North Charleston, once eclipsed by the city of Charleston, has come into its own in recent decades. It is now the third-largest city in South Carolina and the area’s economic engine. The city, first incorporated in 1972, is home to more than 114,000 people, and that number continues to grow.
Despite its industrial past, North Charleston has begun to attract advanced tech companies. The city also is a retail hub, from malls and Big Box stores to neighborhood boutiques.
And at the center of it all sits the Park Circle neighborhood, a vibrant, walkable community bounded by Interstate 526 on the north side, Waterfront Park and the Cooper River on the east, Noisette Creek on the south and Mixson Avenue on the west.
Living in the community
Jamee Haley, a Park Circle resident, consultant and interior designer, said she and her husband have owned a home in the neighborhood for the past 20 years. They rented it out for years, but when they became empty-nesters five years ago, they moved in and loved the convenience of the location and “the immense sense of community,” she said.
“It’s a fun place to be, with numerous restaurants, breweries and wine bars to patronize.” She said she also appreciates that she can walk or ride her bike anywhere in the neighborhood and can develop relationships with area business owners.
Haley, once director of Lowcountry Local First, said she would like to see the city take active measures to keep the business district local, and to avoid it becoming “homogenized.” She also said that a big change she has seen in the neighborhood is that along with an increased popularity, Park Circle is getting more expensive.
Ryan Johnson, a spokesman for the city, said Park Circle is a great place to live and a wonderful place for area residents and tourists to visit.
He said Park Circle was set up for success because it was designed as a “garden city,” based on Ebenezer Howard’s vision from the late 1800s of a community where residential, commercial and greenspace coexist in a walkable area.
But by the mid-1990s, the business district had declined. Outgoing Mayor Keith Summey, who has served as mayor since 1994, thought the area was consuming more revenue than it was bringing in. So he set about bringing the business district back to life. Those plans and funding mechanisms were effective, Johnson said.
Summey, once involved with a Park Circle restaurant, didn’t run in the last election and will step down in January to make way for new mayor Reggie Burgess, the city’s former police chief, first Black mayor and a North Charleston native.
Thriving local restaurants, businesses
James Hartzog is the general manager at Madra Rua, an Irish pub on East Montague Avenue that has an array of cozy restaurants and bars. He said the area was much quieter when the pub opened in 2003. But people involved with Madra Rua knew it would grow — investment by the city of North Charleston helped that happen — and current growth has exceeded expectations. For example, about 300 people attended the city’s 2003 St. Patrick’s Day parade on East Montague, he said. Now, the parade and block party draw about 12,000 visitors.
Corrie Wang, co-owner of Jackrabbit Filly on Spruill Avenue, opened in 2019 serving New Chinese-American cuisine. She said she and her husband found the space for their restaurant in Park Circle close to their home. The area is “lovely and quiet but not pretentious, and it attracts a good mix of everybody,” she said.
Shopping in Park Circle can also be a lot of fun. The Station Park Circle, a vintage marketplace on Spruill Avenue, opened in 2018. Owner Sharon Payer said the business has grown, and in July, it expanded to adjacent space. Payer said she values sustainability, and 95% of the merchandise in her store is vintage or handmade. That’s consistent with Park Circle, she said. “I feel like it fits with the style of this community and its diversity.”
She also said more retail businesses continue to open in Park Circle, along with restaurants, breweries and other businesses. She loves to see the growth as long as the businesses are community oriented, she said. “It’s great to be part of it.”
Something for everyone
Johnson said Park Circle is a great place for regional visitors and tourists, too. He recommends people from out of town find lodging in North Charleston, where it is less expensive. After spending a day wandering around Park Circle, they are in a central location from which they can explore Charleston and the rest of the region.
Another advantage of the area: Park Circle has a lot to offer people who want to spend time outdoors. The center of the large traffic circle — a roundabout where Montague, Buist, Rhett and Durant avenues meet — contains a community center, ball field and the new and wildly popular inclusive playground where people of all ages and abilities can have fun. City leaders say it is the largest of its kind in the world.
Disc golf enthusiasts also enjoy the sport on a free course on the outer edge of the circle. People can also participate in events, walk the greenspace and take in the views at nearby Waterfront Park or visit the ducks in the pond at Quarterman Park.
Whether you come to play during the day or to enjoy the food, drink and nightlife, Park Circle has something for everyone.
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