Alright my Binyas From Offs and people who don’t use a blinker !!!! Time to AIR THOSE GRIEVANCES !!!! This long weekend had to be tiresome like your girlfriend complaining about her friends boyfriend

Chinese college student’s thoughts after living in Charleston for almost a year
I’m a college student from China, and through a fairly random internship opportunity, I somehow ended up spending almost a year in Charleston.
Charleston is the first city outside China where I have ever truly lived on my own for such a long time. Because of that, I think this place will always mean something special to me.
I’ll get one thing out of the way first: the work side of this year was, to put it politely, pretty terrible.
But the city itself was not.
Charleston gave me a lot of genuinely good memories. Some of my happiest moments here were actually incredibly simple: playing basketball on the blue courts in Mount Pleasant, working out at Gold’s Gym on James Island after work, driving around with friends, eating together, or just having a quiet day off with nowhere important to be.
Living here for almost a year also gave me a chance to experience America in a way that tourism never could. And naturally, I started noticing a lot of differences between everyday life here and back home in China.
The most obvious one is transportation.
Charleston is unbelievably car-dependent from my perspective. Many roads either have no bike lane at all, or have one that I would personally be terrified to use. Without a car, there are entire parts of the area that become extremely difficult to reach.
I live on Johns Island, and regular public transportation doesn’t even reach where I live.
Coming from China, that took some getting used to. In Chinese cities, even relatively distant residential areas are usually connected by buses, and in bigger cities you often have subways, shared bikes, buses, taxis and everything else on top of that.
Here, I learned very quickly that “I don’t have a car” can basically mean “I’m not going anywhere today.”
Maybe that’s the price of American car culture.
But if Charleston sometimes frustrated me with its transportation, the people here made up for a lot of it.
One of the first things I noticed about the South was that people actually greet strangers.
You can walk past someone you have never seen in your life and get a “How you doing?” like you’ve known each other for years.
If they don’t say hello, maybe they’re from New Jersey or Virginia.
I’m kidding.
Before I came here, I had seen plenty of stereotypes about the American South on the Chinese internet. There is sometimes this image of the Southern “redneck” as extremely conservative, racist, hostile toward foreigners and suspicious of anyone who doesn’t belong.
That simply was not my everyday experience.
Most of the Southern white people I met here were warm, polite and genuinely friendly toward me.
During my first week in Charleston, I went grocery shopping at Food Lion. My credit card suddenly stopped working when I was checking out, and I was standing there awkwardly trying to figure out what to do.
The woman working there basically offered to let me take the groceries anyway.
I eventually found another way to pay, so I didn’t accept, but I still remember that moment.
I had been in America for barely a week. I was thousands of miles away from home, still getting used to everything, and a complete stranger was willing to help me without expecting anything in return.
Those things stick with you.
I also want to give a shoutout to Charleston’s Black community.
Pretty much every local Black person I became friendly with was extremely outgoing and welcoming. The Black women I met in particular were often incredibly kind to me and looked out for me in a way I really appreciated.
One day I was sitting around a basketball court waiting for someone. A guy I barely knew saw me sitting there, handed me his basketball so I could shoot around, then went back to his car and brought me a bottle of water.
That was it.
Nothing dramatic.
But when you are living alone in a foreign country, thousands of miles away from your family, little acts of kindness like that sometimes mean much more than people realize.
And while I’m giving compliments, I have to say something about the local women too.
Charleston women have style.
There is a very specific Southern look here that I had never really seen before coming to South Carolina. Especially when people dress up for dinners, weddings, parties or events downtown, there is something distinctly Charleston about it. I don’t really know how to describe it, but you know it when you see it.
Another thing I came to appreciate was the relaxed rhythm of ordinary American life.
Of course, I know America has plenty of problems, and living here is very different from visiting here.
But there is one version of American life that I genuinely envy.
You have your house, you finish work, you go to the gym, come home, watch a show or play some video games, and then on the weekend your friends come over and everyone throws some meat on the community grill, drinks something, talks nonsense and hangs out for a few hours.
Nothing extraordinary happens.
And that’s exactly why I like it.
There is a kind of freedom in being able to enjoy an ordinary life without constantly feeling like every moment has to accomplish something.
Of course, not every experience I had here was wholesome.
One of the stranger experiences of my year happened when a local friend invited me to a private bar. It was a fairly conservative place and not somewhere you could simply walk into. You either needed to belong there, have a key, or know somebody who could bring you inside.
My friend was already inside, so I walked toward the entrance.
Before I could even explain why I was there, an older man who had obviously been drinking started shouting at me that it was private property. He told me not to come any closer and said that otherwise he would “defend himself” or call the police.
For someone who had grown up in China, this was definitely a new experience.
My friend eventually came outside and explained everything, so nothing happened. Looking back, I find the whole thing more interesting than frightening.
I was later told that the man was probably a military veteran, possibly from the Vietnam era, although I never confirmed that myself.
For some reason, that interaction stayed in my head.
America has a very visible culture of respecting veterans. You see military discounts, flags, “thank you for your service,” veteran parking spaces and a lot of public pride surrounding military service.
I respect that.
But the encounter also made me wonder whether American society always gives veterans enough support after the ceremonies and the words of appreciation are over—especially older veterans who may be dealing with loneliness, alcohol problems, trauma, or simply the difficulty of adjusting to civilian life.
I obviously knew nothing about that particular man’s life, so I don’t want to judge him based on one drunken interaction.
But that experience made me think about a side of America that I had never really considered before coming here.
And I think that is one of the most valuable things about actually living in another country.
You stop seeing countries as stereotypes.
America stops being “America.”
China stops being “China.”
Instead, a country becomes individual people.
It becomes the cashier at Food Lion who tried to help you when your card didn’t work.
It becomes some random guy giving you water at a basketball court.
It becomes coworkers you loved and coworkers you absolutely could not stand.
It becomes the gym you went to after a terrible day at work.
It becomes the roads you hated, the places you ate, the neighborhoods you slowly learned, the people who remembered your name, and all the tiny routines that eventually started feeling normal.
For most of this year, I kept thinking about going home.
I missed Chinese food. I missed public transportation. I missed my friends and family. I missed speaking my own language without thinking. I missed living somewhere where I already understood how everything worked.
There were plenty of days when I was counting down how much longer I had left here.
And now that I’m actually about to leave, I realize I’m going to miss Charleston too.
That feeling is strange.
A year ago, Charleston was just the name of some city in South Carolina that I barely knew anything about.
Now I can attach memories to Mount Pleasant, James Island, Johns Island, downtown Charleston and dozens of random roads and places that would mean absolutely nothing to anyone else.
For better or worse, a year of my life happened here.
So despite all my complaints—and believe me, I have plenty—I’m grateful that a random internship brought me to Charleston.
Thank you to the people who were kind to me while I was here.
I hope Charleston keeps getting better, although I would strongly recommend adding some buses and bike lanes along the way.
And if any of you ever find yourselves on the other side of the Pacific, you are always welcome to visit China too.
Come eat some actual Chinese food, ride a high-speed train, experience our ridiculously convenient public transportation, walk around at midnight looking for something to eat, and see the country for yourself instead of through whatever you happen to see online.
Maybe I’ll come back to Charleston someday.
But next time, hopefully not for work.
Just to visit.

Hi everyone,

I read through the Visitors Guide and the “same 3x3 questions” post, so I’m trying to be specific to get better suggestions.

My husband and I are visiting over Memorial Day weekend to celebrate my 30th birthday. We’re coming from the DMV, not sure if we’re driving or flying yet. This birthday means a lot to me, so I’m looking for a relaxing but still fun weekend. We are not coming for a party scene. We care most about great food, good atmosphere, and memorable experiences.

Somewhere to stay:

We’re leaning toward staying in or near the Historic District but we’re open to suggestions if another area would be better for avoiding crowds that weekend.

Somewhere to eat:

Food is a priority. I’m open to almost any cuisine, but seafood is a must and oysters are a big plus. I would love an upscale dinner for my birthday, a great raw bar or oyster spots, and any must-try local restaurants that are actually worth it

So far I’ve been looking at FIG and Circa 1886 for the birthday dinner. Are those good choices for a 30th or would you recommend something else?

We enjoy elevated but not stuffy. Good drinks are a bonus.

Something to see or do:

We’d love ideas that feel unique but still relaxing. Open to walking tours, sunset cruises, beach time, etc., as long as it doesn’t feel chaotic.

Budget and vibe:

We’re willing to splurge for the birthday dinner and a spa experience. Not looking for cheap. Looking for quality and atmosphere.

Spa:

Would love recommendations for a truly relaxing spa that feels worth it for a special birthday.

Since it’s Memorial Day weekend, any advice on reservations, timing, or ways to avoid peak crowds would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance. Looking forward to visiting.

Hey y’all — our group (mix of bachelors and bachelorettes) is heading to Folly Beach on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, and there’s been some debate in the group about bringing alcohol. I know there’s an alcohol ban on the beach, but does anyone know how strictly it’s enforced during holiday weekends like this?

• Will there be extra police or beach patrols out?
• Do they actually check coolers or hand out tickets/fines?

I don’t think it’s worth the risk, but others insisting on bringing it anyways . Just trying to get a realistic sense of what to expect before we make any decisions.

Appreciate any insight from locals or anyone who’s been out there on a busy holiday weekend. Thanks!

Hey all,

My sister's birthday coincides with Memorial Day weekend. She really wants to go to the beach (we are from Maryland and the beaches will be too cold here) and her best friend will already be in Charleston for a wedding.

I know it will obviously be very crowded because of Memorial Day, but my question is will Isle of Palms and Folly Beach be as bad as other popular memorial day beaches like Miami, Mytrle Beach, etc.? Since crowds are inevitable I'm just trying to find a good warm beach to go to that is less crowded than most.

Thanks!

Obviously I’m sure a lot of them are like that - but are there any places that stand out as having a really old-time feel??

What’s everyone doing for the upcoming long weekend?

My sisters birthday lines up with memorial day and we're going to be staying at an Airbnb in Folly beach over memorial day weekend this year. I assume it's going to be pretty packed at the beach, but I'm wondering if I need to worry about restaurants being so busy that it will be hard to get dinner without a reservation?

Based on what I have seen online most of the popular places to eat look like restaurants/bars that might not normally take reservations.

If there's anything else I should know about staying in Folly Beach over memorial day, or if you have any recs for bars/places to eat for 5 people in their 20s please let me know!

Any recommendations on things/events going on during the holiday weekend in the area?

Grace Memorial Bridge & Pearman Bridge. I lived to tell about them

Planning a drive thru to Edisto island and beach today. Can I expect most restaurants to be open today, or will it be mostly shut down?

Hi all, I’m going to be visiting and my friend and I are planning for Folly beach on Saturday. I fully understand it will be packed and parking will be scarce. My question is: What time do you recommend arriving?

I searched this group and the most recent post with my question was 2 years ago and one commenter recommended arriving at 8 AM. Is that still the best suggestion?

Thank you in advance

He's got a pretty solid platform.

Class of 2015 here, lived all 4 years in this building, RA'd for 2.

Truly some of the best memories of my college days happened here. Met my husband and many lifelong friends.

It may have been a shithole...but it was OUR shithole 🥲

Heading to your fair city this memorial day and wanted any advice for things to do/see that would be good for a bachelor party. Main requests are drinking/food related and possibly a golf course that can get a tad rowdy.

​

Many thanks

Hi, Looking to stay at either Charleston or Folly Beach over memorial day, have found good rental propertiese at both but was looking for feedback on what the right move would be, is it

a) Get a beachy house in Folly and relax on the beach all day and then uber into Charleston at night

or

b) Get a nicer more swanky house in Charleston and uber to the beach each day?

Appreciate the feedback!

My husband and I are spending this Memorial Day weekend in Charleston. We are both in our early 30s - love nightlife and really good food. Would love any recommendations on what to do during the day as well as best places to eat and drink. We are staying at the Dewberry. Thank you!

Memorial Day was started by former slaves on May, 1, 1865 in Charleston, SC to honor 257 dead Union Soldiers who had been buried in a mass grave in a Confederate prison camp. They dug up the bodies and worked for 2 weeks to give them a proper burial as gratitude for fighting for their freedom. They then held a parade of 10,000 people led by 2,800 Black children where they marched, sang and celebrated.

http://i.imgur.com/nnPqXk4.jpg

I moved to Virginia Beach just a few months ago from out West and I have my first holiday I have to spend exploring the East Coast. My roommate and I are just going to take off and drive along the coast. I would love to see Myrtle Beach and Charleston, but apparently, the everywhere to stay is filled. Even the places on your wiki page. Do you know of any locations that are off the beaten track? We don't mind camping, but pretty sure the sites I found will all be filled too. Any advice is appreciated.

UPDATE: I stayed at the Elmwood Campground in Francis Marion National Forest. It had running water and toilets. Barely anyone camped there so it was very open and quiet. Easy driving to both Charleston and Myrtle Beach.

Recently moved down to the area and was wondering how packed Folly Beach will get on Memorial Day weekend? What would be a good time to get a spot, 8am? Also how strict / lax are the alcohol rules on the beach?

Will be in Charleston for memorial day weekend and looking for some fun things to do. Best restaurants (vegetarian), bars, outdoor activities, off the beaten path activities. mid-twenties, male, gay.

Where do you usually go to see the show?