The downtown section of Charleston is also known as “The Penninsula” and the Historic District.  The area is broken down into several different sections and actually has two different zip codes.  South of Calhoun Street bears the 29401 zip and the north side uses 29403.  

The prices of homes range wildly in Downtown, Charleston.  Renovation project houses in transitional sections can be had for under $100K but if you want a historic mansion South of Broad street, you can spend close to $10 Million.  
The Southeastern side of of the Penninsula is the original settlement area of the city and the colony.  Originally, this area was protected from attacks by a wall.  Many of the original buildings and features remain today.

Most of the downtown houses and other buildings are protected from drastic changes by a very strict board of architectural review and the Charleston Historical Society.

Downtown Charleston was also the original building place of the “Charleston Single” type house.  Charleston singles are narrow when viewed from the street but go extremely deep into the lot.  They also feature piazzas (usually two levels of them) on the long side of the house.  It’s believed that this type of architecture was used to provide for a shady and thus cool interior environment during the hot summer months.  Numerous fireplaces got the original Charlestonians through the winters.  

The Penninsula is flanked on both sides, by rivers.  The Ashley is to the west and the larger, Cooper, is to the east.  They come together at the southern tip of the peninsula to form Charleston Harbor.  Overlooking this majestic waterway is what’s known as The Battery.  Homes on the Battery are on the top end of the downtown price range but exclusive enough to be worth every penny.  There is also a public park at the Battery, called White Point Gardens.
Downtown is broken down into several different sections.  The upscale area south of Broad street is appropriately known as “South of Broad.”  North of that but south of Calhoun Street is broken up into Harleston Village and Ansonborough.  North of that but south of the Crosstown (HWY 17) is Radcliffeborough, Elliotborough, Cannonborough and the East Side.

Everything north of the Crosstown is either Wagener Terrace, Hampton Park Terrace, Westside or North Central.

 
Each subsection of downtown has it’s own character, environment and price range.