Purron, yes, come to Charleston! We have a wonderful shelter here, too!
DC is gross--I did a 3 month internship there when I graduated high school. Let's just say I was the most homesick 17 year old they'd ever seen! Fled back to the bosom of the South at my earliest opportunity.
Charleston is hospitable, which may account for it being considered more attractive than the (in my guesstimate) haughty West Coast beach communities. We've got a good cross section of the wealthy and normal folks along with simply stunning scenery. Y'all visit!