Is this the worst street in Charleston?
Just two blocks from two multi-million dollar developments on Meeting Street, a few minute walk to the Dewberry Hotel that asks upwards of $500 – $600 a night, a stone throw from the illustrious Cooper River Bridge and the mainstay Marion Square is Cooper Street on the East Side of Charleston. With its burnt down and boarded up homes, garage clustering the sidewalks, unkempt yards and no trespassing signs, this street could be a symbol of the poverty that Charleston is masking from the public as it thrusts itself into a renaissance of prosperity and profit.
How can a street so close to a city thriving in all directions, be so neglected? This is a only one of many streets and neighborhoods damaged by time and yearning for support or subject to future demolition to make room for the future 5 star city experience of the Jewel of the South. There are many questions that need to be be addressed?
- Is the city ill-equipped to assist or are they just choosing to let these neighborhoods rot away until they are taken over?
- Is there a racial and/or economic struggle within the underbelly of the community?
- What is the cost of prosperity vs. the cost of fixing the infrastructure and the lives of locals who have called this place home for generations?
- Is this home work 137K?
- Or this for 595K
- Is there room to turn these neighborhoods around or is the end near?
This morning, we walked this street, that to the naked eye, looks like it has been left to die in a wasteland of neglect.
We welcome your thoughts.
Charleston Daily
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This is an excellent opportunity for investors and builders to renovate these homes to make them into a wonderful neighborhood for families, which is the most important outcome.
That’s exactly what Charleston needs. More homes for rich people to move in and work the minimum wage jobs needed to make a town work
It’s TOTALLY disgusting that city officials have allowed this to happen…ESPECIALLY in downtown. The blight is TRULY an eyesore..YET city officials are doing NOTHING to clean it up.
In the 70’s almost all of King street looked like this with winos passed out in urine soaked store entrances. Now, just a few pockets remain. Charleston looked really horrible 1860-1980. The squalor above is only how it all looked for the last 100 years. THANKS JOE!
Y’all all know full well it is about Race and Economics. Gentrification at it’s finest. Move the poor out of the city to make way for the rich white OUTSIDERS who have been flooding our city for decades; thanks to Riley and his cohorts. These homes will be replaced and the poor will move to North Chuck. God-money rules and always will.
The property owners bear part of this burden.At the prices indicated they stand to profit from years of slumlording.
I’m a few years late on this article/ comment. That’s horrible about the neglect and safety of the neighborhood. I looked at the houses, and they do look unfit, major neglect. A good clean up project and major overhaul on the homes is ideal, but you need money for that. Income of the residents is a major factor. They would if they could. It’s no different up here in Kalamazoo Michigan. Same aspect. There’s places here you do not go to ever or after 6 pm. Of course, we don’t have outsiders who want to move here. It falls on your income, affordability that determines where you live around here, it’s a shame. I’m one paycheck away of living in a not so nice area. I work my butt off for safe living. I considered moving to Charleston at one time, but the unaffordability of the areas what outrageous. But I do agree with all the comments above.
I’m a few years late on this article/ comment. That’s horrible about the neglect and safety of the neighborhood. I looked at the houses, and they do look unfit, major neglect. A good clean up project and major overhaul on the homes is ideal, but you need money for that. Income of the residents is a major factor. They would if they could. It’s no different up here in Kalamazoo Michigan. Same aspect. There’s places here you do not go to ever or after 6 pm. Of course, we don’t have outsiders who want to move here. It falls on your income, affordability that determines where you live around here, it’s a shame. I’m one paycheck away of living in a not so nice area. I work my butt off for safe living. I considered moving to Charleston at one time, but the unaffordability of the areas what outrageous. But I do agree with all the comments above. The homes are not worth the high priced tag. Money pit.