According to the U.S. Census, the South is the place to be. Not only is it the most populous region in the country, it accounted for 87% of our country’s growth in 2023. Plus, the South is the only region that maintained population growth during the pandemic. Visit any of the places on this year’s Best Cities On the Rise list and you’ll quickly understand why.
These reader-selected cities have excellent food scenes, cool yet quaint downtown districts, incredible natural beauty, thriving arts communities, and the warmth our region is known for. And they’re not done growing. Each one has exciting new projects on the horizon, like a minor-league baseball stadium in Spartanburg, South Carolina, entertainment districts in Huntsville, Alabama and Alpharetta, Georgia, and even economic development, like electric vehicle manufacturing in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
How did we come up with the list? Southern Living editors compiled a large list of cities based on research, reporting, and our own experiences. Then, our readers selected their top picks in our annual South’s Best Awards survey. The result is a diverse mix of large and small cities, and each one has something different to offer. Whether you’re looking for a new place to live or somewhere fun to visit, you’ll find plenty of options here.
South’s Best Voting Process
An online survey was conducted by third-party agency Proof Insights among Southern Living consumers, asking them to rate their favorite places across the South for the South’s Best Awards 2024. The survey was fielded from July 12 to August 23, 2023, and had over 20,000 respondents.
25. Dover, Delaware
With a 300-plus year history, Delaware’s capital has changed quite a bit since its early days as the appointed court town for Kent County. It still houses the Delaware Supreme Court, but may be about to embark on its biggest season of change yet. In 2023, the Downtown Dover Partnership presented a redevelopment plan called Capital City 2030 that will transform the area with a proposed multimodal transportation hub, 100,000 square feet of commercial space, 20 acres of greenspace, 1,000 residential units, and a half-mile riverwalk to be built over the next decade.
Explore Southern Living’s 7 Best Things To Do In Dover, Delaware, here.
Read the rest of Southern Living’s The South’s Best Cities On The Rise 2024 here.
Cutting the ribbon at the new Springhill Suites by Marriott in Frederica Aug. 22 is Michael Meoli, third from right, with his family, business partners, and leaders from town, county and state governments. Meoli is president of Meoli Companies and principal owner of Asbury Hospitality LLC. Ben Mace, Delaware News Journal
New hotel first of several businesses planned near DE Turf sports complex in Kent County
A new hotel on Route 1 in Frederica will be the first of what could be multiple developments catering to the thousands of visitors each year at the DE Turf sports complex in central Kent County.
The grand opening was held Tuesday for SpringHill Suites by Marriott, an 86-room hotel with a conference/banquet room with a capacity for 66 people, an indoor pool, exercise room and upscale lobby with artwork, tables, chairs, couches and televisions.
“This hotel represents the next iteration of what DE Turf is designed to do: spur economic growth here in Kent County,” said Michael Meoli, president of Meoli Cos., which owns hotels and McDonald’s restaurants in Delaware and Maryland.
On Route 1 south across from the sports complex, the hotel’s address is 208 Dominus Drive at Exit 83, an exit that could soon be the home of restaurants, gas stations, convenience stores and retail stores.
The hotel is part of Asbury Square, about 22 acres that Meoli’s company is developing with six other commercial “pad sites.” One other business already under construction is Empire Wine & Spirits, which also has a store in Middletown. Meoli is the principal owner of Asbury Hospitality LLC, and his partners in Asbury Square are John Paradee and Mike Koppenhaver.
Meoli said what initially drew his attention to the Frederica site was DE Turf. Then the highway interchange with the exit and overpass was built for easy access to and from the sports facility. The third factor was Bayhealth’s new Sussex Campus hospital nearby in Milford with the addition of Nemours Children’s Health.
“With those generating demand, you could see this area needs lodging,” Meoli said. “And we’ll also have guests who are visiting Delaware and traveling through the state.”
The hotel employs a staff of about 25.
Those numbers already sound good to Frederica Mayor William “Chick” Glanden, who said the hotel signals the tip of the iceberg as far as new businesses in the area.
“We need jobs, especially for young people, and this will also help our town’s tax base,” Glanden said.
In the 20 years he’s been mayor, the two biggest development projects in town limits are these Asbury Square plans and a new 285-home home neighborhood, which could boost the town’s population by 50% or more, he said. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population at 1,100 in 2022.
Meoli expects the Frederica area near DE Turf to “really take off in the next five to seven years. We’re just on the front end of it.”
Sports facility operates 42 weeks each year
Bill Strickland, chairman of the DE Turf board, said the sports complex was envisioned to be a catalyst for economic growth in Kent County and the new hotel is “the next step in the realization of that vision.”
Opening in 2017, DE Turf now holds sports tournaments and instructional programs 42 weeks a year, primarily on weekends with some week-long sessions. The facility has 12 artificial turf fields, all with lights.
The primary sports at the facility are soccer, lacrosse, field hockey and flag football. Teams have come to play from more than 30 states.
Strickland credited the county leaders who advocated for the sports complex including Linda Parkowski, executive director of the Kent Economic Partnership, who received multiple requests for a sports tournament venue when she was state director of tourism.
She called DE Turf a “field of dreams” and said, “For me, today is about courage.”
She thanked Meoli and his partners for their courage in being the first to develop property near the sports complex, the Kent Levy Court commissioners for having courage to sign a long-term lease for the sports facility, and the DE Turf leaders for the courage to persevere in the face of numerous obstacles.
As an example of how the sports complex is driving visitors to the hotel, during a tournament in November, the hotel is already 80% booked with rooms going for as much as $330 per night.
Strickland credited the county leaders who advocated for the sports complex including Linda Parkowski, executive director of the Kent Economic Partnership, who received multiple requests for a sports tournament venue when she was state director of tourism.
She called DE Turf a “field of dreams” and said, “For me, today is about courage.”
She thanked Meoli and his partners for their courage in being the first to develop property near the sports complex, the Kent Levy Court commissioners for having courage to sign a long-term lease for the sports facility, and the DE Turf leaders for the courage to persevere in the face of numerous obstacles.
As an example of how the sports complex is driving visitors to the hotel, during a tournament in November, the hotel is already 80% booked with rooms going for as much as $330 per night.
DE Turf Brings Sports, Community Together in Central Delaware
In this DPP video, DE Turf Executive Director Angie Eliason shares how access and a central location attracts teams and families from all over the state, region and beyond to Delaware.
Kent County Levy Court, Central Delaware Chamber of Commerce and Kent County Tourism have launched a new $3 million grant program for Kent County small businesses. Grant funds are available for small businesses with 100 or fewer full-time employees who had established operations in Kent County during calendar years 2020 and 2019 and are in still in operation today. Grant funds can be used to directly support the operation of the business.
A similar $2 million grant program was also launched for Kent County hotel and banquet/meeting facilities. Eligible organizations include hoteliers and for-profit banquet/meeting facilities with established operations in Kent County during calendar years 2020 and 2019 who are still in operation today.
Both grant programs are currently accepting applications. The deadline to apply is March 31, 2022, or when funds are exhausted for the grant programs.
