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Hollywood, SC

Though it was sheer coincidence, the tiny hamlet of Hollywood, for a few months at least, became a much smaller version of the West Coast city of the same name. In the early ‘80s the town, twenty miles southwest of Charleston, was used as the backdrop of the made for TV film Queen, the sequel to the most popular television movie ever made, Roots.

The area is drawing retirees to its quiet, tree lined streets in record numbers

Determined to be unchanged by its brief run-in with fame, as soon as the movie crews had packed up and gone back west, the town reverted back to the sleepy, forgotten little town it had been for the last 200 years.

Now, all that is changing. Because of the vast amounts of undeveloped marsh and water adjacent property in and around the town, Hollywood is rapidly becoming a favorite location for developers. In turn, the area is drawing retirees to its quiet, tree lined streets in record numbers.

Hollywood came to be on November 22, 1949, when 23 of the 50 registered voters in area cast ballots to incorporate the town. Only one person voted against becoming a town. But after almost everyone decided to become a town, they did not know what to call it. Several names were knocked around before Hollywood was suggested because of the large amount of Holly that grows wild in the area; or it was named after the one business in what had just become the town – Hollywood Drugs; or, because someone liked movies. No one really knows for sure. But still, after 50 years, it is a favorite topic of conversation for Hollywood residents. Nevertheless, Hollywood is now a thriving small town providing its residents with public schools and ample shopping. The biggest draw to the area for newcomers is the new Stono Ferry development. Located beyond sight of the small, workingclass town but still within the municipality, this high-end development offers marsh and river views in a secure community environment. This has made the area a very popular bedroom community for Charleston, which has seen property values skyrocket over the last decade.

Hollywood residents have the best of both worlds: the peace of rural living with the many big city conveniences of nearby Charleston. From lounging on one of the area’s many beaches, to world-class golf, to shopping and touring one of the many historic sites of the area, there is never a shortage of activities for area residents.