Girls Guide to Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina mimicked Los Angeles, California to me in a strange way. One of the biggest reasons is that each of these cities are spread out and you need a car to get around. Both cities are also known for their fabulous beaches and have great year round weather. I personally love visiting a smaller walkable city when traveling but when it comes to living I definitely need a bigger city with more neighborhoods and speeds of life like LA and Charleston. With that said, I could definitely see myself living here most after all the cities I’ve visited this Spring!

Charleston has my heart because of the old school flair that it holds. From the horse carriage rides amongst every street to the cobblestones and colorfulness it felt like you had just walked into a storybook scene. All the buildings in the city are pastel, many being pink and I found it hard not to be snapping pictures every second. Charleston is also home to some of the best shopping stores, I would like to vote it one of the best dressed cities I have been to recently. My personal style definitely is similar to the style of Charleston, maxi dresses and wide brim hats are my love language. I really felt like I fit in here with my fashion choices. In LA you can pretty much wear anything but in NYC my style always feels much more colorful and loud then everyone else’s. Here, in Charleston, I felt almost like a local as I wandered through the storybook streets in my maxi dress. The maxi dress I’m wearing is actually from a Charleston boutique called Madison Mathews. They invited us in to come shop the store during our trip and I picked out this gorgeous eyelet detailed one shoulder dress!

Although it was a bit gloomy during my trip to Charleston I had an amazing trip and walked the city a ton. I definitely would suggest checking out this city in the spring when it’s not too hot so you can walk around and explore without breaking a sweat. Personally, if it’s hot enough to sweat I need to be on the beach so this was the ideal weather for me to take in all of what Charleston has to offer! We ate a ton, shopped a lot, and saw the sites to see. Here's my full guide of what to do, where to eat, favorite boutiques and where to stay.

WHERE TO STAY:

Best Western has hosted me throughout the world this year from the French Riviera to Copenhagen. I was so excited to have the opportunity to work with their newly renovated Charleston property. The property is newly painted a beautiful coral color and it is in the style of an inn which I loved. The property was a short drive from South Carolina’s best beaches, museums, historic sites, shops, and restaurants. Charleston to note is a very expensive city for hotels stays, with hotels right in the downtown area being $500-$1,000 a night. Best Western is a great budget-friendly option at around $200 a night.

What to do in Charleston:

But First Coffee:

One of my morning rituals is getting a nice latte from a chic cafè. I know it may not sound like a hobby to most people but to me exploring new coffee shops is 100% a skill of mine and a favorite thing to do. I somehow always manage to find a chic cafe, almost always pink too, in each and every city I visit. Charleston being the colorful city it is, was a score. I found the perfect spot that I went to all the days we were there. It was conveniently located parallel to King Street and right near the parking garage we parked in almost every day! The Black Door Cafe is located in The Mills House hotel. The hotel is gorgeous and you can enjoy your lattè in the cafe seating, luxe lobby or outside looking out at the beautiful streets of Charleston.

Shop til you drop!

As I said, Charleston is a very stylish city.. so it is only appropriate to spend your time in Charleston shopping! Charleston holds many amazing boutiques on one of the most famous streets, King Street. King Street is home to iconic unique boutiques that you have to visit whether you are window shopping or making a purchase. My favorite stores to hit on King Street are the following:

• Beau & Ro: Coastal grandmother aesthetic unlocks at my favorite boutique in Charleston. They also have a location in Nantucket that I will be running to as soon as I get on the island. I got the cutest mermaid maxi dress here that I know I will be wearing all summer long. 

• Madison Mathews: We love a slow fashion brand shout out! This boutique is known for the gorgeous dresses with uniquely Charleston designs. This is where you should go if you’re visiting Charleston and feel like you didn't pack the right stuff. They immolate Charleston style in every dress that you find. 

• Something about me: What brought me into this shop was the adorable awning of the store and the store name. I used this photo as a reel cover and it was so adorable to me. Inside was even more exciting! They had LoveShackFancy pieces, unique pieces and gorgeous chandeliers throughout the store.

• LoveShackFancy: If a city has a LSF it can have me. Genuinely, my favorite store and I pray for the day that I get to work with this brand. Although expensive, you can always find an accessory that’s reasonably prices and will always want to snap a million photos of the gorgeous decor. If you’ve been in a LoveShackFancy in one city it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t go in! Each cities storefront is designed uniquely to its home. I’ve been in LoveShackFancy in many cities, my personal favorite location is definitely Nashville’s.

• Amalfi by Rangoni: Gorgeous Italian leather shoes in all colors and unique styles! I wanted a pair of platform sandals here so bad.

  King Street also has your favorite mainstream shops like Free People and H+M. There is even a Target if you’re feeling frisky! 
  

  historical sites to see:

  After your through with all the shopping make sure to check some historical sites off your list! Visit The Pineapple Fountain the iconic Pineapple Fountain was built in 1990 and is the focal point of the Waterfront Park. It’s a very popular spot to take photos and on a hot day you can even dip your feet in to cool off. I personally have never felt more like Lemon Breeland from the Hart of Dixie in my maxi pink dress and summer hat dipping my feet into the fountain here. After visiting the fountain walk the waterfront path to The Battery. The Battery is a beautiful spot packed full of Charleston rooted history. There are beautiful million-dollar homes to gaze at and take pictures in front of too!

  Rainbow Row: Charleston’s most photographed street is a site to see! The pastel rainbow colored buildings in a row are picture perfect and date back to about 1740!

Have a beach day!
Charleston has several beach towns in the city including Sullivans Island, Isle of Palms, and Folly Beach. We checked out Folly Beach which was only 20 minutes from our hotel. Folly beach is a cute, coastal town with waterfront restaurants, fun bars and beachy boutiques. Mr. John’s beach store was adorable and I’m still regretting not getting a tote bag that reminded me of something my Nana would have had. There’s also a great cafe called Center Street coffee that has outdoor patio seating facing Mr. John’s 
We checked out BLU restaurant which was right on the water. I loved the white lawn chairs across from us at dinner where you could sit and gaze at the ocean. We got with the fried avocado as an appetizer and and it was amazing. For my meal I got a salmon salad which was also great. I highly recommend coming here for lunch or dinner!

WHERE TO Dine:

I was recommended to check out Camellias, a bejeweled pink bar in the lobby of Hotel Bennett. This place screamed my name in every which way. I got a glass of champagne and sipped it with satisfaction as I gazed at every sparkle in the chandelier. Taylor Swifts “Best believe I’m still bejeweled” song played in my mind as I remembered the best version of myself lives in a chic hotel lobby sipping a $20 glass of champagne. They also have a food menu here that looked like the perfect pairings for your champagne or wine including crab toast, oysters, truffle fries and charcuterie boards.

Halls Chophouse: This restaurant was the epitome of southern charm. The service made me see how real southern hospitality is and the food was to die for. We started our brunch with mocktail espresso martinis that were amazing and the live piano music had me feeling some type of way.  It seemed like the perfect spot for a birthday dinner or a special occasion. The older couple sitting next to us was on their anniversary dinner and they were the cutest. I got a salmon salad once again and had to try the oysters. They served the oysters with crackers which is a southern thing for sure! Everything was delicious and I highly recommend this spot.

Amen Street: Located on East Bay St. a very lively area of Charleston’s historic district lives this amazing seafood restaurant. Seafood has my heart and this spot had an epic seafood selection and a raw bar. We ordered a unique shrimp corn dog appetizer and got the shrimp scampi for dinner, everything was so tasty.

The Watch Rooftop: A rooftop overlooking downtown is a great way to see a new city! I enjoyed this spot for lunch and took in the views of Charleston from above. I got the watermelon feta salad and we shared the spicy shrimp appetizer which was a 10/10!