Author: Mount Pleasant

The Isle Of Palms has attained the near-perfect combination of preservation and development, creating an ideal beach resort for visitors and full-time residents alike, just a short drive from historic downtown Charleston.

Located north of Charleston Harbor, the upscale barrier island exudes a feeling of community that most resort islands simply cannot offer. IOP is known for its cool breezes, mild winters and pleasant summers, the perfect setting for people in search of a year-round, warm-weather home.

Throughout the storied history of the area, the island’s beautiful beaches have served as a peaceful getaway for Charlestonians and other residents of the Carolinas. However, few people lived there full-time until the late 1800s. Even after the automobile became the main mode of transportation for Americans, travel to the island was difficult until the Isle of Palms Connector opened in 1993. Today, the trip along the two-mile-long road that links the island community to bustling Mount Pleasant is no problem.

The Isle of Palms Parks and Recreation Department offers numerous activities for residents and tourists, from aerobics and yoga to recreational team sports, and there’s a full-service marina for boaters. On the north end of the island, the spectacular Wild Dunes Resort is home to two world-class championship golf courses. Both The Links and The Harbor Course were designed by renowned architect Tom Fazio.

The island is within minutes of the Charleston area’s many historical attractions, including the downtown district; Fort Sumter, where the Civil War began; and Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island, the scene of one of the first battles of the American Revolution and where author Edgar Allan Poe served during his stint in the Army.

Isle of Palms residents are a short drive from the most complete shopping center in the area. Towne Centre, in Mount Pleasant, was designed to look like a small Southern village and features national department stores and shops as well as locally owned businesses. Also nearby is Shem Creek, home to one of the area’s last fishing boat fleets, unusual art galleries and several outstanding restaurants.

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Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, is a vibrant, thriving community that is proud of its past and looking toward a bright future.

Located across the Cooper River from historic Charleston, Mount Pleasant has played an important role in South Carolina and U.S. history for more than three centuries. The many Colonial and antebellum homes in Mount Pleasant’s Old Village draw tourists in large numbers, inviting them to wander the narrow, oak-lined streets and take a peek back into the town’s proud past. The most well-known of the homes and buildings in this historic district is Alhambra Hall, a former ferry station that overlooks Charleston Harbor.

Originally the home of the Sewee Indians, Mount Pleasant’s first white settlers, led by Capt. Florentia O’Sullivan, arrived from England in 1680. The town’s name was forever etched in history on Sept. 24, 1860, when a public meeting held there produced South Carolina’s first resolution of secession. Shortly thereafter, representatives of seven Southern states met in Charleston to form the Confederate States of America.

As proud as Mount Pleasant is of its past, it’s the city’s ability to look to the future that speaks loudest. The state-of-the-art Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge linked Mount Pleasant with Charleston in 2005, replacing the Grace Memorial Bridge, built in 1929, and the Pearman Bridge, which opened for business in 1966.

Mount Pleasant remained a small town until well into the 20th century, populated in part by Charlestonians wealthy enough to afford summer homes across the Cooper River.

While Mount Pleasant has experienced tremendous growth in the past decade, it also has preserved its heritage and small-town sense of community. Many people choose to live in Mount Pleasant because of the town’s proximity to the area’s beaches and excellent golf courses, its mild climate and nearby state-of-the-art medical facilities. Mount Pleasant also is home to some of the finest shopping in the region. Towne Centre, on busy Highway 17, offers a wide selection of goods from national and local merchants.

Picturesque Shem Creek, which bisects the city, hosts several popular restaurants and one of the last fleets of local fishing boats in the area. Residents take advantage of the fresh off-the-boat seafood sold on the docks.

Map of Mount Pleasant, SC

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