Charleston is located near the middle of South Carolina’s coast at the point “where the Ashley and Cooper Rivers meet to form the Atlantic Ocean.” It is the state’s second largest city and the county seat of Charleston County. Charleston was originally called Charles Town (in honor of King Charles II of England), and its nickname is “The Holy City.”

It’s a city of unhurried grace and distinct Southern charm blessed with an uncanny number of historic structures, many of which have been transformed into handsome offices, restaurants, stores, and homes The city’s Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area encompasses three counties: Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester. This is sometimes called the “Tri-County Area” or the “Trident Area,” and is home to about 550,000 residents. Projected population growth for the Charleston metro area predicts 600,000 people by the year 2015.

Mt. Pleasant

Anyone who crosses the new Cooper River Bridge into Mt. Pleasant will never forget the journey. Directly across the Cooper River from Charleston, Mt. Pleasant dates its founding to 1680. Today, the city carefully preserves its rich heritage and small-town appeal. The population in Mt. Pleasant is about 42,000.

The population numbers for this thriving community certainly make it qualify as a “city.” But, as the name implies, the “town” of Mt. Pleasant is an apt description for the state of mind and the attitude of the businesses you’ll find there. Although it serves as a major bedroom community to the Charleston Peninsula, it’s still a viable community unto itself.

The days when Mt. Pleasant residents were dependant on the Peninsula for primary shopping, dining, and entertainment venues are gone. Mt. Pleasant’s new $40 million Towne Centre is clear proof of that with its fifteen separate buildings containing over 400,000 sq. ft. of upscale shopping space.

Sullivan’s Island

Largely a quiet, residential island of old and new beach houses, the island’s 1998 permanent population was about 1,800. There is also a smattering of charming 9^th century “summer homes” that have somehow managed to survive the hurricanes and changing fashions of vacation architecture.

Isle of Palms

The Island is located just north of Sullivan’s Island. With its six miles of wide, sparkling beach it is the epitome of a beach from community. Wild Dunes resort on the north end offers high-caliber golf and tennis activity along with a marina and a selection of rental properties.

North Charleston

North Charleston, only incorporated in 1972, is geographically the third-largest city in South Carolina, with a population of about 81,000. Its reputation as the hub of the Lowcountry is justified; it’s clearly the business and transportation center for the lower half of the state. The international airport and the Amtrak station are here. Also, Interstate 26 and the Mark Clark Expressway (Interstate 526) make getting anywhere in the Lowcountry a snap.

One of North Charleston’s main attractions is the Charleston Area Convention Center Complex, which includes the 14,000-seat Coliseum and the 2,250-seat Performing Arts Center. These state-of- the-art venues draw crowds from all over the area and host a wide variety of events ranging from Broadway shows to major rock concerts and ice shows. It’s also the home of the South Carolina Stingrays, our local ice hockey team.

West Ashley

The City of Charleston annexed its first West Ashley tract in 1960, and the area has been growing ever since. The population doubled from 1960 to 1990 and was about 60,000 at last count. The neighborhood is a cohesive blending of old and new where history and modern development meet. It is densely populated and popular as the proliferation of fresh subdivisions and new retail attest. Fitness enthusiasts may want to try the 13-mile West Ashley Greenway.

James Island

James Island is also west of the Peninsula. Combined with West Ashley, the two areas are home to more than fifty percent of Charleston’s residents.

Johns Island

In a departure from modern growth, Johns Island remains pastoral with farmland dwarfing what little new development has appeared. Waterways and some residential areas make up the rest of the picture. John’s Island’s Bohicket Marina is known as “the perfect place for any mariner.” However, forecasters predict that Johns Island will continue to be developed into another bedroom community for Charleston, much like James Island is today.

Daniel Island

Daniel Island, home of the Charleston Battery soccer team, is found across the harbor and east of Charleston and is one of the two most recently annexed areas. It is over 4,000 acres and reflects painstakingly planned growth, which balances the demands of nature with the reality of a burgeoning population.

Sullivan’s Island

Sullivan’s Island is located south and east of Charleston and is a quiet residential beach community. It is also home to history. The first battle of the Civil War was fought at Fort Sumter. Fort Moultrie is also located there, offering the residents permanent testimony to the island’s place in U.S. history.

Old Charles Towne

The Old Charles Towne District is home to Charles Towne Landing State Park. This is the site where the original British settlers landed only to move the town ten years later. The city of Charleston is devoted to maintaining and promoting the historical significance of the area while helping to position it for the future.

Folly Beach

This eccentric and diverse beach town–likes to call itself “the edge of America.” Only 10 minutes from historic Charleston, this is a tourist’s world: one where there’s plenty to see and do. First of all, there’s the beach–Folly’s claim to fame. It runs almost 6 miles along the Atlantic side of the island. Folly has had serious erosion problems in the past; the beach was “renourished” a few years ago by mechanically pumping millions of cubic yards of sand back onto the shore, and there’s talk about needing to do it again.

The island has a year-round population under 2,000, but the population swells enormously on any summer day, when the hoards of beach lovers come out to play. Employment opportunities are almost exclusively limited to the tourist trade.

The neighborhood is a cohesive blending of old and new where history and modern development meet. It is densely populated and popular as the proliferation of fresh subdivisions and new retail attest.

Berkeley County

Just to the north of Charleston County, Berkeley is the fastest growing county in all of South Carolina. The biggest boom came in the early 1980s, when major new industrial concerns invested more than $1.7 billion in the county economy.

The greatest concentration of population and residential and commercial development has been in the southern portion of the county near Moncks Corner. Berkeley’s central town, however, remains Goose Creek. Other county towns include Hanahan and Moncks Corner. Total population of these towns is about 50,000, according to latest estimates.

Currently, industrial development is concentrated along U.S. Highway 52 north of Goose Creek and on the island formed by the Cooper River and the Black River and its tributary branches. The major Berkeley County employers are Santee Cooper (electric utility), Bayer Corp. (manufacturing) and Alumax of South Carolina (aluminum).

Much of the northern portion of Berkeley County is still productive, cultivated farmland. Most of the eastern portions of the county and large areas of the west remain in beautiful pine forests- -one of the county’s most distinctive features.

Dorchester County

Dorchester’s $127 million in economic development during 1997 largely came from the expansion of existing industries. The major employers in Dorchester County include the Robert Bosch Corp. (anti-lock braking systems), LINQ Industrial Fabrics (woven polypropylene fabrics), Lieber Correctional Institute and Winn-Dixie grocery stores.

Although St. George, with its population of about 2,000, is the county seat, the part of Dorchester County currently seeing the greatest amount of economic growth is Summerville. With a population of 24,292 the town’s healthy mix of retail, commercial, and tourist-related businesses along with light manufacturing concerns seems to be attracting both newcomers and business investors.