Real EstateThe Perks of Living in Charleston’s West Ashley Community

By Sophie Leigh-Jones, Manager Luxury Simplified Retreats

Anyone that is new to the Charleston area has an exciting venture ahead of them. Finding a place to live in a town that is unfamiliar can be both exciting and unnerving and given that each area in Charleston is vastly different from the next, you need to do your research. Particularly when it comes to buying a home here.  Having done a number of renovations in and around town, we discovered what we liked and didn’t like about certain areas and decided to make our bed in a small neighborhood in West Ashley – one that we could renovate of course!

This charming area of Charleston is a place that offers many lifestyle perks. As investors, it was easy to see why West Ashley was a desirable place to buy/renovate/sell, but as first-time home buyers it was obvious that West Ashley was also the perfect place for us to buy our starter home. Our budget was small and we found a house for under $150,000 in a quiet neighborhood on a huge lot. Drop this set-up into downtown Charleston and you’d be at $500k+ for the lot size alone. So that was PERK #1 … Affordable and spacious!

 PERK #2 comes in the form of development. The introduction of Whole Foods to West Ashley has been hot gossip in the past few months and something that has increased interest in the area. A huge new shopping center is also in the cards, meaning that we finally have a better alternative to the neglected and mostly vacant Citadel Mall. Increasing development in a positive way, means that house prices are rising rapidly and homes in our neighborhood are selling at $250k+ for a fully renovated home. We still have a way to go on this front, but it’s certainly promising!  Charleston’s newly elected Mayor John Tecklenburg has his home in West Ashley and has made the revitalization of this area part of his “First 100 Days ” agenda, which has spurred increased interest from retailers and developers who, up to now, would probably have had areas like Mount Pleasant or Summerville in their sights.

PERK #3 comes in the form of how commutable it is. If you bypass the 5 o’clock rush hour, the commute is only 15 minutes from downtown and a little over 6 miles. And, if the commute is unbearable at 5 o’clock, you can always swing by the trendy Avondale area and take a stop at one of the upscale cafes or restaurants that line the streets of this tiny, upscale part of the West Ashley community. 

NOTE:  The beauty of living in Charleston is that there is something truly unique and special about every part of this vibrant city … and the eclectic, up & coming West Ashley area has a lot to offer for young families and first time home buyers. Get a feel for the neighborhoods that suite your needs..