I don t think there s any sort of ghetto/trailer park vibe in Charleston. Maybe in North Charleston, but that s actually an entirely different town in an entirely different county.During the day, I would say it s very safe. There are occasional incidents during the day, but it s not that bad. The place is always crawling with tourists, so anyone up to no good would have a hard time getting away with anything.I live downtown and I will say, it s not the smartest thing to go wandering around at night, particularly alone. Even on the Battery and by the Water Front Park, there is drug-related crime and violence, an occasional hold-up, an occasional rape, an occasional mugging, and an occasional murder. The Market area is especially well-patrolled by the Charleston police, but it s not smart to push your luck. There are a few sketchy areas, as there are in every city, but for the most part, I would say Charleston is very safe between the hours of 7AM and Midnight.
Actually it s no worse than any other city. I must say, the emergency services are among the best I ve ever dealt with. Where you ve gotten the idea that Charleston is nothing but trailer parks and ghettos, I have no idea. Here s some links to give you a better perspective:http://news.search.yahoo.com/search/news��http://www.charlestoncvb.com/http://www.charleston.com/http://www.charlestoncity.info/home/home��http://www.charlestoncity.info/home/home��