Carriage Tours In Mount Pleasant, SC

The Pitt Street Bridge is a staple of Mount Pleasant history, but maintaining the landmark comes at a cost. Town leaders are now examining what repairs are needed and how much they will cost.

A feasibility study approved by the Mount Pleasant Bids and Purchases Committee will cost more than $318,000 and will examine issues including seawall preservation and pier improvements.

"I like the charm. It's usually quiet, you can bring the dogs out here, and the sunset is beautiful," said Sabrina Seely, a frequent walker on the Pitt Street Bridge.

The Pitt Street Bridge is a landmark, but its popularity comes with challenges.

"A lot of sinkholes are developing. If you've been out on the fishing pier, it's in rough shape. This is really an engineering study to let us know our options," said Mount Pleasant Town Councilman Daniel Brownstein.

In addition to concerns about the seawalls, Brownstein said restoration costs could be significant.

"We've heard that restoring those tabby walls might cost upwards of $15 million if you're using sort of historically appropriate materials. So that's gonna be a big challenge for us and a big choice," Brownstein said.

When asked whether repairs would be made with longevity in mind, Brownstein emphasized the importance of long-term planning.

"Are you gonna make sure that these are materials that are gonna be used so we're not spending this money five or 10 years down the road?"

"I think we need to look at the longevity of the park itself and make sure that we're using materials that are gonna really shore it up against the elements for years to come. That's gonna be a decision that the entire Town Council will need to make," Brownstein said.

The town also faces decisions regarding the fishing pier.

"To rebuild the existing fishing pier, they're gonna have to go in and look at all of the pilings underneath and in the water to make sure that they're still structurally intact. A second option is to build a new fishing pier kind of right next to the existing one. I'd prefer to use the existing footprint of the bridge for the fishing pier," Brownstein said.

The study will take several months to complete, and any approved improvements could take several years to finish.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) — Mount Pleasant leaders are looking to strengthen the town’s animal cruelty ordinance after a case of severe neglect.

Animal advocates say the new proposed ordinance would make Mount Pleasant one of the best municipalities in the state for animal care standards.

“We need to do better for our animals,” Casey Brazil, an animal advocate with the South Carolina Animal Welfare Alliance, said.

Animal advocates are pushing for changes to the town’s current animal cruelty ordinance.

“Our old law basically said it’s against the law to be cruel to animals, but didn’t really have a lot of information about what is cruelty to animals, and so this proposed law really lays out what we expect from animal owners,” Mount Pleasant council member Daniel Brownstein said.

The proposal defines language for humane care and housing standards, creating measurable rules such as space and tethering requirements and extreme weather protections that animal control can enforce.

“What we’re trying to do is prevent animal cruelty, not just have laws that are strict after it happens,” Mayor Will Haynie said.

Haynie says a case involving neglected and mistreated dogs prompted the town to act, along with concerns from animal advocates. He says ordinance changes may only be the start.

“Next year’s budget may have to include increasing the number of animal control officers,” Haynie said.

Advocates would like to see the town go even further with mandatory microchipping and yearly registration.

“I think they’ve made some really great updates to the ordinance, but one thing we would love to see is banning the sale of pets outdoors. So that would be in parking lots, that would be at flea markets, that would be at farmer’s markets,” Brazil said.

South Carolina ranks 40th in the nation for animal protection laws, according to Animal Legal Defense Fund.

Haynie says the town is home to tens of thousands of animals and calls the ordinance update a step in the right direction to ensure proper treatment. Click here to read the full proposed ordinance here.

Mount Pleasant Waterworks (MPW) has earned two workforce culture awards for 2026: SCBIZ Best Places to Work and USA Today's Top Workplaces in the Energy and Utility Industry. Both honors are based on anonymous employee feedback.

Two Awards, One Message from Employees

MPW has been named one of South Carolina's Best Places to Work for 11 consecutive years. The SCBIZ award measures engagement, teamwork, leadership and benefits.

MPW also earned a spot on USA Today's Top Workplaces list for the energy and utility industry. This national award is based on employee surveys about leadership, trust and workplace health. It recognizes MPW as a supportive employer in a field that serves the community every day.

"While we always aim for the top spot, we all know Mount Pleasant Waterworks is truly the best place to work. It doesn’t take a trophy to prove that — it’s the dedication our team shows every day,” said General Manager Allan Clum. “I’m grateful for everything our employees do to make MPW what it is.”

Why Employees Stay at MPW

“Being recognized on the state and national stage is a tremendous honor for our organization. These awards are especially meaningful because they reflect the voices of our employees,” said Christi Fowler, MPW's human resources manager.

Each year, employees share what is working and what could be better, and leaders use that input to guide decisions across the organization. Fowler said the goal is an environment where employees feel valued, supported and heard. “We credit our less than 1 percent turnover rate to listening to our team members and enhancing their lives where we are able.”

This year's survey responses pointed to these strengths:

• A strong benefits package

• Efficient work

• Strong leadership

• A strong direction for the future

• A family-oriented culture

Mount Pleasant Waterworks serves more than 95,000 people in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. The utility provides reliable water and wastewater services, safeguards public health and protects local waterways. Mount Pleasant Waterworks is committed to delivering services of exceptional quality while ensuring the long-term sustainability of the region's water resources.

MOUNT PLEASANT — Emely Yan and Yupeng Lin didn't plan on getting into the restaurant business.

The couple met after both moving from their native China to the U.S. to attend college; Yan earned her master's degree in business analytics from Columbia University, while Lin got his in engineering from Drexel University.

After graduating, they found themselves on a cross-country journey through the Southeast, unsure of where they would end up or what they would do once they got there. Upon landing on Charleston, a city they described as unlike any other in the U.S., they decided to open a place offering the type of dining experience that wasn't widely available at the time: dim sum.

Their restaurant, Chef Loong Dim Sum & Soup Dumplings, has been a smash hit since opening in the West Ashley space previously occupied by Old Li's in 2024. Hong Kong-style Har Gow, scallion pancakes, black truffle soup dumplings, pan-fried pork dumplings and dan dan noodles are among the favorites outlined in a 2025 review of the Savannah Highway original, which is one of the very best Chinese restaurants in the Charleston area.

Now, Yan, 28, and Lin, 32, are preparing to open their second establishment.

Loong Yan, 341 Johnnie Dodds Blvd., will debut within the next month, the owners told The Post and Courier. The restaurant, an extension of their spot at 1662 Savannah Highway, is taking over the space previously occupied by White Duck Taco Shop, which closed in 2024.

The decision to expand will help the couple service more South Carolina residents, some of whom routinely drive from Summerville and even Columbia just to dine at Chef Loong, the couple said. While the Mount Pleasant outpost may feel more upscale following a full renovation of the now-150-plus seat space, Yan and Lin said it will be just as affordable as its West Ashley sibling.

Even as food prices, especially beef, skyrocket, Yan and Lin want guests to be able to get in and out of Loong Yan for $25 to $30.

Though the menu hasn't been finalized, Loong Yan will feature a similar offering as Chef Loong, which serves pan-fried, steamed and soup dumplings, as well as noodles, scallion pancakes, bao buns and more. Beer, wine and sake will be available, and eventually, the restaurant will offer fresh-made gelato.

Yan, who leads the culinary operation, said that the Mount Pleasant spot will lean more heavily into its dim sum experience, which is driven by the dumplings she and a team of chefs painstakingly roll by hand daily. Diners who visit the new restaurant will receive a peak behind the curtain, for a glass window near the well-appointed entryway offers views of employees filling, folding and pinching the plumped half-moons.

"We want to really make sure all the customers can have a really high standard," Yan said. "I think it's the respect for the work and food that brings a really high quality of the food."

The food at both restaurants draws on Yan's upbringing in China, where her grandmother operated a noodle shop. Dumplings are a vessel for bringing people together, especially in Northern China, they said — that's why they want Loong Yan, which is equipped with two private dining rooms, including one with a circular table centered by a Lazy Susan, to be a family gathering place.

"We see (ourselves) as a part of the community who serve the local people," Lin said.

MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCSC) — The town of Mount Pleasant is moving forward with a feasibility study for the Pitt Street Bridge.

According to town officials, the goal is to find a long-lasting solution for improvements while limiting bridge closures.

The study covers parts two and three of the Pitt Street project, which include the seawalls and the fishing pier.

The Pitt Street Bridge is used by many in Mount Pleasant and beyond for walking dogs, bird-watching, crabbing, or sitting and enjoying the marshland.

Celeste and George Hayden, Awendaw community members, said they have visited the bridge for years.

“We’ve been coming here for years. Oh, we used to have our children who are now 40 through 33; we’d come and have picnics, walk it,” Celeste Hayden said.

Craig Howland, a frequent visitor from Lexington, said he tries to come down twice a month to Pitt Street Bridge for crabbing.

“I discovered this crabbing about 2020 during COVID. It’s a hot spot,” Howland said.

Craig Watson, a Mount Pleasant community member, said the bridge serves multiple purposes, as he comes out monthly for birding. He said it’s a great place for seabirds like the gulls, terns, pelicans, and cormorants, but a lot of what people come here for are the shorebirds.

“A lot of people use it for different things, and that’s one of the great things about this place right here,” Watson said.

Mike Tinkey, with the Mount Pleasant Town Council, said safety is the top priority for the project.

“The number one is safety--protect, preserve, and enhance. And ideally, we’ll enhance it in a way that gives homage, celebrates its history,” Tinkey said.

The bridge closed for a period last year for the first part of the reconstruction project, which was focused on accessibility, widening the parking and the entrance of the bridge.

The Haydens said they support efforts to preserve the structure, even if they couldn’t make their frequent trips out here.

“We understood, and we know it’s a big challenge to preserve what we’ve got. Keep at least some of the tabby walls, but they have got to do something that’s stronger to keep the water out,” they said.

Tinkey said he is hoping for protection of the tabby along the seawall, which is a combination of oysters, ashes, water and lime for stability, an older technique seen along the foundation of the bridge.

The Town of Mount Pleasant Bids and Purchases Committee approved the $318,000 study, which will allow contractors to find the best design for the seawall and the fishing pier.

“You know, this is a bridge that spans two bodies of water. We have things called hurricanes here, and we want to know that the hurricane wouldn’t breach it. We want to keep it for a future time, so by doing this, we’ll understand the magnitude of what needs to be done with what’s underground,” Tinkey said.

The timeline for any future closure has not been decided when construction comes. The study must be completed within six months after receiving approval this week.