Charleston SC Lifestyle: Gardens

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WATERFRONT CHARLESTON

Among the many reasons people fall in love with Charleston, its mesmerizing waterfront vistas are nearly always at the top of the list. The charming peninsular city is surrounded by miles of scenic oceanfront barrier islands, lush naturally-protected harbor and estuary, as well as 15 watersheds comprising more than 1700 square miles of river basin, tidal creeks and forest wetlands.

From the sand dunes and surf lines of nearby public beaches to the inland web of oak-lined streams and cypress basins, waterfront properties are as plentiful in the Charleston area as they are environmentally-diverse. Charleston's downtown peninsula has extensive residential waterfront properties on three sides, overlooking the historic Ashley and Cooper rivers as well as scenic Charleston Harbor. Beach islands within a short drive of downtown Charleston include the Isle of Palms, Sullivan's Island, Folly Beach, Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island, all of which feature homes and lots offering a view of dolphins, sea gulls and foaming waves along the beachfront, as well as homesites overlooking gentle expanses of marsh grass, fishing inlets and overhanging oaks facing the mainland. Flanking Charleston from all directions, the communities on James Island, Johns Island, West Ashley, Mount Pleasant and Daniel Island are interlaced with rivers, tidal creeks, salt marshes, bays, lakes and coastal estuaries.

Numerous public and privately-owned docks, slips and landings afford people in the Charleston area easy access to a full range of water activities and recreation. Warm inland waters are filled with fish, oysters, shrimp, crabs and clams, assuring a good catch whether casting nets and lines from the dock of a public park or from the deck of a boat. Paddlers enjoy the sparkling maze of inlets, waterways and tributaries on which nature's beauty is always displayed with colorful wading birds and flourishing marsh grasses. For lovers of scenery, history or relaxation, discovering the Charleston area by water is a boundless treasure, with boat trips to Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor sailing and dining tours, and spectacular panoramic waterfront views from promenades along the towering Arthur Ravenel bridge, the Patriots Point Maritime Museum, and the city's Waterfront Park and White Point Gardens.

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