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Here Are The Top Reasons We Love Living In The Number One City In The U.S.

Featured Image Credit: Charleston CVB

With Charleston taking the crown for Travel and Leisure’s Top City in the United States (five years running) and coming in at #2 for the World’s Top 15 Cities, we decided to take a closer look at what makes our city so deserving of these gllooorrriioooouuusssss titles.

Trust us, it wasn’t hard, like, at all. Sure, it’s the abundance of yummy restaurants, the southern hospitality, easy access to beaches and a slower-paced way of living, but it’s also so much more than that, and we want to show them some love. So here are our top 20 reasons (not in order whatsoever) to fall in love with our southern charm all over again.

  1. Rainbow Row– because who doesn’t enjoy walking down the street looking like it’s owned by Roy G Biv?
number one

Image Credit: Charleston CVB

2. Cobblestone – You’re able to walk around on the same ground as some major historical figures. 

3. Horse Carriages – Because a carriage ride takes us back in time to when our city was full of dirt roads, horses and buggy’s.

4. Historic Downtown – Elegant homes, antique shops, cobblestone roads, confederate jasmine, gas lanterns…what more could you ask for?

number one

Image Credit: Charleston CVB

5. Fort Sumter – Being able to see where the start of one of the biggest wars in history went down is definitely something to treasure.

6. Food – It’s quite overwhelming how many choices we have when it comes to places to eat. But no matter where we decide, there is always somewhere fabulous with excellent service to stuff our faces with homemade meals and local produce.

7. Walk Everywhere – It’s so easy to explore Charleston on foot, and not many major cities can say that. There are plenty of beautiful walking paths and sleepy streets to stroll along.

food

Image Credit: Charleston CVB

9. The Weather – It’s always sunny in Philadelphia?? Nahhh, try again… it’s always sunny in Charleston.

10. History – Our history is one of the longest and most diverse of any community in the United States, spanning hundreds of years of physical settlement beginning in 1670 through modern times. It was also the leading city in the South from the colonial era down to the Civil War.

11. The Ravenel Bridge – Whether you’re driving, walking, biking or running, crossing the bridge gives you a sense of calmness as you look over the beautiful city.

12. Folly Beach, Sullivan’s Island and IOP – Because with everything there is to do in Charleston, you even have the chance to get sand in between your toes.

folly beach

Image Credit: Charleston CVB

13. Hootie and the Blowfish – Darius Rucker is like our MVP, next to Bill Murray. Let Her Cry, Hold My Hand and Only Wanna Be With You are always jam worthy. Always.

14. The People – A beautiful city made even more beautiful by its kind-hearted people.

15. Sunsets – Like, seriously, no matter where you are in Charleston they are always perfect.

16. Craft Beer Scene – Breweries are blowing up all over the Lowcountry. Whether you’re in West Ashley, North Charleston or downtown, there is always a hoppy experience that awaits nearby.

17. Shem Creek – Grab a drink with friends on the water, rent a paddle board, take a ride on the Palmetto Breeze Catamaran…there’s so much to do on this little slice of paradise.

Image Credit: Charleston CVB

18. Riverdogs Baseball – In the south, we don’t only take our college football seriously, we also take our baseball seriously too (with serious hopes that Bill Murray makes an appearance at a game!)

19. North Charleston Coliseum – Everyone from KISS, Taylor Swift, Jay-Z, Prince and Ed Sheeran has played there.

20. Events – Every year, people flock to Charleston from near and far for annual events like The Charleston Wine and Food Festival, SEWE, Spoleto/Piccolo, the Volvo Car Open, Southern Ground Music Festival and so much more.

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News

francis marion

How Many Hotels Is Too Many In Charleston?

Image Credit: Charleston.com

It’s no secret that Charleston has been drawing visitors from all over the world for years, and continues to do so. The Holy City draws an estimated 6 million visitors every single year, most of whom are coming downtown. Managing them is Charleston’s biggest opportunity, yet also its biggest challenge.

How many hotel rooms are there exactly in Charleston? Jacob Lindsay, city planner, says there are nearly 5,623 hotel rooms JUST on the peninsula! That number does not even include the amount of hotels rooms in West Ashley, North Charleston and Mount Pleasant. Most of the guests that occupy those rooms directly affect the peninsula, since they head straight to the gem of Charleston, the Historic District.

This number of hotel rooms also does not include B&B’s, private, short-term rentals and individuals renting rooms to travelers using sites like Airbnb (the “nuisance” in the accommodations industry.)

Helen Hill, CEO of Charleston Visitor’s Bureau, says many guests “drive in, drive out and drive in, looking for downtown parking places, adding traffic and congestion to the city.”

charleston peninsula

Image Credit: Charleston CVB

Cannon Street, a neighborhood that was in crumbles just a few years ago, is blowing up with hotels, restaurants and bars. The decaying houses caught the eyes of investors who were wanting to renovate them at a low price to provide student housing for the schools located in Downtown Charleston. Now, historic houses are being renovated into luxury boutiques and inns.

So the question we all must ask ourselves is how much is too much? Where do we draw the line between tourism and livability?

About a year ago, the mayor and the city council conducted a 90-day hotel study that involved discussions with experts, stakeholders, an impact study and a comparison to other cities. The study revealed that hotels are actually not the cause of traffic congestion throughout downtown, offices are.

hotel bennett

Hotel Bennett is set to open in fall 2017 overlooking Charleston’s iconic and historic Marion Square. It will have 179 rooms.Image Credit: Moultrie News

The city is planning to “set limits” on the expansive hotel growth…once again. It is on the agenda of a June 21 meeting of The Planning Commission, which is a group of citizens appointed by City Council. Though this debate has taken place many times before, this will be the first time that the commission is going to weigh in on the debate.

Whatever happens, there MUST be a balance here. There must be a healthy balance between hotels and the city itself. Before it’s too late.

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