I have heard that Folly is more of a "surfer" crowd, Sullivan is "tourists" and Isle of Palms is somewhere in between..what are your thoughts?

I am looking on craigslist and vrbo.com for an ocean front house that still has access to restaurants/bars, but doesn't cater entirely to tourist. Any suggestions?

We love Isle of Palms. It's not too touristy, and is very nice. The best part is that it's centrally located, so you cold visit Charleston and the other islands as well.

We like Folly and the surrounding area has really grown in the last few years with many good restaurants and such. Any of the three would be a good choice but Folly is my favorite.

In my opinion, Sullivan's Island is actually the least touristy of the three Charleston area beaches. The town of Sullivan's Island has taken great measures to keep the island a residential community. There are no hotels and only about 50 rental homes on the island. The business district consists of a handful of restaurants and a tiny market. It is one of the quietest and most peaceful places we've vacationed. I can't wait to go back in less than a month!