America’s 10 Most Walkable Cities
Walkscore ranks the best neighborhoods in the largest 40 cities in the US. Today’s post features the top ten cities (and neighborhoods in parenthesis). To see the rest of the most walkable cities in America, head over to Walkscore City Rankings.
What is your favorite city, or neighborhood, to walk in?
1. San Francisco (Chinatown, Financial District, Downtown)
2. New York (Tribeca, Little Italy, Soho)
3. Boston (Back-Bay Beacon Hill, South End, Fenway-Kenmore)
4. Chicago (Loop, Near North Side, Lincoln Park)
5. Philadelphia (City Center East, City Center West, Riverfront)
6. Seattle (Pioneer Square, Downtown, First Hill)
7. Washington D.C. (Dupont Circle, Logan Circle, Downtown)
8. Long Beach (Downtown, Belmont Shore, Belmont Heights)
9. Los Angeles (Mid City West, Downtown, Hollywood)
10. Portland (Pearl District, Old Town-China Town, Downtown)
If you are looking for a hotel in these Most Walkable Cities check out HotelClub , they offer great hotel deals in all of these cities, from Budget Hotels in San Francisco to Luxury Hotels in Portland.
My top 3 are Seattle, DC, and San Fran. The whole time reading this I kept trying to think of good walking cities in the south of the US, but alas there aren’t many.
In the south: only small downtown areas in smaller towns. Charleston, SC is one that comes to mind.
Savannah in Georgia is great too.
Hi!
Great post. I definitely have to second the walkability (is that a word?) of San Francisco. Just returned to Boston from San Fran a few days ago. Also, beautiful photo of Boston – that’s one of my favorite areas of the city.
I came across your blog on My Marrakesh, and will certainly be following!
-Lil’ Boozie
(a.k.a. Suz)
I have been to 8 of the 10 – very proud of myself! I did laugh when I saw San Fran because I have a vivid memory of walking from a cab to a friend’s apartment in heels and almost having to crawl down the hill because it was so steep – though that was a different neighborhood than listed above.
I’m not sure I’d consider LA walkable but Boston sure is!! good to see my home city getting some love.
@Anil, Great top 3. Have to make sure to experience these cities myself one day. As for the south, I think you’re right about that. Taylor seems to know of a few towns though.
@Taylor, I just checked out the walk score for Charleston, it said 92, walker’s paradise. http://walkscore.com/get-score.php?street=charleston&go=Go
@Tagertux, Thanks for the tip. Savannah ranks high as well, got a walk score of 86. http://walkscore.com/get-score.php?street=savannah&go=Go
@Lil’ Boozie (or Suz), Thanks for stopping by. Always nice to “meet” new readers. I’m also a fan of My Marrakech. And yes, walkability is most definitely a word.
@transienttravels, 8 out of 10, that’s impressing. I have been to one…so far. New York. Perhaps it was this street http://www.sxc.hu/photo/448724 you walked down
@Matt, I’ve read a lot of travel articles saying downtown LA is great for walking. Doesn’t beat Boston though!
it looks like you only took into consideration the largest cities in the united states. This article is very narrow minded. You should have called it where to walk in big cities
I currently live in Los Angeles, I have lived in San Fran, Portland, and New York (visited Chicago, and D.C.) and I can attest, that L.A. is probably the LEAST walkable city in the country. rent a car or take a taxi, and plan on sitting in traffic for an hour or so to get from say, Hollywood, to Manhattan beach…
I live in NYC and visit Boston and San Francisco often and agree that they are all very walkable. The only thing difficult about San Francisco is when you get to the hilly neighborhoods. Walking from Nob Hill to Union Square and back you encounter the steepest hills I’ve ever seen. Its a good thing it doesn’t snow there. Boston is so small, relatively, you can get almost anywhere by walking. Walking in NY is so great because no matter where you are there is something to see.
@jared, “Where to walk in big cities” – good idea. It wasn’t me who chose the cities though. These are the top 10 cities according to Walkscore.
@bob, The articles I read only took into account walkable neighborhoods in LA, not how to go from one place to another. So in that aspect you’re right.
@Jennifer, Thanks for commenting. I agree about NYC, sights are everywhere – from Bronx and Harlem all the way down to Battery Park, not to mention Brooklyn Heights.
Hello!
I have returned from my travels to a neighborhood that is truly amazing. It’s called The Fan and is located in Richmond, VA.
It has the the most preserved stretch of Victorian houses in the U.S. and is chock full of great restaurants, parks, etc. We have it all here, great universities, cafes, and funky and thriving art galleries, all this and the James River runs through it.
This Time in Seoul
http://www.nearandfar.wordpress.com
Hi Felicia,
Thanks for stopping by. I’ve never heard of The Fan before. Sounds like it’s worth a visit. I just checked out your blog by the way, like your photos – especially the market shots.
Some beautiful cities here. Being from New York, I know that it’s infinitely walkable. Not as scenic as some of those listed, though, but always interesting.
@The Fitness Diva, Thanks for visiting. Yes, when it comes to walking, New York beats many cities. No risk of getting bored!
I would put Washington DC among the top 5, if not top 4.
Lots of great walkable neighborhoods not mentioned, Georgetown, Adams Morgan, Capitol Hill, Foggy Bottom, Connecticut Avenue.
Most of the west side of DC is 100% walkable, add to that one o fthe greeatest public transportation systems in the nation, you really don’t even need a car in DC.
7 is a bit low for my taste.
Hi Daniel,
I had no idea Washington DC is such a great city to walk in. I hope I’ll be able to check out the neighborhoods you mentioned some day.
San Francisco is the oldest large city on the west coast and therefore was planned/designed without even an inkling of the automobile in mind. San Francisco is only walkable if you are going down hill or on the flat. Walking up Nob or Russian hill is a grueling experience even for people in decent shape.
How many other cities have steps built in to the sidewalks? its makes my hip hurt just thinking about it.
Any older small town is at least as walkable as SF. I’ll second Seattle on the list. I’m kinda surprised Downtown San Diego isn’t listed (Columbia district/Gaslamp/Old Town)
they totally missed the mark on Philadelphia. First of all, there is no City Center, east or west. In Philly, it’s called Center City, and it’s not exactly the best place to walk around. They might have been talking about Rittenhouse Square, which is lovely and is near Center City, but even the beautiful City Hall is hell for people on two feet. It’s literally completely surrounded by a four lane circle of anxious cars, taxis, and Septa buses. the Art Musuem and Ben Franklin Parkway could easily be one of the best walkable stretches in the country, if they ever get rid of the 6 lanes of traffic running right down the center of the damn thing, topped off with another hellish circle of 5 lanes right in front of the musuem, leaving tourists to scramble across the highway to get to the famous Rocky steps. I’m not even joking here. The parking lot for the musuem is inside a traffic circle, with no overpass or tunnel for pedestrians to get to the other side. And finally, there is no Riverfront in Philly. They’ve been talking about it for years, but it’s still just an abandoned strip of old docks and falling apart buildings. there is nothing glamorous down there save a short two block section at the end of South street, and even that pretty much just overlooks parking lots. Okay, so here’s my list from Philly, then. South Street and Market Street, University City, Rittenhouse Square.
@Karl, If I ever make my own list of most walkable cities, I’ll make sure to include Downtown San Diego.
@ryan, They totally did. I’m glad you could set the facts straight for us!
San Francisco as number 1??? I seem to recall several VERY tall hills.
I have, and had never thought that there is a place on planet Earth that is as beautiful as the City of New York. I feel so humbled that there are places in this world that I have no idea how magnificent they look. This is amazing!!! I need to travel more.
@Naomi, New York is beautiful indeed. Both in the sense of the beauty of certain places, neighborhoods and sights (what striked me most was the view over Manhattan at night) and the beautiful mix of people, cultures, influences and creativity – the beauty you can feel in the atmosphere as opposed to the beauty you can see.
NYC and other urban areas can be impressing, but what I feel most humbled about are the natural wonders of the world – the ones that weren’t built by humans. Truly amazing.
The top 4 are great !. I have not been to Seattle or Portland so I cannot comment on those, but of the others I am biased towards Chicago, since I actually live there. It depends on the time of the year, in the summer Chicago is walking heaven, in the winter it is just too cold.
@Sebastian, I can imagine the summers in Chicago are great for walking, but I wouldn’t say no to a long walk during the winter either. That’s what warm clothes are for. Have you seen The Weather Man with Nicholas Cage by the way? I just love that movie partly because of how beautiful Chicago looks in the winter. At least in that movie.
Chicago does look beautiful in winter, and in good winter days it is great to walk. But the problem is that the surrounding area is very flat and it is next to a huge (and beautiful) lake, so it gets very very windy. If you combine the cold with the strong winds (and humidity from the lake), it makes it feel bitterly cold, difficult for walking. But I guess, being from Sweeden, you have seen worse conditions. The summers in the city however, are glorious, specially with all of the festivals in the parks. And I did not see that movie yet.
@Sebastian, I get what you mean. But in a way I like that bitter coldness. Feels so much better to come home and curl up in the sofa with a blanket and hot chocolate (or tea) after you’ve been out in the cold. The summer is better, though. Without a doubt.
all those are beautiful cities! Being one of the most popular world visited sites of the world, New York is the great city for walking.
.-= The Travelers Zone´s last blog ..Visiting The Ancient Party Town Of Munich =-.
I agree. They’re beautiful in their own way.
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Good to hear that!
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I agree that Seattle is a great city for walking and the Pike Street Market area is fun, but Green Lake, the Burke Gilman Trail and the University of Washington and the U District and around Lake Union are much better walking venues than Pioneer Square. Another fun “walk” is inside the incredible city library, where you can literally walk the stacks. It is a very cool destination!
Thanks for these suggestions. I can see you know your Seattle. Looking forward to walk around the city myself eventually. And the library does seem cool. Only seen pictures so far. Love the architecture!
Really surprising that Vegas didn’t make the list. You can walk and sightsee tons of stuff while you’re there.
Branson Traveler´s last [type] ..How long is the Branson Strip
If so I’m looking forward to finally visit! Everyone has their own preferences so I can bet there are others who wonder why their favorite cities weren’t included.
Walking is also traveling so absolutely walking is the cheapest way to travel… but of course we are not thanking of million miles here. We don’t have much time traveling the globe so most of the time we find ourselves in the city walking in the park or in the mall. Traveling can be simple but also enjoyable. I used to say to my kinds what matter is that we find time to bond and enjoy life.
Exactly. And seeing a city on foot is a terrific way to discover places you otherwise may have missed. Going for a walk in the park is one of my favorites as well – especially if it’s lively, like Central Park or the parks by Lake Zurich in the summer.