The art scene is not notable. We like the Principle Gallery on Meeting Street, but that may in large be because of the looks and charm of the owner.  There’s a museum mile, but you won’t find the sort of large art museum that you have in major cities like New York, Chicago, Berlin, or Washington.

There’s a pleasant enough park along the water that’s just a block off the tourist hub, nice for a stroll, but not particularly noteworthy. If you go to both Charleston and Savannah, as many tourists do, it’s interesting to compare the very different ways in which they have handled waterfront development. In Charleston, most of the development has occurred away from the water, and the areas around the water are mostly parks for walking or sitting. In Savannah, the Riverwalk area is intensely developed, in a sort of touristy, not very creative way. Neither Savannah nor Charleston’s waterfront areas are developed nearly as nicely as Old Town Alexandria or Georgetown in DC.  You might see a huge cruise ship pulled up in the Charleston harbor, but that’s about it in terms of interest.

So beyond eating a lot, why exactly is it that tourists come to Charleston? What accounts for all the buzz?   You get some college feel with the College of Charleston, which is very close to town. Some interesting residential architecture off the main drags. A lot of restaurants; some art galleries. The scale of everything is pretty small, so the town feels cozy, certainly not overwhelming or intimidating in any way. But that’s it.  What are we missing?

Hotels

Planter’s Inn.  Recently rated by Travel and Leisure magazine as the number one small hotel in America, but why? A perfectly nice place, but like so many others. Just off the cuff we can name 3 hotels in Virginia that all that same traditional luxury vibe, and are at least as nice, probably nicer; Keswick Inn near Charlottesville, Salamander Inn in Middleburg, and Williamsburg Inn in Williamsburg. We were met at arrival by some young bellmen, perhaps students at the nearby College of Charleston. They weren’t particularly cheery, nor was the front desk staff. There is no dedicated concierge. A really good hotel is about attention to small details, but the towels were not particularly fluffy or thick, the coffee in the common area wasn’t hot, the shower head wasn’t adjustable, and when we called the front desk from our room there wasn’t any answer. None of these things are, by themselves, capital crimes, but, together, they are the mark of a place that has maybe already started resting on its recently won laurels.  On the positive side, the location is great, in the heart of the tourist hub. Our room was nice, but nothing special. There is a nice, smallish type “living room” that serves, I guess, as the lobby and has coffee and snacks.

But you’re probably better off just skipping Planters Inn and trying The Vendue, which is also in a very central area but is much more stylish. When I was there they had a lot of interesting art in the lobby, a rooftop bar, and a good reputation for friendly service.