SC has 2 of friendliest big cities in South, Southern Living says. They beat Nashville, New Orleans
Two South Carolina cities made Southern Living’s list of 15 friendliest cities in the South — Charleston and Greenville.
Charleston ranked first and Greenville third.
Neither city is unaccustomed to the accolade. Conde Nast readers voted both cities among the friendliest in 2022.
“What more can we say about Charleston except that there’s a reason it’s been voted as your favorite city in our annual South’s Best poll for more years in a row than we can count on one hand,” the magazine said.
Impressive for sure but the story they told from a reader puts an exclamation point on the claim.
“I was walking down King Street with my family, and it started pouring rain. A perfect stranger stopped in his car, handed us an umbrella, said “Welcome to Charleston,” and drove away.”
That’s friendly.
Southern Living called Charleston the quintessential southern city.
“There’s beautiful architecture, excellent dining, waterfront views, quaint streets, and an indescribably welcoming spirit that just puts a smile on your face,” the magazine said.
Greenville, Southern Living said, still feels like a small town.
“And that’s precisely what we love about it. The downtown is walkable and manageable, but still offers plenty to see and explore, from independent bookstores to craft breweries.”
They call Falls Park on the Reedy a gem with stunning waterfall views, gardens and a one-of-a-kind suspension bridge over the river designed by the renowned Miguel Rosales of Boston.
The magazine mentions the Swamp Rabbit Trail, a walk and bike trail repurposed from an abandoned train track from Greenville to Travelers Rest. They also suggest a treat from the Swamp Rabbit Café & Grocery, which was founded in 2011 by two friends and gets its wares from local farmers and food makers.
The second city on Southern Living’s friendly list is Savannah — “pure magic.”
The other cities in order are New Orleans; Nashville; Wilmington, North Carolina; Asheville, North Carolina; Franklin, Tennessee; Lexington, Kentucky: Lafayette, Louisiana; Chattanooga, Tennessee; San Antonio, Texas; Austin, Texas; Bentonville, Arkansas and Cary, North Carolina.
The list came from an online survey of Southern Living consumers conducted by Proof Insights last July and August. More than 20,000 responded.
Only cities with at least 40,000 population were considered.
