Historic, buzzy, essential, a place somehow apart: That’s the summary magic of Charleston, South Carolina. Its epicenter is the palmetto-and-live-oaklined streets of a narrow peninsula flanked by two rivers and pointing toward the sea. Packed with a breathtaking inventory of residential and commercial buildings from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, Charleston is as close to a living museum of American architecture as exists on the continent, and its decorative arts equal the built environment—on and off the peninsula. Which is to say, a visit to the Holy City is heavenly indeed: an immersion in visual splendor, complex histories, and inspiration. It’s a feast for the mind as well as for the eyes.
And for lovers of shopping, that history steeped in beauty abides. From antique and art dealers to artisan makers for home and garden, from purveyors of estate jewelry to direct-from-Paris style, Charleston holds her many wares in jewel box shops, industrial warehouses, and even suburbanstyle outbuildings across her rivers.
