By Lydia Mansel of Southern Living
I can’t remember a time when Charlottesville wasn’t on my radar—I nearly went to the University of Virginia for my undergraduate degree before enrolling in the College of William & Mary. But it wasn’t until I was a full-fledged adult that I got the chance to really explore the city. After living outside the Commonwealth for a decade, I finally decided to move a little closer to home, and I based myself in Charlottesville, right in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Its combination of a small-town atmosphere—local coffee shops, walkable neighborhoods, and a sense of camaraderie solidified by the university—big-city amenities, and easy access to nature is truly unparalleled; there’s nowhere else like it in Virginia. While I’ve since relocated to Roanoke, another city on this list, Charlottesville isn’t done with me quite yet. I’ll be back time and time again for performances at John Paul Jones Arena, polo matches at King Family Vineyards, and chats with life-long friends over coffee at Belle and Cumbre.
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