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Happy Thursday, Charleston. On this day in 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood at Charleston County Hall on King Street and spent a little over half an hour on racism, poverty and war. Esau Jenkins of Johns Island introduced him. Septima Clark was in the room, and so was a young James Clyburn. King opened by swatting at a rumor: "They said I came to Charleston to start a riot, been here a week organizing. As much as I talk about love, I don't see how anybody could associate me with organizing a riot."
It was his second visit to Charleston and his last. And it nearly vanished. A 40-minute recording of that afternoon sat in a box in a Summerville home, moved closet to closet for decades, until it surfaced in 2012.
More local government coverage, or less?
You asked for it. It's happening
Back in June I asked if you'd show up for a low-key CHS Happenings happy hour. 90% of you said yes, maybe, or just tell me where. Almost half went with "absolutely, name the rooftop."
So consider it named. Thursday, August 27th at 5:30 p.m. at Holy City Brewing in Park Circle.
No agenda, no name tags, no speeches. Just good beer, a picnic table, and Charlestonians who read the same newsletter every Thursday finally putting faces to inboxes. Show up in whatever you wore to work. Stay twenty minutes or stay till dark.
Come alone and you won't be alone for long. That "maybe, I'm shy but curious" option? It was the second most popular answer. You'll be in good company.
Click below so you're in the loop
Remember that "new way to hang out" I mentioned last week? Still coming, just needed one more week to get it right. Here's a peek: think less inbox, more group chat, with Charlestonians who read this actually talking to each other. Live in next week's issue, and worth the wait.
Congrats to Richard M. of Harleston Village who guessed correctly in last week’s “Where Are We?” I was at the Unitarian Church Cemetery, located at 4 Archdale Street downtown. Those in-the-know use the unmarked entrance—really an alleyway—off lower King Street.
WEATHER
Thursday 92° / 75° ☀️ 💧2%
Friday 90° / 80° ⛅ 💧24%
Saturday 89° / 78° ⛅ 💧24%
Sunday 87° / 78° ☔ 💧72%
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LOCAL DEVELOPMENT
It was a full house for the Route 41 vote at Mount Pleasant Town Hall on July 14
Nearly every member of Mount Pleasant Town Council campaigned against the Highway 41 plan. All but one signed a resolution asking the county to kill it. Then, four hours and 600 emails later, a single councilwoman's vote settled $245 million and the room stood up and walked out.
WHERE ARE WE?
Just reply to this email, or if you’re reading on our website, email me here. The first person to guess correctly will get a shout-out at the top of our issue next week!
HAPPENINGS
Thursday, July 30
Full STEAM Ahead (5-8) | 1 PM | Children's Museum of the Lowcountry | Painting with robots. Building bugs that dance. Free with admission.
North Charleston Farmers Market | 3 - 7 PM | Park Circle Pavilion | Produce, makers, a rotating food truck, live music till seven.
Improv Smackdown | 8 PM | Theatre 99 | Half game show, half blood sport. You're the judge.
Friday, July 31
Fossil Friday with Matthew Gibson | 3:30 - 4:30 PM | The Charleston Museum | The curator brings out what he's actually working on.
F3T Fly Fishing Film Tour | 7 PM | The Charleston Music Hall | Fly fishing films on the big screen. Doors at six.
Lowcountry Ladies' Sunset Yoga | 7 - 8:30 PM | Breach Inlet | Mats at Breach Inlet, sun going down behind you.
Saturday, August 1
Duo Pop-Up Workout at The Garden | 11 AM - 12 PM | Charles Towne Fermentory | Workout, then drinks, in a beer garden. Bring sunscreen.
Saturdays at the Distillery | 12 - 5 PM | Firefly Distillery | Bourbon, a big lawn, and five hours to use them.
Charleston Battery vs Brooklyn FC | 7:30 PM | Patriots Point Soccer Stadium | Nineties night at Patriots Point. Dress accordingly.
Sunday, August 2
American Gardens Sunday Bazaar | 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM | American Gardens | Flower farms and food vendors in the new King Street park.
R & A Cafe | 1 PM | Two Blokes Brewing | Fair food, done right, parked at Two Blokes.
Public Tour Led by Mary Whyte | 1:15 - 2:15 PM | Gibbes Museum of Art | The artist walks you through her own paintings. Rare.
| Broker’s Take | July 30, 2026 |
The Cheap Part Is Over
The vacant Pepsi plant on Meeting just sold for $13.5 million, and 300-plus apartments are going in behind it. I’ve watched this pattern for three decades across three markets. The corridor everybody calls “up and coming” stays that way right up until it doesn’t, and the turn is never gradual. If you already own up there, you’re fine. If you’ve been thinking about it, the cheap part is behind you.
Jimmy Farrell
Broker, The Farrell Group
ICYMI
Charleston Place is spending $150 million to stop being a hotel, and the East Wing shops are the first casualty.
→ What's taking their placeShe drove a vintage cocktail trailer 2,500 miles to a city she had never once seen. One TikTok did the rest.
→ The latte that started itThe vacant Pepsi plant on Meeting just traded for $13.5 million, six years after the last owner's plans died.
→ What's going up insteadFifteen patios worth sitting on in July, sorted by nothing except whether the breeze actually reaches your table.
→ The fish camp that's been at it since 1946West Ashley finally got a wine shop, and the owner is betting on bottles you cannot find at Total Wine.
→ What $70 a month gets you starting next week
LIVE MUSIC
FRI — O.A.R. at Firefly Distillery — three decades in, and they brought Gavin DeGraw. Or Kawaii Rave at Music Farm — nothing else this weekend looks like this.
SAT — The Mavericks at Charleston Music Hall — the best band most people can't name. Or Frank and Dean at Forte Jazz Lounge — a full big band, played straight.
SUN — Motown Throwdown at The Charleston Pour House — the deck, the market, and horns. Or Reggae Sundays at The Washout — Folly does this better than anywhere.
FEEDBACK
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