Venturing out into an unknown area?

Holy City Brewing 4155 Dorchester Rd, Charleston, SC 29405

As a woman going out on my own, I can be skeptical about where and when I should go into certain areas. I am not saying I am not adventurous, but with age, I have learned to be smart about the risks I take. I have been using Google Street View to help find acceptable areas to visit for a while now. 

For instance, I recently went out to California for a meet-up with Google. It was a quick trip and San Francisco is not the cheapest town to stay in; neither is Mountain View. I researched hotels and used Street View to really help find a safe area. I was able to walk down the street and see exactly what was around there. Some other photographers didn't utilize this and ended up in the industrial part of the city. That is not an area I would have felt safe going to at night.

Street View had helped me make good decision but Street View just on the street can also be misleading. I love Holy City Brewing's beers but the area where they are located is not one that I travel around much. I would have completely dismissed the location as not a good place to go except for their Street View inside the business.

This is the Street View from Dorchester Road:

It is really not that appealing.

BUT . . .

This is the Street View inside Holy City Brewing:

What a cool place! You can get a tour of the brewery, hang out for happy hour, play pool or darts and even get a little bite to eat. I would have been so disappointed to miss going here. 

So let this be a lesson to adventurers and businesses alike. That amazing "dive" might go completely unnoticed if you don't use the visual aids to draw in the customers. 

Have a hidden gem of a business or know where one is? Let me know so I can help show them to the world! glennaellen@gmail.com 843-442-8828