Byrnes Downs offers safety, convenience
Over the decades, the neighborhood of tree-lined sidewalks and curvy
streets quietly evolved. Many of the original residents raised families and
moved to larger digs, while couples looking for small yet sturdily structured
homes moved in.
Then about a decade ago, Byrnes Downs was rediscovered, this time as a starter neighborhood for young professionals. The community today is downright trendy, an unlikely blend of sidewalks and speed humps and of seniors, couples and young families.
"Put it this way," said Betty Ochoa, a retiree of the Medical University of South Carolina dental school who paid $26,500 for her home in 1970, "baby-sitting is not a problem."
Byrnes Downs appealed to Ochoa because of its relative seclusion, nestled between Coburg Dairy farmland, Elliott Creek and South Windermere subdivision. Yet it also borders bustling Savannah Highway, which made it easy for her to travel to work at MUSC either by bus or by car. "It's three traffic lights," she said.
A number of neighbors are in residency at MUSC, she said.
"People can walk their dogs, stroll with the kids. That's a rare setting," said Donna Jacobs, who has lived in the neighborhood 17 years and is a former homeowners' association president. "We have a really rich sense of history," she said. Garden club records give a link to how Long designed the community first as rental for Charleston Naval Shipyard workers and then for sale.
"The homes have curb appeal," said Walter Barton, an agent with ReMax Realty Services in Charleston. St. Andrews Elementary School, which is also a math and science magnet school, is nearby.
And there's an active neighborhood association. As prices shot up in the historic district, "A lot of young people from downtown moved here."
Byrnes Downs' popularity has lifted sales prices and put a steady flow of homes on the market. In the early 1990s, the homes sold on average in the $80,000 range. Last year, 19 properties sold at prices from $120,300 to $272,500, and that was 3.9 percent off the list price, Barton said. Higher-priced homes are typically on the mar-talong Elliott Creek to the south. Listed homes were on the market on average 76 days, and the aver-ket on average 76 days, and the average per-square-foot price was $156.
To make more room, many property holders built additions. That includes remodeling attics into second stories, typically converting a hall closet into a stairwell, Barton said.
The additions have boosted home sizes from 800 to 1,200 square feet to as much as 1,500 square feet, he said.
Homeowners have redone interiors as well, constructing fireplaces, installing carpet, modernizing kitchens and bathrooms and replacing the original single-pane glass with window casements.
The homes have a few idiosyncrasies. They were constructed with detached garages or none at all. Laundry rooms were built off the kitchen, so it requires braving the elements to use the washer or dryer. But there are selling points, even without improvements. They have hardwood floors, screen porches and gas heat.
Every so often, a home will be painted. The story is that Long built the subdivision using various colors and textures of brick. But once in awhile - legend has it every eighth house - the developer would build a home with leftovers from already-constructed dwellings, so the bricks are mismatched.
To get to Byrnes Downs from downtown Charleston, take Savannah Highway for about a mile, passing Stocker Drive.
Take a left onto one of three entrance streets, including Nicholson Drive across from SunCom. For more information, contact a real estate agent.