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Walk out onto the enclosed back porch, and the neighborhood swimming pool is a few yards away. Go for a jog down a quiet lane, and the Stono River's straight ahead. Drive a few blocks, and the routes point to Citadel Mall, Interstate 526 and dozens of eateries, stores and auto dealerships. Meanwhile, the cost is a tidy $84,900 to $115,900.
That's the pitch for Carolina Cove, a new townhome and condominium neighborhood being developed through the gradual renewal of a 30-year-old apartment complex.
"The big thing is going to be the location and the price," said Amy M. Causey, sales associate with Trademark Properties in Charleston. The company specializes in converting former rental properties into condos, flats, townhomes and duplexes.
The Parkdale Drive complex used to be known as Pointe West. The name change to Carolina Cove is just a small part of the equity conversion. The 104 brick- and vinyl-sided dwellings get fresh paint, new roofs, modern appliances, and new carpets. Floors, doors, countertops and blinds are all new.
Renters have first rights to buy their apartments. If they choose not to, the townhomes and flats are put on the general market. The units are fixed up as tenants decide to acquire the property or move out. Carolina Cove's owner has converted a few of the former apartments and expects more by the time of a grand opening today.
Trademark Properties rolled out three designs for the 16 flats, which are one story; and the 88 townhomes, which also have an upstairs. The units, spaced out among 19 buildings on the property, are two and three bedrooms with one bath and a powder room or two full baths. They include the 868-square-foot Cooper flat; the 1,104-square-foot Ashley townhome; and the 1,335-square-foot Palmetto townhome. Depending on the floor plan, master bedrooms can be on the ground floor or second level and can include their own closets and bathrooms.
Along with the townhome and condo improvements, the amenities are being spruced up. The chief attraction is the swimming pool in the middle of the complex next to the sales center. The building will be renovated to include a fitness center and catering kitchen. There also will be a playground, new basketball court, picnic and grilling area and pet walk and nature trail on the grounds.
Atlanta-based Focus Group, a 15-year-old development company that has supervised the construction of 35,000 homes, is directing the property conversion. Trademark Properties is in charge of the sales and marketing.
The backers are promoting the development's moderate prices while at the same time citing its prime locale next to a single-family neighborhood. Entry-level condos are selling for 50 percent of the mid-point sales price for the West Ashley area past I-526. At the same time, the community is minutes from all types of retailers, from discount warehouses to bookstores. Marketing agents also point out the neighborhood's proximity to downtown Charleston.
"Easy in, easy out," touts a Carolina Cove information package. "This is the good life, and it's within reach."
To visit Carolina Cove from downtown Charleston, travel west across the Ashley River Bridge to Savannah Highway. Head past I-526 to Parkdale Drive, and turn left. Follow Parkdale for less than a mile. Carolina Cove is on the right, just past Lamb Street.