Livability takes into account a number of factors like safety, affordability, traffic, pollution and access to healthcare. It gives us some much-needed insight into the quality of life of a city — in other words, how pleasant or unpleasant it is to reside there.
And while the United States doesn’t tend to do great in global livability rankings, that doesn’t mean that you can’t find a good quality of life in its cities. Here, we’ve compiled the best U.S. cities to live in. Honorees include major coastal hubs like San Francisco and New York City, interior metropolises like St. Louis and Minneapolis and smaller cities like Charlotte.
Read on to find out the most livable cities in the U.S., which also happen to be some of America’s best places to visit.
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Bottom Line: Chicago
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Whatever inspires you to travel — architecture, food, drinks, music, shopping, nature, culture, sports, reflective bean sculptures — Chicago is guaranteed to have it.
The Windy City earned its nickname for a reason — avoid visiting Chicago in the winter, when winds from the Great Lakes bring a whole new meaning to “frigid.” The summers are gorgeous, though, with every neighborhood, from flamboyant Boystown to residential Jefferson Park, at its best.
Best Things to Do in Richmond
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One of the most popular activities for both residents and visitors is visiting the museums. There are plenty to pick from: The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, for instance, has an impressive collection and is known for its early 20th-century European works, proving you don’t have to be in New York or D.C. to see a Picasso or a Matisse. There is also the Edgar Allan Poe Museum, housed at the Old Stone House, the oldest house in the city.
A stroll down Church Hill Historic District takes you to St. John’s Episcopal Church, where Patrick Henry is said to have shouted, “Give me liberty or give me death!” during a pro-revolutionary speech. There are plenty of memorials and museums that are tied to the Civil War, but since most of them are tinged with hints of nostalgia for the Confederacy, we’d advise you to skip these altogether.
Best Things to Do in Charlotte
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For food, all you really need to do is turn any corner and go into the first place you find. This is the South, after all. But if you want an experience with your meal, head to the 7th Street Public Market, where people do an around-the-world tour of small bites from different places.
Once you’ve gotten your fill of city entertainment, have a picnic at Freedom Park, or better yet, go hiking at Crowders Mountain State Park. If you want an adrenaline rush, head to the U.S. National Whitewater Center, where you’ll be able to raft through rapids, zipline, rock climb, mountain bike and more.
