool amenities. But you offer none. This hotel is a joke. It’s a scam. And it’s apparently working. I mean they don’t even have peep holes in the doors (which you will want when loud noises continuously happen outside of your room late at night). This might have been one of the worst hotel rooms I have ever stayed in. In my life. Like I am still baffled. Like…ugh.

Location is the only advantage.

Can’t wait to comeback to Charleston, can’t wait to hang out on the roof at the vendue, but this hotel has fooled me once.

Notes

-I’m so severely disappointed. THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A HOTEL ROOM!