Buy a home at a reasonable rate with a VA loan in Park Circle, SC

Park Circle Playground in Charleston, SC has the honor of being the world’s largest inclusive playground because any kid, no matter their ability, can enjoy the park. We checked it out and can confirm it is enormous and fun!

I first laid eyes on Park Circle playground in Charleston, SC about two blocks away. It’s that big. I couldn’t even get the entire playground in one – or two- photos. And it was designed for any child, no matter their ability.

About Park Circle Playground

Park Circle, which opened November 2023, encompasses 55,000 square feet and is the world’s largest inclusive playground, meaning that the playground was designed for any child, no matter their development or ability. It also includes their friends, siblings, parents, and caregivers. Yup, you parents can play on the playground. I did!

Here’s how the park describes their inclusivity:

“All children means everyone. The need for play does not distinguish between children who are typically developing and children with disabilities. Everyone of all abilities needs play. And everyone means not only children with a physical disability requiring an accessible playground, but it also includes developmental disabilities like autism; children with sight or hearing impairment and children with intellectual disabilities such as down syndrome.”

I think this is just beautiful. Seeing tons of kids and their parents and siblings playing at this playground made me happy.

Park Circle, besides the enormous playground, also has walking trails, a farmers market pavilion, event space, nature garden, and an inclusive baseball field.

Things to Play On at Park Circle

I had no idea where to look first when we got to the playground. My kids, ages 13 and 9, seemed just as overwhelmed but recovered quicker than I did and decided to head to the nearest double slide massive climbing structure.

There are just so many things to play on: slides, swings, zip lines, a legit ninja course, exercise equipment, obstacle courses, more swings. We were there for over an hour and probably didn’t even play on half of the playground equipment.

Our favorite was definitely the ninja course. I always had respect for the American Ninja warriors but after doing a bunch of the ninja obstacles (and massively failing), I have a whole new respect for those athletes. There are lots of upper body focused apparatus’ plus beams, a climbing rope, and other rope nets to traverse.

There are areas of the playground for any age and ability as well from play houses to huge slides that you have to climb up to even get to.

Park Circle Playground Design is Parent-Friendly

I give a lot of credit to the designers of the playground because they absolutely nailed it when it comes to things that matter to parents: an enclosed space, seating, and shade.

The playground is entirely fenced in. You may lose your kids while they are playing on the equipment but they won’t get far because there is a fence around the whole playground.

There are shade sails everywhere to provide cover from that brutal summer sun. There are a few spots where the shade sails aren’t directly over but for the most part, the playground is covered. Way to go designers!

And lastly, there are lots of benches around the playground. I didn’t sit down ever because I was playing with my kids but if we had stayed longer, I probably would have rested on a bench. Most of the benches are also shaded.

I so appreciate the thought and consideration that went into the construction of this playground. They did a truly excellent job.

There are also bathrooms on site at the adjacent pavilion to the playground.

Visiting Park Circle Playground

Park Circle is in North Charleston, about a 20-minute drive from downtown Charleston. It is totally free to visit and is open daily from 7 am – 5:30 pm.

Park Circle Playground4800 Park Circle, North Charleston, SCPark Circle Playground Website

Local fast-casual salad restaurant Verde recently announced it’s opening a new location in Park Circle, in the building formerly occupied by Abundant Seafood. The Instagram announcement was met with an enthusiastic response (i.e. many fire emojis), and the expansion is one of several new locations for the Charleston-based business.

“We’ve been on the hunt for years for a production kitchen space to call our own,” said co-owner Jennifer Ferrebee. The store, located at 4731 Mixson Avenue, will serve as the brand’s new headquarters as well as a retail spot with the usual made-to-order and grab-and-go food options.

Verde will also re-open on King Street later this winter. The chain closed its flagship King Street location at 347 King St. earlier this year, but has a new spot at 433 King St., formerly the location of spots like Poke Stop and FishBowl.

Later this winter, Verde also will open a location at the College of Charleston, in the new concept, the Market at Liberty Food Hall at 30 St. Philip St.

Founded in 2011 by hospitality veterans Jennifer and Sam Ferrebee, Verde focuses on nutrient-dense, preservative-free foods. In a 2017 City Paper interview, Jennifer talked about the inspiration for the chain’s model: “I feel like six years ago the level of fast casual wasn’t really in Charleston yet. This was pre-Daily, pre-Persimmon, pre-Huriyali. When we would travel to D.C. or New York, we could get fast/casual food that was more than stuff being dumped out a bag. Food was actually being prepped and served in a fast nature. That was missing in Charleston.”

Once the three new spots open — stay tuned to Instagram for more details on opening dates — you can grab a salad from eight locations (including the airport) in the Charleston area.

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The city of North Charleston’s Cultural Arts Department has announced concurrent solo exhibitions of fiber works by Pam Shanley of Summerville and paintings by Katharine Morrill of Broadway, North Carolina, which are on display at Park Circle Gallery through March.

At the gallery, a free reception hosted by the artists is 5-7 p.m. Friday, March 1. The public is invited to attend.

Fiber Forms: spun, woven, and stitched – Fiber works by Pam Shanley

In her exhibit Fiber Forms: spun, woven and stitched, Shanley, a veteran fiber artist, showcases a robust progression of textile elements. Fiber becomes hand-spun yarn, yarn becomes handwoven textiles and textiles become stitched works of art.

“I am inspired by color and simple design and enchanted with dyeing yarn, using unusual fiber and incorporating fabrics into my work,” Shanley said. “It is my desire to inspire new fiber artists by showcasing modern techniques and colors and incorporating weaving into the mix.”

The artist moves from one technique to another to create her work, enjoying the physical requirements for hand-felting wool fibers, warping a loom with hundreds of yarns, and spinning multiple types of fiber into yarn.

Originally from Canfield, Ohio, Shanley graduated from Youngstown State University and earned a master’s in library science from the University of South Carolina. After 25 years in education, she retired to pursue her love of fiber art.

Shanley has been working in fiber art since she learned how to sew as a teenager. She taught herself how to weave after visiting the Folk Art Center in North Carolina and subsequently was drawn to Appalachian Folk crafts.

Primarily self-taught, she has attended classes at the John C. Campbell Folk School and Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts. Her fiber works have been displayed at the Virginia Tech School of Medicine Precision and Reach Exhibit, Floyd Quilt Show (Floyd, Virginia), Blue Ridge Quilt Festival (Ferrum, Virginia), Asheville Quilt Show (Asheville, North Carolina), Rockbridge Fair (Lexington, Virginia), South Carolina State Fair (Columbia), South Carolina Palmetto Hands Fine Craft Competition & Exhibition (North Charleston) and Public Works Art Center in Summerville.

Shanley is a member of the Handweavers Guild of America, President of the Palmetto Fiber Arts Guild, teaches fiber art workshops throughout the Lowcountry, and weaves, felts, sews and spins from her home studio in Summerville. Learn more about her at Pamshanley.wix.com/fiberart.

The Park Circle Gallery is at 4820 Jenkins Ave. in North Charleston. Gallery hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and noon-4 p.m. Saturdays. Call 843-637-3565 or email culturalarts@northcharleston.org for more information.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A cold and rainy forecast did not stop hundreds in the Lowcountry from celebrating the grand opening of a redeveloped Park Circle space.

City of North Charleston officials and visitors have been waiting for the first-of-its-kind inclusive space for nearly 18 months, but the project itself has been in the works for six to eight years.

“Inclusion is a topic that’s growing, it’s like wildfire,” Inclusive Play Specialist Jill Moore says. “Everyone is excited to bring that to their space.”

Moore is one of many who worked hard alongside city officials to bring a lifelong dream to fruition.

“To see it from early phases, talking about it and learning about it, what we wanted to do. To see the grand opening of this amazing space, this is really big,” Moore says.

Park Circle Playground is one of the first inclusive spaces in the Lowcountry of its kind and the largest in the world, according to city officials.

The space is meant to help visitors of all ages, abilities or backgrounds to engage in motor skills, sensory perception, cognitive abilities and social and emotional growth.

“I think they’re cool because everyone who doesn’t have a disability can do something,” Park Circle guest Harper Lewandowski says. “If you do have a disability, you can go on stuff made for you.”

City of North Charleston Recreation Director TJ Rostin says it is a testament to 20+ years of research only pushing the need for better inclusion.

“We want to make sure we have programs everybody can enjoy in whatever ability they need to enjoy them at,” Rostin says.

Mayor Keith Summey calls it one of the highlights of his time in office and a milestone to add to the city’s 51 years of progress.

“Park Circle is unique,” Summey says. “It’s a centralized location. It sort of connects our community.”

The redeveloped playground remains one of the oldest in the city, formerly a historical marker.

“Memories are wonderful, but now is the time to create memories for the next generation,” Summey adds.

North Charleston families say it is a welcomed change.

“It is so different but we love it,” one family says. “I like everything! Everything.”

Park hours will be from dawn until dusk and include full free access to the playground, an updated community center and pavilion and an all-inclusive ball field.

To learn more about the “Park Circle Reimagined” project and everything it has to offer, click here.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — Uninvited guests call for concerns for some living in Icon at Park Circle Apartments in North Charleston.

Khalis Henderson's apartment is one of the units affected by rats that have forced residents to raise questions regarding their health.

"Literally, it sounds like they're fighting or they're scratching at the wall or trying to get through or something," Henderson said.

Read more: Living conditions aren't improving at Gadsden Green public housing, residents file lawsuit.

They have eaten through a pair of Henderson's brother's jeans. They have eaten the baseboards out near the stove, and they are chewing through the apartment, causing mayhem.

"They started just pooping on his clothes 'cause he had 'em sitting in the kitchen closet," Henderson said. "So, I had to end up bagging up his clothes. They started eating on his clothes and he had holes in his work shirts so he had to replace them."

Henderson said it's the worst living situation he's ever been in.

"The rats have gotten to the point where they ate the baseboard out by the stove and around the water heater, and they're chewing through the foam, and they're making barrels to where they can get through," Henderson said. "I don't like living like that. I've never lived like that, and that's not how my grandmother raised me to live."

Read more: Gadsden Green public housing residents file lawsuit against Charleston Housing Authority over living conditions.

Henderson and his brother have notified management, but they say it's gotten them nowhere. Now, they are merely fed up.

"I caught one in a bag recently," Henderson said. "I even tried to show her. She didn't want to see it. Disgusting to them. But we are living with them. I even emailed the company that's over their apartment complex. Still have not heard from them. It's been about a week now... It's becoming extremely unsanitary, and I don't like stuff like that."

News 4 asked to speak with the complex management, but they had no comment. News 4 also reached out to the property management company and received no answer.