Park West: A Top Home Buyer’s Choice in Mount Pleasant, SC

No matter your price range, if you’re looking for a home in Mt. Pleasant, chances are that you’ve come across homes for sale in the Park West community.  As the largest residential neighborhood in Charleston, Park West usually has the largest selection of homes at any given time.  However, it’s not for everyone.  Based on feedback from plenty of buyers, here are the most common pros and cons that we’ve heard over the years regarding this community.

Pros:

Affordability:  You’ll get a lot of home for the money in Park West, especially compared to some of the other Mt. Pleasant neighborhoods in this same general area, like Dunes West and Rivertowne.  Homes range from starter condos in the low $100’s to multi-million dollar houses.  No other neighborhood in Charleston has the sheer range of prices as this. 

Amenities:  Park West has just about every amenity you could want – the only exception is golf.  You’ll find a pool, club house, fitness center, tennis courts, and a play park.  All residents can use these general Park West facilities.  And in addition to these, some subsections have their own perks as well.  For example, The Battery (which has condos) also has a dog washing area, an elevator in each building, and a very nice outdoor kitchen with an oyster pit.

Great Schools:   Mt. Pleasant has some of the best public schools in all of Charleston.  And, several of the schools are actually located within Park West.  From kindergarten to eighth grade, kids can go to school without technically even leaving the neighborhood.  Laurel Hill Primary teaches children from kindergarten to second grade.  Third to fifth grade kids go to Charles Pinckney Elementary, and sixth to eighth graders attend Cario Middle.  The new Wando High School is about a 5 minute drive from Park West (just off Hwy 17).

Newer homes:  Most of the homes in this neighborhood have been built since the year 2000.  So, whether you’re looking for a newer pre-owned home or a new construction home that’s never been lived in, this neighborhood may have the home you’re looking for.

Cons:

Size:  A lot of the buyers that we’ve taken to Park West say that the neighborhood is too large.  You’ll find a car wash, office buildings, and three schools all within its walls.  While some buyers love this convenience, others are put off by the size of it.  The best way to know whether this community would be a good fit for you is to drive through it and see homes in some of the subsections so that you can get a better feel for the community and what kind of home you can get for the money.

Location:  If you’re heading on Highway 17 away from downtown Charleston, Park West will be on your left past Highway 41.  Some buyers say that this is too far out.  Park West is not as far out as Charleston National or Darrell Creek, but it’s still a good 20-25 minutes from downtown Charleston.  The closest beaches are Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island, which are about a 10 minute drive.  You’ll find shopping, a movie theater, and restaurants at Towne Center, which is a little more than 5 minutes away.  So, if you need to simply get around Mt. Pleasant or go to the beach, Park West has a great, central location.  But, if you’ll be commuting to downtown or another area outside of Mt. Pleasant, know that traffic gets pretty heavy on Hwy 17 during peak commute times.  If this is a concern, be sure to talk with your Realtor about which neighborhoods may have easier access to the area you’ll be commuting to.