Charleston. Right? Well some people may beg to differ. Outside magazine is conducting a poll on which town in America is the best outside town. And it is up to America to vote and decide.

Charleston is one of the 10 locations in the final round. What equates to being the Best Outside Town in America?  Apparently it’s: a balance of great culture, perfect scenery, stress-free and a reasonable cost of living, and easy access to the outdoors. Seems like a no-brainer here folks.

Charleston may be called the Holy City because of the abundance of places of worship, but has anyone ever calculated the total amount of outdoor recreational space we have available to us just outside our doorstep? 90 miles of coastline, Marion Forest, islands upon islands, keelboat regatta, Best Tennis Town in America and have you seen the amount of people that bike or jog around here? You don’t have to look or go very far to get in on the Outside action.

Parliament’s own Robert Prioleau sums it up well; “Charleston offers a chance to live and work in a vibrant city where you’re minutes away from outdoor adventure. You can chase entrepreneurial opportunities and embrace the wild on any given day. I leave my office on a bike and am instantly riding over bridges to barrier islands, where I can jump on a paddleboard and still make it home in time for dinner.”

The three-week competition, held via Facebook, is accessible via the “Best Town” link on facebook.com/outsidemagazine. The winning town will be featured on the October 2011 magazine cover, outsideonline.com and an exclusive segment on Outside Television.

While writing this Charleston is currently ranked 4th. Boo. Tuscan, AZ is ranked #1. Double Boo. (No hard feelings Tuscan, we just prefer Charleston). Voting will take less time than reading this blog entry. So click through and vote!

For the past three years, the James Beard award winners for “Best Chef of the Southeast” have all been based in Charleston. This year’s winner, Sean Brock was recently featured in a Nightline segment, Platelist.  

He is also featured on the cover of Charleston Magazine’s October issue.

Mr. Brock’s recent accolade has helped to make the spotlight even brighter on Charleston’s excellent culinary scene. And this weekend, an assortment of delectable delights will be at your fingertips. This year celebrates the 30^th annual Taste of Charleston, featuring some of Charleston’s finest, nationally-renowned chefs. For more than 20 years, this charity fund-raising event has been named one of the “Top 20 events in the Southeast” by Southeastern Tourism Society. What could be better than spending the weekend enjoying food from some of Charleston’s best restaurants? 

Check out an article in the Charleston City Paper about the impact creative initiatives have on the city and how Charleston’s creative Parliament is trying to brighten the spotlight on those initiatives.  Plus, see some of the friendly faces from Parliament’s Strategic Posse.

It is the performers, chefs, designers, publishers, and filmmakers that raise Charleston’s creative cluster to be one of the Top 5 employers in the city. Can’t argue with a sector that in 2008 created 27, 315 jobs and generates business of $1.4 billion in gross sales. (For more fun facts, check out the Economic study posted on 8/25.)

“Parliament to us means helping Charleston become a place known nationally as a creative center, and as a place that inspires personal growth, cultivates and rewards creativity, embraces diversity, and creates positive economic impact,” quoted Steve Warner, of the Charleston Regional Development Alliance and Parliament board member.

The creative cluster is viable and flourishing in Charleston.

Check it Out. Get Involved. Join Parliament. Attend the next Pecha Kucha .

With Charleston’s lowcountry cuisine highlighted recently, how can Charleston’s creative community stay top of mind? Well, while we keep doing what we’re doing, here’s an idea: The New York Times travel section is now taking submissions for “Show us Your City.”  Readers have the opportunity to send in a video highlighting three favorite spots that are local “must sees” in their hometown. So grab your video camera, invoke your inner tour guide, turn on the charm, and put Charleston into the national spotlight once again. What are your favorite spots in Charleston?

This month two of the nation’s most well known newspapers, The New York Times and The L.A. Times, wrote articles lauding Charleston as a city with a vibrant culinary scene and a “food lover’s paradise.” It’s about time! While Charlestonian’s know that wherever they turn culinary delights are at their finger tips, the rest of the nation has now been let in on the secret. Case and point, the story that ran in the New York Times, “36 Hours in Charleston,” was one of the most emailed articles that week (9/9/10).

Charleston, widely associated with its deeply rooted history and Southern charm, has also been highly recognized for its lowcountry cuisine, especially of late. For the past three years, the James Beard award winners for Best Chef of the Southeast have all been based in Charleston. The reason not only has to do with the talent of these individual Chefs and their colleagues, but regionally to the overall commitment to quality and investment in the culinary arts. In Charleston, the culinary arts is the largest employer of any of the identified creative industry sub-clusters (*check out the economic report in 8/25/10 post), with 5,782 culinary employees in creative enterprises. A common principle of Charleston restaurants is to buy local and seasonally to ensure quality and freshness. Charleston’s farmer’s market, located in Marion Square was recognized by Bon Appetite magazine as one of the “Top 10 Lunches at Farmer’s Markets” in the October issue (on stands now).

According to L.A. Times writer Jessica Garrison, “we felt that immersing ourselves in the area’s cuisine had given us a deeper appreciation of the place and the culture than can be had from merely sightseeing.” But we already knew that. So make those reservations, explore new restaurants, and continue to embrace and support those that feed Charleston so deliciously well. Oh, and put those lists together for who you think will take home the James Beard award next year!