▁commercial ▁growth ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁the ▁area . ▁Major ▁ret ail ers ▁located ▁in ▁this ▁community ▁as ▁the ▁large ▁plots ▁of ▁land ▁needed ▁for ▁" big ▁box " ▁stores ▁was ▁not ▁available ▁on ▁the ▁historic ▁dow nt own ▁Char l eston ▁pen ins ula . ▁ ▁West ▁Ash ley ' s ▁original ▁neighborhood s ▁line ▁( U . S . ▁Route   1 7 ▁( US   1 7 ; ▁Sav ann ah ▁Highway )) ▁in ▁an ▁area ▁closest ▁to ▁the ▁historic ▁Char l eston ▁pen ins ula . ▁The ▁earliest ▁ret ail ▁district , ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s , ▁is ▁being ▁rev ital ized , ▁attract ing ▁many ▁art ▁and ▁design - orient ed ▁business es ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 1 st ▁century .. ▁ ▁The ▁community ' s ▁major ▁ar ter ies ▁include ▁SC   7 ▁( Sam ▁R itten berg ▁Bou lev ard ), ▁SC   6 1 ▁( A sh ley ▁River ▁Road ), ▁US   1 7 ▁( S av ann ah ▁Highway ), ▁SC   4 6 1 ▁( Paul ▁Cant rell ▁Bou lev ard / G l enn ▁Mc Con nell ▁Park way ), ▁and ▁I - 5 2 6 . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁served ▁by ▁the ▁West ▁Ash ley ▁Green way , ▁a ▁popular ▁rail ▁trail ▁that ▁par alle ls ▁Sav ann ah ▁Highway . ▁▁ ▁West ▁Ash ley ▁is ▁home ▁to ▁Cit adel ▁Mall , ▁the ▁region ' s ▁largest ▁ind oor ▁sho pping ▁m all , ▁and