Southern Living Announces Winners of 2023 South’s Best Awards, Charleston Named Best City

Southern Living today announced the winners of its seventh annual South’s Best Awards, recognizing their readers’ favorite Southern destinations and experiences. It should come as no surprise to Charlestonians that the Holy City was well represented, including taking home the South’s Best City designation.

“We remain mindful and appreciative that readers determine prestigious accolades like the South’s Best City,” said John LaVerne, Explore Charleston’s Board Chair and Founder of Bulldog Tours. “The exposure from the award reinforces to travelers the attributes that make our region a premier destination, from our vibrant urban core to our beautiful island communities. Being honored for the sixth year demonstrates our ability to remain relevant and to consistently provide high-quality, engaging and authentic visitor experiences in a highly-competitive industry.”

The awards recognize readers’ favorite destinations and experiences, covering everything from cities and small towns to restaurants and hotels. Full coverage of the winners appears in the April issue of Southern Living, which goes on sale on March 17th and on SouthernLiving.com.

This year’s South’s Best Awards survey results reveal the Top 50 Southern Small Towns, plus the best Cities, Hotels, State Parks, and BBQ Joints. The special double issue features Southern Living’s first-ever celebrity cover for the South’s Best issue with NBC TODAY co-anchor Hoda Kotb sharing her love for the city of New Orleans. Featured on the flip cover is St. Augustine, Florida, which was ranked the number one Small Town in the South.

“In a year when more people than ever are traveling and moving to the South, we wanted to put a spotlight on small towns in this year’s South’s Best Awards,” said Sid Evans, Editor in Chief of Southern Living. “These are the hidden gems our readers picked for their character, charm, and unmistakable Southernness. We’re also thrilled to have Hoda Kotb sharing her longtime connection to New Orleans as a cover story. This whole issue is about the places we love, and in Hoda’s case, the city clearly loves her back.”

Highlights of Southern Living’s 2023 South’s Best Awards survey results are as follows:

South’s Best Small Towns – Top 10 of 50

1. St. Augustine, FL

2. Beaufort, SC

3. Gatlinburg, TN

4. Dahlonega, GA

5. Blowing Rock, NC

6. Fairhope, AL

7. Tybee Island, GA

8. Sanibel, FL

9. Folly Beach, SC

10. Fredericksburg, TX

South’s Best Cities – Top 10 of 20

1. Charleston, SC

2. Savannah, GA

3. Asheville, NC

4. Atlanta, GA

5. Nashville, TN

6. New Orleans, LA

7. Greenville, SC

8. Chattanooga, TN

9. Alpharetta, GA

10. Austin, TX

Charleston’s other mentions

• Best BBQ By State – South Carolina – Rodney Scott’s Whole Hog BBQ, Charleston
• Best Locally-Owned Restaurant In Every Southern State – South Carolina – Page’s Okra Grill
• Best State Park In Every Southern State – South Carolina – Murrells Inlet
• South’s Best Tiny Towns – Folly Beach
• Brookgreen Gardens Is The South’s Best Garden In South Carolina

For more results from Southern Living South’s Best 2023 survey, including the full lists in every category, visit SouthernLiving.com. For the complete survey methodology, click here.

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