Exploring Avondale

For those who have been to Charleston before, you might know that our area is broken up into a bunch of different sections by the rivers that cut through the Lowcountry.  Each one of these areas has its own little neighborhoods that make it unique.  North Charleston has Park Circle, (my favorite place to get a burrito), downtown has Harleston Village, Mount Pleasant has the Old Village, and West Ashley has Avondale.  Living in West Ashley, I am partial to Avondale; it has our favorite brewery, a bunch of parking (optimal for Charleston!), a few great restaurants, and the best street art anywhere in the city.

The chART Initiative was started as an outdoor art gallery to support contemporary artists.  It gives so much life and color to the streets of Charleston, in an otherwise very historic and strictly regulated area.  Even as you're driving into Avondale on Savannah Highway, you can start to see bits and pieces of art on each building.

Charles Towne Fermentory in Avondale is our go-to spot.  I shared about it earlier this month in my third installment of local breweries, but it definitely deserves to be mentioned again.  They have a rotating cycle of delicious beers, and they're known for their New England-style IPAs and Gose.  Right now, I am obsessed with their Skipjack Oyster Gose.  They also have a small rotating kitchen inside with some awesome chefs coming in throughout the week.  Anything from ramen to a lobster roll and huevos rancheros to cheeseburgers is available in their kitchen on any given night.

And after you've had a drink or two, make sure you stroll to the alley behind the Fermentory for some of the best art in Avondale.  You can even catch a glimpse of the brewery behind the Fermentory taproom through the windows.

Across the street from the Fermentory is the best place for cheese steaks in the city: DB's.  I especially love the mural outside their shop - it's a full map of Avondale with the big horse nose where DB's is.  Funny story: that horse wasn't originally part of the design, and there was a DB's logo over the shop on the map.  City of Charleston ordinances only allow one piece of signage per restaurant, so they had to put the horse over it to cover the additional advertising!

Walk across Avondale and Maple streets from DB's to get to some of our other favorite restaurants in the area.  Verde salads are my go-to for lunch, Mellow Mushroom has delicious pizza, and I still have a Groupon to Al Di La that I need to use!

After dinner, don't forget to walk behind Mellow's strip to see even more fantastic art!  No matter where you go in Avondale, you're bound to see or try something really cool and unique.  If you're in Charleston, I definitely suggest a visit to my favorite neighborhood.

Do you have a favorite neighborhood in your city?