Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
over 75% of the population isn't from here, so it sounds reasonable to me...
Charleston for most of it's life was a military town, anyone who's from here is well used to people moving in and out from other places in the nation... there isn't anything to be cliquish about unless you're trying to be someone you're not...
...
You mean North Charleston.
Charleston was in the periphery (close enough for the natives to work at the Navy Yard; far enough away from the military zone (North Area) to keep a seperate identity-from 1900-1980), but the amazing thing-in retrospect- is how the two populations did not mix.
Last edited by Geechie North; 05-23-2009 at 01:53 PM..
Charleston was in the periphery (close enough for the natives to work at the Navy Yard; far enough away from the military zone (North Area) to keep a seperate identity-from 1900-1980), but the amazing thing-in retrospect- is how the two populations did not mix.
no, I meant exactly what I typed...
other than the downtown area, where the border used to be at the Ashley River Bridge, most of the entire area was transient... either by residents that were in the military or residents that made a living from them, all of which moved as they either got orders or contracts
of course there were always many locals that stayed as well, but the number of people dependent on the military for their livelihoods used to always be very high
things have changed a lot in the last 30 yrs ago, now the area is more service orientated to tourism etc etc...
other than the downtown area, where the border used to be at the Ashley River Bridge, most of the entire area was transient... either by residents that were in the military or residents that made a living from them, all of which moved as they either got orders or contracts
of course there were always many locals that stayed as well, but the number of people dependent on the military for their livelihoods used to always be very high
things have changed a lot in the last 30 yrs ago, now the area is more service orientated to tourism etc etc...
Dependent upon working at the Navy Yard, yes. But that's where it stopped. There was very little social interaction beyond that. The Charlestonians looked down upon anyone living in the North Area, and vice-versa.
Remember Pat Conroy's (El Cid grad; Charlestonian side) take on the matter?
" To live in North Charleston is to admit defeat."
That pretty much summed up the Geechie attitude.
I grew-up West Of The Ashley in the 50's-60's, and I assure you that was the attitude there; same for East Of The Cooper, where many of my extended family also resided.
Reason those two areas (and the Peninsula) were alike is common ancestry. The city residents moved across the Ashley and Cooper Rivers in the post-war, when gov't subsidies helped develop the area (non-Navy) subsidies- I'm talking VA, etc.)
North Charleston was always different as that's where the yankees- and "po buckra" lived. "We're like an invading army.", I once heard a woman from Connecticut once say (circa '78).
So, when did this end, as it ain't that way now?
That would be circa 1980, when the Mark Clark (now called "The Connector") did just that, and allowed easy access to the industrial/base areas in N. Charleston from the areas inhabited by traditional Charlestonians.
That and the waves of boomtowners doomed the indigenous culture.
Funny side effect of this is accents within my family.
Because some of us left the area pre "invasion", if you will, my accent, and the accents of other family members who haven't lived there (other than a week or so vacation every year) on some words, is more traditional than family members who've stayed there.
Last edited by Geechie North; 05-23-2009 at 03:52 PM..
Dependent upon working at the Navy Yard, yes. But that's where it stopped. There was very little social interaction beyond that. The Charlestonians looked down upon anyone living in the North Area, and vice-versa.
Remember Pat Conroy's (El Cid grad; Charlestonian side) take on the matter?
" To live in North Charleston is to admit defeat."
That pretty much summed up the Geechie attitude.
I grew-up West Of The Ashley in the 50's-60's, and I assure you that was the attitude there; same for East Of The Cooper, where many of my extended family also resided.
Reason those two areas (and the Peninsula) were alike is common ancestry. The city residents moved across the Ashley and Cooper Rivers in the post-war, when gov't subsidies helped develop the area (non-Navy) subsidies- I'm talking VA, etc.)
North Charleston was always different as that's where the yankees- and "po buckra" lived. "We're like an invading army.", I once heard a woman from Connecticut once say (circa '78).
So, when did this end, as it ain't that way now?
That would be circa 1980, when the Mark Clark (now called "The Connector") did just that, and allowed easy access to the industrial/base areas in N. Charleston from the areas inhabited by traditional Charlestonians.
That and the waves of boomtowners doomed the indigenous culture.
Funny side effect of this is accents within my family.
Because some of us left the area pre "invasion", if you will, my accent, and the accents of other family members who haven't lived there (other than a week or so vacation every year) on some words, is more traditional than family members who've stayed there.
my families also been here hundreds of years, we even have gravesites at the Dorchester State Park where most came in back in the 1600's to trade with the indians... as well as sites everywhere from Awendaw through Cross to Sumter
and I too was raised primarily West Ashley and James Island, 60's up...
Mark Clark didn't link the north area until the late 80's, in 89 when it iced here I was on it doing donuts in my old transam... that was BEFORE it connected into the N.Chas airport area etc...
other than using I-26 to get downtown Cosgrove Ave has always been, and still is, the quickest way for anyone from the Navy base area to get into West Ashley... and then out to downtown or James/Johns Island... to take the Mark Clark from that area would be extremely way out of the way
I've always known a ton of people living all around the WA/JI areas that either worked directly for one of the four bases we used to have here, not just the Navy base, or worked for the federal govt in intelligence because of our military bases and training areas being here
we had everything from the largest nukes in Goose Creek with the Weapons Station, to the three Coast Guard stations, to the National Guard sites, to SPAWAR, and the Navy base here... the "shipyard" employed many people, but that was just the publicly visible well known employer here, there were thousands that worked for others as well
of course the futher you went inland the less dependent on military
and yeaa people have always looked at N.Chas different, even well before it was called N.Chas... it used to just be the north area, not it's own city
they figured they'd make it's own city to seperate it from Chas proper because of it's reputation and expense...
my families also been here hundreds of years, we even have gravesites at the Dorchester State Park where most came in back in the 1600's to trade with the indians... as well as sites everywhere from Awendaw through Cross to Sumter
and I too was raised primarily West Ashley and James Island, 60's up...
Mark Clark didn't link the north area until the late 80's, in 89 when it iced here I was on it doing donuts in my old transam... that was BEFORE it connected into the N.Chas airport area etc...
other than using I-26 to get downtown Cosgrove Ave has always been, and still is, the quickest way for anyone from the Navy base area to get into West Ashley... and then out to downtown or James/Johns Island... to take the Mark Clark from that area would be extremely way out of the way
I've always known a ton of people living all around the WA/JI areas that either worked directly for one of the four bases we used to have here, not just the Navy base, or worked for the federal govt in intelligence because of our military bases and training areas being here
we had everything from the largest nukes in Goose Creek with the Weapons Station, to the three Coast Guard stations, to the National Guard sites, to SPAWAR, and the Navy base here... the "shipyard" employed many people, but that was just the publicly visible well known employer here, there were thousands that worked for others as well
of course the futher you went inland the less dependent on military
and yeaa people have always looked at N.Chas different, even well before it was called N.Chas... it used to just be the north area, not it's own city
they figured they'd make it's own city to seperate it from Chas proper because of it's reputation and expense...
We're probably related.
Your family ever own any plantations? Awendaw area, or esp. St James Santee Mariner Parish?
Serious question.
Anyway,
When my oldest boy was born ( '79, in St. Francis Xavier on Ashley Ave.), they were working on the span crossing the Ashley.
'79 featured an ice storm, also, for what it's worth.
In the old Dupont Crossing area, West Of The Ashley, things were changing. The Citadel Mall was being built. The old end of development (Clemson Experimental Station) was fast becoming nothing special, and the old Pine Woods, and adjacent lands along the Stono and Intercoastal Waterway, which my generation had used as our little frontier, was being carved-up into postage-stamp lots for boomtowners from Cleveland, Queens, and Erie.
This was all because the new Mark Clark, which was coming in near where 17 and 7 merged.
Remember the traffic on the North Bridge when it was the only way to "The Yard" and the other fabulous workshops of North Charleston?
I can still see that dork Arthur Ravenel Jr. (back then) waving at traffic on the West Of The Ashley side during a run for the Gen. Assembly, circa 1974. He was there because it was THE high traffic area.
Perhaps the Mark Clark is not THE best way there, but it sure opened-up the dispersal of the burgeoning boomtown population that was exclusively migrating up "26" until The Mark Clark opened.
Yes, prior to that, most everyone who was "Middle Class" (not upper crust) had vocational interests with the Navy (or AF). But that was the Alpha and Omega of interaction twixt the two cultures- except for marriages (some) and other sexual indiscretions.
On my father's side, nobody gave a damn about anything inland of Mt.Pleasant St. Mother's side was different: 3 ofher brothers were "Yard Birds". They embodied the ethic (crazy as it was) of which I write.
Last edited by Geechie North; 05-23-2009 at 07:14 PM..
Your family ever own any plantations? Awendaw area, or esp. St James Santee Mariner Parish?
Serious question.
yeaa they did near the where the lakes are now... govt took thousands of acres of theirs to make those lakes... gave them a hundred chickens for it...
they, and future descendents, were actually promised first dibbs on what was later to be lake front property if the govt was to ever sell it... we all know how that went...
and yes I remember the ice of 79, that was the worst this state has ever seen... but I was refering to the ice/snow we got a cpl months after Hugo, 526 wasn't open over the ashley river yet... it was still just from 17 to 61
yeaa they did near the where the lakes are now... govt took thousands of acres of theirs to make those lakes... gave them a hundred chickens for it...
they, and future descendents, were actually promised first dibbs on what was later to be lake front property if the govt was to ever sell it... we all know how that went...
and yes I remember the ice of 79, that was the worst this state has ever seen... but I was refering to the ice/snow we got a cpl months after Hugo, 526 wasn't open over the ashley river yet... it was still just from 17 to 61
That's also how I remember the scene back in late 70's- 80's.
The first onslaught of sprawl West Of The Ashley was on 61, near the old Junior High, later Middleton HS, now ( as I understand it), a jr high again.
Such a pretty area that was. I guess Mitchner's right (again, re; "Centennial"), those are the type of areas we trash first.
By Hugo, I was firmly established in 'Da Nort", but I came back to be with an uncle and aunt East of The Cooper, who would not evacuate because of their dogs.
That was a rough ride.
By that Fall, when the snow hit Charleston- just a dusting, but any snow in Charleston is a major event- I was back home.
But I remember thinking, "What a wild stretch of weather for them."
This thread seems to be written largely in almost a foreign language! I can read threads on forums for all sorts of places I don't live and haven't lived previously, and they all seem perfectly intelligible. The weirdness of the posts on this thread suggest something very peculiar and inward-looking about Charleston. Could it be demonstrating what is taken as "cliquishness"?
BTW, I didn't come here to troll. I'm thinking of the possibility of a condo in Charleston for retreating from the Delaware winters. I just innocently strayed onto this thread and then found I couldn't comprehend half of it.
QUOTE=shy chic;8910330]I hope I am not repeating a thread,but,as someone who is hoping to move to Charleston/Mt. Pleasant area with no family in the area is it a "clickish" city where,if you don't have roots in the area,you will be excluded? Please,honest answers.
I have visited many times and like the area,the culture and the people have been friendly but I know living in an area is different. Also, I'd be interested in volunteering or working in a library (I did that before) would it be hard to get this type of work in the area?
[/quote]
IMO the south period is clickish" been stationed in many states and the natives are usually very nice and genteel, but in order to be friends with anyone, most time you will sooner or later the whole family will have to you their seal of approval before you are in the neighborhood, if you fall out with one of them my experience is that most of the rest are through with you too,
I hope this helps
This thread seems to be written largely in almost a foreign language! I can read threads on forums for all sorts of places I don't live and haven't lived previously, and they all seem perfectly intelligible. The weirdness of the posts on this thread suggest something very peculiar and inward-looking about Charleston. Could it be demonstrating what is taken as "cliquishness"?
BTW, I didn't come here to troll. I'm thinking of the possibility of a condo in Charleston for retreating from the Delaware winters. I just innocently strayed onto this thread and then found I couldn't comprehend half of it.
Rest assured that the sentiments which I in particular express are those of native Charlestonians, who constitute about 25% of the population, at present.
And, if you exclude the black population, as my sense is the vast majority here on this site are whites who will almost exclusively stay in the white culture, then that % falls to about 10.
Charleston today is the land of former New Jersey, Ohio, and other Northeast residents, who behave pretty much like they did back home.
So, you'll be in the majority; kindred souls, by far.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.