Presently the third largest city in the state, North Charleston encompasses parts of Berkeley, Dorchester, and Charleston County and borders Charleston, West Ashley, Hanahan, Ladson and Summerville. Real estate in North Charleston is comprised of waterfront condos and estates, golf course homes, and subdivision residences. Many of the waterfront homes and condos in North Charleston, such as the Reverie on the Ashley and the Refuge at Whitehall, boast views of the Ashley River and offer deep water access. Coosaw Creek Country Club, a luxurious golf course community, showcases beautiful brick homes with panoramic views of its Arthur Hills championship golf course. Coosaw Creek Country Club also has a magnificent clubhouse, restaurant, tennis facility, and junior Olympic size swimming pool. Other family-friendly neighborhoods in North Charleston include Taylor Plantation, Indigo Fields, Wando Woods, and Cedar Grove. Park Circle, an area revitalized as part of the Noisette Project, is perhaps the hippest and fastest growing area of North Charleston. Many young professionals opt to live here because of its close proximity to Daniel Island, Mt. Pleasant, and Downtown Charleston. Park Circle offers both traditional and contemporary homes and has its own nightlife with swanky restaurants like Sesame Burgers, Madra Rua Irish Pub, Evo, D.I.G. in the Park, Basico, LoLA Lowcountry Seafood, Accent on Wine, and The Sparrow.
North Charleston is a popular destination for sports events, business conferences, educational museums, concerts, theatrical performances, and shopping trips. The North Charleston Coliseum and Performing Arts Center is the venue of choice for current pop stars and bands like Miranda Lambert, Norah Jones, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, and the Florida-Georgia Line to name a few. Broadway shows, gun and knife shows, Monster Truck Jams, the Harlem Globetrotters, and many other events are also held at the coliseum. The South Carolina Stingrays hockey team practices at the North Charleston Ice Palace and plays its home games at the North Charleston Coliseum. A minor league hockey team, the Stingrays are highly competitive and regularly draw large crowds. Other attractions in North Charleston include Riverfront Park, a beautiful outdoor park and amphitheater; the North Charleston Fire Museum, an educational and interactive museum dedicated to the Charleston Nine; Northwoods Mall, an indoor shopping center with anchor stores like Dillard’s and Belk; and Tanger Outlet, a mega open-air shopping complex with popular stores like Nike, Banana Republic, and Polo Ralph Lauren. For recreation, residents of North Charleston enjoy fishing, kayaking, golfing, and playing sports. The City of North Charleston offers a plethora of organized sports leagues, for both children and adults.
Following the recent revitalization of the city itself, North Charleston public schools are also on a mission to transform from average rankings to excellent rankings. Top schools in North Charleston include the Academic Magnet, Charleston School of the Arts, Chicora Elementary, and Eagles Nest Elementary School. Private school options include Northwood Academy, Cathedral Academy, and Owens Christian Academy. North Charleston is home to two popular colleges: Trident Technical College (TTC) and Charleston Southern University (CSU).
Interestingly, North Charleston did not officially become a city until 1972, after three decades of failed petitioning for its incorporation. Today, the city leads the entire state with more than $6 billion in annual retail sales alone. From the newly remodeled Charleston International Airport to the spectacular Charleston Convention Center, North Charleston not only serves as the front door to downtown Charleston but also as its commercial and industrial business complement.