Decay of Charleston: When will the bleeding stop?

By Mark A. Leon

Shortly after 1:00 AM on Saturday evening, I was leaving Ink N Ivy with two friends in town for the weekend.  As we headed south on King Street, we were shelled from all angles with abusive language from intoxicated students and bar patrons.  As we passed the King Street Public House, I was shocked to see the bouncer with a professional scanner checking a patron from head to toe for weapons before entering.  Turning the corner on Morris Street, I had to walk around a to-go box and food dumped all over the sidewalk and then was greeted 20 feet later by the sight of a student puking between the sidewalk and parking lot. 

Is this what has become of Charleston with the great economic growth and expansion?

For some, this is a new kind of paradise; but for others, Dante’s Inferno.

Here are a few eye opening things you may not know to help paint a more clear picture:

College Acceptance Rates  (2017-18)

• 5.6% – Harvard
• 8.4% – University of Chicago
• 11.4% – Duke University
• 30.5% – University of North Carolina
• 32.1% – NYU
• 32.6% – Boston University
• 36% – University of Texas
• 47.5% – University of Florida
• 50.4% – NC State University
• 53.8% – Alabama University
• 57.6% – University of Wisconsin
• 58.1% – Rutgers University
• 75.5% – The Citadel
• 77.1% – College of Charleston

Instead of increasing the standards of acceptance, we are just building more housing to accommodate.

Shop Local; Buy Local

Did you know that Ink N Ivy, Uptown Social and Blind Tiger are all owned and operated by investment capital and management outside of the state of South Carolina.  They are not alone.  More and more money is coming in from out of state to capitalize on this growing economy.  With this growth and increase in demand, comes higher prices for tourists and locals.

Crime (Provided by Areavibes.com)

In Charleston County, based on the latest annual report, there were 3532 reported incidents, with 2,581 per 100,000 people in Charleston County and 3,702 per 100,000 in South Carolina.  The national average is 2,745 per 100,000 people.  Charleston County is only 6% below the national average.

Neighborhood Scout puts the Charleston County crime index at 20 (100 being the safest).  That means Charleston County is safer than only 20% of the U.S. Cities.

Alcohol

That doesn’t need much explaining. 

• Over 40 local craft breweries reside in the Lowcountry
• Booze pops and ice cream are sold on the streets from food trucks
• The Recovery Room is the #1 seller of PBR in the nation
• Charleston Wine and Food Festival is one of the 3 largest events annually in the area
• Restaurants like Sol and Charleston Sports Pub offer bottomless mimosas on the weekends

Reputation

Was Folly Gras an isolated event or the beginning of something bigger.  Either way, it had us being compared to similar behavior found in places like Myrtle Beach.

Is this the new thriving Charleston we want?

Natural aesthetics

Leave downtown Charleston in any direction and what do you see?

From 26, new housing; Cooper River Bridge, new housing; Ashley River Bridge, new housing, Morrison Street; new housing.

We are surrounded by growth that is destroying our natural wildlife and accelerating more long term problems and at what price: a little extra greed…

Hotels / Tourism

If you book today for Friday night, on the weekend of the Cooper River Bridge Run, here is what you are paying:

• Embassy Suites of Hilton – $449.00
• Hampton Inn Charleston – $409.00
• French Quarter Inn – $619.00
• King Charles Inn – $469.00
• Charleston Marriot – $459.00
• Harbour View Inn – $699.00
• Andrew Pinckney Inn – $494.00
• The Mills House – $549.00
• The Dewberry Charleston – $638.00
• Hotel Bennett – $591.00
• The Restoration – $629.00
• Market Pavilion Hotel – $599.00
• Zero George – $679.00
• Hyatt House Charleston – $478.00
• Grand Bohemian Hotel – $899.00
• Hotel Bella Grace – $656.00
• Ansonborough Inn – $429.00

Welcome to Charleston, the Holy City, or should we say the Devil’s playground.