The wide land west of the Ashley River is home to comfortable tree-lined streets with rows of homes, highways flanked by businesses and malls, villages like Avondale and emerging plans for revitalization.

With a 2022 population of 83,996 people, West Ashley is the epicenter of Charleston, even though most people consider the peninsula to be more population.

“What makes West Ashley special is the people,” said West Ashley Realtor Shana Swain, a former bartender with connections throughout the suburb. “It’s where the heart of Charleston is.”

West Of newspaper editor Lorne Chambers agreed, describing residents as having a “scrappy spirit.”

“They are not your traditional downtown Charleston people, but they are real Charlestonians,” he said. “In a way, this is the original Charlestown,” he said. “You have a lot of people over here who have a lot of pride in their community and hope for a better tomorrow.”

Dominated before World War II by farms and pastures, West Ashley bloomed into a middle-class suburban haven replete with everything from mind-numbing rush-hour traffic to chain stores that you can find in Columbus, Ohio.

But with a controversial development project being discussed at the former Piggly Wiggly site on Sumar Street and Ashley River Crossing, a planned pedestrian bridge connecting West Ashley and downtown, a question is what direction is the suburb headed.

Vision for the future

The West Ashley Revitalization Committee has been spearheading the suburb’s path toward development. The committee’s Plan West Ashley aims for ambitious changes from economic development to flood prevention.

The Sumar Street development project was postponed in June, causing doubts about the strength of the committee’s plans.

City Councilman Karl Brady represents outer West Ashley. A board member of the West Ashley Revitalization Commission, he said West Ashley projects like the Sumar Street development project, were voted down by people who don’t have a vision for the future.

“They see West Ashley as it is but not as what it could be,” he said.

Brady, who currently is running for reelection, said that in revitalization it is important to remember where West Ashley started. It was the birthplace of Charleston when settlers landed at Charles Towne Landing in 1670.

“I think one thing lost on a bunch of people is that West Ashley is the birthplace of Charleston. That’s how we should treat it.”

Chambers, a former Charleston City Paper employee, said West Ashley is planning in the right direction, but there is not much to show for it.

“In people, you are seeing this shift away from these traditional big-box stores towards giving more community pride,” he said. “But we have to stay the course.”

Chambers said the community has historically wanted more than malls and commutes, but often ended up with Walmarts and chain businesses regardless.

Malls, he said, are a product of West Ashley’s suburban boom in the 1980s. The “retail apocalypse” of the 2010s crippled them. Now, West Ashley has a lot of vacant lots. Chambers said because the area is growing, some residents want to shed the concrete.

“Most citizens in West Ashley didn’t want another mall or gas station,” he said.

A historical view

Donna Jacobs is a West Ashley historian and author. As a former board member of Plan West Ashley, Jacobs noticed a generational difference in what residents plan for their neighborhoods.

Jacobs said the West Ashley area has been split between two different models of how to live and build. It also is split between two different generations of Americans and what they want for the future.

In many ways, these splits are between those “inside the loop” and those “outside the loop,” meaning those who live north of the swath cut by Interstate 526 and those who live south of it — an area generally with more land and open space.

She said those who live inside 526 advocate for a walkable Avondale plan. But those outside of the interstate often want to keep West Ashley’s traditional shopping centers.

“Inside the loop, some of these younger residents would happily ride their bikes to work every day and walk their kids to school, regardless of the weather,” she said.

But others see cars as their primary way of commuting, “They kind of expect those old West Ashley malls to drive to,” she said.

Jacobs said the diverse lifestyles and history of West Ashley was a strength for living in the area. She added she thought West Ashley was a nice place to live regardless of whether you believe in the Avondale approach or the mall.

Alex Nettless, a former City Paper intern, is a student at Elon University.

Our Best of West Ashley 2023

From our Best of Charleston Winners list

Best of Politics, News and Media

  • Best Local Radio Personality
    Brooke Ryan, Mix 95.9
  • Best Local TV Sports Anchor
    Kevin Bilodeau, Live 5
  • Best Local TV Weather Forecaster
    Bill Walsh, Live 5
  • Best Local TV StationWCSC Live 5 News
  • Best Philanthropist
    Anita Zucker, The Intertech Group
  • Best Progressive
    Joe Cunningham
  • Best Radio Station
    105.5 The Bridge

Best of Culture, Arts and Entertainment

  • Best Music Instruction
    Clelia’s Guitar Studio
  • Best Musician
    Charlton Singleton

Best of Shops and Wares

  • Best Accessories Store
    Carolina Girls
  • Best Bridal Store
    Bridals by Jodi
  • Best Comic Book Store
    Captain’s Comics and Toys
  • Best Consignment (Furniture)
    Consign Charleston
  • Best Consignment (Children)
    Once Upon a Child
  • Best Local Wine Shop
    Avondale Wine & Cheese
  • Best Pet Store
    Dolittle’s
  • Best Record Store
    Monster Music & Movies
  • Best Shoe Store
    Phillips Shoes
  • Best Smoke Shop
    I Heart CBD*
  • Best Tire Store, Auto Service
    Gerald’s Tires & Brakes*

Best of Services

  • Best Alterations
    Mr. Le Alterations
  • Best Cab Company
    Charleston Black Cab Company
  • Best Car Wash
    Fins Car Wash*
  • Best Cell Phone Repair
    IDoctor
  • Best Dry Cleaner
    Lyerly’s Dry Cleaners*
  • Best Financial Institution
    S.C. Federal Credit Union *
  • Best Flooring Installation
    CarpetBaggers Flooring
  • Best Home Remodeler/Roofing Company
    New Beginnings Construction
  • Best Kitchen and Bath Design
    Signature Kitchens & Baths of Charleston, Inc.
  • Best Limo/Party Bus Company
    Charleston Black Cab Co.
  • Best PR Firm
    Matchstick Social
  • Best Mortgage Company
    Carolina One Mortgage Company
  • Best Pest Control
    Palmetto Exterminators
  • Best Real Estate Company
    Carolina One Real Estate
  • Best Shoe Repair
    Peter & Son

Best of Health and Beauty

  • Best Acupuncture Practice
    Blue Heron Acupuncture & Apothecary
  • Best Acupuncturist
    Dr. Brittney Epps, Serenity Wellness
  • Best Barre Studio
    Pure Barre Charleston*
  • Best Exercise Studio
    KOR4 Elite Fitness
  • Best Eye Doctor/Lasik Provider
    Dr. Kerry Solomon*
  • Best Eyelash/Eyebrow Salon
    Anne Bonny’s Lash & Skin Boutique*
  • Best Gym/Health Club
    HYLO Fitness*
  • Best OB/GYN
    Dr. Kenosha Gleaton, The EpiCure
  • Best Orthodontics Practice
    Coastal Kids Dental & Braces*
  • Best Pediatrician
    Dr. Arlene Shawinsky, Coastal Pediatric Associates*
  • Best Piercing Studio
    Museum of the Living Arts
  • Best Tattoo Studio
    Broken Lantern Tattoo

Best of Recreation and Outdoors

  • Best Fishing and Tackle Shop
    Haddrell’s Point Tackle and Supply
  • Best Outdoor Outfitters
    Half-Moon Outfitters*
  • Best Place to Buy a Boat
    Hanckel Marine

Best of Eating

  • Best West Ashley Restaurant, Caterer, Kid Friendly, Mac and Cheese, Nachos, Tots, WingsHome Team BBQ*
  • Best Cheesesteak
    DB’s Cheesesteaks Hoagies & More
  • Best Chicken Fingers
    Boxcar Betty’s
  • Best Chocolatier
    Christophe Artisan Chocolatier*
  • Best Deli
    East Bay Deli*
  • Best Doughnut Shop
    Duck Donuts
  • Best Gyro
    Kairos Mediterranean*
  • Best Ice Cream, Milkshake
    Ye Ole Fashioned Ice Cream & Sandwich Cafe*
  • Best Salad
    California Dreaming
  • Best Tacos
    El Molino Supermarket*
  • Best West Ashley Brunch
    Early Bird Diner

Best of Drinking

  • Best Beer Retail Selection
    Total Wine & More*
  • Best West Ashley Bar, Happy Hour, Bottled Beer Selection
    Gene’s Haufbrau
  • Best Sports Bar
    Charleston Sports Pub*
  • Best Wine Bar
    Avondale Wine & Cheese

*Multiple locations

West Ashley by the numbers

Population 83,996

Ethnicity
68% White
26% Black
3% Hispanic

Median age 38.7

Median household income $68,898

Percent above $100,000 31%

Households below poverty line 10%

Households above $200,000 7.6%

Households 36,864

Occupancy
52% owner-occupied
40.0% rental
7.7% vacant

Education
19.1% are high school graduates.
30.7% have bachelor’s degrees.
16.5% have graduate degrees.

Apparel and services $82M

Education $65M

Entertainment, Rec $121M

Food at home $201M

Food away from home $144M

Health care $213M

Household furnishings $83M

Shelter $734M

Travel $89M

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