Welcome to all of you that will be coming here from Seattle!  Are you afraid of culture shock?  I’ve been amused and yes, a little offended, by the Seattle blogs, that describe us as third world, uneducated, toothless, racist, …….. To those that make these comments, I say that if you have lived here, then sure, go ahead and make remarks; if not, then you’re showing your own ignorance.

Charleston is very different than Seattle, in many good ways, and since I’ve lived here most of my life, I’ll tell you about the good and bad.

First, the weather will be very different.  Our weather is warm and humid, and in the summer, downright hot.  Think 98 degrees with 90% humidity- no need for flannel shirts!  Your new wardrobe should include plenty of short sleeved shirts and flip-flops (Rainbows).  We hardly ever get snow.  If we do get a dusting of an inch of so, expect schools to cancel classes and roads to be closed- this usually makes for good laughs from folks that have moved here from up North or out West.  We just don’t know how to drive in the snow (actually I do because I lived in Boston, but just speaking in generalities). 

We do have cool days, even stretches of days below freezing in the winter,  but during this time of year, it still reaches the 80s.  My family and I were swimming in our pool last week!  The ocean is warm and perfect for swimming and watersports as well.  Unlike the chilly Pacific, the Atlantic heats up quickly in the spring, topping out in the 80s during the summer, almost like bathwater.  Boating, kayaking, paddleboarding, surfing, fishing, kitesurfing……many ways to enjoy the ocean and our plentiful waterways. Our beaches are clean and beautiful, with wide sandy expanses to enjoy sunbathing or a stroll.

Washington is a blue state, we’re a red state. However, Charleston County itself is blue.  We’re probably the most progressive county in the state, but overall, Charleston is more conservative than Seattle.

We do have good schools in the Charleston area.  We have problems like every school district, but schools such as the Academic Magnet, School of the Arts and Wando High School have won national awards.  If you want to learn more about schools in the area, check out www.ccsdschools.com.

Coffee on every corner?  Not quite, but your own Starbucks has quite a presence here in Charleston, as well as coffee shops  such as Rutledge Coffee and Cream, Port City Java,….

We haven’t produced our own Nirvana, Pearl Jam, or Jimi Hendrix, but we do have Hootie and the Blowfish, Edwin McCain and a pretty nice little music scene.  We have the Music Farm downtown, a Convention and Performing Arts Center and  the North Charleston Coliseum for larger acts, and one of my favorites, the Windjammer on Isle of Palms (a bar on front beach).  Each week in our local paper, the Post and Courier, they have the Preview section on Thursday, where you can check out local venues and find out what’s happening on the upcoming weekend. Visit the Post and Courier  at www.charleston.net.

We also have the Charleston Ballet Theatre, Charleston Symphony, Footlight Players, Charleston Stage Co, Village Playhouse……. many opportunities to enjoy community theater, music, and dance.  Charleston is also host to the Spoleto Festival each year during the last week of May and the first week of June; a celebration of the arts that is one of the largest in the world.  Visit www.spoletousa.org for details.

We have outstanding restaurants!  Just to name a few of my faves- Charleston Grill, Peninsula Grill, Oak Steakhouse, FIG, Il Cortile del Re, Cypress…..I could go on and on.   You’ll want to try some Southern favorites such as barbeque, shrimp and grits, and sweet tea.  Many of our restaurants create their menus using local seafood or old fashioned southern cooking (think collard greens and sweet potato casserole).

Like to golf? Our wonderful climate makes the game possible year round! We have the Ocean Course on Kiawah Island, the Links and Harbor Courses at Wild Dunes, neighborhood courses, public courses….. I don’t golf myself, so I can’t give you any more of the scoop here.

Charleston  is home to the College of Charleston, the Citadel (a military college) and the Medical University of SC, so we have some of the vibrancy of a “college town”.  MUSC also has a teaching hospital, attracting researchers from around the world.  We have an outstanding medical community.

Professional sports?  We don’t have the equivalent of the Mariners or Seahawks…. Here you’ll find the Charleston Riverdogs (Class A affiliate of the NY Yankees), SC Stingrays (hockey team- 3 time Kelly Cup Champs) and avid fans of college sports- the biggest state rivalry game will be on 11/28/09 between USC and Clemson.  Go with a local to a Clemson or Carolina game to experience tailgating at its best.

Here are some of the negatives, which you may or may not have in Seattle- bad drivers, humidity, mosquitoes, no-seeums (tiny annoying gnats), “Palmetto bugs” (roaches),  hurricanes, earthquakes, snakes.   As far as earthquakes, we haven’t had a big one in over a hundred years.  Hurricanes- our last big one was Hugo in 1989.  You just have to stay informed during hurricane season (June 1st to Nov 30th), make preparations if a storm is heading our way, and evacuate if warnings are issued. 

You may see the motto “Smiling faces, beautiful places”- this is very true for SC.  We have friendly people, and Charleston consistently wins most mannerly city awards from travel magazines.  Charleston is an old city, rich with history dating back to the 1660s.  I would encourage you to visit downtown Charleston to view the architecture, walk the remaining cobblestone streets, or maybe take a carriage ride.  

This is a great place to live and raise a family! We have a pretty laid back lifestyle, a wonderful climate, and plentiful opportunities for fun.  Finally, you’ll have to get used to hearing “ya’ll” .