Area Accolades– There’s no doubt that, when looking at a “Best of” list, you’ll see Raleigh right near the top. To toot our own horn, a few of our recent accolades include being named “America’s Best City” by Businessweek.com, “Most Educated City in America” by Men’s Health and “Healthiest City for Women” by Women’s Health… not to mention GQ named us one of “America’s Coolest Towns” and Southern Living named us one of the “Top 10 Tastiest Towns in the South.” Discover for yourself why North Carolina’s capital city is praised in the press as one of the best places in the nation to live, work and play.

• 2015
  • #3 Among Best Metro Areas for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Professionals (Raleigh MSA) – WalletHub, January 2015
  • Among America’s 100 Best Beer Bars 2015 (Busy Bee Cafe, Raleigh) – Draft, January 2015
  • Among America’s 100 Best Beer Bars 2015 (Raleigh Times Bar, Raleigh) – Draft, January 2015
  • Among Cities to Watch in 2015 (Raleigh) – Urbanful, January 2015
  • #2 Among The Fastest-Growing Minority Cities in America for Hispanics (Raleigh) – Brookings Institution, January 2015
  • #2 Among The Fastest-Growing Minority Cities in America for Asians (Raleigh) – Brookings Institution, January 2015
  • #6 Among The Fastest-Growing Minority Cities in America for Blacks (Raleigh) – Brookings Institution, January 2015

• 2014
• • 2014 Reader’s Choice Award (Greater Raleigh CVB) – ConventionSouth, December 2014
  • #9 Among The Best Airports in America: Readers’ Choice Awards 2014 (RDU International Airport) – Condé Nast Traveler, November 2014
  • Among 2014 Award of Excellence Winners (Greater Raleigh CVB) – Corporate & Incentive Travel, November 2014
  • #7 Among America’s Smartest Cities (Raleigh) – Forbes, November 2014
  • Among The 50 Best Things To Eat Right Now: Chocolate to Die For (Videri Chocolate Factory, Raleigh) – GQ, November 2014
  • Among Best Cocktails in America (“Gone to Carolina” at Second Empire Restaurant & Tavern, Raleigh) – Restaurant Hospitality, November 2014
  • Named Best Pizzeria in N.C. (Trophy Brewing Company, Raleigh) – Thrillist, November 2014
  • #3 Among Best U.S. Cities for College Students – Mid-Size Metros (Raleigh-Cary) – American Institute for Economic Research, October 2014
  • Among America’s 10 Best Cocktail Bars (Fox Liquor Bar, Raleigh) – Fodor’s Travel, September 2014
  • #8 Among 50 Most Stunning University Gardens and Arboreta (J.C. Raulston Arboretum at North Carolina State University, Raleigh) – Best Masters Programs, September 2014
  • 2014 Gold Service Award (Greater Raleigh CVB) – Meetings & Conventions, September 2014
  • #8 Among America’s 50 Best Cities to Live (Cary) – 24/7 Wall St., September 2014
  • #2 Among 2014’s Most Educated Cities (Raleigh MSA) – WalletHub, September 2014
  • #1 Among The U.S. Cities Attracting The Most Families (Raleigh MSA) – Forbes, September 2014
  • #3 Among Best Up-and-Coming Cities for Art and Culture (Raleigh) – Women’s Health, September 2014
  • #2 Among America’s 15 Best Cities for Young Professionals (Raleigh) – Forbes, August 2014
  • Among 100 Best Restaurants in the South (Poole’s Diner, Raleigh) – Southern Living, August 2014
  • Among 100 Best Restaurants in the South (Stanbury, Raleigh) – Southern Living, August 2014
  • Among America’s Coolest Cities 2014 (Raleigh) – Forbes, August 2014
  • #4 Among Top 10 Happiest Metropolitan Areas (Raleigh) – University of British Columbia, July 2014
  • #1 Among The Best Places for Business and Careers 2014 (Raleigh) – Forbes, July 2014
  • Among The South’s 101 Largest Expo Halls (Raleigh Convention Center) – ConventionSouth, July 2014
  • Among Sweet 16 Finalists in Pilsner’s Best Bar in America (The Raleigh Times Bar, Raleigh) – Draft Magazine, July 2014
  • Among South’s Secret Havens for Healthcare Groups (Cary) – ConventionSouth, July 2014
  • #3 Among 50 Top Swim Cities (Raleigh-Durham-Cary) – USA Swimming, July 2014
  • Among The 20 Best College Traditions in the U.S. (Krispy Kreme Challenge, Raleigh) – Business Insider, July 2014
  • #3 Among 10 Least Stressed Out Cities (Raleigh) – CNNMoney, June 2014
  • #6 Among Top 20 Coffee Shops in America (Joule Coffee, Raleigh) – USA TODAY, June 2014
  • Among the 33 Best Beer Bars in the Country (Brewmasters Bar and Grill, Raleigh) – Thrillist, June 2014
  • Among Six Races That Are Sure to Make You Hurl (Krispy Kreme Challenge, Raleigh) – Men’s Health, May 2014
  • #3 Among 13 Music Festivals You Should Actually Attend This Summer (Hopscotch, Raleigh) – The Huffington Post, May 2014
  • Among 2014 Playful City U.S.A. Communities (Garner) – KaBOOM!, May 2014
  • Among 2014 Playful City U.S.A. Communities (Raleigh) – KaBOOM!, May 2014
  • Among 10 New U.S. Breweries to Watch, from D.C. to California (White Street Brewing Company, Wake Forest) – Bon Appétit, May 2014
  • 2014 Pinnacle Award (Greater Raleigh CVB) – Successful Meetings, May 2014
  • Among 10 Best City Art Districts Around the U.S.A. (Warehouse District, Raleigh) – USA TODAY, May 2014
  • Named Best Chef in the Southeast (Ashley Christensen) – James Beard Foundation, May 2014
  • Among Three N.C. String Towns, places to hear and play traditional tunes (Raleigh) – Our State, May 2014
  • Among Summer 2014’s 40 Must-See Music Festivals (Hopscotch, Raleigh) – Rolling Stone, April 2014
  • 2014 National Medal for Museum and Library Service (North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh) – Institute of Museum and Library Services, April 2014
  • Silver Medal in American-style Black Ale Category (Black IPA at Lynnwood Brewing Concern, Raleigh) – World Beer Cup, April 2014
  • Gold Medal in German-style Kölsch/Köln-style Kölsch Category (Kölsch-style Ale at White Street Brewing Company, Wake Forest) – World Beer Cup, April 2014
  • #7 Among North America’s Top 10 Regional Airports (RDU International Airport) – Skytrax, April 2014
  • #3 Among 10 Fastest Growing Cities (Raleigh) – CNNMoney, March 2014
  • Among South’s Best Destination Apps/Mobile Sites (Greater Raleigh CVB) – ConventionSouth, March 2014
  • Among 15 Themed Races That You’ll Actually Want To Run (Krispy Kreme Challenge, Raleigh) – BuzzFeed, March 2014
  • Among Dining in 50 States: Top Restaurants Worth Traveling For (Lucky 32, Cary) – FlipKey, March 2014
  • Among 14 Most Transformational Wellness Destinations Around the World (The Umstead Spa, Cary) – Town & Country, March 2014
  • #6 Among Top 10 U.S. Value Destinations (Raleigh) – Hotwire, March 2014
  • Among The South’s Best Cheap Eats Under $10 (Chuck’s, Raleigh) – Southern Living, February 2014
  • Among The South’s Best Cheap Eats Under $10 (Garland, Raleigh) – Southern Living, February 2014
  • #5 Among Eight Emerging Tech Hubs You Should Pay Attention To (Raleigh) – TransferWise, February 2014
  • Among Five Hottest New Coffee Spots in the U.S. (Joule Coffee, Raleigh) – Food & Wine, February 2014
  • #2 Among America’s 20 Fastest-Growing Cities (Raleigh) – Forbes, February 2014
  • #13 Among The 15 U.S. Cities that are Driving the Future (Raleigh-Cary) – Business Insider, January 2014
  • #7 Among 20 Hottest Coffee Shops Across the U.S. Right Now (Joule Coffee, Raleigh) – Eater, January 2014
  • Among 100 Best Bars in the South (Poole’s Diner, Raleigh) – Southern Living, January 2014
  • #14 Among 50 Most Beautiful Libraries in the World (James B. Hunt Jr. Library, Raleigh) – Best Value Schools, January 2014
  • #9 Among U.S. Regions to Watch in 2014 (Raleigh) – Forbes, January 2014
  • Among America’s 100 Best Beer Bars 2014 (Busy Bee Cafe, Raleigh) – Draft, January 2014
  • Among America’s 100 Best Beer Bars 2014 (The Raleigh Times Bar, Raleigh) – Draft, January 2014