Skip to content

Top Navigation

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Food
  • Holidays & Entertaining
  • Home & Garden
  • Style & Culture
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Southern Living

Southern Living Southern Living
  • Explore

    Explore

    • These Haircuts Are Going To Be Huge in 2021

      The trendy haircuts you’ll be seeing everywhere next year. Read More Next
    • How To Season A Cast-Iron Skillet

      Learn how to season this Southern kitchen staple in five easy steps. Read More Next
    • The Right Way to Heat a Pre-Cooked Ham

      It's so easy, trust us. Read More Next
  • Food

    Food

    See All Food

    Lost Cakes of the South

    These simple and spectacular Southern cakes deserve a comeback
    • All Food
    • All Recipes
    • Holidays & Occasions
    • Quick Fix Suppers
    • Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Desserts
    • Casseroles
    • Healthy Recipes
  • Holidays & Entertaining

    Holidays & Entertaining

    See All Holidays & Entertaining

    70 Wedding Vow Examples That Will Melt Your Heart

    Fight writer's block and find ways to express your love with these romantic, funny, and short wedding vow examples.
    • Christmas
    • Entertaining
    • Thanksgiving
    • Southern Weddings
    • Easter
    • Kentucky Derby
    • Valentine's Day
    • 4th of July
    • Mother's Day
  • Home & Garden

    Home & Garden

    See All Home & Garden

    7 Paint Colors We’re Loving for Kitchen Cabinets in 2020

    ‘Tis the season to ditch your all-white palette in favor of something a little bolder and brighter.
    • Home Decor Ideas
    • Idea Houses
    • Before & After
    • Inspired Communities
    • Curb Appeal
    • House Plans & Builders
    • The Grumpy Gardener
    • Plant Names A-Z
  • Style & Culture

    Style & Culture

    See All Style & Culture

    50 Books Everyone Should Read in Their Lifetime

    Curl up with a classic!
    • Southern Culture
    • Hair
    • Travel
    • Beauty
    • Pets
    • Southern Fashion
    • Healthy Living
  • News
  • Video

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Account

Account

  • Join Now
  • Email Preferences
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Logout

More

  • Give a Gift Subscription this link opens in a new tab
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Southern Living
  2. Souths Best
  3. The South’s Best Cities 2018

The South’s Best Cities 2018

By Southern Living
March 20, 2018
Skip gallery slides
Save FB Tweet
Credit: Peter Frank Edwards/Redux
With everyone and their mama booking stays in our picturesque historic neighborhoods and making reservations at our buzzed-about new restaurants, sticking close to home has never sounded so good. Southern cities are making a name for themselves as vibrant hubs of incredible regional cuisine, culture, music, and design; and we’re ready to brag on our Southern gems a little bit. Not only are some fresh newcomers stepping onto the scene, but some longtime favorites are back and better than ever—a testament to their lasting power and effervescent draw. Travelers are flocking to the South in search of our signature food, drink, and scenery; and all we can think is, who can blame them?In these Southern cities, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a meal you don’t love or a historic square that doesn’t permeate charm and tradition. Experience firsthand the classic and debonair flair of Savannah and Charleston; the young and industrial spirit of Nashville and San Antonio; or the quirky and laidback attitude of Asheville and Chattanooga. Take a stroll through cobblestone streets that might feel European, but definitely smell of the smoky aroma of barbecue or the sweet scent of blooming magnolias. Sit a spell on a sunny day along the river with an iced tea or at the brewery with a cold one. Odds are, you’ll run into a few old friends, and make a few new. These cities are the blood running through the veins to the heart of the South. From a glance, it might seem too good to be true; but trust us when we say that each more than lives up to the hype.Southerners have hometown pride stronger and truer than the tides, and we have the pleasure of feeling that pride for the whole region. These are the South’s best cities for 2018—did your hometown make the cut? 
Start Slideshow

1 of 11

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

See The Winners

1 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 11

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

1. Charleston, South Carolina

Credit: Peter Frank Edwards/Redux

2 of 11

3 of 11

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

2. Savannah, Georgia

Credit: Southern Living

3 of 11

Advertisement

4 of 11

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

3. Asheville, North Carolina

Credit: Lissa Gotwals

4 of 11

5 of 11

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

4. Nashville, Tennessee

Credit: Robbie Caponetto

5 of 11

6 of 11

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

5. Greenville, South Carolina

Credit: Denis Jr. Tangeny/Getty Images

6 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 11

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

6. Austin, Texas

Credit: Mark Lee/Getty Images

7 of 11

8 of 11

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

7. San Antonio, Texas

Credit: Getty Images

8 of 11

9 of 11

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

8. Chattanooga, Tennessee

Credit: Stephen DeVries

9 of 11

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 11

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

9. Sarasota, Florida

Credit: Don Klumpp/Getty Images

10 of 11

11 of 11

Save FB Tweet
Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

10. Lexington, Kentucky

Credit: Henryk Sadura/Getty Images

11 of 11

Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Southern Living

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 11 See The Winners
2 of 11 1. Charleston, South Carolina
3 of 11 2. Savannah, Georgia
4 of 11 3. Asheville, North Carolina
5 of 11 4. Nashville, Tennessee
6 of 11 5. Greenville, South Carolina
7 of 11 6. Austin, Texas
8 of 11 7. San Antonio, Texas
9 of 11 8. Chattanooga, Tennessee
10 of 11 9. Sarasota, Florida
11 of 11 10. Lexington, Kentucky

Share options

Pinterest Mail Email iphone Send Text Message Print

Login

Southern Living

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • About Us
  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Books from Southern Living
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
  • Travel & Leisure this link opens in a new tab
Southern Living is part of the Meredith Home Group. © Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Southern Living is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporationthis link opens in a new tab All Rights Reserved. Southern Living may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.southernliving.com

View image

The South’s Best Cities 2018
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.