Living In Charleston

The
26th National Championship Catfish Tournament will take place on the 27th and 28th departing from and returning to Randolph's Landing. The 15th Annual Yemassee Shrimp Festival will be held the 18th through the 21st. The 2008 State Singles and
Doubles Horseshoe Pitching contest will be held on the 12th-14th. The Palmetto Tatters will host
Tat Days 2008 in Winnsboro on the 5th and 6th. And don't forget
the Apple Festival in Westminster the 2nd through the 6th.

Waves and Wishes 5K Run /Walk will take off from the Folly Beach Pier on the 27th. The IOP Race for the Child will hit the Connector on October
4th. The SC Half 2008 will take place at Lake Greenwood, SC on the 28th. The 1.2 mile swim,
56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run is event #12 of the SC Triathlon series.
The 2008 Bike MS Ride is the27-28th. The 150 mile ride across
the upstate will end in Greenville. Fun events in the state this month include the Albino Skunk Bluegrass Festival
in Blue Ridge, SC on the 26 and 27th. The Irmo Okra Strut includes lots of okra eating contests, the Okra Strut Parade and don't
forget the Dam Run to Irmo beginning at the Lake Murray Dam.

Trident is planning a new 3 story, 50 bed hospital in Monks Corner,
while the VA Hospital has been ranked number 10 among the nation's
155 VA hospitals. Lots of runs happening this month. The American Lung Association will host its 6th Annual Asthma Run/Walk at Brittlebank Park on the 13th. The MUSC 2 Mile Wellness Run and Walk on the 20th will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the
MUSC Harper Student Center. It will start at the facility on the
corner of Bee and Courtenay.

Inc.com has highlighted Charleston, Summerville and North Charleston.
The three city metropolitan area ranked 6 of 30 midsized cities climbing
on the list of best cities in which to do business from 15th last year. Charleston based Noel Corp has optioned 8 acres in Colleton county to build
a 15K sft facility. They will make and distribute automotive sealants
but hope to move into the green product and services market in the future.

Charleston Development Academy, a charter school in one of the city's oldest housing project will have its 5 year success chronicled in a documentary. Vharleston's Green Fair will kick off with a “green tie” gala at the Aquarium on the 25th featuring local urban developer, Vince Graham, discussing Urbanism: Past and Present. Marion Square will be the site of the Green Fair showcasing many green echnologies, green building roundtables, making your own cleaning products, eating locally and of sustainable products. It's all happening on Sunday afternoon, the 28th. The SC Swamp Sweep will be only one of the many events taking place across the state's rivers, creeks and beaches on the 20th. Help keep our state beautiful.

Charleston Development Academy, a charter school in one of the city's
oldest housing project will have its 5 year success chronicled in a
documentary. Charleston's Green Fair will kick off with a “green tie” gala
at the Aquarium on the 25th featuring local urban developer, Vince Graham,
discussing Urbanism: Past and Present. Marion Square will be the
site of the Green Fair showcasing many green technologies, green
building roundtables, making your own cleaning products, eating locally
and of sustainable products. It's all happening on Sunday afternoon,
the 28th. The SC Swamp Sweep will be only one of the many events taking place across the state's
rivers, creeks and beaches on the 20th. Help keep our state beautiful.

Here's a great way to capitalize on the area. Atlas Worldwide Syndication
and Distribution's film and TV production studio in Hollywood (SC)
is complete. The 4 stage, three acre site will include a 20,000sft soundstage
making it the largest studio in SC.

The secret is out. The national geographic has named us one of the “50 next great adventure towns.” One of five southern cities, the magazine refers to us as the “jock in the Southern Belle set” and compliments the metro area on the many ways to enjoy the outdoors here. Others in the South making the cut were Chattanooga, Islamorada, charlottesville, Lenoir and Mobile.

The secret is out. The national geographic has named us one of the
“50 next great adventure towns.” One of five southern cities, the
magazine refers to us as the “jock in the Southern Belle set” and
compliments the metro area on the many ways to enjoy the outdoors here.
Others in the South making the cut were Chattanooga, Islamorada, Charlottesville,
Lenoir and Mobile.

Quilts
are in Bloom at the Charleston Museum. The exhibit spans 150 years
of Charleston quilting and each offers a unique interpretation of a
floral theme.
What
becomes a garden best? How about the 32nd Annual Fall Tour of Homes
and Gardens Sept 25-Oct 26th. Sponsored by the Preservation Society,
this five week event is always a winner.

There's
not much better in Charleston than our gardens. No one knows this better
than our gardeners. The Charleston Horticultural Society's eighth annual
“Gardens for Gardeners Fall Tour” will present an opportunity
on the 5th of October to visit gardens in West Ashley and James Island
on a self guided walking/ driving tour. So mark your calendar. It's
Rain or Shine.

The
Town of Kiawah will present the American Music Celebration on
the afternoon of Oct 5th at Freshfields Village Green. The same weekend,
the 20th Anniversary of the French Quarter
will be marked by what organizers are saying will become Charleston's
most comprehensive visual arts festival.

The
MOJA Arts Festival scheduled September 25th -Oct. 5 at many venues
downtown has often been one of the SE Tourism Society's Top 20 events.
The celebration of African-American and Caribbean arts is in its 25th
year and highlights include classical, jazz, dance, gospel and R&B
plus poetry, visual arts and storytelling.

If
Chamber Music is more to your taste, don't feel left out this month.
The Calhoun Mansion hosts a soiree on the 12th. Then Chamber
Music Charleston presents a weekend of Classic Concerts on the 19th
and 20th. You'll also enjoy The Signature House Concert series
held in homes on the Battery on the 28th and 29th.

The 12th
Annual Lions Club BBQ Cook-off
will be held at the Berkeley Museum on the 26th. There'll be plenty
of good food and bluegrass. If that's not enough head over to Old Santee
Canal Park for their 9th Annual Pickin' in the Park...that's
bluegrass, not pig.

The tartans will be swirling as the Highland Games once again come
to Charleston on the 20th. Boone Hall will host the athletics, fiddling,
dancing and Border collie demonstrations. The Charleston Scottish
Dancers will hold a free dance social on the 19th and a Country Dancers
Ball on the 20th.

This is something
different. The Berkeley Museum Antique Tractor and Engine Show
will crank up for two days beginning on the 13th. Blacksmithing, basket
weaving, caning, grist milling, sawmilling, caning and furniture making
will be demonstrated also.

It's the end of the season at IOP and what better way to mark it
than a party. The community party will be on the 13th at 6 pm at the
Rec Center.

Rice was an integral part of life
in Charleston and this month is Harvest Time at Middleton Plantation.
Watch as you learn how Carolina Gold was harvested and processed from
the field to the table on the 13th, 16th and 25th.

To commemorate the 225th anniversary
of the signing of the Treaty of Paris ending the Revolutionary War,
the Museum will present a lecture on the 9th entitled “Where It Happened
Downtown” on the effects of the war on Charleston.

On
the 7th The Park will host a “Meet the Artists” reception
from 5:30-7:30. They'll announce the winners of their juried art show
and also announce the people's choice awards.

Fall is a spectacular time of the year to get out and about in the
Lowcountry. Old Santee Canal Park is holding a Yellow Ribbon
Camp on the 6th. It's a fun day at the park for children in grades
1-5 with a parent, grandparent or sibling serving overseas. Pictures
will be taken throughout the day then posted online to share with your
favorite soldier. A prepaid mailing box will be included to send crafts
and pictures overseas also.

September is Native American, Hispanic Heritage, Save the Tiger
(listen up Clemson fans) and National Honey Month. The 7th honors Grandparents
and is Grandma Moses birthday. 9/11 will always be observed with a special
reverence.
The
13th celebrates the birthday of the founder of Hershey Chocolate and
of the author Roald Dahl, who wrote Willie Wonka. The
22nd ushers in the first day of fall. Let's keep our fingers crossed
for a safe hurricane season.

Welcome to September...you can (almost) convince yourself that there's
a cool breeze in your future. Labor Day starts the month. It was reluctantly
signed into law by Grover Cleveland over 100 years ago to celebrate
the workers of America. Now it pretty much marks the end of the summer.

I'd have to say these qualify as the dog days of summer. The only sound in many neighborhoods is the hum of air conditioners struggling to keep us cool. Stores are getting in their fall merchandise and parents, clutching school lists, are choking the aisles. Yes, it's August in the Lowcountry.

It's turtle time on the beaches. Folly has reported 36 Loggerhead nests and one Leatherback nest. Watchers are looking forward to this month's hatching. There are a few things that we can do to make this more successful each year. Remove all of your belongings from the beach when you leave. Don't leave large holes that could trap the turtles; they are only graceful in the water. Turning off exterior lights at the beach helps with turtle navigation. Also, please report sightings to local public safety officers so they can notify the turtle teams.

From turtles to eagles...the contest is over and after an extremely close count, Liberty is the name chosen for the rescued American Bald Eagle at the Aquarium. Second place went to Bert, named for Stephen Colbert, local comedian.

Another contest with an August 22nd deadline is the BB+T Charleston Food + Wine Festival 2009 poster. Get moving!

Speaking of art, the downtown Charleston art gallery, Mountains to the Sea, received the 2008 Best of Charleston Award in the Art Gallery category by the US Local Business Assoc.

The 18th Annual Fine Arts Exhibition will be held beginning on the 22nd at the Old Santee Canal Park. The juried art show will have cash awards for the winners in five categories.

Two movies wrapped in S.C. with 2009 air dates: “Nailed” with Jake Gyllenhaal and Jessica Biel was shot around Columbia and Kevin Kostner in “The New Daughter”. This year “Dear John” based on a Nichols Sparks novel and “Band of Angels”, a post-Civil war movie by Hallmark will be shot.

Cottage Living magazine has named Noisette, the North Charleston community, as one of the Top 10 Neighborhoods for 2008. They say” Today those 3,000 acres--dubbed Noisette after the 19th century botanist- are being reshaped in a massive effort that may indeed result in a model new city, where sustainability and quality of life are the top priorities.” Wow!

The wholly green neighborhood in Noisette, Oak Terrace Preserve, has been named one of the nation's leading green built community developments. Included in the book”Choosing Green: A Homebuyer's Guide”, they also honored developments in Atlanta, Wilmington and Florida.

Travel + Leisure's readers have bumped Charleston up two spots from last year's World Best Awards. Rated 4th in the Top 10 Cities, Charleston trailed only New York, San Francisco and Chicago. Charleston Place (#31), the Planters Inn (#57) and the Sanctuary At Kiawah (#76) ranked among the Top 100 Hotels in the continental US and Canada.

If you've been to St Andrews Shopping Center recently the demolition of 70,000 square feet of existing stores has begun. Harris Teeter will build a 52,000 square foot store in the 50 year old shopping center. Home Depot has announced a new southeastern supply center will be built near Dixiana, mid state.

The Southern National Barbeque Championship and Bluegrass Festival will be at Boone Hall Plantation on the 31st of August. Professional teams will compete in the Kansas City Barbeque Society sanctioned event. There will be plenty of music to help you work off all the offerings.

There will be two Moonlight Mixers this month. The dances on the 8th and the 29th will spotlight Shagging on the Pier at Folly Beach.

Hootie and the Blowfish will return on the 15th for their Annual Homegrown Concert at the Family Circle Magazine Stadium on Daniel Island. The group has always encouraged concertgoers to bring school supplies as a donation. It's been so successful in the past that the group is basing their entire 24 city tour on giving to the economically disadvantaged and will conclude the tour here where it all began.

The Reggae Summer Concert Series continues at James Island County Park on the evening of the16th with Dubconscious from Athens, GA. The series runs monthly each summer at the park.

The Dances of Universal Peace will be performed at Gage Hall (4 Archdale) also on the evening of the16th. Sufi dancing is part of an ageless tradition of participatory meditative circle dance.

Chamber Music Charleston will perform a program of music at the Old Exchange Building on the evening of the 16th. It will include Francaix Divertissement for oboe, clarinet and bassoon and a Vivaldi Concerto for oboe, clarinet, bassoon and harpsichord.

Downtown Summerville will host DREAMfest on the 21st. It is billed as a gathering of exhibits, entertainment and refreshments. Concerts will be held at Hutchinson Square. DREAM is the Town's non-profit revitalization organization.

Revitalization experts from Main Street South Carolina and the National Trust Main Street Center will be assessing the downtown Summerville area at the beginning of the month. They will present a plan to enhance the historic downtown area with the accent on historic.

Speaking of revitalizing an area, Jafza International's plans for a logistics, distribution and manufacturing center east of I 95 near 301 will be bringing about 10,000 jobs to the area. Already the area is beginning to see a construction boom. A gated community on the shores of Lake Marion in Clarendon County has begun selling home sites in anticipation. Across the lake, Orangeburg County is bracing for an explosion of construction with land acquisition already underway.

With new development comes the need for roads. Charleston County's Roadwise Program has hired seven interns to work with engineering companies that have county road projects. It's your half cent sales tax at work.

Clemson has been recognized as a Center for Excellence for Watershed Management by the EPA. It's the third center to be designated in the southeast.

The Medical University has been named by the US News and World Report as one of the country's best hospitals in the treatment of digestive and respiratory disorders. MUSC has also announced it will be the site of a new center for stem cell research. This could position our state as a bioengineering and biomedical leader.

ESPN announced the inaugural Charleston Classic, a twelve game men's college basketball tournament that will be held November 14th-16th at the new C of C gym. The Southern Conference sponsored meet will open the new Carolina First Center. So far all but one team has been named to the 8 team roster: C of C, Clemson, East Tennessee State, Hofstra, Temple, Texas Christian and Western Michigan.

The 13th Big Kahuna Fishing Tournament is scheduled for the 23rd at the Folly Beach Pier. If you're a little rusty in your technique, the Charleston Angler has lots of instructional classes this month including Saltwater Fly Fishing, Kayak Fishing, Saltwater Fly Tying, Inshore Fishing and Beginners Classes.

Charleston County Parks continue their kayak instruction if you want to put that fishing class to good use. Then, there are trips scheduled from harbor tours to Morris Island to whitewater trips. They are also offering a full slate of climbing classes.

The big golf news is the Amateur at Kiawah Island Golf Resort. For the first time, male amateurs of all ages can compete in a flighted individual stroke play golf tournament at the Ocean Course Sept.4-7th. Get in shape now; it's a walk only course.

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We keep hearing folks ask “Where have all the fireflies gone? They were everywhere when we were kids.” Then they tell similar stories of mayonnaise jars with holes in the lids and how much joy they got from the whole experience. The insect guys at The Museum of Science in Boston have set up a Citizen Firefly Watch for the summer to see if there has been an actual decrease in the population (besides the mayonnaise jar losses that is). You can log on to the site at www.mos.org/fireflywatch/ and see the progress or join in yourself. You'll learn they aren't flies at all, they're beetles. But they've always been lightning bugs around here.

Have a safe August, stay cool and enjoy your Labor Day. Remember to keep an eye out soon for the school busses and children at bus stops across the area.

Today July fifth eight years ago at three in the afternoon my mom died after fighting breast cancer for four years. It thundered that day. Today July fifth at three in the afternoon my two daughters went to a funeral for a friend, a young man, that died two days ago over something that seemed to matter at the time. It thundered today. I did not go with them hoping that they would bring home a life lesson about death and life. I knew the child that died and can only imagine what his parents must feel. I have prayed everyday for twenty-one years that I would never have to experience my children dying before me. When I was eight or so we went to my dad's fathers funeral. My granddad was sixty-nine and his mother was ninety-five. That day she told me she had buried three husbands and today she had to bury her baby and no mother should live to bury a child. Just like any other parent I would gladly give my life for my children. Today I tried to explain to my children that life does not work that way. There are no do-overs in this life. You can make changes in your life after you make a mistake, if you are lucky enough to live through them, but when your life ends there are no do-overs. It is very hard to understand how anyone can take someone elses life for any reason. YOU CAN NOT TAKE IT BACK. These days our children seem to grow up so fast. I pray today that each mom and dad out there hug their children, tell them you love them and just talk about life. It is short. I also pray for Craig, his parents, his brothers and all of their family and friends. May you feel Gods love and may He give you peace.

The Rice Planters Amateur Golf Tournament, one of the Top Ten amateur events in the country, is slated for July 1-5 at Snee Farm in Mt Pleasant. The four day invitational is celebrating its 33rd anniversary. James Island County Park will be the site for a July 6th, July 27th and August 10th Charleston Sprint Triathlon. The 7:15 am star will see competitors swim 0.3 miles in the freshwater lake, bike the 13 mile course followed by a 5K run. Wow! The dog park will be closed until 10am on these days to accommodate the series.

The Charleston County Parks have so many activities besides water parks it will wear you out just thinking about it. There are magic shows, shagging on the pier on the 11th, climbing classes, family canoeing and kayaking classes and trips, and also whitewater and sea kayaking classes. Explore the sky with the portable digital planetarium or take a sunset/moonlight canoe trip at Caw Caw. Learn surf seining at the Folly Beach County Park or stroll the beach on Isle of Palms with a naturalist. There’s plenty to see at the Birds of Prey show at James Island or Wannamaker Park. Regular early morning bird walks are held at Caw Caw. Feel like fishing? The monthly fishing tournament on the pier at Folly will be on the 26th or you can learn to make Long Leaf Pine needle baskets at Caw Caw if fishing isn’t for you. Or you could just relax with a good book in the library’s summer reading contest. We’re seeing more and more folks cycling these days. Bike on over to Marion Square on the 6th for the Community Bike Workshop to share knowledge, tools and bike parts. Bring a project!

Broadway Showstoppers! Brings us 2 hours of unforgettable memories of the Broadway stage from the Ziegfield Follies through today’s hits. July 10-13 at the Charleston Music Hall. Then the small screen gives way to the stage on the 14th ,when Emmy award-winning Leslie Jordan, the 4’11” funny man from Will and Grace, Ugly Betty, Reba and Boston Legal just to name a few, will present his southern humor show, “My trip Down the Pink Carpet” at the same venue.

Presenting a patriotic concert at the Pierce Park Pool and Pavilion on Daniel Island on the 3rd. The 60 piece volunteer band has been entertaining the Lowcountry for over thirty years.

If the history of the Civil War and especially the 54th Massachusetts Regiment (remember the movie “Glory”?)is more to your interest, there will be a Memorial Service of the Assault on Battery Wagner on the 18th. at 3:45 on Morris Island. Boats will depart the Maritime Center at 3 pm. Bring your own lawn chair.

With the price of fuel skyrocketing along with everything else, a major summer trip may be out of the question. Here are some day trips around the state that may give you some ideas.

• 7/1-5 The Miss South Carolina and Miss Teen S.C. Pageants in Spartanburg
• 7/4 The Firecracker 5000 Road Race and Fun Walk on Hilton Head Island
• 7/4 The Lexington County Peach Festival in Gilbert
• 7/4 The Murrell’s Inlet Boat Parade and Fireworks
• 7/9-12 HMY-Viking-MEGADOCK Billfish Tournament in Charleston
• 7/10-12 S.C. Festival of Discovery in Greenwood
• 7/11-12 S.C. Genealogical Society Annual Workshop in Columbia
• 7/11-20 Beaufort Water Festival
• 7/12 Jammin’ in July outdoor festival at Camden’s Revolutionary War site
• 7/12-13 Reenactment of the Battle of Huck’s Defeat at Brattonsville (York Co.)
• 7/14-19 S.C. Fire-Rescue Conference in Myrtle Beach
• 7/15-20 Jr SOS Shag Dancing in North Myrtle Beach
• 7/17-19 Father and Son Team Classic Golf Tournament in Myrtle Beach
• 7/18-20 Pageland’s Watermelon Festival
• 7/26 The Isle of Palms Beach Run 4 mile run/walk+ youth fun runs
• 7/26-8/2 Big League World Series in Easley for players 16-18 years old

Don’t let the kids even breathe the word “bored” this month! There’s Family Fiesta Night at Freshfields near Kiawah on the 10th and 24th, Mining for gems at the Charleston Museum on the 17th, weekly Island Adventure camp at the Family Circle Tennis Center where kids can learn about tennis, soccer or nature. The Charleston Museum will have a History Girl Party on the 12th to coincide with the movie release of ‘Kit Kittredge: An American Girl.”

Looking for a little romance? Try the Wednesday Wine Strolls each week at Middleton Place. If you’re looking for a little more, try the full moon harbor cruise on the Schooner Pride on the 18th.

Speaking of BBQ (and Men’s Vogue June 6 issue was recently), Charleston native Jimmy Hagood was pulling his Blackjack BBQ rig into NYC for the 6th Annual Snapple Big Apple BBQ Block party in Madison Square Park. 14 pit masters from around the country served up plates of their specialties for an appreciative crowd. This is just a teaser for the Southern National BBQ Championships and Bluegrass Festival to be held the end of August at Boone Hall.

This is one fundraiser that you won’t need to dress to impress. It’s all fun, dancing and pigging out on great BBQ and enjoying the liquid refreshments for a good cause on Gold Bug Island 7-11pm

If you’re holding out for some more outdoor fun, James Island County Park will be jamming with the latest installment of the Reggae Nights Summer Concert Series on the 19th.

Anyone not get their fill of music during Spoleto? You’re in luck! Chamber Music Charleston performs at the Old Exchange on the 15th.
If opera is your choice, head down to the Charleston Library on Calhoun Street. On the 18th they will show “La Traviata” with Beverly Sills filmed at Wolf Trap in 1976. On the 22nd, “Don Carlo” will be shown, recorded live at La Scala.

Brings us 2 hours of unforgettable memories of the Broadway stage from the Ziegfield Follies through today’s hits. July 10-13 at the Charleston Music Hall. Then the small screen gives way to the stage on the 14th ,when Emmy award-winning Leslie Jordan, the 4’11” funny man from Will and Grace, Ugly Betty, Reba and Boston Legal just to name a few, will present his southern humor show, “My trip Down the Pink Carpet” at the same venue.

When we look around the globe at the conditions in so many countries, we realize what a
special holiday this is. There are as many ways to celebrate the day as there are small towns across our state. Here’s a preview.

I decided after 21 years as a business owner to close it last October. I had started the business with my parents four months before my wedding. The funny thing is, I had started real estate school and then decided to work with my parents. As it turns out it was a good decision. A year and two days after my wedding I was blessed with the birth of a beautiful daughter. Then three years later blessed with the birth of another beautiful daughter. I was able to take them to work with me and their Honey and Pop, (grandparents), were able to enjoy each day with them. My dad died and four years later my mom died, so I decided I needed to go back to my dream of real estate. The scariest part of this dream was going back to school and having to pass a test. This delayed the process for about a year and a half. I worried, can I make a living doing this? Will I be able to learn everything there is to this business? Most of all I wondered if was I to old too old to start over. How dumb is that? Once I passed the test I was so ready to get to work. I love what I do each and everyday. I meet and work with great people from every walk of life and backgrounds. I work with couples who are just starting out and buying their first home, some are starting families and need a larger home and some who are ready to retire and want to down-size. There are also those relocating here for their jobs and those who are retiring to Charleston for the great life style Charleston, South Carolina affords them. I will never second guess my decision to make a career change this late in life. I finally feel as though I make a difference in other peoples lives. It is a huge decision to buy a home and I love helping my clients feel comfortable with their decisions. What it boils down to is things happen for a reason and had I gone into real estate when my girls were little I may have missed out on softball games, practices, swim meets and field trips. Those years you can not get back. I hope if a mid-life job change is in your future you research and go for it today! Good Luck!

This weekend was my birthday. Wow what a week in Charleston. Wednesday, my sister and brother (by marriage)which is better than my own took our girls group out for a boat cruise. We ate and then left James Island Creek into the Charleston Harbor and down the Ashley River. We cut the motors after we went under the double Ashley River bridges and floated with the incoming tide for three or four miles. We went for a swim and floated with the boat. The water was so warm and comforting. Then on Friday afternoon most of our friends took a half day off work and showed up at my pool and when I got home they were planning the night. My husband and I had to go to a going away party for some guys at work at Red's Ice House on Mt. Pleasant. What a meat market! Well it was Friday afternoon. We said our goodbye and arrived home to our friends cooking burgers and dogs on the grill. What a treat! We ate, swam and talked late into the night. On Saturday I held an open house at one of my listings and then showed property. I got home and was working on the computer and my sister and mother-in-law showed up and told me I needed to leave. They had come bearing gifts. They planted all of my pots with blooming Sweet Potatoe vines, Gerber Daisies, Hybiscus and Verbena among other plants. My entire backyard looked totally different with a few pots of flowers. I was brought to tears. There was a heat index of 101 on Saturday. We cooked dinner for four and ended up with sixteen. We had food left over. Somehow thats how it ends up in the South, we just don't know how to cook for four. Love this life. How many people get a weeks worth of birthday? It is Sunday and I am so ready for Monday, so I can rest. I hope your birthday measures up!!!

Entrées $10-$15
James Island. 1241 Harborview Road. 795-4090
Lunch, Dinner, and Saturday and Sunday Brunch
For the last few years or so Mimi's has established itself as the go-to restaurant for James Islanders looking for a good meal at reasonable prices. The menu is simple with just enough variety. The setting is casual with great views overlooking the marsh and James Island/Ellis Creek. With a screened-in porch and a back deck that juts out over the marsh what more could you ask for? Run by sisters Monique and Mimi Duffy, the cafe is most welcoming. They feature an ever-changing specials board of seafood, steaks, pork, and pasta dishes. They have a great happy hour and the appetizers are half price. My group of girls meets there pretty regularly on Wednesday evenings. Troy is the bartender and he knows what you’re drinking before you do and you never see the bottom of your glass. He’s cute too!

South Carolina is luring teachers to the state with housing assistance that is very generous. The state Housing Authority is offering home loans at a 5.9 percent interest rate. Included is down payment assistance up to $7,000 for teachers making less than 80 percent of the county's median income. If you stay here for five years this money will be forgiven. In other words you don't have to pay it back! The maximum is between $180,000 and $240,000 and is being offered by more than 200 lenders around the state.

Check this out! Lots of great information regarding the schools in South Carolina. The SC Dept. of Education has launched a new website to assist homeowners and buyers who are investigating school or districts. SC Education Choice.com allows users to investigate options by program, school, district, or organizational structure. Use the "Search Choice Programs" button on the right side bar to access the search.

Did you know? On May 1, we changed our name from Prudential Carolina Real Estate to Carolina One Real Estate and affiliating with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World. Leading Real Estate Companies of the World is a network of over 700 independent companies in 35 countries that does more real estate business than any franchise worldwide. This gives everyone increased exposure.

As technology and consumer behaviors change, so must we. The impact of the Internet and alternative advertising trends, including the need for a global connection for our luxury market, make us confident that the decision to become an independent company is in your best interest, both today and going forward.

We have always been a locally owned and operated company dedicated to meeting the needs of our clients, one property at a time. Though our name and look are changing, what remains the same is the dedication and commitment of your listing and sales agent and a team of over 1,000 Realtors working from our 16 offices in Metro Charleston. Please be assured that throughout the transition, our first priority is to meet your real estate needs.