Ashe St Grocery in Elliotborough

The following post was contributed by former Cannonborough Elliotborough Neighborhood Association president Claire Xidis.

The ASHE STREET GROCERY (The corner store next to the Elliotborough Park and Community Garden @ the corner of Ashe and Line) is now selling herbs, flowers, and hot peppers from the Elliotborough Community Garden as a fundraiser for the garden.

Need some basil or rosemary?  Want more kick in your salsa?  Stop by the market!  Prices are very very reasonable -  fresh bundles of herbs only 50 cents.  All proceeds will benefit the garden and be used to buy seeds and supplies for the Kids’ garden and donation beds.
Spread the word to friends and neighbors…
Many thanks to the Ashe Street Grocery for providing the space and supporting the garden – and for bringing more fresh foods into the store.
Look for additional items to be included as the fall season progresses.
Gardeners – if you have excess items from your plots you would like to contribute to this fundraiser, contact Claire Xidis, by sending me an email:  currie@53cannon.com

Fall is harvest season!  I guess it is my agrarian heritage that creates the strong connection to this time of year.  In Elliotborough we have the opportunity to see the fall harvest up close in our two community gardens.  Saturday morning we made a tour of the neighborhood to study the fall changes.

The “Bogarden” on the corner of Bogard St. and Line St. in downtown Charleston, Sc is a very successful community garden project tended by neighborhood residents.

A nice article about the Elliotborough gardens can be found by clicking the following link:  www.charlestonparksconservancy

Elliotborough Park Community Garden in downtown Charleston is a great place for children to play while parents tend their thriving plots.  Elliotborough Park will be the location for this year’s neighborhood Halloween Festival and Parade.  The parade will begin in Midtown Development and end with festivities at the Elliotborough park on Line St.  The Halloween Festival will be held on Saturday October 30th from 6:30-9:30.  Attendees are encouraged to don costumes and join the parade.  Mitchell elementary school and montessori are sponsoring loads of activities at the finale in the park.  There will also be food and beverages as well as live music.

Community schools and neighborhood residents can sponsor garden spots for more information about obtaining your own spot contact the neighborhood association through the website www.elliotborough.org

The Cannonborough Elliotborough commercial corridor continues to boom and several spaces became available last month.  Here are a couple:

This building was an extensive renovation of the first African American Bank in Charleston. It is a National Historic Registered Building. The first floor retail/office space has been beautifully renovated with all new electrical, plumbing and mechanical systems.

To find out the details of this space click this link: 218 Saint Philip

For Sale or Lease: Corner Commercial building on Spring St in downtown Charleston Sc

This building on the corner of Spring and Saint Philip St has loads of potential, it could have additional stories added above or a rooftop garden or deck or the main floor could be divided into several small commercial spaces which seems to be the direction that the neighborhood wants to go in.  Small start up businesses with a rental budget of around $1000 per month are the most in demand for properties in the Spring Cannon commercial corridor.  This building with the current entrance on Spring could be redesigned into four store fronts facing onto Saint Philip.  The off street parking on the Saint Philip St side could create a vibrant commercial center.  Call me for more details.  Currie 843-853-2004

Part of my Saturday activities schedule was to try out the new cafe on that opened last week on Spring St in downtown Charleston Sc’s Cannonborough neighborhood.  Black Bean opened it’s doors to an eager clientele Saturday at lunch.

Black Bean Cafe on Spring St serves up "healthy" salads and wraps in downtown Charleston Sc

Black Bean Cafe is located on Spring St between Rutledge and Ashley Avenues.  The cafe’s hours are 7-11, and they have several carafes of self serve coffee.  They are “green” so if you bring your own cup the coffee is only a buck.  They call their offerings “energy food”.  They have rainforest coffees, muffins, yogurt, granola, and zucchini bread for breakfast.  For lunch and dinner they have a wide assortment of wraps, salads, heros and snacks.  Order online and see the full menu at www.blackbeanco.com. I personally love all new businesses in the neighborhood and make an effort to support and acknowledge them all.  This is not a review.  They have some kinks to work out, stop by try them out, give them feedback and perhaps they will stick around and get better with time!