Visit North Charleston
Neighborhood charm with a dash of urban enthusiasm makes North Charleston an exciting must-see destination. Just a few miles north of downtown, this growing city is ready to entertain the southerner in you. Foodie? Eclectic shopper? Craft beer and spirits aficionado? It’s all here and more. Here are some spots not to miss.
Pizza, Moonshine, Brews and Late-Night bites
Uniquely inspired food and drink establishments give North Charleston a delicious reputation. From breakfast to late-night, a full spectrum of options can have you eating your way through your visit. Try wood-fired and mouthwatering pizzas at EVO Pizzeria, with topping choices like whipped ricotta, beet puree and pistachio pesto. Gourmet burgers and beer are a hit at Sesame Burger. Check out Basil Thai, Azul Mexicano and LoLA’s cajun and creole style seafood.
There are also traditional Italian and contemporary Chinese-American options. Thirsty? You’ve come to the right place. Firefly Distillery’s claim to fame is being home to the world’s first sweet tea vodka. It has additional original vodkas, maritime-influenced bourbons, rums and 11 moonshine flavors.
Try Ships Wheel Hard Cider or Holy City Brewing’s craft beer selections like Pluff Mud Porter, Wash-Out Wheat, Overly Friendly IPA. Paddock & Whisky offers a large selection of rotating rare bourbons and whiskeys in their rustic, repurposed bank vault setting.
Wine bars and an Irish Pub round out this full circle food-and-drink delight of a city.
Enjoy the action
Catch the excitement of this city’s own three-time Kelly Cup victors, the South Carolina Stingrays. This professional minor league hockey team fills the nearly 10,000 permanent seats in the North Charleston Coliseum. The complex also houses a 2,300-seat Performing Arts Center that includes the up-and-coming, as well as seasoned entertainers, from musicians to comedians, musicals, popular films, plays, children’s entertainment, and cultural acts. March welcomes Cheap Trick and Gladys Knight, Miss SC USA and Teen USA pageants, and the 50th anniversary tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. The center is also home to North Charleston’s POPS! series, and Broadway’s Best.
Artistic endeavors
The North Charleston Cultural Arts Department continues to show off the city’s artistic community.North Charleston’s Park Circle Gallery is part of the SC Arts Commission ‘neighborhood art hub’ family. Local and regional artistry is on display, including jewelry, photography, paintings, mixed-media, and other fine creations.
The gallery is free and open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Featured artists are chosen and displayed on a rotating monthly basis. Riverfront Park is a sedate and picturesque landscape resting on the banks of the Cooper River. It serves as a lawn-stage to the National Outdoor Sculpture Competition and Exhibition. This unique artistry offers sculptors creative and imaginative opportunities to display their creations throughout the year.
The Park Circle area is walking distance to fun boutiques and eclectic shopping options. Discover cool finds in designer and vintage clothing, furniture, accessories, book and music stores.
H.L. Hunley history
The mysterious disappearance of the American Civil War Submarine, the H.L. Hunley, in 1864 and subsequent discovery in 1995 and recovery in 2000 is now a fascinating tour at North Charleston’s Warren Lasch Conservation Center. Its namesake, Horace Lawson Hunley, was a Confederate marine engineer and the primary developer of early hand-powered submarines such as this vessel. The Hunley, as it’s known, became the world’s first combat submarine to successfully complete a mission of sinking the Union vessel, Housatonic, but curiously vanished soon after. It was not again discovered until the National Underwater and Marine Agency found it in 1995. In August of 2000 the Hunley was lifted and brought to the Conservation Center.
Open weekends, the hour-long tour lets you examine conservation work done to recover and preserve not only the submarine, but also its artifacts. Visit Hunley.org.
Get an education at the Fire Museum
The North Charleston Fire Museum and Educational Center has the largest collection of professionally restored American LaFrance fire apparatus in the country, according to its website. There are more than 20 vehicles in the collection, dating back to the 1780s. The collection includes an 1857 hand pumper; a 1912 metropolitan steam pumper; and a 1931 pumper with water tank. Visitors can take a tour and see exhibits about advancements in firefighting. There are interactive displays and hands-on equipment.
Check out theater presentations, including one with live smoke. The museum is open Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Go online at northcharlestonfiremuseum.org.
