South's Best City

No.1 Charleston,South Carolina.

- Jessica Mischner

C​HARLESTON, South Carolina, is having a moment. Again. Nearly 350 years after a group of enterprising colonists settled what was to become the jewel of the Lowcountry— a seaport that would later be synonymous with Southern charm, skimmer boats, and the clip-clop of carriage tours—the Holy City continues to cast its spell on visitors from far and wide.

A primary ingredient in Charleston’s special sauce is its knack for reinvention. Over the past decade alone, an influx of bright young people—artists, chefs, entrepreneurs, and makers of all stripes—has literally transformed the look and feel of the city with fresh ideas and a modern aesthetic. But there’s more to its enduring appeal than that.

What sets Charleston apart—the real secret to the city’s centuries-spanning allure—is not just that it keeps offering more to visitors or that there’s always something new to discover here. It’s that there’s always something new for everyone to discover, regardless of what you’re interested in, where you’re coming from, or what you’re looking to find. Outside New York City, you’d be hard pressed to find a place so steeped in history that also embraces the future in the sweeping, wholesale way Charleston does.