Upper King

Upper King has the best concentration of restaurants and cocktail bars, and the main street feels safe while it is busy. Leave before the late bar crowds, and take a ride home if you are staying far away.

Upper King is the stretch of King Street from Calhoun Street up toward the Cooper River bridges, and it is where most of Charleston's dining and nightlife is. Marion Square sits at the lower end, and the street is lined with restaurants, cocktail bars, galleries, design shops and music venues. It is busy all day, and the main street is well lit and full of people on weekend nights. As the bars fill, the crowd gets louder and drunker after about 11 PM, and harassment from drunk groups is more likely here than elsewhere downtown. Eating at the bar alone is common at most restaurants. After midnight, walk back along King Street rather than cutting through side streets, and take a rideshare if your accommodation is more than a few blocks away. Streets north of the main strip are quieter and darker.