When neighbors are friends, it takes where you live to another level. I’ve been fortunate that my parents chose a wonderful place to build their final home in 1989. Molasses Creek is a hidden gem, tucked just a walk away from the Arthur Ravenel bridge that connects Mount Pleasant to Charleston. It’s tucked between several larger enclaves of homes and the marshy tributaries of Molasses Creek, and if you didn’t know it was here you’d drive right on by while casually admiring the towering oak trees that dominate the entrance.
I began visiting my parents immediately after they moved in, escaping the frigid winters of Wisconsin to spend holidays with them. I recall walking on nearby Sullivan’s Island beach regularly on Christmas breaks, reveling in the warmth and watching my dogs play in the surf. After I relocated to Virginia, I continued to drive down whenever I could to visit and enjoy the city.
When I got engaged, my mother insisted I have a wedding, and she offered to host it in Mount Pleasant. To be honest, I didn’t want an elaborate, traditional wedding. I’d been to plenty of weddings recently, and they all followed the same script, which I sought to avoid. In the end, my mother and aunt hired a boat and a live band to take us out to the middle of Charleston Harbor, where we were married as the sun set and the city gleamed orange and gold in the background.
Many friends and neighbors here celebrated with us, and if I was considered a visitor before the wedding, afterward I was family. We came down so often after my son was born that he made many good friends in the neighborhood, most of whom are his best pals today.
Fast forward to 2021, when I moved in to take care of my mom. I had an immediate core group of friends here, and we’ve only grown closer. Tonight, four of us started a girls’ night out for dinner, where we talked about trying different restaurants in this foodie city on a regular basis. Two of us have been in the neighborhood for 37 years (the first houses built here), another 35 years. We are all a stone’s throw from one another, know where each other’s hidden keys are, join each other’s parties, and enjoy our afternoon dog park breaks in the common lot.
Although I loved Virginia and living in horse country for 30+ years, I didn’t realize how much I missed having friends as neighbors as I did growing up. While we’ve all gotten more addicted to screens, remote work and distant friends over the past few decades, I’m so glad that I’ve turned the clock back to when we can raise a glass and toast to great neighbors in real life.