EDITOR’S NOTE: Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications sent several journalism graduate students to the Holy City to learn during the annual festival season. Five students previewed and reviewed performances at Spoleto Festival USA and Piccolo Spoleto. Two wrote news stories and features. Others worked with the festival directly to learn about arts management.
We asked these students to reflect on what they learned in their three weeks walking our streets and writing about what they experienced. We think you’ll find their insights to be fresh perspectives on things that people who live here might take for granted. Thanks all!
Kind people, delicious food, beach visits
I had no idea what to expect coming to Charleston. What I found was a colorful city full of kind people with delicious food!
Southern hospitality is a real thing, and I feel lucky to have experienced it. I was very lucky to grow up by the water in California but haven’t lived near it in a very long time. So getting to be this close to the beach again was maybe my favorite part of this trip. Getting to swim and enjoy the sun, and relax on the beach in between assignments was a wonderful addition to this trip. It was a peaceful transition into whatever is next for me.
The other amazing part of this city was all of the color everywhere! Coming from being in New York for the last year with so many gray brick industrial buildings, walking down the streets of Charleston with pastel buildings everywhere is a dream. – Madey Lynch
10,000 steps
Spending most of my life in Syracuse and Pittsburgh, I truly didn’t understand living in a walkable city until I came to Charleston. In my 17 days in the Holy City, I made an effort to get in my 10,000 steps a day, which is something I never used to focus on.
Now I’m going to take that for the rest of my life, and I can thank Charleston for that. I tried walking up the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, but I’m scared of heights. – Henry O’Brien
The joy of running across the bridge
I love getting to know new places by running. Every day, I would run six to eight miles through Charleston, and I found myself on new streets every day that I probably would not have stumbled upon without being on a run.
My favorite run was a local favorite over the Cooper River bridge. I ran it at sunrise and sunset, and the breeze never failed to cool me down from the Charleston humidity. I stopped at the middle of the bridge, sat on the bench and looked down nearly 200 feet below at the sailboats on the water. I ran from the College of Charleston to the end of the bridge and back. With two uphill climbs came two downhill coasts. – Emily Rutkowski
A dreamy salad
I knew I was coming to a culinary destination. Having gone to college in Virginia, I was excited to return to the land of Cheerwine and Cook Out. But within a few days, all I wanted to eat was a good salad. Sacrilegious, I know.
I had a few good salads, but my favorite by far was from Babas on Cannon. You must get the pistachio and parmesan salad from Babas. It is a simple salad made of gem lettuce topped with freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, roasted pistachios and a lemon vinaigrette. Seriously, that salad was one of my favorite food items I ate during this trip. Until I return, I will dream of the Pistachio & Parmesan salad from Babas. – Ally Watkinson
A sandwich to remember
There is a special quality that comes with living near the water. Growing up, I had always been drawn to the ocean and felt at home whenever my feet touched the sand. Smelling the salty air and having the waves wash over me felt spiritual, in a way. It’s an instant remedy for emotional exhaustion and helps to quiet the mind.
After living in Minnesota for most of my life and moving to New York for college, I knew in my heart that I needed to live near the ocean. Coming to Charleston felt like an “aha moment” where I felt like I finally found the place for myself.
Spending the morning wandering the streets of pastel houses on the peninsula and heading to Sullivan’s Island for a turkey club at The Co-Op wasn’t just my idea of a perfect day. It was a return to myself. – Tori Wyffels
Lots of sundresses
One of my favorite parts about walking around Charleston has been taking in the Southern fashion. Being from Los Angeles, I have grown used to bold, unique stylistic choices — but never have I ever seen so many sundresses!
From what I’ve witnessed, Southern fashion effortlessly mixes elegance, charm and personality. Florals, wedges, wide-brimmed hats with bows — it really brought King Street to life. Charleston women certainly know how to bring their best heeled foot forward, and I enjoyed this cobblestone runway thoroughly. I am leaving Charleston with more than just memories; I have mentally pinned a whole Pinterest board’s worth of fashion inspiration that will last me a lifetime. – Colette Goldstein
Boats, kayaks, dolphins
Shem Creek is King Street on water. Instead of cars, pedicabs and walkers, you’ll see fishing boats, kayaks and dolphins slowly passing through.
The best way to enjoy the view is with a cocktail and a good appetizer. Saltwater Cowboys at the end of the restaurant row has all of the above. And there’s not a bad seat in the house.
Spending an afternoon on its patio was the closest I’ve felt to the ocean without actually being in it. – Olivia Meier
Beautiful city filled with great people
Having been raised in Alabama, I had grown to miss certain elements of the South. I missed the neon lights of Waffle House and Cook Out at 2 a.m.
But the thing I missed the most were the people. You may hear about the term “Southern hospitality,” and I can say it’s true, especially in Charleston. Everyone I talked to down were some of the nicest people I’ve ever met, even the people I interviewed. They never made it seem like I was a bother as a tourist and student journalist.
So thank you, Charleston, for taking us in and answering our questions as we figure out what we’re going to do next in our careers. You’ve been a beautiful city filled with great people, and I will never forget that. – Ankit Bandyopadhyay
My paradise
Sullivan’s Island might be my paradise on earth. As someone who has spent half of her summers on the beaches of Brittany in France, the beaches of Sullivan’s Island give me a little bit of home in a foreign country.
With its few people, the lighthouse, the beautiful houses with an ocean view and that green water that seems endless, there are only a few things that can beat the feeling of dipping in the water or reading on the sand at Sullivan’s Island. – Mathilde Refloch
A city that loves art
Growing up in Albuquerque, N.M., one of the things I’ve always cherished is how deeply embedded art is in everyday life. Murals color nearly every building, pueblo pottery greets you at the entrance of local shops, mariachi music flows through restaurant doors and art markets offer an experience unlike anywhere else.
When I arrived in Charleston, I immediately recognized a similar love for art — one that felt both new and familiar. I noticed the city’s historic buildings and soft pastel facades that reflect its rich, layered past. I heard jazz musicians playing on street corners and saw beautifully woven sweetgrass baskets at every market.
The presence of art in Charleston made the city feel incredibly welcoming from the moment I arrived. – Sara Atencio-Gonzales
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