CHARLESTON, PAISLEY

'Charleston' is a district in the burgh of Paisley, Scotland. Once a complete and distinct community from the rest of Paisley, Charleston has become enveloped as Paisley expanded, in particular by post-World War II housing developments in Lochfield and Glenburn.
Until recently, Charleston was a mixed area of housing and industry. However, the closure of the several factories and the development of their sites for modern housing, has significantly changed the character of the area.
Housing on Neilston Road, Stock Street and Espedair Street provide typical examples of Scottish tenement flats. Three to four stories tall, with shops on the ground floor and constructed of local blond sandstone. These tenement flats have been extensively restored and modernised over the last two decades.
The Iain Banks novel, ''Espedair Street'' takes its name, and is partly set in and around the streets of Charleston.