Eat, Pray, Hope: charleston- #1

there's a reason Charleston was voted #1 city....again... for the 2nd year in a row :)

see for yourself! :
http://www.cntraveler.com/readers-choice-awards/top-cities-in-the-world-charleston-cape-town-bangkok-vancouver-photos#slide=1

I have personally been captivated by this charming little port city. there are lots of friendly folk and so many architectural beauties around every corner!! my husband and I recently traveled to Europe this past spring and this city reminds me SO much of many European cities we visited. Charleston is like our own little "piece of Europe" right here in SC :)

and with all the "tearing down and starting new" these days...it is so refreshing to be surrounded by so much alluring history and art. I have always loved "old" things...things with character and antiquity. and It amazes me to think of all the different events that could have taken place there, or all the millions of people that have stopped and looked, toured, etc. I especially enjoy imagining certain scenarios that could have occurred at these old venues, such as heroes returning from war, taking the steps two at a time to their old Charleston homes to finally be reunited with their families, or folks of the colonial period bustling in and out of the buildings on Rainbow Row running their errands (Rainbow Row was at that time the commercial center of town) .

It is incredible how well they have been able to restore and maintain these centuries-old buildings and homes! The beauty of them just never gets old! (pun intended)

and don't even get me started on the restaurants...

Bon Appetit magazine named Husk, located on Queen Street, the Best New Restaurant in America!

some other favorites: Whisk Bakery, 82 Queen, Andolini's (GREAT hole in the wall pizza joint right around the corner from us!) , Sermet's Downtown, Five Loaves Cafe, Fuel, Hank's, Circa 1886, Mac's Place (more of a fun bar), II Cortile Del Re (very hidden, but authentic Italian restaurant off King St.), then there's Amen St. Fish and Raw Bar, S.N.O. B. ( slightly North of Broad), and the list goes on and on...

I bet your mouths are watering...and I didn't even post pictures of these fabulous eatery's :) seriously though, I have never been in a place with so many nationally ranked, amazing restaurants all in one spot! come check them out!

here are some little tid bits of the lovely Holy City: