Why You Should Date a Charlestonian

Charleston Wine + Food
Adam Chandler/Courtesy of Charleston Wine + Food
Adam Chandler/Courtesy of Charleston Wine + Food

Every city claims that they’re good for dating, but dating someone from Charleston is on a totally different level. From having at least two mutual friends in common to endless opportunities to get fantastic food and drink on a date night, we should really change the name of this town to “The Holy City of Love.”

Everyone knows everyone else

In Charleston, we can play the “Six degrees of Benton’s bacon” (like Kevin Bacon, but way tastier), which can be both a good and a not-so-good thing. On the one hand, you’re way more likely to have lots of mutual friends, which makes bringing a new SO into your friend group a lot easier. On the other hand, the chances that they know your ex or that you’ve hooked up with one of their friends is a lot more likely.

charleston boats
Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

Everyone knows someone with a boat

The good thing about Charleston being so close-knit is that everyone is within two degrees of separation from someone with a boat. Spending a lazy sunny afternoon out on the Atlantic exploring different inlets and waterways, sippin’ a cold one, and blasting your favorite tunes makes for an unforgettable romantic adventure.

We know where all the good food is

Charleston has everything from steakhouses to pizza joints, and they’re all delicious. The culinary scene here is no joke, and new restaurants are popping up all the time. Dating someone from Charleston means they’ve already run the gamut of many of the restaurants in town, so they can direct you to the places actually worth dining at. Plus, good food = happy people (and a more likely chance that you’ll get to go on a second date).

We know the free parking secrets Downtown

Parking in Charleston is akin to highway robbery. Pick the wrong parking garage and you can be out 10 bucks (which means less money to spend out on the town). Dating someone from Charleston means you’ve got the inside scoop on which parking garages are the cheapest, or even which streets are more likely to be ignored by parking enforcement. We’re all for adventurous dates, but spending time circling for a parking spot or eating dinner with a ticket burning a hole in your pocket isn’t our idea of fun.

biscuits
Brent Hofacker/Shutterstock

We know how to make (or find) the best biscuits

Biscuits are no joke in Charleston. Although you can find them on pretty much every menu in The Holy City, dating a Charlestonian means that they can steer you in the direction of which biscuits are worth noshing and which are sad imitations of the real thing. Or, even better, they’ll be able to make you the perfect, buttery, and flaky biscuit from a recipe passed down from generations in their family. Fresh-baked biscuits? Maybe they’re The One...

sweetgrass bouquet
Courtesy of The Cocktail Bandits

Our bouquets are better

Roses are red, violets are blue, but sweetgrass flowers are more romantic (and local, too).

There's no shortage of places to take a great couples selfie

From White Point Garden to the Pitt Street Bridge, there’s no shortage of places to take a killer selfie with your sweetie. There’s a reason so many thousands of people choose to come to Charleston to get married or take engagement photos. It’s hard to find a more beautiful backdrop than our Spanish moss-draped live oaks or picturesque historic homes. Say cheese!

We know how to party

If there’s one thing Charleston is great at, it’s finding an excuse to drink. Alcohol tends to be a major part of every event we attend, whether it’s at brunch, happy hour, a baseball game, or a music festival. After all, we have a whole event dedicated to Wine & Food, over 13 breweries, and three distilleries within Chucktown. Plus, we know all the fun events and happenings around town to be sure there’s always fun to be had.  

Gaillard Center
Gaillard Center

But we're also cultured

But as much as we love to party and day drink, we’re also into highbrow stuff. This means it’ll be way easier to plan more unique dates (dinner and a movie is sooo cliche, right?). Try taking in an improv show at Theatre 99, a concert at the Performing Arts Center, a play at the Dock Street Theatre, or the symphony at the Gaillard Center. The options for arts and culture are plentiful, but don’t worry -- you can still imbibe before or after a classy event.

We have the best live music

Speaking of culture, Charleston claims Shovels & Rope, Darius Rucker, SUSTO, and Jay Clifford as local musicians who’ve made it (in our opinion, at least). Additionally, we’ve got a ton of local bands who play at various bars and venues around town. We’re serious about supporting our local musicians and love to cut a rug. You know what they say about good dancers...

You just can't beat a Southern drawl

Something about a Southern drawl just makes people appear more genteel and hospitable. Southern accents make you think of summer, sunshine, and country music love songs (Tim + Faith 4 eva). We Southerners also have a way of talking so that bad things don’t sound so bad. For example, when we say “bless your heart,” it really means “oh goodness, how can someone be so stupid.” It’s hard to have a lover’s quarrel when the other person sounds so darn sweet, right?

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Sydney Gallimore is a food writer from Charleston, South Carolina who’s single and ready to mingle. Follow her adventures on Twitter @Sydney_Inc.