West Ashley As Charleston’s oldest suburb, West Ashley was also the site of the original Charles Towne settlement. The area, west of the Ashley River, stretches from the densely populated areas near the Ashley River Bridge into more rural terrain. West Ashley offers a wide range of housing, from early 20th-century homes to new high-end developments as well as sprawling marshfront property. In 1670, British settlers founded Charles Towne on the Ashley River in modern-day West Ashley. Today, a 665-acre state park marks the original settlement. Charles Towne Landing State Park recently underwent a $19 million renovation project and reopened in the summer of 2006. Off Old Towne Road/S.C. 171, the park includes a visitor center with exhibits on the original settlement that covers the lives of Europeans, African-Americans and Native Americans during that time. An interpretive trail winds through the park, with a reconstructed palisade wall, remains of original structures, a cannon embrasure, Native American ceremonial site and a new marsh boardwalk. Adventure, a life-size replica of the 17th century trading ship, is currently under construction. You can also visit the 22-acre Animal Forest, a natural habitat zoo that houses animals of the settlement era such as bears, pumas, bison, herons and egrets. Archaeological research at the site is ongoing. Part of Charles Towne, the Legare-Waring House was built in the 1840s as a two-story cottage. When the plantation house on the property was burned during the Civil War, this structure became the main shelter of the plantation. During the 1950s, the owners transformed it into a plantation-era house three times the original size. The house features lovely gardens with azaleas, magnolias and camellias that are often host to weddings. Three plantations along the Ashley River – Drayton Hall, Magnolia Plantation and Middleton Place – capture a significant part of Lowcountry history. On a 630-acre plantation, Drayton Hall is a 1742 Georgian-Palladian style plantation house that is the oldest preserved plantation house in the country that is open to the public. Owned by seven generations of Draytons, Drayton Hall is the only plantation house on the Ashley River to survive both the Revolutionary War and Civil War. Visitors can tour the house, grounds and view artifacts. Magnolia Plantation was founded in 1676 by the Drayton family and features the oldest public gardens in the country, open since 1872. The house is decorated with plantation-era antiques. You can take the Nature Train or Nature Boat through wetlands, forests and lakes to see alligators, turtles, egrets, herons, rice fields and slave cabins. The Audubon Swamp Garden offers a self-guided tour along a boardwalk. An 18th-century plantation, Middleton Place was owned by four generations of Middletons, including a president of the First Continental Congress, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a South Carolina governor and a signer of the Ordinance of Secession. The plantation house was burned during the Civil War; the only remaining building is now the House Museum, which offers interpretive tours and special programs. With a linear, contemporary design, the Inn at Middleton Place is a striking contrast to the rest of Middleton Place. Guest can also enjoy the Outdoor Center, which offers kayaking, biking and horseback riding. The area bordered by S.C. 171/Folly Road and U.S. 17/Savannah Highway is home to several high-end developments including Albemarle Point, a colorful complex of luxury condominiums priced from the $300s to over $700,000, and Ripley Light Marina, with luxury townhomes priced in the $800s. Both developments offer views of the Ashley River. The Crescent is an established neighborhood dating back to the 1950s of large, mostly brick homes, priced around $1 million or more. South Windermere, Avondale and Byrnes Downs are other established neighborhoods with homes from the 1940s and ‘50s. Farther north, Ashley Harbor offers large homes with views of the Ashley River, and the neighborhood surrounding Shadowmoss Plantation Golf Club includes a variety of homes, some with views of the golf course. Off U.S. 17, Carolina Bay is a new community that will eventually include 1,800 single-family homes and townhomes, including some live/work units. The development includes nature trails, a swimming facility and parks. Homes at Carolina Bay range from the $200s to the $500s. At the intersection of I-526, Sam Rittenburg Boulevard and U.S. 17, Citadel Mall is anchored by Belk, Dillard’s, Sears, Parisian and Target. With over 100 stories, the mall includes American Eagle, Ann Taylor Loft, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Gap, Limited, Foot Locker and an assortment of restaurants. In addition to West Ashley Park, the area offers plenty of recreational opportunities. Off Savannah Highway/U.S. 17 and Wappoo Road, the West Ashley Bikeway is a paved trail that traverses 2.5 miles along an old rail line. The West Ashley Greenway is a 10.5-mile dirt trail from South Windermere Shopping Center to Johns Island that parallels U.S. 17 and passes through neighborhoods and commercial areas. St. Andrew’s Family Fitness Plus on Sam Rittenburg Boulevard is an indoor fitness center with a Junior Olympic-size swimming pool, racquetball and basketball courts, cardio equipment, free weights, an indoor track, fitness studios and a nursery. St. Andrew’s Playground Complex offers picnic sites, a shelter, playground, ball fields, tennis courts and a gymnasium. CHARLOTTE OBSERVER FILE PHOTO