Charleston, South Carolina

Charleston, South Carolina

 

South Carolina’s oldest city has consistently charmed T+Lreaders with its quintessential antebellum aesthetic and old-fashioned Southern hospitality. It’s the only U.S. city represented in the overall list, and repeatedly appears on our America’s Favorite Cities lists. Despite its famed friendliness, Charleston has become the most recent site of a great national tragedy and intense civic debate. We send our sympathies to the people of Charleston, and pay tribute to the qualities that have captivated the hearts of travelers from around the world. “Charleston has it all,” one reader said. It’s been applauded for its beautiful, jasmine-fringed neighborhoods and historic battlegrounds. A stone’s throw from downtown is Sullivan’s Island and Folly Beach, where locals and visitors go on balmy summer days to cool off amongst the grassy, soft sand dunes. Explore the galleries on Broad Street, or the city’s award-winning restaurants. Don’t leave without trying lowcountry fare like shrimp with hominy—late night king and Charleston native Stephen Colbert’s personal favorite.