Travel Guide | Charleston, SC

Isa on the Fly is a series dedicated to highlighting great local places to eat, drink, and shop on-the-go in a ‘mini travel guide’ form.

Overview

Charleston, the South Carolina port city founded in 1670, is defined by its cobblestone streets, horse-drawn carriages and pastel antebellum houses, particularly in the elegant French Quarter and Battery districts. The Battery promenade and Waterfront Park both overlook Charleston Harbor, while Fort Sumter, a federal stronghold where the first shots of the Civil War rang out, lies across the water.

FOOD + Drink

Magnolia’s

A refined take on traditional Southern cooking, served in a warm, sophisticated environment.

185 E Bay St, Charleston, SC 29401

Le Farfalle

Bright & airy neighborhood osteria for thoughtfully sourced, reimagined Italian cuisine & cocktails.

15 Beaufain St, Charleston, SC 29401

La Pâtisserie

La Pâtisserie serves the Holy City’s finest coffee, breads and pastries, and breakfast sandwiches and quiche. Renowned French Pastry Chef Rémy Fünfrock ensures both authenticity and freshness offering sweet and savory pastries, alongside a full coffee bar.

404 King St, Charleston, SC 29403

Basic Kitchen

Serene, light-filled space for dishes featuring local produce & whole grains.

82 Wentworth St, Charleston, SC 29401

sight-seeing

free activities

The Battery

The Battery is a landmark defensive seawall and promenade in Charleston, South Carolina. Named for a civil-war coastal defense artillery battery at the site, it stretches along the lower shores of the Charleston peninsula, bordered by the Ashley and Cooper Rivers, which meet here to form Charleston harbor.

Rainbow Row

Rainbow Row is the name for a series of thirteen colorful historic houses in Charleston, South Carolina. The houses are located north of Tradd St. and south of Elliott St. on East Bay Street, that is, 79 to 107 East Bay Street.

83-107 E Bay St, Charleston, SC 29401

French Huguenot Church

Built in 1844 and designed by architect Edward Brickell White, it is the oldest Gothic Revival church in South Carolina, and has been designated a National Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The congregation it serves traces its origins to the 1680s, and is the only independent Huguenot church in the United States.

136 Church Street Charleston, SC 29401

Cathedral of St. John the Baptist

The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist is the mother church of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, located in Charleston, South Carolina. Designed by Brooklyn architect Patrick Keely in the Gothic Revival style, it opened in 1907. The cathedral seats 720 people and is noted for its Franz Mayor & Co. stained glass, hand–painted Stations of the cross and Neo-gothic architecture. The lower church includes a crypt where Bishop England (with his sister, Joanna) and four other Charleston bishops are buried. The spire was not built at the time due to the lack of funds during the construction of the cathedral and its numerous renovations. The church was finally completed on March 25, 2010, with the addition of the steeple and bells.

120 Broad St, Charleston, SC 29401

St. Phillip’s Church

Built in 1836 (spire completed in 1850), the stuccoed brick church features an imposing tower designed in the Wren-Gibbs tradition. Three Tuscan pedimented porticoes contribute to this design to make a building of the highest quality and sophistication. On November 7, 1973, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark.

142 Church St, Charleston, SC 29401

Dock Street Theatre

The structure, which was built as a hotel in 1809 and converted to a theater in 1935, occupies the site of the first building in the thirteen colonies designed for use as a theater. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1973.

135 Church St, Charleston, SC 29401

American Theater

Opened in 1942 as Charleston’s premier movie house, the American Theater has regal Art Deco architecture and timeless Hollywood glamour. You may even recognize it as the setting of Allie + Noah’s first date in “The Notebook”!

446 King St, Charleston, SC 29403

U.S. Custom house

The U.S. Custom House is the custom house in Charleston, SC. Construction began in 1852, but was interrupted in 1859 due to costs and the possibility of South Carolina’s secession from the union. After the Civil War construction was restarted in 1870 and completed in 1879. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 9, 1974. It is also a contributing property of the Charleston Historic District.

200 E Bay St, Charleston, SC 29401