Happy Friday, Charleston! If you’re one of the lucky ones who’ve been called back to the office recently, here’s my tip of the day: use the Boss Button so as the taskmaster boss approaches, you can quickly navigate away from your March Madness stream. Thank me later.

Congrats to Michael F. of James Island, who was the 1st to guess correctly in our “Where Are We” segment last week! Our photo was the former Colin McK Grant Home For Aged Presbyterians, on Meeting Street downtown right near the Ravenel Bridge on/off-ramps. 

I’ve been driving or walking by this campus of white brick buildings for years, knowing nothing of its historical significance. I’m struck by the uniqueness of this project—the architecture of the buildings and their arrangement on the property.

I felt like I’d seen this somewhere else in Charleston. Turns out I had.

I did some digging. You can now captivate your friends at your next neighborhood party. Check out the story below. 👇🏼

Please follow us on Instagram. When we get to 1,000 followers, we’ll do a $50 giveaway to a local restaurant! We’re getting close, so thank you!

In today’s newsletter:

• Small business owners who WFH, rejoice! Your wife/husband/partner/pet has seen enough of you, and you’ll soon have a cool new place to work from.

• Those white buildings on Meeting Street that traffic seems to stream by? There’s a compelling story of how they, and another nearby project, came to be.

• ICYMI. Basketball viewing, speaking French and delicious fish tacos.

Friday 63° / 48° ☀️ 💧0%

Saturday 71° / 48° ☀️ 💧2%

Sunday 71° / 58° ☀️ 💧3%

Friday, March 21

• Dancing on the Cooper | 7 - 10 PM | Mount Pleasant Pier, Pier 71 Harry M. Hallman Jr Blvd, Mount Pleasant | Enjoy scenic views of the Charleston Harbor while dancing to live music! Springtime calls for live music and dancing on the Mount Pleasant Pier! Local bands perform a variety of live music, including beach/shag, Cuban salsa, funk/soul, rock, jazz, country, Motown, and the greatest hits of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Let loose, breathe in the harbor breeze, and dance the night away under the stars!

• TAKE THE FUNNY AND RUN I 8 PM | Theatre 99, 280 Meeting St Ste B, Charleston | Live improv comedy at Theatre 99 is a Charleston tradition! Shows are improv parties where audience members laugh until it hurts. Come loaded with suggestions for the quick witted Theatre 99 ensemble members who will take your suggestions…and rock out hilarious unscripted scenes.

• Voice of Harold - Tribute to R.E.M. ft. Mark Bryan of Hootie & The Blowfish | 9 PM I Pour House, 1977 Maybank Hwy, Charleston | full band experience that celebrates the iconic hits and deep cuts of one of America's most influential catalogues.

Saturday, March 22

• 2025 SCDNR Marine Resources Division Open House | 10 AM - 4 PM | SCDNR Marine Resources Center, 217 Fort Johnson Rd, Charleston | Join us for an Open House honoring South Carolina's coastal waters and the people who work to study and protect them. Meet SCDNR's marine biologists, fisheries managers, and educators and get a behind-the-scenes look at their work in a fun and relaxed setting.

• ArtFest 2025 I 11 AM | Mt. Pleasant Towne Centre, 1218 Belk Dr, Mount Pleasant | This annual festival at Mount Pleasant Towne Centre brings families and cultural enthusiasts together with budding and professional artists for an event that showcases a diverse array of local and regional artistic talent. Local music, dance and visual arts studios offer stunning performances by some of the area’s most talented individuals and groups.

• Suicide Prevention Fundraiser - Skateboard Competition | 11 AM - 6 PM | The Bridge Spot Skatepark, 97 Romney Street, Charleston | Bam Margera will host this benefit (parking entrance on the Romney side under I-26). The skateboard competition will take place from 11 AM to 6 PM. Afterward, we’ll head to The Rickhouse at Cannon Distillery, located at 1734 Signal Point Road, James Island, from 8 PM to 10 PM. Bam Margera will be selling artwork for the fundraiser and signing skateboards. We’ll have metal and punk bands performing at both locations, along with merchandise, food, and drink vendors.

• Spring Food Truck Feastival | 12 - 4 PM | Firefly Distillery, 4201 Spruill Avenue, North Charleston | This free event features a lineup of your favorite food trucks on our five-acre field along the Noisette Creek. Come on out on this beautiful spring day, listening to live music by Hotel Hugo from 1-4pm while you enjoy food truck bites and refreshments, featuring signature craft cocktails, with beer, and mocktails also available.

Sunday, March 23

• Curling lessons | 7:30 - 10:15 AM | Carolina Ice Palace, 7665 Northwoods Blvd, North Charleston | Learn how to play the Olympic sport of CURLING from the members of Charleston Curling! We provide all equipment, and every body can learn! NO SKATES NEEDED!

• Holy City Vintage Market | 11 AM - 4 PM | The Royal American, 970 Morrison Dr, Charleston | Affordable vintage clothing, accessories, and decor + handmade goods - all from small, local businesses!

• Board Game Speed Dating (Ages 25-39) | 6 - 8 PM | Indigo Reef Brewing Company, 2079 Wambaw Creek, Charleston | Finding someone can be painful. But board games are always awesome. So what if you combined board games and searching for a partner?

For a COMPLETE list of events in the Charleston area, bookmark the site below!

COMMUNITY

A Neighborhood Work Club Is Coming To Town

Early in my career, I went to an office in downtown DC. The kind with fluorescent lighting, grey walls, neutral carpeting and conference rooms with a ton of dark wood.

The bigwigs, all of whom who’d paid their dues, had perimeter offices with windows. The size of those offices and the views they afforded depended on how big of a bigwig you were, i.e. how many deals you closed the prior few years.

Me and my fellow rookie brokers? There were 8 of us clustered tightly in a “bullpen” arrangement in the middle of the office, low-wall separators between us, ZERO privacy.

Every night the CEO and President would walk past our bullpen on their way to the elevator. Every night, the CEO would say “Good night, Jack” to me.

Six months this went on, until the Prez—paying attention this time—told his counterpart “His name’s not Jack!!”

Have I painted a portrait of corporate hell? It wasn’t so bad, just the way things were.

A Visionary New Way To Work

Until a company called WeWork pioneered a new concept called co-working in 2010.

It was revolutionary, a response to the growing ranks of entrepreneurs and startups. Each WeWork location offered private offices, and common areas with workstations in the open, no walls, lots of natural light.

Flooring was painted concrete and ceilings were unfinished. Think Brooklyn loft appeal. On Fridays, beer poured from a built-in tap starting at 3:00 PM.

I know because I was a member in DC, in an environment FAR from the one at the start of my career.

WeWork expanded at a dizzying pace, opening locations around the globe, fueled largely by massive amounts of venture capital. Its co-founder, Adam Neumann, was described in a New York Post article as “a Jesus-like figure standing 6 feet 5 inches tall, with sculpted cheekbones and flowing black hair”.

WeWork and its visionary founder had a meteoric rise and dizzying fall. But even though the company imploded and Neumann was asked to leave-with a fat check-co-working as a new workplace model was firmly established.

An Evolving Workplace

While Charleston never had a WeWork, coworking places have been here for a while. Regus got here in 2017. Other options include Office Evolution, Local Works, THRIVE and the newest, Industrious.

Each of these offer both private office and “open-space” work options, for a monthly fee and add-ons that include conference room rental, printing and graphics services. They usually require a minimum lease of 6 months.

Co-working’s hook has always been that entrepreneurs don’t bear the expense of an office buildout, phone and telecom services, and big rent deposits. Or a requirement of a customary 3-5 year lease.

Charleston’s Neighborhood Work Club

Earlier this week, Switchyards, an Atlanta-based company, teased on its socials that it was coming to Charleston. A few days later, they announced the location at 635 Rutledge Avenue, just south of Hampton Park.

Switchyards is refered to by its founder, Michael Tavani, as the "world's first neighborhood work club". It’s a "third place" that bridges the gap between home and traditional office settings. The concept draws inspiration from great hotel lobbies, offering comfortable work areas, quiet spaces for focused work, and unlimited coffee for members.

The Hampton Park location will open on April 28.

WHERE ARE WE?

Each week, watch this space for a random snap from somewhere in Charleston. Where are we? Only true locals will know. DM your guess on Instagram, or email me here. The first person to guess correctly will get a shout-out at the top of our issue next week!

COMMUNITY

Charleston’s Philanthropic Developers

That other project I was thinking of, similar to the one on Meeting Street? It’s the William Enston Home just a bit further north on King Street, and it’s a larger version with red brick buildings.

As for The Colin McK. Grant Home, it was chartered in 1920 with the sole purpose of "conducting a home for indigent Presbyterians”. Construction began in 1923, two years after Colin McKenzie Grant's death.

The project consists of six identical 2-story "L" shaped white brick buildings, and each building contains four dwelling units. They feature two-story porches with arches and ornamental brickwork.

The William Enston Home is a larger example of philanthropic housing, started in 1884 by its namesake, an immigrant from Canterbury, England.

It consists of 29 structures on 12.1 landscaped acres, including:

• 24 residential cottages

• Memorial Hall

• Infirmary (later converted to Superintendent's House)

• Water Tower

• Entrance Gate

• Engine House

Both complexes operate as public housing today.

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ICYMI

🏀 52 games compressed into 2 weekends?! It’s March Madness, and here’s the best places to watch games with your friends.

🍝 Charleston’s getting another Italian restaurant. From a master chef that’s been around a long time.

🏬 King Street is losing 2 retailers. Quiksilver and Francesca’s are liquidating, but these prime spaces likely won’t stay dark long.

🇲🇽 This Mexican restaurant opened last summer and is still a bit of a secret. Not much longer if you try their fish tacos.

🇫🇷 We may exclaim “Oui, oui” when we eat at this new restaurant. I just unleashed the only bit of French I recall from high school. What can I say? I’m excited by this new French bistro opening downtown tomorrow.

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FEEDBACK

Got 15 seconds? Let us know what you thought about today’s newsletter by replying to this email or voting in the poll below (you’ll be done MUCH faster than cars on Johnnie Dodds at 4:00 PM on a Friday). 👇