Yes, it’s Friday, Charleston! We’re growing fast, y’all! New subscribers are up 12% since our re-launch. Thank you 🙏🏻.

Special thanks goes to Angela S. of Johns Island who spread the word about CHS Happenings in her community Facebook group.

If ya like us, don’t keep it a secret!

In today’s newsletter:

• We’re # 1 (again). For 12 years running 🏆

• Bluestein Building to start another run? The iconic building on upper King Street has been leased. 👔

• ICYMI. ‘Cause we’re all time-starved. ⏰

Friday 86° / 77° ⛈️ 💧73%

Saturday 89° / 78° ⛈️ 💧56%

Sunday 90° / 79° ⛅ 💧45%

Friday, July 12

• Summer Junior Tennis Camp I 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM I Creekside Tennis & Swim Club, Mount Pleasant (map) I From beginner to high performance, multiple summer junior tennis camp options to fit your needs, starting June 3rd and running through August 2nd (no camp July 1-5).

• Odd Duck Market 1st Annual Birthday Bash I 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM I Odd Duck Market, North Charleston (map) I It’s Red, White & Blue Night, and fireworks follow the match.

• flipturn w/ The Moss I 7:00 PM I The Refinery, Downtown (map) I Florida born indie rock band flipturn, best known by hit singles "August" and "Chicago," performs with alternative rock band The Moss. Expect a lively show and relatable lyrics from this group made popular by their coming-of-age songs with catchy melodies.

Saturday, July 13

• Shark Week at The Aquarium I 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM (last entry is 3:30 PM) I South Carolina Aquarium, Downtown (map) I Shark Week swims off the screen and into real life at the South Carolina Aquarium! Before you settle in on the couch for an evening binge-watching session, visit the stars of the show in person. Join us July 6–14 for special Shark Week activities, programs and more fun …no subscription required!

• The July Remix: Honey Cocktails I 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM I High Wire Distilling, Downtown (map) I Join hosts, Sean Anderson, and Megan Deschaine, as we dive into the use of honey in cocktails learning history, techniques, and crafting your own bee-autiful drinks!

• Idlewild Revival: A Tribute to The Allman Brothers I 8:00 PM I The Riviera Theater, Downtown (map) I This tribute band for The Allman Brothers, made up of an all-star lineup of Charleston musicians, will play inside this historic theater downtown. Get ready for the hits, from “Ramblin’ Man” to “Melissa” to “Midnight Rider.”

Sunday, July 14

• Fort Sumter Sandbar Dayaway I 10:30 AM - 3:00 PM I In The Harbor 🚤 I Grab your crew and pack your cooler to join MarineMax at Fort Sumter Sandbar. Have fun in the sun while on the water doing what we do best, boating. Enjoy a grab-n-go lunch and reconnect with fellow boaters and your MarineMax Charleston team. This event is sure to make a splash – don’t miss out! Look for the MarineMax flags flying high and boat on over!

• Second Sunday On King Street I 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM I King Street Downtown I King Street, from Queen to Calhoun (roughly 1/2 mile) is closed to traffic and parked cars. Visitors can see businesses they didn’t know about, stores roll out past the sidewalk to invite shoppers in, carefully curated artists show their work on the street, and unique food vendors tempt guests with their fare.

• Decade of Decadence: An '80s Cabaret I 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM I Queen Street Playhouse, Downtown (map) I Put on your most bitchin' 80s outfit and motor your way over to the Queen Street Playhouse for a night of nostalgia like no other with our Decade of Decadence 80s cabaret concert. Sing along with our live performances featuring a full band and some of Charleston’s awesomest vocalist in one of the coolest concert venues in the city!

TOURISM & ECONOMY

This City Was Voted Best in the U.S. for the 12th Straight Year by T+L Readers, Who Say It ‘Can Compete With Any European Capital’

“This city” would be our city. Charleston earned the top spot again in Travel & Leisure’s annual “World’s Best Awards” survey. An astounding 12 years running.

The news was just released on Tuesday, and cynicism is out in force in some quarters. One Redditor commented the Charleston Area Convention & Visitors Bureau simply has to be money-whipping Travel & Leisure.

The inevitable “transplants are ruining our city” crowd was also quite vocal on Facebook message boards about the terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad effects of being a perennial favorite of T&L.

What about that?

Charleston International Airport continues to set records. 2023 saw the airport exceed 6 million travelers for the first time, and that was a very healthy bump of over 12% from 2022.

And just last week, the airport set a new Fourth of July weekend record with 116,350 travelers, another 12% bump from last year.

How about dollars?

Those travelers are bringing real money to Charleston, and they’re spending it. A new College of Charleston released May 23 reports the hospitality industry has expanded by 35% since 2019.

In 2023, Charleston saw over $13 billion of funds from tourism, a $7 billion increase from 2019, according to the study from the College of Charleston. Considering the volume of visitors in that timeframe was only an 8% increase, it shows that the typical quantity of tourists isn’t increasing, but spending is. On average, each adult is spending $170 more per visit.  

It’s not my imagination

While you might think I gratuitously threw in a photo of my favorite canine, he fits into this tale of Charleston hyper-growth. Really!

Whenever I mention lately I see a ton of license plates from my home state Maryland, Kim accuses me of frequency bias.

Well, she doesn't exactly put it that way, but you get the drift. You’re thinking of buying a new green Lexus hybrid SUV, then you start seeing them everywhere on the roads.

This was reinforced just yesterday when I dropped Finn off at the fabulous dog daycare, Paws In Paradise. In their merch section, they have dog bandanas sporting several NFL team logos, as well as a few college teams. The Maryland Terrapins bandana is displayed alongside just a few others (of course College of Charleston, Clemson, USC, and Georgia). 🐢

Growth, growth & more growth

Before Charleston started its 12-year run at the pinnacle of Travel & Leisure’s Top US Cities survey, it wasn't exactly an undiscovered jewel. It already had a superb culinary reputation and was an in-demand vacation destination.

But the recognition earned from year after year of being named the best, and the exponentially accelerated COVID workplace effects, resulted in an influx of residents that shows no signs of abating.

South Carolina was the fastest-growing state in the nation for the year ending in July of 2023. And projections just announced by the state a few days ago reflect the state will grow by 1 million residents in the next 18 years, with most growth concentrated in 5 counties (Berkeley being one of them).

It’s Not All Wine & Roses

Growth often comes with a price, and it’s a high one to pay in Charleston. In July of last year, rents had skyrocketed more than 30% since 2019. Since then, the increase has slowed to 3%. But for most renters in the area, average rent exceeds 30% of their gross income, a level that’s considered…painful. It’s not moving in the right direction.

Buying a home isn’t much easier, and it’s not just because of the run-up in rates over the past 18 months. All the things I mentioned above—those things that make the Lowcountry lifestyle so damn nice—means housing demand remains insatiable.

We see this daily in our real estate business.

So what’s the takeaway?

If we get the Baker’s Dozen #1 ranking next year, let’s marvel in the fact we get to live, work, run, bike, surf, fish, boat… In one of the sweetest places around.

And dispense with any “Close the door behind you” sentiments.

RETAILER NEWS

Bluestein building on King Street is leased

Think of some of America’s most iconic companies. Steve and Steve founded Apple in a garage in 1976, making it (currently) 48 years old. Microsoft is 49. Amazon started selling only books in 1994, the Millennial of this bunch. And to throw in a non-tech company, Costco started selling $1.50 hot dogs in 1983, making it 41.

By the way, Costco’s hot dogs are still $1.50.

Mere babies, however, when compared to Bluestein’s, Charleston’s venerable menswear retailer which closed in 2018. It had a 134-year run, opening at the corner of King and Mary Street in 1883.

An agent from international real estate firm JLL recently announced the building was leased to an “undisclosed national retail tenant”.

This kind of subterfuge isn’t unusual in the retail leasing world. A partner in my former retail leasing agency represented Apple at the early stages of their retail store openings. They worked with the best brokers in the various cities to help them find great locations, and all were sworn to secrecy (and NDAs). My colleague shared that a Texas broker had loose lips about a location they planned in the Dallas area, and Steve Jobs personally called and fired him.

Apple is famously secretive about new technology and store locations. They, like this retailer that plans to open on King Street in early 2025, simply don’t want to alert their competitors.

Retailers also like to manage the PR process and build anticipation on their terms, if possible.

I reached out to the agent, and like the professional she is, I got nothing. But it doesn't mean I won’t. 🤣

You’ll know when I do.

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

🛒 Aldi announces newest Charleston-area location. They’ll be opening on James Island in the former Bi-lo. It’ll be their 7th in CHS.

🏩 Charleston Place hotel to undergo $150 million renovation. That’s a lot of dough! And the owner of the hotel—and more importantly, father of Charleston’s tennis phenom Emma Navarro—plans to spend it on all 433 rooms.

🥪 Talk about high-maintenance! This article breaks down the crazy amount of prep that goes into creating a porchetta sandwich at Da Toscano. My favorite line? “For those not familiar with porchetta, think of it as Italy’s answer to turducken.”

🥖 What’s changed at this CHS French cafe since they opened? Gaulart & Maliclet may not enjoy the run (yet) that Bluestein’s did. But if you’re a restaurant that’s been open since 1984, you’re doing something right.

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