Charleston, South Carolina, is a city of unhurried grace. Charleston is blessed with a wealth of historic structures that have been transformed into offices, restaurants, stores, and homes. The City's successful intermingling of business, home and garden make Charleston a beloved and very walkable urban landscape experience. The City of Charleston is located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean at the juncture of the Ashley and Cooper Rivers. Charleston occupies 88.14 square miles, 7.6 miles of which are the downtown business district. Charleston is the second largest city in South Carolina with an estimated 1998 population of 100,122. The Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area encompasses three counties: Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester.
 
Charleston has a warm climate. In January the average temperature is 55 degreesF;in July, the average is 82 degrees. Humidity averages 86 percent; rainfall, 52 inches per year. The first frost typically occurs around December 10; the last usually occurs in mid-February. Charleston is governed by a full-time mayor and a city council composed of twelve council members who are elected for staggered four-year terms from single-member districts. The Mayor is the presiding officer of City Council. He has no veto power but casts a vote similar to those cast by each member of Council. Regular meetings open to the public are held twice each month during the year. The Mayor is the chief executive and administrative officer of the City which has no City Manager.