The 9 Most Walkable Cities in the US - Internacionalesnoticias

Hoboken leads a study of walkable US cities, while West Hollywood, Boston and San Francisco stand out for pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods and local amenities.

Most Walkable US Cities: Hoboken, West Hollywood, Boston and San Francisco

Walkability matters well beyond the price of a tank of gas. A neighborhood where daily needs are close can cut car costs, support health and reduce environmental impact; it can also draw buyers who value easy access to shops, transit and public spaces. That appeal may show up in home values, says Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, which tracks walkability through its Walk Score tool. Fairweather also points to the social side: walkable streets bring people into contact with local businesses, shared spaces and neighbors. That’s a broader case for walkability than convenience alone.

To identify the most walkable US cities, we reviewed recent research, including an analysis by travel and discovery platform Only in Your State, and spoke with real estate agents, residents and tourism experts around the country.

Hoboken, New Jersey

View of Hoboken and Jersey City residential and commercial buildings from Hoboken Hudson County New Jersey USA — Hoboken sits along the Hudson River. Photo: Barry Winiker/Getty Images

Only in Your State ranks Hoboken first, giving the compact New Jersey city a Walk Score of 97—nearly a perfect mark. Its dense street grid, mixed-use buildings and plentiful public transit help explain the result. Hoboken covers about one square mile and lies just across the Hudson from Manhattan. The state’s showing is notable, too: Union City, West New York and Jersey City also made the study’s top 10.

West Hollywood, California

West Hollywood placed fourth in the analysis, with a Walk Score of 91. That’s a strong result in Los Angeles County, where public transit is limited by comparison. More than 300 restaurants, bars and coffee shops fit into a city of just under two square miles, and its walkability is especially useful around the busy nightlife district of the Sunset Strip. For visitors heading out there, being able to get around on foot is more than a lifestyle perk; it makes access to the area’s venues easier.

Boston

Boston’s appeal on foot comes from the distinct feel of its neighborhoods, says George Sarkis, CEO and cofounder of the Sarkis Team at Douglas Elliman. He describes a walk that can take you from Beacon Hill’s historic brownstones to Back Bay shops and restaurants, through the Public Garden and into the South End without seeming like a long trek. The city’s landmarks, old architecture and cobblestone streets reward exploring at walking pace. That mix of useful connections and local character is what makes Boston’s walkability more than a score.

San Francisco

San Francisco pairs a high transit score with neighborhoods many residents prefer to explore on foot. Realtor Wendy Newman, who has lived in the city since 1987 and works with Wesely & Associates, describes the small discoveries that make an ordinary outing memorable: buying groceries, stopping for coffee, noticing a Victorian home’s outlandish paint colors, greeting a familiar neighbor and finding an unexpected bookstore. The city’s mild weather makes walking in Chinatown and North Beach enjoyable throughout the year. The hills, of course, add their own demands.

New York

New York came up repeatedly in conversations with experts. Its pedestrian routes run from the cafés of Little Italy to the East River Promenade and Brooklyn Bridge Park, and the city’s grid helps people find their way. But the case for walking isn’t just about avoiding cab fares. Kate Wollman-Mahan, an agent at Christie’s International Real Estate New York, cites a city Health Dashboard figure and economist Jonathan Miller’s analysis: life expectancy in New York City is 82.3 years, compared with 77.3 years nationally. She argues that walking is woven into daily routines, from coffee runs and errands to time in the park.

Washington, DC

Washington, D.C.: A walk score of 98

Washington, D.C.’s 98 Walk Score is more than a strong number: walking is part of how visitors and residents encounter the city. The Spy Museum even created a free walking tour that connects espionage history to places around the National Mall and downtown. “We send them around the National Mall and downtown area with espionage history that happened in those exact places throughout history,” says Aliza Bran, the museum’s director of media relations. Dupont Circle, U Street, Capitol Hill, and Georgetown also stand out for walkability.

7. Chicago

Image may contain Urban City Architecture Building Cityscape Metropolis Downtown and Person — The Windy City is a certified walking city. Photo: Getty Images

Chicago’s case rests on how much visitors can reach on foot. Preply, a language-learning marketplace that studies walkability in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, ranks it first among U.S. cities. The Art Institute, Millennium Park, Cloud Gate, the Chicago Architecture Center, and the Magnificent Mile are all within a 28-minute walk of one another—roughly 2,500 steps, according to Preply communications leader Madeline Enos. The everyday test may be more telling than the tourist route. Sheldon Bishop, founder of BrewAtlas, a guide to independent specialty coffee shops, points to Chicago’s 95 specialty cafes across 41 neighborhoods. “When people can walk to get coffee, they run into neighbors, stop into the bookstore next door, and spend money on the block instead of at a drive-thru,” he says. If you’re weighing neighborhood walkability, that mix of nearby destinations and routine foot traffic says more than a ranking alone.

8. Miami

Alton road with 17th ST in Miami. Florida. — Miami is full of walkable pockets, according to local residents. Photo: Artur Debat/Getty Images

Miami’s walkability is best understood block by block. Sandra Masis, sales director at Arbor Coconut Grove, highlights Coconut Grove’s restaurants, cafés, shops, parks, and waterfront, along with its greenery and relaxed pace. “It has a sense of community that makes you want to get outside and explore,” she says. That model isn’t limited to older districts such as Coconut Grove and Little Havana. Masis says newer Brickell developments also put weight on walkability. The broader point is persuasive, though it comes with a caveat: Miami remains a car-oriented city, and walkable pockets don’t make every part of it pedestrian-friendly. As Masis puts it, “Even in a city built around cars, you can create pockets where people can comfortably live, work, and socialize on foot.”

9. Philadelphia

Philadelphia cityscape citycenter — Contemporary high-rises mingle with historic sites in Philadelphia. Photo: Ixefra/Getty Images

Philadelphia’s appeal is concentrated in a compact, history-rich core. GuruWalk, which publishes an annual ranking of cities for exploring on foot, placed it second among U.S. cities in its latest study, behind New York City. GuruWalk’s Carolina Martínez says Philadelphia draws fewer visitors than some cities on the list, yet earns strong reviews: a 4.99 average rating, with 99 percent of reviews at five stars. “Walk a few blocks through the historic district and you’re standing in front of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell,” she says. New Orleans, San Francisco, and Boston complete the top five. Rankings can’t capture every resident’s daily experience, but Philadelphia’s short distances between major sights make a convincing case for why visitors rate it so highly.

Source: Amelia Mularz · www.architecturaldigest.com