Thinking about taking a long weekend trip in a month or two.
I've never been to either place. What are some cool things to do there?

1/2/2014 12:27:00 PM

I feel like they're both pretty similar in that they are great places to eat, drink, and walk around and soak up history. I think Charleston is better in all three aspects (people will argue Savannah is a better place to party, but Charleston has fantastic bars), but I don't think you can go wrong with either.

If you pick Charleston and tell me things you like to do, I'll give you a laundry list of options.

1/2/2014 12:34:14 PM

Savannah is nice, but a lot smaller than Charleston. I'd go with Charleston.

1/2/2014 12:34:55 PM

I like anything beer/wine/food related, mini golf, museums, tours

1/2/2014 12:37:26 PM

Spent 4 days in Savannah a few years ago and loved it. I'm both a history and an architecture nerd, so I could endlessly just walk around and soak it in, but there's plenty of other fun stuff to do too. Great restaurants and bars. Bonaventure Cemetery is worth a visit--the place is hauntingly beautiful. (If you go, read "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil"--besides being entertaining you'll know a lot more about the city.)

Haven't been to Charleston since I was 19, and that trip was with the parents. I'd love to go back sometime and check it out as an adult.

1/2/2014 12:46:16 PM

Charleston >>>>> Savannah

1/2/2014 12:47:52 PM

Get a hotel/bed and breakfast downtown. There are a ton. Downtown is small, so you can pretty much stay anywhere and not be too far of a walk from all parts, but I think the best central location is close to the King St/Calhoun Street intersection. Francis Marion Hotel is smack dab on that intersection, but there are plenty of other options. I like that location because it's right at the beginning of Upper King...which is where most of the new bars and restaurants are. Then at the beginning of Lower King is all of the shopping and you get to Broad Street where the history and million dollar old ass houses at "South of Broad" and the Battery.

History stuff to do:

- Go the Yorktown. It's at Patriots Point right at the beginning of the bridge on the Mount Pleasant side. It also has a Naval and Maritime Museum

- Go to the market and take a carriage ride. Locals hate these because they slow down traffic and horses shit all over downtown, but they're really awesome. Unfortunately you don't get to pick which tour you carriage takes (they are randomly assigned at the starting point), but all of them are good...just some better than others. I lived in Charleston for 8 years before I went on a carriage ride and now I try to join my friends when they come in town and go on one. You learn a ton of interesting facts that you didn't even think about when walking around downtown.

- Walk or bike around South of Broad and the battery. Read the historical facts that are put on bronze plates on a lot of the house. Go down the small alley ways and check out the amazing houses. I'd try and rent a bike at Affordabike or the Bicycle Shoppe so you can cover more ground. My running route takes me through these neighborhoods and I just love it. Most of the houses are several hundred years old and I just think they are amazing. Here is a good website to look at before you go: http://explorecharleston.net/WalkingTours/South_of_Broad.php

- There's also the Charleston Museum, which I unfortunately have never been to (despite having tons of lectures there in law school...never walked around). Its downtown and very close to the Calhoun/King intersection. I hear its great, yet small...so it doesn't take up a lot of time.

Beer/wine/bars:

- Charleston has some great breweries. Coast, Westbrook, and Holy City are three of the biggest and best (I think Westbrook just got nominated as one of the 20 best breweries of 2013). Unfortunately they are all on the outskirts of Charleston (all off of I-26), so definitely not convenient for downtown. This article does a good summary of them: http://www.newsobserver.com/2013/09/03/3161013/pintful-a-craft-beer-lovers-tour.html
And apparently this place does a brewery tour: http://www.brewscruise.com/charleston/

- Several distilleries have also opened up recently, one on the outskirts, one downtown with another to be open soon downtown (probably before you come). Highwire and Charleston Distilling Company are the downtown ones. My buddy owns Striped Pig and they are off of I-26. Of course there is the Firefly Distillery (famous for their Sweet Tea Vodka), but its all the out on Wadmalaw. I wouldn't recommend making this a big part of the trip, but you should definitely stop by one if you're in the area for a quick tasting/tour

Food:

In my opinion, per capita, Charleston has the best food in the country. And it ranges from high priced fancy meals to mom and pop sandwich shops. If you want to have a couple fancy dinners, you might want to look into making reservations now. Places like Husk and FIG are sometimes book 2 or 3 months in advance over the weekends. And if you come during an event weekend (SEWE, Food and Wine Festival, Charleston Fashion Week, Bridge Run, Spoleto, etc), everything is probably already booked. I STRONGLY RECOMMEND, you do not coming during an event weekend...unless of course you are there for the event. Downtown becomes very crowded, annoying, and you can't get a seat at a nice place.

Best "nice" places to eat (all IMO of course), are FIG, Lucca, Halls, McCradys, Macintosh, Charleston Grill, and Indaco. FIG is by far my favorite restaurant in town, and if you have to one "nice" dinner...go there. Charleston Grill is probably the best service in town...food is great as well, they just make every patron feel like they're royalty. Both the Grill and McCradys are the priciest. Lucca and Indaco are Italian...so if you're wanting to go that route, then definitely pick from those two. Halls is an awesome steakhouse...very fancy. If you're looking for a delicious, bad-ass steak...then go with Halls. I really like McIntosh, I just think FIG is a better version. So basically, hit up Macintosh if you can't get a table at FIG.

Mid range spots: Xia Bao Biscuit is a must for lunch or dinner. Its a buddy of mine's place that has been getting tons of national media attention. Described as "Asian Comfort Food"...its just straight up delicious. They also don't hold back on the spices...so beware in that regard. After Fig, probably my favorite spot in town. Butcher and the Bee is the best sandwich spot. They make everything in house (bread, sauces, ketchup, etc) and use nothing but local ingredients from produce to beef/chicken/pork. Rarebit is a great diner spot that has more affordable food (still delicious) and they serve breakfast all day. My buddy runs the bar there and you will have the best Moscow Mule there...he makes his own ginger beer and lime cordials. Monza is the best pizza spot. Basil has great Thai (go there if you can't make it to Xia Bao). Hom has the best burgers (medium to small sized gourmet with crazy offerings)....also has two olympic sized ping pong tables in the back...if that's your thing.

As far as bar spots go...Closed For Business has the best tap selection. I think they have 40+ on tap...and usually an awesome selection. Since the local brewery scene has grown so much recently, you can get the local stuff at almost every bar. Mixology and blown up in the past few years as well. The Belmont is probably the best cocktail bar. Cocktail club (above Macintosh) is also very popular. Starz Rooftop bar has one of the best views of the city, but get there early unless you want to wait in line. Rarebit is also a great spot for cocktails. Warehouse is one of my new favorite spots. They are right down the street from Xia Bao Biscuit, so that's a good dinner/drink combo (although Warehouse has great food too).

I could actually go on for while...but I'm going to stop here because I need to get some work done today. I'll add stuff later if I see that I missed something. Feel free to ask questions in here or PM me as well. One thing I would do is pick a weekend and start to do some planning. When I first moved here you could come down for the weekend and not have to worry about getting reservations or planning things out...but not anymore. Stuff books up pretty fast and there is also so much to do, eat, and drink...that you kind of want to have a good idea of what you want to do.

1/2/2014 1:22:35 PM

Awesome! Thanks a ton.

Is it best just to drive everywhere or can you easily walk/bus/cab places?
In what is a good area to stay?

1/2/2014 2:47:58 PM

I much prefer Savannah to Chucktown.

1/2/2014 2:52:08 PM

^^ If you're downtown, you can pretty much walk everywhere. If you need to get somewhere quicker, a cab or pedicab is usually readily available. Downtown is so compact that the bus system is normally used for the low income people who live out of town to get in town (and vice versa). So...to get around downtown it usually goes, in order...walk, bike, pedicab, actual cab.

I think I covered where to stay...but pretty much anywhere in the downtown area is best. Its cheaper to stay off the peninsula...but the extra cost is EXTREMELY worth it.



Forgot to add that I think HUSK is extremely overrated. Their bar, however, is not. It's detached from the restaurant and a great place to enjoy a good bourbon/scotch or specialty cocktail. Bin 152 is also a great wine/cheese/charcuterie bar...one of my favorites.

[Edited on January 2, 2014 at 2:57 PM. Reason : .]

1/2/2014 2:56:03 PM

Oops, yeah, I somehow missed your first paragraph. Thanks again!

1/2/2014 4:00:53 PM

bars give you to-go cups in savannah.

1/2/2014 4:05:20 PM

both are great, I prefer Savannah - especially this time of year.

-no open container law, which is cool to take between bars, but also to just walk around the parks
-3am cutoff (some places serve til 4)
-all of the park squares throughout the downtown
-Moon River Brewing Company is great
-River front area is really cool

Definitely do read Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil before you go. They have tours that are based around it that are really cool. I've done ghost tours there that were good too. One of the big themes in the book is about how Savannah is an old south city that revolves around hosting parties and social events. I felt like people in Savannah were much more welcome to meet strangers. I went with my parents once and just went out by myself at night and met tons of people and had a great time.

1/4/2014 6:22:34 PM

Both are pretty cool. I tend to favor Charleston but I've had a good time at Savannah and like some of the breweries on the river.

1/4/2014 9:10:23 PM

Pretty much settled on Charleston if for no other reason than jbrick83's comprehensive guide.

1/7/2014 1:08:11 AM

I prefer Charleston. However, if you want to get ULTRA CRAZY, Savannah is only 2 hours away from Charleston and you could easily fit both in a weekend.

1/7/2014 3:28:49 AM

Seems like too much just for a weekend.

1/7/2014 10:02:45 AM

Any recommendations of a romantic place to stay in Savannah that is within EASY walking distance of the main stuff?

1/12/2014 10:31:29 AM

Charleston >>>>> Savannah

1/12/2014 11:19:01 AM

Damn, jbrick, thats one of the best summaries of charleston.

1/13/2014 5:48:35 PM

Forgot to add in the Craftsmen Kitchen as another great beer place. I think they might have as many taps as Closed For Business and the food is better (and more to choose from). Only caveat that its around the Market St area with the more touristy places. Closed for Business is smack dab in the middle of the Upper King "happenin" area.

^ Thanks. I've been in the food and bev industry since I moved down here almost 9 years ago. While I have a different career and don't work as much behind the bar, all my friends are still in restaurants and now have moved on to the owner/operator level...so its even more fun now watching them open up their own spots and improve and older places. I don't think I'll ever fully be able to get out of the industry.

1/13/2014 6:46:41 PM

Quote :

"Any recommendations of a romantic place to stay in Savannah that is within EASY walking distance of the main stuff? "

When my girlfriend (now wife) and I visited in 2008, we stayed at the Zeigler House Inn. Tucked away in a quiet corner of the historic district, very nice room, breakfast was in the form of fresh-baked pastries delivered to your room which we appreciated more than the "community table" model of other B&Bs. Owner was very pleasant and accommodating. Probably a 10 minute walk to Broughton Street and 15 to the river. Worth checking out, we'd definitely stay there again.

[Edited on January 14, 2014 at 9:29 AM. Reason : sp]

1/14/2014 9:28:19 AM

http://www.presidentsquarters.com/

1/14/2014 10:07:26 AM

Forgot to mention brunch, as it is probably one of my favorite meals of the week down here...

Don't go to Hominy Grill. It gets the most pub, but is probably one of the more overrated breakfast/brunch spots in Charleston....and you'll have to wait in line for at least half an hour to get a table.

If you want a nice/fancy brunch, go to Halls or McIntosh. Halls does a Gospel Brunch...which means they have someone playing the piano while a black dude (think that skinny kid from Sister Act 2) sings gospel music. Its pretty awesome and their food is delicious. Great benedicts, french toast with espresso whipped cream, and bacon wrapped filet. I made the mistake of ordering the filet once, and now I can't get anything else. Macintosh is also really good...just doesn't have that gospel thing going for it.

If you're hungover and want to wear a t-shirt and jeans to brunch...go to Moe's Crosstown. It's dark, cheap, delicious, and you'll run into people still wearing their pajamas. Get the drunken french toast. Only caveat to this place is that you might have to take a cab...bike ride wouldn't be bad, but the walk would be a bit too much if you're in the central downtown area. Its still considered "downtown"...but it's in the Crosstown neighborhood, which means its on the other side of Hwy 17 (which "crosses" through downtown).

If the weather is phenomenal and you want to sit outside, go to Leaf. They have an awesome patio and really good brunch. Whatever you pick off the menu comes with a fresh fruit/home fries and a Bloody Mary/Mimosa....so it's a pretty good deal as well. Get the serrano and manchego bocadillo, smoked salmon blt, or a benedict.

1/14/2014 10:34:04 AM

definitely get a sandwich from zunzi's if you go to savannah. the godfather and chicken conquistador are insanely good

1/14/2014 12:55:23 PM

Thanks a ton. Hominy had made it onto my list so I'm glad I know to take it off.
What about Toast? http://www.toastofcharleston.com/

I had Halls on my list to check out for dinner. You'd recommend them for brunch too?


[Edited on January 14, 2014 at 3:10 PM. Reason : ]

1/14/2014 3:00:28 PM

Halls has the best steak in Charleston...hands down. It has other great food as well, but its going to mirror the "great steakhouse experience" you're going to get in other cities. Its also really expensive. So as good as the food is, I still thank you get a little more bang for your buck and more "local flavor" at a place like Fig or Macintosh.

Their brunch is awesome. If I have a guest in town and I want to impress them for brunch, I take them to Halls. The "gospel" part is really neat and if you missed out on that steak during the weekend...the bacon wrapped filet is where its at. You might have to make a reservation there about a week or two in advance, but if you get there early enough, the bar or one of the community tables is a great place to sit.

1/14/2014 3:19:39 PM

Fig is def on my dinner list. They only take reservations 4 weeks in advance and all the prime dinner spots are taken 4 fucking weeks out to the day.

The gospel part sounds kind of annoying...

What about Magnolias for dinner?

1/14/2014 3:22:19 PM

I thought it would be as well...but its far enough in the corner to where its not that loud (sounds like any other background music in a restaurant). And since neither the wife nor I have been to church in over 10 years...it makes us feel a little better about ourselves (as if we're actually getting a little religion in our lives) .

I group Magnolias in with a lot of the restaurants around the Market/East Bay Area. They're all really good restaurants. If you plopped them in a Wilmington, Raleigh, or Charlotte...they'd be a top 5 restaurant. But they've been around for a long time and they haven't changed much. So when other restaurants started popping up and getting awards...these guys never really stepped their game up and kind of rely on their location and old clientele (people that have been visiting charleston for the past 20 years keep coming back). So you'll still have a great meal and dining experience there, but there are other better places. (in this group I'd also include Blossoms, High Cotton, 82 Queen, and Cyprus).

1/14/2014 3:31:01 PM

Your thoughts on Toast?

1/14/2014 4:09:58 PM

Sorry...forgot to mention...haven't tried it. But I'll ask around and get back.

Also can't believe I forgot The Ordinary. Sister restaurant of Fig...seafood and oyster centered...phenomenal.

1/14/2014 4:46:31 PM

Things keep popping up as I drive around town...

So other than the battleship and Patriot's Point (and the breweries), everything I recommended has been downtown. For starters, there's a million things to do downtown. You can spend a couple weeks in Charleston and still miss out on great restaurants and stuff to do. That being said, there's tons of great stuff in Mount Pleasant/James Island/West Ashley/Johns Island/etc...and of course the beaches...Sullivans/Folly/IOP. But as I was driving to Sullivans yesterday afternoon, I crossed over Shem Creek bridge right as the sun was going down and it reminded me of my two favorite spots to catch the sunset in Charleston. Check times for sunset, and weather permitting, go grab a drink at one of two spots to catch the sunset and usually some dolphins...Red's on Shem Creek or the Crow's Nest Bar as the Boathouse on Isle of Palms.

Shem Creek sunset is great because the sun seems to set right down the middle of the creek going out into the harbor and you have the shrimp boats framing the creek and the sunset. You can see people taking pictures of this sunset on a daily basis right off the Shem Creek Bridge. Red's is on the water pretty much right next to the bridge and you can grab a beer and walk out on the deck and watch boats and dolphins go by as the sun sets (lots of dolphins hanging out to get scraps from the fishing and shrimp boats). Although they don't do it justice, here are a couple pictures I found online:







If you're wanting to do something active one day...this is also a popular spot to go kayaking and paddleboarding. You can go out into the harbor or go back through the creeks.


The other is at the crow's nest bar at the Boathouse out on Isle of Palms (good apps if you're a little hungry as well). I like this one because it gives a great panorama of a couple views. You can see the Ravenel Bridge in the distance, the Intracoastal Waterway on one side and the Sullivans Island and Isle of Palms Beach on the other. IIRC, the sun goes down right behind the Ravenel bridge creating an awesome scene. Not as many pictures online as Shem Creek, but this is what I could find:

Crow's Nest Bar (up on the left)



View of Breach Inlet from Crow's Nest:



This is where you can see the Ravenel bridge on the right:



Not as many pictures to choose from, but you get the point.


The other "non-downtown" thing I'd highly recommend is the Angel Oak Tree on John's Island. If you're still stumped about a Sunday brunch, this gives you another option (and is one of my favorite Sunday brunch spots). Excerpt from website:

Quote :

"The Angel Oak Tree is estimated to be in excess of 400-500 years old, stands 66.5 ft (20 m) tall, measures 28 ft (8.5 m) in circumference, and produces shade that covers 17,200 square feet (1,600 meters). From tip to tip Its longest branch distance is 187 ft. It is an absolute must see for anyone visiting Charleston South Carolina. It is on everyone's top ten list of things to do in Charleston."

It's just a massive fucking tree with sprawling branches:









On the way to the Angel Oak Tree you pass by The Fat Hen (http://www.thefathen.com/). To me, it's the perfect "in the middle" brunch. You can go there hungover in a t-shirt and jeans or stop by after church in your Sunday's best. It's also middle ground as far as price goes with large portions and mimosa carafe specials. Good mix of french cuisine and lowcountry cooking as well. The Angel Oak Tree doesn't open until 1 pm on Sundays, so its best to get brunch first and then check out the tree. My perfect Sunday actually involves brunch at Fat Hen, beer and disc golf on John's Island (also close to Fat Hen)...then whatever afterwards.

I'm sure I'll continue to add to this, but feel free to shoot me a PM for specific questions.

[Edited on January 15, 2014 at 10:37 AM. Reason : .]

1/15/2014 10:35:11 AM

I'm not going to have enough time to do all this awesome stuff fwp

1/15/2014 11:02:10 AM

Quote :

"Go to the market and take a carriage ride."

Is this different from these tours?

http://classiccarriage.com/tours-and-fares/
http://www.zerve.com/Palmetto/Carriage

1/16/2014 8:05:17 PM

Use classic carriage

Don't use the others

[Edited on January 16, 2014 at 10:08 PM. Reason : Unless you love guides in matching outfits or mules...]

1/16/2014 10:07:25 PM

You might as well go to Charleston, because that's all you'll hear about while you're in Savannah... "Oh, we have this, just like Charleston. Oh, we do such and such, kinda like Charleston." That city has a damned complex about not being Charleston, SC.

1/17/2014 1:06:11 AM

Or go for a walk on Sullivans for a sunset. Had a tough work day yesterday and took my dog for a walk in the early evening and got a couple nice shots with my phone. Normally there's a cruise ship leaving around sunset as well:





[Edited on January 17, 2014 at 10:57 AM. Reason : .]

1/17/2014 10:57:12 AM

Quote :

"Use classic carriage Don't use the others"

They don't have any set times. Kind of annoying... Any I should specifically avoid?

1/17/2014 5:58:28 PM

I just think the Old South dudes look stupid in their outfits

Classic carriage has all sorts of tour times: basically they run on the half hour all day

The adult-only tour is 10 AM every day, as an example

And they'll confirm your online reservation, it's pretty easy to set up a time

Especially this far in advance

[Edited on January 17, 2014 at 10:06 PM. Reason : .]

1/17/2014 10:03:15 PM

wait... someone dressed in an outfit befitting the time period in which carriages were a common means of transportation, who are recreating an experience when carriages were a common means of transportation are stupid?

1/17/2014 11:09:52 PM

Damn, I fucking miss charleston. Jbrick isn't lying about the dolphins in Shem creek. They were popping right up beside paddle boarders. There's a nice walkway that gets you all the way down to the mouth of ....a larger body of water and it's pretty nice to hang out there and enjoy the boats passing by. You can see the charleston bridge on that walk too.

We also went to angel oak, bring bug spray. We went twice and both times were too busy to get a good uninterrupted shot of the entire tree. It's still amazing! Hate we didn't know about the brunch spot jbrick mentioned....


It seems every time we go to charleston we are doing something new and we go several times a year...

1/17/2014 11:15:55 PM

My wife and I really enjoy savannah. Haven't made a trip out to Charleston though. A lot of historical relics there... Something that's not very typical in a lot of areas in the south due to civil war.

1/18/2014 9:09:42 AM

Quote :

"wait... someone dressed in an outfit befitting the time period in which carriages were a common means of transportation, who are recreating an experience when carriages were a common means of transportation are stupid?"

No, dudes who wear Confederate uniforms in this day and age as a matter of pride are stupid

1/21/2014 8:34:30 AM

Forgot to mention that if your trip is on a weekend that includes the second Sunday of the month, they have this great "event" called Second Sunday where they shut down a good portion of King Street to car traffic. It starts at Calhoun street and goes all the way to Broad (the main shopping district). All of the bars and restaurants bring out tables and shops bring out sale racks. The local sports teams usually have fun games for kids and lots of people bring their dogs out walking. It's a really fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon. Also a good Bill Murray watching day as he's out there almost every Second Sunday.

My wife and I usually get pretty hammered out there.

http://susanlucas.typepad.com/secondsundayonkingstreet/

Sundays in Charleston are great. Fridays and Saturdays are pretty packed, so you can do a lot of the same things on Sunday without the crowd. Go for a morning walk on the beach, hit up brunch, then you have a full day ahead of you.

2/10/2014 2:52:09 PM

I'll be there the first Sunday next month. Thanks though!

2/10/2014 3:54:55 PM

going to Charleston next weekend. thanks for the tips!

2/14/2014 11:42:10 AM

Found my breakfast place...The Park Cafe on Rutledge. They officially open tomorrow, but I went to a breakfast tasting yesterday and I'll be there for dinner and a "soft opening" tonight. Tried about 80% of their breakfast menu and it was all fantastic. One of my groomsmen is the co-owner and the head chef use to be a sous chef at F.I.G. (favorite restaurant I mentioned above). Probably my only complaint about the Charleston food scene is a really good breakfast place. Hominy Grill is okay, but way overpriced and not worth waiting over half an hour inline. Everything is pretty generic as far as breakfast goes. This place is delicious, affordable, and doesn't just pump out the same breakfast items. If I can get my hand on an online menu I'll put it on here.

Only drawback to tourists is that its probably not within walking distance if you're staying downtown. Its is still technically downtown, but it's in the "Crosstown" area over 17N. Still only about a 5 minute drive from the heart of downtown, so definitely worth it if you don't make taking a short drive for breakfast.

2/14/2014 3:12:20 PM

I keep remembering things too late to edit my post...but new places keep popping up around here so I tend to forget. Anyways...

New spot just opened up for the beer (and food) geeks. Edmund's Oast:

http://edmundsoast.com/

From the dudes who own the Charleston Beer Exchange...and awesome little retail beer spot off of Exchange and East Bay Street. These guys are awesome and their beer, cocktail, and food knowledge is out of this world, so I know this place is going to be great. Their head chef is another F.I.G. disciple who went out to San Fran and made a bigger name for himself and now is back in Charleston. They've got what looks like a million beers on tap as well as some house brews. I'm pretty pumped about this place but I'm going to give it a few weeks before I stop by because it's going to be crazy packed to begin with.

2/14/2014 4:13:26 PM

Damnit jb. You are listing too many cool places for me to see in one weekend.

2/14/2014 6:45:13 PM

Sorry! Well...if you want to go to the best beer place in town, Edmund's Oast it is (don't let anyone talk you into going to the Bay Street Biergarten...its horrible). It also falls into the Park Cafe category of being too far to walk, but it's definitely within biking distance and/or a short car ride.

But their beer selection (quantity and quality) is the best in town and word from last night (their opening night) was that food and service was awesome as well.

2/15/2014 3:16:23 PM