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Author:
Cristi Kempf
Walk Score says San Francisco’s Downtown-Union Square area is one of the most walkable neighborhoods in the second most walkable U.S. city.
Want to live like a local while in a new city for a meeting or event? Experts say the best way to do that is to put on a pair of comfy shoes and get moving. And you may want to start in Manhattan’s Little Italy, NoHo, and Nolita — neighborhoods that fueled New York City’s rise to the top of “The 10 Most Walkable Cites in the U.S.” as compiled by Walk Score and reported by SmarterTravel.
Here’s the full list:
- New York City
- San Francisco: You may want to work out before your visit to ace all of the hills, but if you’re game, the most walkable neighborhoods here, Walk Score says, are Chinatown, Downtown-Union Square, and Lower Nob Hill.
- Boston: The city’s compact core and natural beauty make walking a pleasure, with Chinatown-Leather District, North End, and Bay Village singled out as among the best places to stroll.
- Miami: If you can drag yourself away from the beach, Downtown, Wynwood-Edgewater, and Little Havana are seen as great places for walkers to explore.
- Philadelphia: Make like Rocky and take off on foot here, with Walk Score pointing out Center City West, Avenue of the Arts South, and Rittenhouse Square as particularly walkable districts.
- Chicago: You may want to skip it in the winter, but Chicago is home to some beautiful places to walk, including along Lake Michigan and the Chicago River. Neighborhoods highlighted for their walkability are the Near North Side, West Loop, and East Ukrainian Village.
- Washington, D.C.: Have you already done the National Mall? If so, Walk Score recommends Dupont Circle, U Street, and Downtown-Penn Quarter-Chinatown as other neighborhoods that are easy to navigate on two feet.
- Seattle: In America’s coffee capital, you’ve got plenty of places to stop in to fuel your explorations in Downtown, Pioneer Square, and First Hill.
- Oakland: With a “bustling waterfront bar scene,” San Francisco’s sister city earns high marks for its compact Downtown, Koreatown Northgate or KONO, and Temescal neighborhoods.
- Long Beach: L.A. may not be known as a walking town, but just 20 miles south you’ll find that Long Beach has particularly pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods: the Downtown, Saint Mary, and Franklin School areas.
Cristi Kempf is executive editor at Convene.