A Book Lover’s Guide to Charleston, South Carolina
By Stephanie Hunt
Illustration by Rebecca de Araujo
Over the last ten years, Charleston has quickly shot to the top of the list of must-see American destinations. Beloved for her architecture and food, stately steeples and polished manners, Charleston is an old city with a spry spirit, a seaside charmer whose climate, culture, and enchanting patina draws artists, creatives, and innovators. Today, 350 years after the city’s founding, her story is still unfolding, thanks to centuries of buried secrets and a vibrant present fueled by new businesses and residents, tourists, and plenty of old salts. All of which makes Charleston a haven for readers and writers.
From the 1920s publishing heyday of the Charleston Renaissance to Pat Conroy, Josephine Humphreys, and Anne Rivers Siddons, and more recent New York Times best-selling authors Mary Alice Monroe, Grady Hendrix, and Stacy Willingham, Charleston writers have long been inking love stories to the Lowcountry. Here is ours! We’ve pulled together can’t-miss spots bound to delight any book lover or writer, from restaurants that sell novels to hotels with chic lobby libraries.
Note: Zibby Books is swooning over this literary town, too. We’re heading to Charleston for our Zibby Books Retreat, April 28th-30th with nine iconic female writers and three days of author panels, books signings, delicious meals, yoga classes, walking tours, massages, candle-making, and more. Join us!
Discover the Next Great Story: Charleston’s Best Bookstores and Reading Rooms
With its classic Georgian and Victorian 18th- and 19th-century façades, King Street is the bustling retail artery of the peninsula, with the lower stretch famed for its antiques and the middle section boasting local fashion boutiques. (Upper King is the “entertainment” district, hopping with bars and restaurants.) These days, two indie bookstores and the country’s oldest lending library are staples.
Buxton Books Storefront
Buxton Books—160 King Street
Owned by Charleston natives Julian and Polly Buxton, Buxton Books may be the newest bookstore downtown, but it has quickly become a go-to community gathering place for book releases and author events, as well the home of Buxton Tours (Ghost, Gullah, or classic walking tour). Buxton also serves as the book-selling partner for the Charleston Library Society and Charleston Literary Festival.
Blue Bicycle Books—420 King Street
Charleston’s veteran indie store specializes in new, used, and rare first editions, with a trusty Charleston section as well. Owner Jonathan Sanchez and his team are true champions of writers, hosting more than 200 author events each year. Blue Bicycle is also the architect for YALLFest (a two-day YA book festival), creative writing summer camps, and a poetry in schools outreach program.
Charleston Library Society—164 King Street
Housed in a prominent Beaux Arts building (circa 1914) on lower King, the Charleston Library Society is the third oldest subscription library in the country, founded in 1748, but its origins date back to the nation’s first publicly funded library in 1698. This remarkable history is not relegated to dusty shelves: Today, CLS is a lively center for intellectual life and literary happenings around town. Simply walking through the doors boosts your IQ.
The Avery Research Center—125 Bull Street
The College of Charleston’s Avery Research Center for African American History and Culture offers a trove of multimedia resources for those interested in the rich, yet sobering legacy of West Africans and their descendants (known today as Gullah Geechee) in the Lowcountry. Housed in the former Avery Normal Institute (1865), the Avery reading room’s scholarly atmosphere is the kind of place you can easily spend hours learning the full breadth of Charleston’s history. (Just make sure to call before you visit.)
Fuel Your Literary Appetite: Spots to Sip and Savor
Charleston may be the Holy City, but here in the homeland of shrimp and grits, food (and drink) is our true religion. As host of the popular Charleston Wine + Food Festival each March and plenty of James Beard-award winning chefs and restaurants, Charleston enjoys a global reputation as a foodie haven. Keeping up with the latest restaurants is like trying to conquer your TBR pile—overwhelming, but you’re up for the challenge. There’s always something new and plenty of tried-and-true establishments, too.
Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit
Babas on Cannon—11 Cannon Street
If there were a National Poetry Award for coffee, Babas would be a contender. Expressive espressos and lyrical lattes are irresistible, and the pastries/baked goods undeniably decadent (yes to the buttery toasted banana bread). A popular spot for lunch and late afternoon pick-me-ups, Baba’s European ambiance makes you want to pull out your pen and Moleskine and jot some java-inspired prose.
Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit—476 ½ King Street
Here’s where to get your southern biscuit fix, with a twist. Cookbook author and television star Carrie Morey, featured in “How She Rolls” on PBS, gives imaginative, palate-pleasing twists to her mother Callie’s classic recipes. Plus, it’s housed in the teeniest sliver of real estate—a writer’s lesson in economy.
Magnolias—185 East Bay Street
Like the blossom it’s named for, Magnolias is iconic, one of the early go-to fine dining establishments that was around long before Charleston hit the “it” list. The menu includes Southern classics, and the white tablecloths and elegant dining room are quintessentially Lowcountry.
Jackrabbit Filly—4628 Spruill Avenue
It’s a bit of a jaunt north, but well worth the trip. Not only has Corrie Wang published two acclaimed YA novels, she and husband Shuai have created a mainstay neighborhood eatery that’s big on spirit, spunk, and spice. If you love innovative Asian cuisine with loads of character and a dash of funk, this is your spot. Oh, and it’s the only Charleston-area restaurant where you can buy the co-owner’s novels at the bar or host stand.
Camellias Champagne Lounge (Credit: Andrew Cebulka)
Camellias Champagne Lounge at the Hotel Bennett—404 King Street
Words sometimes fail even writers. Camellias will test your internal thesaurus skills for artfully describing the various shades of pink, while the bubbly and cake will have you running out of superlatives. Exuding old-world publishing glamor, Camellias is the ideal place to celebrate a new book deal or your next pub date.
Frannie & the Fox at Hotel Emeline (Credit: Lindsay Shorter)
Located in the heart of the Market area at Hotel Emeline, Frannie & The Fox is great for sharing plates and indulging in wood-fired pizza perfection. With its charming courtyard and central fireplace, the ambiance is both friendly and refined—perfect for your next book club meeting. The menu skews toward elevated Italian classics, but there’s a little something for everyone.
Downtown Charleston
Beyond the Page: Places to Explore and Experience
Taking a book to the beach (Sullivans Island or Folly Beach) is always a good option, but there are plenty of worthy diversions in and around downtown to give you a local’s feel for what makes Charleston special. The city is ideal for walking, biking, and meandering through old neighborhoods and alleyways, and peeking through garden gates, but if you’re looking for hands-on fun or unmissable places to explore, give these a whirl.
Candlefish—270 King Street
Ever checked out a fragrance library? No musty book smells here. Candlefish is aromatic heaven, with more than 100 different scents to sample and render into your own essential-oil infused candle. That’s right: a make-your-own unique Charleston keepsake, redolent of the Holy City’s singular beauty.
Hampton Park—30 Mary Murray Boulevard
South of Broad’s mansions typically get the tourist attention, but locals know that Hampton Park is Charleston’s unsung gem. On the upper peninsula, adjacent to The Citadel college (Pat Conroy fans take note!), this former racetrack is a 60-acre oasis of azaleas, live oaks, and Olmstead-designed gardens, with dedicated walking and biking paths and plenty of space to stretch out with a book. Pro-tip: visit the Denmark Vesey monument, and plan your walk around a lunch pitstop at Park & Grove.
Gullah History Tour + Aiken Rhett House—48 Elizabeth St
Charleston is finally making real strides in reckoning with the city’s past as a nexus for the Atlantic slave trade. Alphonso Brown’s Gullah Tours gives a rich overview of significant African American sites and history, while the Historic Charleston Foundation’s Aiken-Rhett House, with its intact slave quarters, does an excellent job of illuminating the urban enslaved experience.
The Tiny Tassel (Credit: Sirena Singleton)
The Tiny Tassel—46 Spring Street
Zippy colors and cheerful designs reign in owner Mimi Striplin’s bright jewelry and accessory boutique. Inside, you’ll find everything from handmade tassel earrings to elegant necklaces and bangles, to book-themed bits and bobs and stationery that will inspire you to take up letter writing again.
Hart Studio—650 King Street
Why not lead a charmed life? Make your custom charm necklace or bracelet at Hart Studio, where Hart and Curry Hagerty, sisters of local author Gervais Hagerty, offer original designs in an array of sassy charms and beaded cuffs. We love the “Get To” and “Hell Yes” bracelets, particularly on days when the blank page feels daunting.
Gibbes Museum of Art—135 Meeting Street
Sometimes writers need to spend time with another artistic medium to get the creative juices flowing. The Gibbes is both an architectural delight (that Tiffany rotunda!) and immersive indulgence, with a strong permanent collection and always engaging, often edgy visiting exhibitions and artists. The courtyard garden backs up to the Charleston Library Society and Buxton Books—how convenient!
Keep a Book on Your Bedside Table: Where to Stay
The Little Palm Bar at The Ryder (Credit: Joe Thomas)
Charleston wears its badge of world-class hospitality with pride. Accordingly, there’s no shortage of high-quality and inspiring hotels and inns on the peninsula— some more reader friendly than others. Here are our picks.
The Dewberry—334 Meeting Street
Centrally located on Marion Square, The Dewberry boasts Charleston’s most inviting living room, with a swanky lobby designed for conversation (or reading) and sipping inspired cocktails. The guest rooms spare no luxury, including Charleston’s best soaking tubs. Find Garden & Gun titles and curated gifts in the lobby’s Field Shop, and enjoy gorgeous sunset views from the rooftop Citrus Club bar.
The Ryder—237 Meeting Street
A former motor lodge-turned-stylish boutique hotel, The Ryder has an upbeat, chic flair and attitude, with a welcoming feel. The Little Palm Restaurant and Bar encircles a retro pool area that transforms into a lively nightlife spot. During the day, reach for a set of lounge chairs under beach umbrellas for pool-side reading.
The Restoration—75 Wentworth Street
Spacious suite-style rooms with kitchenettes and seating areas (some with desks featuring vintage typewriters) make The Restoration an ideal Charleston pied-à-terre. We also love its Assouline Library lobby, where you can cozy up with any of the dreamy titles from the distinguished publisher. With a terrific coffee shop, spa, and rooftop bar, The Restoration covers all the bases.
++
Stephanie Hunt is a writer based in Charleston, South Carolina, and author of Veranda: At Home in the South (Hearst Books). A contributing editor to Charleston Magazine and former columnist/editor for Literary Mama, her features, essays, and profiles have been published in The Washington Post, Veranda, Orion, Southern Living, Coastal Living, Brevity, and Hippocampus, among others.