If you want to experience a quintessential, Lowcountry morning or afternoon, spend some time at Shem Creek. Its name is quite deceiving. I once suggested to a tourist that he spend his afternoon on Shem Creek and he quickly replied, “A creek? How can I spend my entire afternoon at a creek?” It was his first visit to the Lowcountry and he soon realized Shem Creek isn’t just a creek.
For starters, Shem Creek offers 6 restaurants, 3 outdoor outfitters, 3 event venues, 2 marinas, a gorgeous hotel, a handful of local shrimp and crab distributors and the newly built Shem Creek Park! Nestled just a mile from the base of the Arthur Ravenel Bridge on Coleman Blvd., this area of Mt. Pleasant is a hotspot that is sure to excite foodies, fishermen and adventurers alike! And with many residential neighborhoods lining Shem Creek, the area is full of energy and known to be a prime location in the Lowcountry.
Shem Creek has been a hub for activities dating back to the 18th century when Andrew Hibben obtained a ferry charter which became the first mode of public transportation from Mt. Pleasant to the city of Charleston. It wasn’t until the 1900’s, however, that Shem Creek became the epicenter for shrimping in the Lowcountry and it still known for this honor today!
Shem Creek – Mount Pleasant, SC
Eat
The gorgeous shrimping boats are impossible to miss when you drive, ride or walk over the Shem Creek Bridge. Nestled right against the docks of just some of the restaurants they serve, dining on Shem Creek is picturesque and an experience in itself. My personal recommendations include Vickery’s Bar and Grill for casual dining, Red’s Icehouse for a cold beer and The Wreck to experience a local hole-in-the-wall!
Vickery’s Bar and Grill is perfect for great views, a relaxed atmosphere and amazing al fresco dining year round. Vickery’s also offers first come-first served public docking for its customers so if you’ve been on the water all day, Vickery’s is a great place to stop for a bite. The fried Calamari is some of the best in Charleston!
Fresh oysters – Vickery’s on Shem Creek
Red’s Icehouse has known for its awesome live music in the past 5 years, hosting both local and country superstars alike! With multiple levels of dining and drinking, most of the space is outdoors and your four-legged friends are welcome in the outdoor areas. Red’s also features weekly drink and all-you-can-eat specials, oyster roasts and other various public parties. Red’s Ice House is also home to the The Palmetto Breeze, Mt. Pleasant’s premier sunset cruise sailboat, offering cocktails, snacks and live music from 4-7 p.m. on Wednesdays.
The Wreck is Shem Creek’s best kept secret – a hole in the wall with some powerful history. Featuring authentic Lowcountry cuisine, the owners of The Wreck pride themselves in serving up coastal dishes indigenous to South Carolina. Overlooking Shem Creek’s weathered shrimp boats and unmistakable marsh views, this little gem showcases the physical beauty the Lowcountry offers. A little about the history of The Wreck, found on the restaurant’s website:
“When the monster [Hurricane Hugo] had finally passed and the water receded, the trawler [named Richard & Charlene] had impaled its enormous bulk on the bare pilings. For nine months the ruined trawler sat in place, immovable, washed over daily by the tides until finally removed by salvagers, never to sail again. It is in memory of this indelible event that the existing restaurant on the same site has been named The Wreck of the Richard & Charlene.”
Abundant Seafood, a new business owned and operated by Mark Marhefka, is one of the Lowcountry’s only sustainable fishing operations that works similar to a co-op. Residents sign up for a 12 week catch which includes 15 pounds of seafood, and each week fisherman Mark leaves Shem Creek to fish for his members! On Fridays, Mark cleans, fillets and packs his catch for each member! Get to his dock early though – Abundant Seafood now has more than 140 members!! Mark also provides local seafood for many of Charleston’s top restaurants.
Play
There is so much to do on Shem Creek. You could spend an entire day having fun in the sun on its beautiful waters and surrounding marsh. It is common to see stand-up paddle boarders cruising the waterway, kayak tours meandering in and out of the marshes and walkers and joggers enjoying the boardwalks of Shem Creek Park.
The Charleston Paddler is a local paddling outfitter that offers SUP, kayak and mini-boat rentals, along with paddling tours and SUP Yoga! With expert instructors and guides, Charleston Paddler gives its customers a fun, safe and beautiful atmosphere for a killer workout or a relaxing time on the water! Check out the view from a regular day on the creek with Charleston Paddler:
Shem Creek Park is Mt. Pleasant’s newest public outdoor space, featuring a series of long boardwalks built over Shem Creek’s marshes and waters. Spend time walking the boardwalks and wandering through its short marsh trails. You’ll be able to see Shem Creek and The Charleston Harbor from a vantage point no one has been able to experience until now! You can fish off the boardwalks as well! And it has public bathrooms – always a plus!
Stay
Shem Creek offers travelers gorgeous hotel accommodations at Shem Creek Inn, in addition the area is home to some of Charleston and Mt. Pleasant’s most coveted neighborhoods to live in. Old Village, Cooper Estates, Shemwood and Bayview Acres are just a few neighborhoods that are nestled along Shem Creek’s shorelines, perfect for families looking for a safe, mature area to raise their children in. Shem Creek’s neighborhoods are zoned for the best public schools in South Carolina – Mt. Pleasant Academy (elementary), Moultrie Middle School and Wando High School. Homes for sale in these Mt. Pleasant neighborhoods typically start in the low $400’s and go up to the high $600’s in value.
Real Estate listings near Shem Creek in Mount Pleasant:
If you have been considering a move to Mount Pleasant, or if you’re looking for a change from your current East Cooper address, consider the Olde Park Neighborhood. Located on Mathis Ferry Road just down from I’on and Hobcaw Creek Plantation, this community is nestled conveniently in the middle of Mount Pleasant with easy access to local beaches, shopping and downtown Charleston.
Like next door neighbor I’on, Olde Park prides itself on having a cohesive design that runs throughout the architecture and landscaping. An emphasis is put on classical Georgia architecture, and all new construction must be approved by the Architectural Review Board and should follow the Olde Park design guidelines. The end result is a beautiful, well-organized neighborhood with sidewalks, mature live oaks and ponds. The homes in this neighborhood begin around 2,500 square feet and top out around 7,000 square feet, so there is something for families of all shapes and sizes.
One element of Olde Park that separates it from I’on is the emphasis on large, tree-lined lots. Where the lots of I’on have purposefully been placed close together as a way to foster community, the designers of Olde Park wanted to provide their residents with more privacy and
green space.
While Olde Park does not have a tennis court, pool or boat dock, residents do have access to amenities through the I’on neighborhood. The two neighborhoods are linked, so residents do not have to leave Olde Park to enjoy the perks of membership at the I’on Club, including three pools, a tennis club, game nights, and kids activities. The I’on also extends a separate annual membership to the residents of Olde Park for usage of their boat ramp, located on Hobcaw Creek and allowing direct access to the Cooper River and the Charleston Harbor (located only one mile from the I’on boat ramp).
Down oak-lined Mathis Ferry Road in Mount Pleasant hides one of the area’s most sought-after neighborhoods. The I’on neighborhood, which was founded in April 1995, has successfully created a space that combines the convenience and culture of twenty-first living with the strong ties and community of days gone by.
The 243 acres of the I’on community is named after Jacob Bond I’on (1782-1859), who served as mayor of Sullivan’s Island and who fought in the War of 1812. After a long career in service to his community and nation, I’on was laid to rest in the family cemetery, which now lies within the grounds of his namesake neighborhood.
When the neighborhood was founded, nothing else existed like it in Mount Pleasant–and, arguably, nothing still does. While later communities like Park West, have a similar idea behind them, none offer such a unique approach to neighborhood living. The minds behind the space envisioned a place that had parks for families to play in, porches to relax on, and trails to provide safe, stimulating places to exercise; in other words, they wanted to make a neighborhood that your grandparents might have grown up in.
The I’on Creek Club
The I’on neighborhood is far more than a collection of houses; it is an experience for its residents. There is particular detail paid to the specific design elements of the community and the housing style. The I’on Homeowners Association feels so strongly about the link between design and function that they have a specific style that all housing must adhere to: Lowcountry Vernacular Architecture. Because of this holistic approach, I’on is well-planned out and pleasing to the eye no matter where you are in the neighborhood.
The I’on boat landing
The community also seeks to enrich the residents’ day-to-day lives through the I’on Trust, a non-profit organization specifically set up to provide quality entertainment to this area. The trust sponsors movie nights, architectural walks, speakers, and art shows. This element of living in I’on, combined with the shops and restaurants at the entrance, creates a wonderful, unique environment for those who call I’on home.
Real Estate listings in I’on Neighborhood Mount Pleasant
People love Charleston. They love living here. They love visiting here. They love doing things here. Charleston has won many travel awards in recent years, including Conde Nast Traveler’s Best City in the World (Readers’ Choice Awards 2012).
However, another species–one that is often overlooked–also enjoys Charleston as much as the traditional human visitor or resident because the area has emerged as a friendly city for dogs.
Mount Pleasant, a quick drive from historic downtown Charleston has emerged as a particularly dog-friendly area. On any given day, chances are that you will spot a four-legged family member getting some fresh air with his or her owner around town. A large portion of Mt. Pleasant families own dogs and the city acknowledged this trend by transforming Mount Pleasant into an outdoor city for dogs. With the development of dog friendly parks throughout Mt. Pleasant, canine owners have never found it easier to take man’s best friend for a walk or mingle with neighbors within a dog friendly community while simultaneously enjoying the beautiful Lowcountry weather.
The leash laws in Mt. Pleasant prohibit dogs from running free from a private residence, but with the establishment of these dog friendly parks within family oriented neighborhoods, accessing a safe, fun place to let your dog play is easy. These designated areas include large open areas for dogs to run and play freely without being hampered by a leash. Because of these dog runs, the Town of Mount Pleasant is transforming the evening chore of walking the dog into a family bonding activity.
Mt. Pleasant’s Palmetto Islands County Park is a great place to walk your dog.
In 2009, in an effort to make Mt. Pleasant a more friendly city for dogs, the town finished construction of an off-leash dog park within the Park West Recreation Complex on Highway 17 North. This large, fenced-in dog park has a small pond where dogs can cool off on a hot summer day and enjoy roaming free with their canine friends. One downside to this location is that there are no separate sections for different sized dog breeds so small dogs may be easily intimidated by the presence of larger breeds.
One of the newest and largest dog parks is located off Rifle Range Road in Mt.Pleasant next to the Joe Gawrych Baseball Complex. This area features two large fenced-in sections for bigger dog breeds and one for small dogs. This centrally-located dog park is less than 3 miles from the Old Village (known to some as Old Mount Pleasant) and minutes from midtown communities like Snee Farm and Hamlin Plantation. This dog park also features several walking trails that visitors can utilize while the dog is on leash and lots of open space for playing catch or throwing the Frisbee with the kids.
A dog playing in one of Mt. Pleasant’s many dog parks.
The nature-oriented canine lovers looking for activities in this city for dogs may be looking for a more rustic, expansive, and activity-oriented park. The Palmetto Islands County Park is designed just for that purpose. This beautiful park features 943 acres of natural, tropical development with views of the Lowcountry marshland and includes bicycle paths, picnic areas, boardwalks and an exclusive off-leash dog park for your canine. This park is located off of Long Point Road in the Longpoint Subdivision and is also a short drive from Belle Hall in Mt. Pleasant, which making it perfect for a full day adventure with the family.
There is another dog park right off of Rifle Range Road
Whether you are browsing real estate in Mount Pleasant or looking to buy a home specifically in Park West, Hamlin Park, Old Village, or Belle Hall or any of the surrounding areas, Mount Pleasant has made huge strides in accommodating all members of your family. By providing dog friendly parks within family oriented neighborhoods, the Town of Mount Pleasant is busy creating the Lowcountry’s best city for dogs.
