AC Repair in Downtown Charleston, SC

COLUMBIA — A local skateboarding business opened a second location on Oct. 11 in downtown Charleston.

Bluetile Skateshop and Bluetile Print Shop, owned by David Toole, have been in Five Points for almost 25 years. The skate shop sells skate accessories, apparel, footwear and more. The print shop sells its own T-shirts, sweatshirts and hats.

The business opened its second location on Spring Street near St. Philip Street in the Holy City. For Toole, expanding was always a dream.

“I've always ... said if I could open another store in South Carolina, (it) just seemed like Charleston is the place,” Toole said.

However, this dream came true only after a unique situation presented itself.

Toole has a friend who owned Continuum Skateshop at 49 Spring St. After experiencing some personal family struggles, Jack Abbott asked if Toole wanted to continue the Continuum Skateshop legacy through Bluetile.

“The opportunity was there,” he said. “It was just kind of like ... let's risk it.”

Toole said the move was finically risky, but due to the circumstances and skate scene in Charleston, he couldn’t pass it up.

“(Abbott) offered me kind of a turnkey situation where ... we're not exchanging any money or anything, until we get things off the ground,” Toole said. “And if it doesn't get off the ground, we can back out ... So it's a very, very low risk scenario but still very scary.”

This second location will help alleviate the over-inventory issue Toole is currently facing as the Columbia store hasn’t been selling as much as before.

“So, here's the win-win. We can just move in, we can bring the inventory, and we don't have to spend any money. We're just splitting the inventory,” he said. “It gives us two doors to move the same merchandise. That is one of the wildest moves I’ve ever made.”

Even with the grand opening occurring over a week ago, General manager Kobi Ference said that everything is going better than expected.

“Our first weekend, we crushed it,” Ference said. “We had a full board wall. And next thing ... I’m having to drive back up to Columbia to grab more stuff (to) bring back to keep the shelves stocked.”

Despite the financial and personal risks, Toole believes there is room for more growth and expansion.

“I feel more excited about the shop now than I did 25 years ago,” Toole said. “Just to see the evolution and the change and the growth ... it gets more and more exciting as the years go by.”

Friends don't let friends eat at chain restaurants in Charleston, South Carolina. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate the dependable fare of an established franchise as much as the next omnivore. But when you're in Charleston, the Holy (Smokes! This Place Has a Lot of Restaurants) City, choosing chains over exploring the local flavor is a transgression as unforgivable as slurping oysters out of season. I'll admit I'm burdened with a substantial bias—I grew up in the area and my family still lives there—but even out-of-towners and one-time visitors won't disagree that Charleston is one heck of a food city.

Everyone talks about the explosion of Charleston's culinary scene, and it's true. The city has an increasing embarrassment of riches when it comes to places to eat and hot chefs setting up shop. But what gives substance to Charleston's claim as one of the best food cities in the South is its old-guard restaurants—the places that made the city's food scene cool before everybody really realized it was cool. Fans of FIG's John's Island Tomato Tarte Tatin would probably erect a statue in its honor if given the chance, and were the Peninsula Grill ever to remove the 12-layer Ultimate Coconut Cake from its menu, there would be rioting in the streets. Both time-honored food traditions are as much a part of the Charleston landscape as palmetto trees, Rainbow Row, and that one cobblestone street that shudders your tires out of alignment every time you drive down it.

And if restaurants like FIG and Peninsula Grill put us on the map, it's the steady parade of celebrated eateries that have popped up in the years since that has kept us there. James Beard award-winning chef Sean Brock opened Husk in 2010; restaurateur Brooks Reitz has established a small empire over the past several years with his well-loved trio of Instagramable spots (Little Jack's Tavern, Leon's Fine Poultry & Oyster Shop, and his latest, Melfi's); and pitmasters John Lewis and Rodney Scott have blessed the city with a competitive battle of the barbecues: Lewis serves up Texas-style beef brisket and hot guts sausage at his namesake restaurant in the city's NoMo neighborhood, while Hemingway, South Carolina-grown Scott delivers vinegary, all-night pork at Rodney Scott's Whole Hog BBQ not too far down the road.

Global inspiration abounds here too. Chez Nous, a tucked-away neighborhood favorite with a handwritten menu that changes daily, features flavors from Southern France, Northern Italy, and Northern Spain in surrounds that feel utterly transportive and homey at the same time. Newer on the scene, Sorelle delivers dishes from southern Italy in two magnificently restored historic buildings on Broad Street.

Then, of course, there are those restaurants where scoring a table may require a bit of divine intervention (or at least a healthy dose of patience): Though open since 2018, tiny seafood spot Chubby Fish still inspires folks to line up at the door well before the no-reservations eatery opens at 5. Vern's, which opened in July 2022 with a seasonal menu and biodynamic wine list, is still one of the most coveted reservations in town. Whatever you're in the mood for, Charleston's got it on the menu.

Chubby Fish's line opens around 4 p.m. every day. Guests in line can either dine at 5 p.m. when the restaurant opens or put their name down for a time later in the evening. The restaurant only has 40 seats, so parties are limited to eight or fewer.

But what makes Charleston a truly special food city in my book is that we haven't yet gotten too big for our britches. Sure, we swell with pride, toast our wins, and wrap our arms around every last accolade that's flung our way, but we love to open those award-cradling arms to anyone who's hungry and looking for a little hospitality. We do that best of all.

CHARLESTON — The corner of Rutledge Avenue and Spring Street has been infused with Southern Italian energy, from the sidewalk to a rooftop overlooking the Cannonborough-Elliotborough neighborhood.

The source of the action is Allora, the latest restaurant from well-known Charleston operators Ryan and Kelleanne Jones.

The owners of Southbound, Community Table and Honeysuckle Rose have been working on their new coastal-inspired destination, housed inside a former bodega, for a few years now. They endeavored to create a vibrant dining space with the light, bright Italian flavors to match.

Since Allora opened Oct. 1, diners have flocked to its multi-tiered rooftop, equipped with a bar and seating for about 20. There, and in the downstairs main dining room, bar area and lounge, patrons can order from an extensive menu that includes seven types of hand-made noodles, four different crudos, daily specials, fresh meat and cheese, tinned seafood and main entrees composed with fish, pork and steak.

Sharing is encouraged, and the food arrives as it’s ready, the couple said.

"The goal is to kind of hit a little bit of everything,” Ryan Jones said. “The price point is definitely generated toward that."

Drinks also run the gamut, with 11 cocktails, six spritzes and a range of affordable Italian whites, reds and rosés. Patrons can even order tableside dirty martinis like the ones the Joneses had during a recent trip to Southern Italy.

Allora — whose dining room features pink and green walls that Kelleanne painted and distressed herself — was already planned by the time they made it to Italy in July. The visit affirmed their vision of a Charleston restaurant with a design that fit the old-world style they encountered overseas.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Multiple downtown roads have closed because of flooding as a coastal flood warning continues into the afternoon.

Click here to download the free Live 5 First Alert Weather app for the latest weather information.

Live 5 First Alert Meteorologist Dorien Minor said high tide is still around 11 a.m. and water levels were expected to peak around 8.5 feet, causing flooding for low-lying areas.

Charleston Harbor reached its major flood stage level of 8 feet Friday morning just before high tide, he said.

Flooding in such areas typically begins at the 7-foot mark.

The warning was in effect for Charleston and coastal Colleton Counties until 3 p.m. on Friday.

More than 20 roadways were blocked by flooding by Friday afternoon. All have since reopened, the city said.

The city opened two city-owned parking garages for free parking through 4 p.m. on Friday:

When drivers who use the free parking option exit the garage, they should press the call button and tell the operator they used the free storm parking.

Drivers should avoid ground-level parking because lower levels could take on water during peak tides.

Charleston city leaders urged residents to take the threat of flooding seriously ahead of the flooding on Wednesday.

That flooding could be severe enough to affect the morning commute both days. Floodwaters could also enter homes and businesses in vulnerable areas.

Wind gusts of up to 30 to 35 mph are possible from Thursday night into Saturday and a small craft advisory is in effect for Charleston Harbor. Boaters should use caution and remain alert.

The city issued the following reminders:

The city, meanwhile, is working to clear storm drains and ditches in known problem areas and to pre-stage barricades for early street closures.

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Historic Charleston Foundation is working to help property owners uncover overlooked financial resources that can ease the cost of maintaining historic homes.

The foundation has launched a free easement education series designed to connect homeowners with tax credit programs through the State Historic Preservation Office. Leaders said the credits remain vastly underused.

More than 400 properties in Charleston qualify for rehabilitation tax credits, but only seven approved projects were reported across the entire state last year. Eligible repairs include roofs, shutters, porches, exterior walls, doors and other minor to major improvements.

“You really just kind of have to do the due diligence to find it because it’s not like people are coming out every day saying, ‘Hey, these are your options,’” Historic Charleston Foundation spokesperson Liza Holian said. “When it’s not in their face all the time, they might just go by, ‘Here’s the quote, I’m going to pay what I need’ so that’s part of where we like to try to help.”

Tax credits can return 20% to 25% of qualified expenses, according to the foundation. Leaders say that support could be significant in a city where the high cost of upkeep is the biggest obstacle for homeowners seeking to preserve historic properties.

“We’re really connecting and helping mitigate those costs because we fully understand all of that… between the materials, the labor and the cost of these historic homes because they’re pretty rare and special. So, we’re lucky that Charleston has these resources,” Holian said.

The foundation plans to continue the education series in the coming months with additional topics, including property insurance, as part of its broader effort to maintain Charleston’s role as the birthplace of preservation.