Mount Pleasant Magazine Sept/Oct 2016

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More than a decade ago,
I enrolled in graduate school
at the College of Charleston
and moved to Mount Pleasant
to share an apartment with my
friend Heidi. To my surprise, I felt at home – and
I loved Mount Pleasant – right away.
Now it’s 12 years later, and I’m living here
again, this time in my own place. I still love Mount
Pleasant, though a lot has changed. Out of the different places I’ve resided in the
Charleston metro, I’ve always been partial to East Cooper – and I don’t have kids,
an expensive car or a boat! In short, I’m not the stereotype that people associate
with Mount Pleasant.
Trust me, my friends have always had a hard time with this. Yes, my close
pals, mostly in West Ashley, downtown and James Island, are befuddled as to why
I love this side of the bridge. And for the longest time, I’ve been befuddled for an
answer. That is, until the issue you’re holding in your hands.
It all started when I got involved with a Facebook group dedicated to the
“wonder years” of East Cooper, searching for old
photographs to accent this issue. As I read the stories
and memories of older residents, I started realizing our
town has a lot beneath its exterior. It’s true, Mount
Pleasant tends to be judged by the surface. But there’s a
lot of people here with a lot of heart and determination.
Take the cover of this issue, an original piece of
artwork by our own Dana Coleman. It’s much more
than meets the eye, y’all. Hours of brainstorming and
painting the right brush strokes went into crafting that
scene. It’s the same with Mount Pleasant – a lot goes into
our town, more than the outsiders have any idea about.
In our September/October issue, we’ve worked hard to delve beneath the
superficial. Inside you’ll find the debut of MP Business Magazine, including
a timeline and old photographs of Coleman Boulevard, right alongside great
interviews about the future of this area. Some people think Mount Pleasant is
only concerned with development and growth, but it’s not. People who have lived
here for decades are working to preserve the town’s character. However, it takes
more than just driving through to feel the heartbeat in our chest.
When I was a kid, my mother warned me never to judge a book by its cover.
Now that I’m grown, I still believe in that excellent advice. That said, why not
invite a friend or colleague “from off” to spend some time in Mount Pleasant and
learn what’s truly underneath our surface? There’s a culture here that has existed
for generations, and it’s what makes us proud to call Mount Pleasant home.
Yours,
Denise K. James
Editor
17 | |
From the Editor
DANIEL ISLAND | ISLE OF PALMS | SULLIVAN’S ISLAND
SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER2016
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