TO WELCOME ALMOS Y REGION! CIT AL APIT T HEAVEN C TORIC … HIS , HIP GINIA’S WEST VIR West Virginia State Capitol SITTING ATOP AN ANCIENT ocean and nestled amid lush hillsides, Charleston is a city of delightful surprises. During the past decade, historic homes and buildings have beckoned young creatives, who are trans-forming downtown districts with hip art galleries, vinyl record stores, boutique shops and independent restaurants, like those found in the charm-ing Bridge Road Shops . A historic destination with a fresh edge, this river city is not alone in its unique appeal. The entire Kanawha Valley – Charleston, South Charleston, Dunbar, 2 charlestonwv.com St. Albans and Nitro – is really an inviting collection of small-town main streets reinventing themselves into unique neighborhoods ripe for visitors who prefer off-the-beaten path destinations. But don’t just take our word for it. This gritty “from the hip” ap-proach is being recognized in national publications like The Washington Post and Southern Living , too. The area’s renewal has also been sparked by hundreds of millions of dollars of new public and private investment in recent years. Visitors are welcomed by new and refur-bished hotels, restaurants with outdoor dining, the arrival of Uber and Lyft, improved green spaces, a new sports multiplex on the way and a stunning $100 million convention center and coliseum that will “take back” its river view with huge glass expanses and bountiful outdoor space. A Region Full of Surprises Recently named by readers of WV Living magazine as the state’s Best Arts Town, Charleston and its sister cities host a plethora of art galleries, public art and the area’s
Charleston Area Travel Planner Charleston Travel Planner 2018: Page 2
