Charleston SC Lifestyle: Gardens

With its mild climate perfect for an active lifestyle and an array of beautiful new professional sporting venues, Charleston is ideal for the participatory challenges and spectator fun of varying popular competitions.

Baseball is a warm-weather favorite for the entire family at magnificent Joseph P. Riley, Jr. baseball park. Built in 1997 along the banks of the scenic Ashley River in downtown Charleston, "The Joe" as it is affectionately called has set attendance records each year for fans of the Charleston Riverdogs, a class A member of the New York Yankees system. People flock to the beautifully-designed park to enjoy outstanding baseball while witnessing glorious riverfront sunsets and entertaining exhibitions such as grand fireworks displays every Friday night home game.

Professional soccer is an increasingly crowd-pleasing activity at Daniel Island's state-of-the-art Blackbaud Stadium. Built in 1999, this award-winning venue is America's first privately-funded stadium built exclusively for soccer, and is home to the former United States League first division champion Charleston Battery. The marvelous 5500-seat outdoor stadium features outstanding sight-lines, sky boxes and a British style pub, and The Battery annually hosts the Carolina Challenge Cup, featuring a match series against major league clubs and international soccer talent such as the New York Red Bulls, Toronto FC and the San Jose Earthquakes.

Daniel island is also home to the fabulous Family Circle Cup Tennis Center, home to one of the premiere events of the professional womens' world tour. Considered among the top public tennis facilities in the Southeast, the 32-acre center features 17 championship tennis courts (13 clay, 4 hard , and all lighted), as well as 10,200 seat stadium built in 2001. The annual Family Circle Cup competition held here each Spring is a world-class nine-day event that features some of the biggest names in women's tennis, and the center also hosts a number of tennis events including the SMASH Junior Cup and the USA Tennis League regional championships. Award-winning center amenities include a 10,000 square-foot clubhouse, luxury locker room facilities, and a tennis pro shop and professional instructional staff, and there are year-round tennis camps and instructional opportunities.

The 10,500-seat North Charleston Coliseum is home to the three time East Coast Hockey League champion South Carolina Stingrays, who have made the cold weather sport a Winter favorite in the Charleston area. The beautiful, first-class facility was built in 1994, and also hosts professional rodeo and the annual Southern Conference Basketball Tournament.

The list of Charleston's exceptional sporting opportunities and venues would not be complete without mentioning sailing, which has long and prestigious tradition. Charleston harbor annually hosts a number of local, national and international sailing competitions, and the modern J. Stewart Walker, Jr. complex at Patriot's Point in Mount Pleasant offers a unique opportunity to participate in sailing classes or observe championship regatta sailing.

The adjoining Patriot's Point Athletics Complex is a $6.5 million facility that features college and recreational and youth league fields for baseball, soccer and tennis, with lighted courts, 3000 square-foot clubhouse, practice fields, and terraced seating.