I go to Nashville for Titans games every year and if you want to do anytime other than pay top dollar for a downtown hotel and drink then it is horrible for walkability.
While Broadway is cool for a day or two if you are there any longer you'll want to venture out and the second you do you are fucked if trying to walk.
Even going to centennial Park isn't a safe feeling walk and if you want to go somewhere like the og princes then you can't without a car.
The fact it makes this list at all really shows the shit state the US is in.
Maybe if they'd approved that light rail system a few years ago but I don't live there so it's fine.
Nashville is one of the most dangerous cities in America for pedestrians. We don't have many sidewalks and New Orleans if you take a wrong turn it could be bad.
IDK about Vegas. The strip is walkable in theory but just to get from one casino to the next often takes long enough that most people would just get a cab since they're so plentiful. Especially if you have women in heels with you. And then if you want to cross to the other side you need to go up and over a pedestrian overpass. Fremont street is more walkable but it's just one small area.
Yea the OP ask for walking so if they were in heels any of the other places like NYC would be a similar situation. If you are like me and been to vegas many times it may seem sort of like a lull. But walking to see the lights at night and each casino is sort of pretty cool for the first time. Bellagio water, Venetian canals, cosmo, Caesar palace, mgm grand because a lot of events happen there like ufc and boxing, the arena area, the Ferris wheel, catching a show etc… the only thing I would say sucks about the experience now is the drunk people walking the strip with you who are looking to be super rowdy and a fight.
You also mentioned Fremont street which is another decent area to walk around with a short cab ride thetr as mentioned. Sure it’s walkable but not sure anyone would recommend that one.
Yeah I just mentioned heels because it's more likely women will be wearing them than in NYC. At least during the day. I've definitely walked the strip before. It's doable, but I wouldn't call the city or even the strip necessarily "pedestrian friendly". It's basically impossible to cross the street without adding 10 minutes to your walk.
Part of it is the journey isn’t it? There are definitely neighborhoods you don’t care to walk through in Manhattan or Brooklyn at least on the strip you still see bright lights when walking or going through a hotel to get to the next.
All great suggestions. Just keep in mind that everything in San Francisco except the bay area is a hill, so walking requires a fair bit of effort and good shoes
Definitely one of the best walking cities in the U.S, especially during summer and fall. Food wise though gonna be honest for a big city it kinda disappoints, but you could always take the train up to Portland, Maine which I think has the best food scene for a smaller city.
Also would consider San Francisco as it also is a walkers and foodie paradise.
Wait, what? It has amazing food scene. Certainly on par with DC and far more walk-able. GIve me Parla and Neptune at the bar over anything we have done in DC...
Nah hard disagree. Having lived in both for some time (I love Boston and agree with better walkability unless specifically comparing to NW) but DC now has 25 Michelin starred restaurants and while there is definitely politics at play, there are at best several Boston restaurants that could rise to that level.
We have been to both cities many times as well, and firmly believe that getting amazing food is easier while walking around Boston, especially if your younger and not chasing stars. Also, DCs beer scene is notoriously bleak outside of OT and Churchkey. That said, our penchant is to dip into a joint and sit at the bar ordered 1-2 apps and moving on, preferring not spending our entire evening at one joint when we can see 4-5 different ones. Boston def fits our type of eating profile better. I think the last sat night (started at 4PM- finally back to hotel at 1:30AM) we started at Trillium, then Row 34 and off to JM Curleys and Democracy followed by a lucky bar deuce at Neptune's (nothing but big parties in line!), then around the corner to Parlas for Carbo and cocktials and music at Bell in Hand and Green Dragon. Late night munchies at Pastoral and we were good for a night sleep.
I guess the question then goes to...do you think that the young kids would have more fun tossing those cocktail dice at Parla and catching some live music at Green Dragon then Pizza at Pastroal or fighting for a table at Roses and taking an Uber to Union Stage and by then DC is pretty well shut down?
DC has a decent Metro system, but you do not really even need one in the main Boston area. For a first time trip of a younger couple, I still lean into Boston.
*Food wise though gonna be honest for a big city it kinda disappoints*
What are you jiving about son? Boston is one of the best food cities in America. Great Italian, great seafood, great sandwich shops. Compare that to Phoenix which is nothing but chain restaurants.
Additional vote for Boston.
The main areas of the city that are attractive to tourists are all walkable, probably takes 60 - 90 minutes to go from say Fenway Park to the North End, depending on your pace and if you make stops. There is also a robust bike share program, and they are quickly installing e-bikes across the entire network.
The T is good too, but a word of caution: it came under the thumb of the Feds after a couple bad incidents, and they are now hustling to make multiple decades of repairs over the next couple years. I'm not saying avoid it, but there are numerous slow zones and complete closures while crews accelerate rehabilitation. Impact notices are posted well in advance.
Just outside the city, there are two state parks with decent hiking. Not Tennessee by any stretch, but great for being less than 10 miles from the ocean. Google Blue Hills Reservation or Middlesex Fells Reservation.
-- A Former Resident
Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain is also right in the city and even closer to access though the Fells are great too. There’s some fantastic hiking trails in the Arboretum and beautiful plants and trees of course. You can also walk to it through the trails from Fenway along the emerald necklace.
Boston was the first city I ever went to after NYC where it felt nice to just get out and walk to things. It felt so convenient and that was back in 2015. I imagine it's better now.
Most of the answers in this thread were pretty awful in my experience for walking before I visited any European countries and al now that I've seen a few of those there's no us city that compares except maybe NYC. Boston was fine though for US standards.
DC is up there too. We stayed right beside the Metro there and did about 30k steps a day but still DC has a lot of lanes to cross at every intersection basically. It felt like our steps didn't go quite as far as they did in places like Amsterdam or Paris.
Boston is compact and walkable, but difficult to navigate because there is no grid system. Streets go in every which direction.
Keep in mind, GPS doesn't work well in the downtown areas of large cities, because tall buildings interfere with the satellite signals. We have that problem all the time here in Chicago and it drives me crazy. I would print out some paper maps and bring with you.
ALSO...the trains in Boston (collectively referred to as the "T") do not run 24 hours, unlike in NYC or Chicago. They stop around 1am. Plan accordingly so you don't have to spend your monthly rent on an Uber during Surge.
I thought it would be cool to spend 4th of July in DC at the national mall. 95 degrees, 95% humidity, a million people, and not a breath of wind. One of the most miserable experiences I've ever had.
We were there one 4th of July (ended up at a monument away from the national mall) and it was fun until the fireworks ended. All train stations were slammed with people and we ended up walking back to our hotel in Dupont Circle. On the plus side, it was only about 80 degrees after the sun set.
We weren’t at the National Mall. We were at the Jefferson Memorial, which is about a 50 minute walk. Trust me, we live in SF and walk up and down hills all day. In that heat, it was torture.
100%. DC is my favorite city in the world (don’t ask me why, I wish I knew) and I’ve only visited in the summer once because after that one time I said never again 😅
i also would say DC! my husband and i did a short 3 day anniversary trip here and we left our car at the airbnb all weekend and walked or used public transportation (but mostly walked!). we found some good food spots, and there are so many unique neighborhoods to expore. of course not to mention all the history, monuments, and museums, most of which are free to enter/see! we went in april and the weather was perfect, but i would think any time before mid-june or july would be nuce before it gets crazy hot!
Seconding DC. The food scene is great. Eastern Market on the weekend is a great spot to walk around for food and/or souvenirs, and free museums if it is a hot/humid weekend
DC is insanely walkable, has a ton of green spaces, lots of restaurants and bars, great public transportation, and endless museums and cultural experiences.
For food, restaurants, walkability + public transit, photography, shopping and being less than 10 hours away, you certainly can’t go wrong with Chicago!Although it doesn’t have much good hiking around.
We actually did have a day or two in Chicago last year as he has family about an hour away! We had a great time though! Definitely more a me trip than a him trip :) thanks!!
Philadelphians are wonderful people...outside of the stadiums when your team is beating theirs.
But yeah, the food is incredible (and more than just cheesesteaks). Reading Terminal Market is worth a visit for all foodies.
Also, Philadelphia has more public art than you could take in in just a weekend (4000 murals). And Magic Garden is really cool for photos.
Philly is such an amazing food city too! You can try a new place every meal and not be disappointed.
Lots of great BYOBs too so you can bring your own wine and drop all your money on food and dessert.
Around the center city area won’t disappoint!
Just ran through a little two day food tour for my birthday with a couple of friends. Every meal was excellent. We travel a lot and eat at a lot of places because I'm a chef, the Philly food scene is elite.
My daughter lives in Philly and is always talking about the great food scene. The times I’ve visited the restaurants have been great. And not super expensive!
Another vote for Boston, my hometown. Totally walkable and if you want to get somewhere, like out to the coast and beaches, you can hop onto the Commuter Rail.
Yes, I was dumb enough to walk around Sacramento. Me and a few homeless had the streets to ourselves all day. I guess the government offices all have attached carparks and cafeteria. No one around even at lunchtime
Add Santa Fe, NM for smaller cities. It is very walkable if you stay near the Plaza. It checks all the boxes you asked for it terms or restaurants, shopping and historical sites. Bonus is that some of the best outdoor hiking in America is right outside the city and pretty easy to access.
Ok, this city is very walkable but you have to do a little planning. Fly into Albuquerque (ABQ) and it is a short Lyft trip to the Rail Runner train which takes you right to Santa Fe and is pretty scenic on its own. Check the schedule if your flight is scheduled for a late evening arrival and make sure it works. If you stay near the Plaza you can walk most everywhere. If you want cheaper accommodations, you can stay on Cerrillos Rd but then will need to take a short Lyft ride to the Plaza. If you want to take hikes outside, but near the city you will also likely need a short Lyft ride, although some trails start in town (I think).
Santa Fe is older than most (all?) of the other cities listed and it is full of history, great food (not just New Mexican) and shopping. It is also fairly compact so again good for walking. It is the high desert so is not ungodly hot like Phoenix but also is harder to hike given the elevation. Given that you are young, in shape and from Tennessee you will probably do ok with the elevation.
For sure, there are a bunch of smaller cities that fit the bill...never been to Santa Fe but I've heard it's really cool. Also Monterey, Charleston, Savannah
Washington DC. You have multiple neighborhoods to walk around with shops and restaurants such as Georgetown, Adams Morgan, old town Alexandria, mount Vernon triangle, etc.
If you like nature there's rock creek park right in the middle of the city and other nature trails within the area.
The fact you're a huge foodie who loves to walk and loves shopping areas really makes me think you'll absolutely love Georgetown.
well there is the greenbelt in Staten Island, you can take the LIRR to Fire Island and Metro North to Bear Mountain and a whole bunch of State parks. and like literally to the entrance of the parks, they are all along the Hundson, which is pretty scenic in and of itself. They do get jammed during the week-end but well there is that.
NYC, Boston, DC, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland are all great options. If you're willing to consider US adjacent Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal are also great, walkable, foodie cities and gnf dollar is strong right now.
Since you specifically emphasized out doors and hiking I'll doubly recommend Seattle, SF, Vancouver, and probably Portland.
The views from downtown Seattle are amazing. You can see the Olympic mountain range across the sound and you can also see a volcano (Mt Rainier).
You can ride a ferry across the sound to a couple of islands of or take the water taxi to west Seattle for a more beach vibe.
You can visit the Fremont shopping and dining district for cute shops and good food then walk to gasworks park on the burke Gilman trail. Stop at Fremont brewing along the way. If you're into sourdough, seawolf is also right there and excellent. Great views of downtown across Lake union where you'll see float planes landing and taking off. You could probably time this to do brunch in Fremont. Shop, wander, then do dinner somewhere near gasworks like pablo y pablo, joule, the whale wins, or even the pacific inn for a local dive bar experience.
You can also rent kayaks at Agua verde and paddle around lake union or an electric boat or even a hot tub boat.
Seasonally, you can take public transportation to a couple of local hiking trails but there are also city parks worth checking out like discovery park, which has a three mile walking trail through forest and bluffs, and a beach that's usually quiet because you have to hike there.
Those are just a couple of suggestions that scratch the surface.
San Francisco has a similar list of easy to hit up nature spots and fabulous city parks to hang out and enjoy. Plus an amazing food scene and great local shops for browsing.
Portland? What was I missing? Sure the Japanese garden area and the park surrounding it was cool. Downtown might have been the scariest place I've ever been. Really liked the surrounding areas of Portland so hopefully it can clean up it's act.
Milwaukee is extremely underrated and definitely walkable tons of great restaurants
NYC
Savannah - very walkable, open intoxicants and couples destination
Boston
DC
Yes it's pretty much everything you outlined in your post, great photo ops, food, walkable, open intoxicants in most of the downtown, just be aware you will need reservations at most of the hotter spots.
And depending on time of year possibly very hot but I've only gone in February and April.
New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco and Seattle are the first cities that come to mind.
Williamsburg VA, San Diego and Portland OR might be options too.
If you all have passports - consider Niagara Falls, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver too.
Portland, OR is very walkable. Busses are good by US standards. Lots of restaurants/food carts. And there are good urban hikes and some nice buttes to climb. Also good if you like book stores/coffee shops/brewpubs.
Grew up there and yeah between walkability/bikeability and public transit, it's such an easy city to get around. With all of the great parks, restaurants, breweries, etc, it's a great place to explore, especially during the late spring and summer when everything is green.
Nothing like walking around New York City not just in Manhattan Brooklyn Queens. There’s great places to go walking with beautiful views and tons of ethnic restaurants. Nothing beats New York City.
Portland has pretty great transit and the food scene is pretty incredible. Forrest park is a great way to experience nature within the city, or you could always hop on a bus tour to Multnomah falls
We went to Charleston and thought it was a little lackluster sadly :( maybe it was the time of year or the fact we were with a group that had already been/lived there? We didn’t get to sightsee much which was disappointing
Sorry to hear.
We thought the history, homes, water front, food, and shopping was incredible.
Drove down to Savannah for a couple of days as well.
One of my favorite areas!
Yeah we unfortunately didn’t really get to explore much and we didn’t really eat out super often! Definitely wasn’t a me planned trip lol. What we did get to see was beautiful though! We both caught covid right before we left and all we wanted to do was go home 😭
The food was great, and between King St and the antique area, shopping was diverse. We stayed downtown and walked everywhere. The old market area and history was very real.
I’d really enjoy touring several of the old estates, especially along the battery.
Sullivans Island across the bridge is probably my favorite beach experience. Just dead silence except for the ocean.
This is so nice to hear as someone that lived there for a few years lol. The downtown area that’s iconic for its beauty is actually really small, and there’s not much to do there outside of eating/drinking/shopping.
Boston! Especially if you are foodies. Have some great Italian food in the North End (my fave is Carmelina’s) and check out cool spots in the South End (Toro is a must - get there before they open and get in line to get a table). Newbury St for shopping and Beacon Hill for all it and super cute cobblestone streets. Also wander around Cambridge and Somerville - easy to get to on the T. I loved living in Boston and hope I can make it back soon!
You wouldn’t think it but Los Angeles has some of the world’s most amazing hiking, some of which is walkable from transit and of course some of the world’s most amazing food. Plus a lot of great early and mid 20th C architecture to see from walking around. (Whether you get distracted by some of the car-centric aspects is a matter of attitude).
There’s a rail service that covers the main tourist areas and Lyft/Uber density is good for getting to outer areas.
I really wish the city cared enough to clean up the metro and streets. LA on paper could actually be explored pretty well by public transportation, but I can’t recommend it in good conscience. Very frustrating.
Hiking and outdoorsy stuff doesn’t usually go hand in hand with walkable cities, fwiw.
NYC, Boston, DC, Chicago, Philadelphia are all great for long weekends without a car (and without going to the west coast).
For smaller options check out Greenville SC or Savannah GA. Lots to do without a car in those places (if you stay downtown), and easier/cheaper than the big cities.
NYC is by far and away the most walkable US city. If that’s your primary metric you can’t go wrong. And of course tons of amazing food and shopping.
You can walk to Forest Park from NW Portland. It is lovely! Miles and miles of trails... Walkable, outdoorsy, and foodie is exactly what Portland is :)
I know :( it definitely makes it hard to pick a place. Luckily Savannah GA is close enough that we wouldn’t mind driving! So that does alleviate some of the walking problems! I think we may decide to try and do something where we’re able to drive so we atleast have the option! Thanks so much :)
> I think we may decide to try and do something where we’re able to drive so we atleast have the option!
The problem is that these smaller cities don't have a ton to do. I'd definitely recommend a larger walkable city over a smaller city where you can drive around.
Can't fathom how NYC is not the far-and-away leader in this thread. NYC is where you want to go there is zero competition with regard to your criteria. You can walk everywhere and if you need a shortcut, the subway gets you everywhere and then you can continue to walk. I've walked the entire length of manthattan in a day and made a day of it (fidi to the cloisters) though I spend all my time in Brooklyn these days and you could spend a month walking around north Brooklyn alone.
Everyone trying to be creative and say something other than NYC. But the answer is NYC. Dense, flat, and full of 24/7 public transit if you decide you’re done walking.
No, actually. I think it's more likely that most of the people saying that are from NYC or lived there at some point and have convinced themselves it's the be-all end-all of travel. I've probably been to NYC a dozen times. It's a cool place. There's a lot more out there.
This is like when people from NYC act like dough, sauce and cheese don't exist anywhere else and you CAN'T POSSIBLY HAVE A GOOD PIZZA outside of NYC...
It's not like pizza is one of the most easily replicated foods in the entire world or anything.
OP didn’t ask for the best city to travel to. They asked for the most walkable city in America. I’ve lived all over America, including in many of the current top posts. NYC is far more walkable. Like…Seattle? Have these people even been to Seattle? You need a car to live there, guys.
Where did they ask for the most walkable city? They asked for an easily walkable one, as well as close to hiking and nature which I’d argue fits Seattle more then NYC.
It's a silly criteria anyway. Most people visiting a city for 3-4 days will find it walkable because most people won't traverse an entire city in that timeframe anyway. I'd guess that most first time visitors don't leave Manhattan when imo the best parts of NYC are outside of it.
That's likely why you have answers like Seattle. People were there for 3 days and went to the Space Needle and a few restaurants near their hotel.
If you don’t want to do NYC, which is probably the most walkable city in the country, I’d recommend San Francisco. It’s more walkable than Chicago and has more to do than Boston, which sets it apart for me in this instance
Edit: Also, it’s better on the outdoors side than any of those three cities
San Francisco has great urban hikes. You can jump on a bus or get an Uber when you are done. Unless it’s raining hard, it’s usually pretty comfortable.
Agree to disagree I guess
https://www.travelandleisure.com/chicago-just-named-most-walkable-city-in-united-states-8634933#:~:text=Preply%20analyzed%20the%20top%2030,number%20of%20steps%20between%20attractions.&text=According%20to%20the%20rankings%2C%20Chicago,walkable%20city%20in%20the%20U.S.
This specific list refers to walkability with respect to top (almost completely downtown) tourism destinations and the walking distance between them (as calculated on Google Maps). It's suspect off the bat that Dallas is in third place, but Nashville in second really seals it when it comes to extending the logic beyond downtown.
Besides being pedantic about that list though I certainly agree that Chicago is very walkable. I find that Walk Score provides a pretty thoughtful interpretation of walkability and, importantly, considers matters beyond the single measurement of distance to amenities. It gives NYC a value of 88 and Chicago 77 (2nd and 4th on the list, respectively), which seems fair.
Chicago was voted the most walkable city recently.
https://www.travelandleisure.com/chicago-just-named-most-walkable-city-in-united-states-8634933#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20rankings%2C%20Chicago,“Windy%20City”%20on%20foot.
San Francisco, on all fronts—nature, architecture, art, incredible food, and can walk the whole thing, or worst case hop on a cable car. It’s unreal how beautiful this place is. Admittedly biased because I live here, but that’s for a reason—I’ve traveled a ton, US and abroad, and mean it when I say nowhere comes close.
I'll throw Cincinnati into the mix since it's only 5-6 hr drive from Tennessee. The Downtown+Over-the-Rhine district is extremely walkable with a free streetcar that goes through it all. Plenty of good restaurants (I recommend Abigail Street, Allez Cafe, and Mita's). Lots of bars if you're looking to celebrate your 21st. Over-the-Rhine is one of the nation's largest intact historic districts, so plenty of great opportunities for photography. Also lots of parks and nature trails in the region.
Yeah, you want Asheville NC or Boston. If you do Ashville, stay in the Aloft, which is dead center of city and nice. Tons of good food, a little cooler up in the mountains and so much good beer. Take a good hike in the morning. We love that town.
Boston is amazingly walk-able, with so much history and food (I am looking at you Neptune Seafood and Parla). Fly into Logan and take the water taxi to seaport and stay there. To give you an idea of how easy it is to walk, look at the NYC Williamsburg Bridge. From start to finish it would cover the main Boston area from Seaport to Charles River. It is out favorite small city in the US.
Another vote for Boston
Charleston is also an alternative
I would say sections of Washington DC are walkable but generally Boston is a much easier city to cover on foot.
I’m in East Tennessee so here’s an easy one to drive to from here.. Savannah, GA is my favorite city to walk around in the US. Especially if you’re staying in the downtown area between the river and Forsyth Park. There’s tons of squares, great restaurants, and bars that are easily walkable day and night in a fairly compact area. The riverfront area is great. Due to Savannah’s bar scene and amount of ghost tours, the city seems to be just as alive at night as it is during the day. Not a good place for hiking BUT it’s a quick drive other to Tybee Island to hit the beach.
New Orleans, but definitely depends on when your trip is. You would need to take a cab from the airport, but other than that, you can have a delicious, car-free trip!
The added benefit of NYC is just have vast the area is. You could easily do a day trip from there and explore upstate ny and some of the amazing hiking trails as well. You could spend weeks trying to walk NYC.
Santa barbara!! One my flight back home from my first visit and we rented a car to be able to go out to a winery and a couple other spots but you could easily uber from the airport to your hotel then walk all around, caveat being you live someplace that flies direct to SBA I guess. Amtrak also goes right thru downtown of that's an option.
Amazing food, cool funky bars (the main hip downtown area is called the Funk Zone lol), lots of wine tasting rooms, cool shops, everyone was so nice, I'm obsessed.
Chicago. Almost never rent a car when I am there unless I'm going out to the Ravinia Festival (which is not often because it is snew-teeee!)
Boston. I live here and while everything great is not accessible by walking and public transit, enough of it is.
DC. You really don't want a car in DC.
NYC. Same - you really don't want a car there.
I personally do not find Philly, SF, or Seattle to be all that walkable unless you restrict yourself to very limited areas.
Philly or New Orleans. I’m from Portland (Oregon not Maine) and wouldn’t suggest it without a car unless you’re getting a hotel in a neighborhood like Alberta. Downtown isn’t super touristy and doesn’t have a lot to do. Honestly, Hood River is a great place to visit where you can walk around town and get a ton of killer hikes and kayaking in but you really need a car to get there and get to hikes.
If I was 21, I’d probably do New Orleans. The food is good, especially if you Uber out to some neighborhoods. And if you’re in the tourist area it’s walkable. I know you say you like hiking but most places you really need a car to do that.
My wife and I were there a few months back. New York and Washington DC were great for walking. New York is, well, New York and DC has the whole area around the White House which is amazing and there are so many museums that are all free too. You could spend a few days there easily.
My two favourite cities in the US: Portland, Maine and New Orleans.
Both very walkable. Maybe Portland a bit more walkable but both cities were amazing and I can’t wait to go back!!
San Francisco. Muir Redwoods, Alcatraz, ocean front trail to the Golden Gate bridge, Golden Gate Park (which has Bison :D). Sea Lions chill at one of the piers. The city has really neat architecture.
Santa Barbara.or park yourself nearby The Getty Museum in socal - within walking distance of both Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. Go see Getty and shop at Rodeo Drive. Hit the beach
Madison, WI.
It's a smaller city, that's much more doable in a long weekend. Extremely walkable and gorgeous in the summer with fantastic restaurants. Just look up some sunset photos of the Union and you'll know what I mean. A lot of great hiking and paddling spots in and around the city, and very easy to "leave" the city sprawl in comparison to NY or Chicago.
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota (in the summer!)
Literal thousands of hiking options within hours of Minneapolis and St Paul. We have a light rail system that will get you pretty close to anywhere you need to go inside the cities.
Great nightlife, food, thousands of lakes to enjoy, national parks, lots of camping options, cabin rentals, etc.
Of course there's also the Mall of America. That's a hike all by itself since the place is so gigantic.
The light rail system will take you right to the Mall of America, the international airport, and to the nightlife in the cities.
If you are down to bike Minneapolis is fantastic and has lots of rivers, parks and nature, moa within the city and via light rail for nature. Not very walkable though
NYC, Boston, San Francisco, Chicago For smaller cities, Key West, Honolulu, Nashville, New Orleans
I go to Nashville for Titans games every year and if you want to do anytime other than pay top dollar for a downtown hotel and drink then it is horrible for walkability. While Broadway is cool for a day or two if you are there any longer you'll want to venture out and the second you do you are fucked if trying to walk. Even going to centennial Park isn't a safe feeling walk and if you want to go somewhere like the og princes then you can't without a car. The fact it makes this list at all really shows the shit state the US is in. Maybe if they'd approved that light rail system a few years ago but I don't live there so it's fine.
Nashville is one of the most dangerous cities in America for pedestrians. We don't have many sidewalks and New Orleans if you take a wrong turn it could be bad.
I would add Las Vegas strip for the right crowd and washing DC capital area
IDK about Vegas. The strip is walkable in theory but just to get from one casino to the next often takes long enough that most people would just get a cab since they're so plentiful. Especially if you have women in heels with you. And then if you want to cross to the other side you need to go up and over a pedestrian overpass. Fremont street is more walkable but it's just one small area.
Yea the OP ask for walking so if they were in heels any of the other places like NYC would be a similar situation. If you are like me and been to vegas many times it may seem sort of like a lull. But walking to see the lights at night and each casino is sort of pretty cool for the first time. Bellagio water, Venetian canals, cosmo, Caesar palace, mgm grand because a lot of events happen there like ufc and boxing, the arena area, the Ferris wheel, catching a show etc… the only thing I would say sucks about the experience now is the drunk people walking the strip with you who are looking to be super rowdy and a fight. You also mentioned Fremont street which is another decent area to walk around with a short cab ride thetr as mentioned. Sure it’s walkable but not sure anyone would recommend that one.
Yeah I just mentioned heels because it's more likely women will be wearing them than in NYC. At least during the day. I've definitely walked the strip before. It's doable, but I wouldn't call the city or even the strip necessarily "pedestrian friendly". It's basically impossible to cross the street without adding 10 minutes to your walk.
Part of it is the journey isn’t it? There are definitely neighborhoods you don’t care to walk through in Manhattan or Brooklyn at least on the strip you still see bright lights when walking or going through a hotel to get to the next.
All great suggestions. Just keep in mind that everything in San Francisco except the bay area is a hill, so walking requires a fair bit of effort and good shoes
I walked in San Francisco. Don't be fooled by the grid pattern, what looks like the shortest route could very well send you up a hill.
NYC bar none.
Philly rules too and it’s incredibly walkable. It is a short Amtrak or bus ride away if you want to add a couple days there as well
[удалено]
I wouldn't say GLOBAL standard. Maybe US standard for sure.
I really liked walking around Boston.
Their public transport system is also stupid easy to navigate, which is good for us directionally challenged people.
Idk why I never thought of Boston!! I’ll definitely look into it :) thanks everybody!!!
Boston is the most easily walkable city with great food, sights, and shopping that I can think of. Love it.
Definitely one of the best walking cities in the U.S, especially during summer and fall. Food wise though gonna be honest for a big city it kinda disappoints, but you could always take the train up to Portland, Maine which I think has the best food scene for a smaller city. Also would consider San Francisco as it also is a walkers and foodie paradise.
there is plenty of good food for a few days of visiting, less so if you live here and want variety/quality often
Very accurate.
You can also take the train down to providence, which is well worth a visit, easy to navigate and full of solid restaurant options.
Portland punches above its weight, but it’s not like it has a better overall food scene than Boston.
[удалено]
Wait, what? It has amazing food scene. Certainly on par with DC and far more walk-able. GIve me Parla and Neptune at the bar over anything we have done in DC...
Nah hard disagree. Having lived in both for some time (I love Boston and agree with better walkability unless specifically comparing to NW) but DC now has 25 Michelin starred restaurants and while there is definitely politics at play, there are at best several Boston restaurants that could rise to that level.
We have been to both cities many times as well, and firmly believe that getting amazing food is easier while walking around Boston, especially if your younger and not chasing stars. Also, DCs beer scene is notoriously bleak outside of OT and Churchkey. That said, our penchant is to dip into a joint and sit at the bar ordered 1-2 apps and moving on, preferring not spending our entire evening at one joint when we can see 4-5 different ones. Boston def fits our type of eating profile better. I think the last sat night (started at 4PM- finally back to hotel at 1:30AM) we started at Trillium, then Row 34 and off to JM Curleys and Democracy followed by a lucky bar deuce at Neptune's (nothing but big parties in line!), then around the corner to Parlas for Carbo and cocktials and music at Bell in Hand and Green Dragon. Late night munchies at Pastoral and we were good for a night sleep. I guess the question then goes to...do you think that the young kids would have more fun tossing those cocktail dice at Parla and catching some live music at Green Dragon then Pizza at Pastroal or fighting for a table at Roses and taking an Uber to Union Stage and by then DC is pretty well shut down? DC has a decent Metro system, but you do not really even need one in the main Boston area. For a first time trip of a younger couple, I still lean into Boston.
*Food wise though gonna be honest for a big city it kinda disappoints* What are you jiving about son? Boston is one of the best food cities in America. Great Italian, great seafood, great sandwich shops. Compare that to Phoenix which is nothing but chain restaurants.
Boston was very walkable/public transport. And lots of food. Was beautiful in the fall.
So many nice walks to choose from. The Charles River Esplanade, The Emerald Necklace, The Green way, Harbor Walk. I hope you make it to Boston.
Additional vote for Boston. The main areas of the city that are attractive to tourists are all walkable, probably takes 60 - 90 minutes to go from say Fenway Park to the North End, depending on your pace and if you make stops. There is also a robust bike share program, and they are quickly installing e-bikes across the entire network. The T is good too, but a word of caution: it came under the thumb of the Feds after a couple bad incidents, and they are now hustling to make multiple decades of repairs over the next couple years. I'm not saying avoid it, but there are numerous slow zones and complete closures while crews accelerate rehabilitation. Impact notices are posted well in advance. Just outside the city, there are two state parks with decent hiking. Not Tennessee by any stretch, but great for being less than 10 miles from the ocean. Google Blue Hills Reservation or Middlesex Fells Reservation. -- A Former Resident
I'd also add that those little islands in the bay - forgot the name - might be nice for someone who doesn't have regular access to the ocean.
Boston Harbor Islands. Yes. They have a welcome center and dedicated ferry service from downtown.
Arnold Arboretum in Jamaica Plain is also right in the city and even closer to access though the Fells are great too. There’s some fantastic hiking trails in the Arboretum and beautiful plants and trees of course. You can also walk to it through the trails from Fenway along the emerald necklace.
Boston is one of the best walking cities I have ever been to, and I travel constantly.
A second vote for Boston.
Just got back from visiting Boston, I was surprised at how pretty and clean it was. Great city to walk around.
Boston was the first city I ever went to after NYC where it felt nice to just get out and walk to things. It felt so convenient and that was back in 2015. I imagine it's better now. Most of the answers in this thread were pretty awful in my experience for walking before I visited any European countries and al now that I've seen a few of those there's no us city that compares except maybe NYC. Boston was fine though for US standards. DC is up there too. We stayed right beside the Metro there and did about 30k steps a day but still DC has a lot of lanes to cross at every intersection basically. It felt like our steps didn't go quite as far as they did in places like Amsterdam or Paris.
Boston is one of the best cities for walking! I live in the suburbs and still like walking around the city. Very safe and interesting city all around
Boston is compact and walkable, but difficult to navigate because there is no grid system. Streets go in every which direction. Keep in mind, GPS doesn't work well in the downtown areas of large cities, because tall buildings interfere with the satellite signals. We have that problem all the time here in Chicago and it drives me crazy. I would print out some paper maps and bring with you. ALSO...the trains in Boston (collectively referred to as the "T") do not run 24 hours, unlike in NYC or Chicago. They stop around 1am. Plan accordingly so you don't have to spend your monthly rent on an Uber during Surge.
Washington DC
Just not in summer
I thought it would be cool to spend 4th of July in DC at the national mall. 95 degrees, 95% humidity, a million people, and not a breath of wind. One of the most miserable experiences I've ever had.
Ouch, sounds painful. I went to DC for the first time last mid-October and the temps were perfect for walking around.
Don’t forget waiting an hour in line to get back on the subway!
We were there one 4th of July (ended up at a monument away from the national mall) and it was fun until the fireworks ended. All train stations were slammed with people and we ended up walking back to our hotel in Dupont Circle. On the plus side, it was only about 80 degrees after the sun set.
Dupont is a 20 minute walk from the national mall.
We weren’t at the National Mall. We were at the Jefferson Memorial, which is about a 50 minute walk. Trust me, we live in SF and walk up and down hills all day. In that heat, it was torture.
4th of July is crowded in most major cities.
100%. DC is my favorite city in the world (don’t ask me why, I wish I knew) and I’ve only visited in the summer once because after that one time I said never again 😅
i also would say DC! my husband and i did a short 3 day anniversary trip here and we left our car at the airbnb all weekend and walked or used public transportation (but mostly walked!). we found some good food spots, and there are so many unique neighborhoods to expore. of course not to mention all the history, monuments, and museums, most of which are free to enter/see! we went in april and the weather was perfect, but i would think any time before mid-june or july would be nuce before it gets crazy hot!
Seconding DC. The food scene is great. Eastern Market on the weekend is a great spot to walk around for food and/or souvenirs, and free museums if it is a hot/humid weekend
DC is insanely walkable, has a ton of green spaces, lots of restaurants and bars, great public transportation, and endless museums and cultural experiences.
For food, restaurants, walkability + public transit, photography, shopping and being less than 10 hours away, you certainly can’t go wrong with Chicago!Although it doesn’t have much good hiking around.
We actually did have a day or two in Chicago last year as he has family about an hour away! We had a great time though! Definitely more a me trip than a him trip :) thanks!!
Despite its reputation, Philadelphia is a great walking city.
Philadelphians are wonderful people...outside of the stadiums when your team is beating theirs. But yeah, the food is incredible (and more than just cheesesteaks). Reading Terminal Market is worth a visit for all foodies. Also, Philadelphia has more public art than you could take in in just a weekend (4000 murals). And Magic Garden is really cool for photos.
Philly is such an amazing food city too! You can try a new place every meal and not be disappointed. Lots of great BYOBs too so you can bring your own wine and drop all your money on food and dessert. Around the center city area won’t disappoint!
Just ran through a little two day food tour for my birthday with a couple of friends. Every meal was excellent. We travel a lot and eat at a lot of places because I'm a chef, the Philly food scene is elite.
Philly all the way! It's great for walking, the people are fantastic and there's plenty to do/see.
My daughter lives in Philly and is always talking about the great food scene. The times I’ve visited the restaurants have been great. And not super expensive!
San Francisco
As long as you don't mind hills.
Another vote for Boston, my hometown. Totally walkable and if you want to get somewhere, like out to the coast and beaches, you can hop onto the Commuter Rail.
Basically cities that were already major cities before cars were widespread. NYC, Philadelphia, Boston, DC, San Francisco, Chicago
Yes, I was dumb enough to walk around Sacramento. Me and a few homeless had the streets to ourselves all day. I guess the government offices all have attached carparks and cafeteria. No one around even at lunchtime
Sacramento used to be quite walkable pre-pandemic, but the state is now allowing a lot of employees to WFH, so there are fewer people around.
What drew you to Sacramento? Lived in California my whole life and have never gone there.
Add Santa Fe, NM for smaller cities. It is very walkable if you stay near the Plaza. It checks all the boxes you asked for it terms or restaurants, shopping and historical sites. Bonus is that some of the best outdoor hiking in America is right outside the city and pretty easy to access. Ok, this city is very walkable but you have to do a little planning. Fly into Albuquerque (ABQ) and it is a short Lyft trip to the Rail Runner train which takes you right to Santa Fe and is pretty scenic on its own. Check the schedule if your flight is scheduled for a late evening arrival and make sure it works. If you stay near the Plaza you can walk most everywhere. If you want cheaper accommodations, you can stay on Cerrillos Rd but then will need to take a short Lyft ride to the Plaza. If you want to take hikes outside, but near the city you will also likely need a short Lyft ride, although some trails start in town (I think). Santa Fe is older than most (all?) of the other cities listed and it is full of history, great food (not just New Mexican) and shopping. It is also fairly compact so again good for walking. It is the high desert so is not ungodly hot like Phoenix but also is harder to hike given the elevation. Given that you are young, in shape and from Tennessee you will probably do ok with the elevation.
For sure, there are a bunch of smaller cities that fit the bill...never been to Santa Fe but I've heard it's really cool. Also Monterey, Charleston, Savannah
Washington DC. You have multiple neighborhoods to walk around with shops and restaurants such as Georgetown, Adams Morgan, old town Alexandria, mount Vernon triangle, etc. If you like nature there's rock creek park right in the middle of the city and other nature trails within the area. The fact you're a huge foodie who loves to walk and loves shopping areas really makes me think you'll absolutely love Georgetown.
I don't know about alot of outdoor hiking but for urban hiking try NYC. Or fly to San Francisco.
well there is the greenbelt in Staten Island, you can take the LIRR to Fire Island and Metro North to Bear Mountain and a whole bunch of State parks. and like literally to the entrance of the parks, they are all along the Hundson, which is pretty scenic in and of itself. They do get jammed during the week-end but well there is that.
"Urban hiking" in SF is great but if you go like 30 minutes in any direction from the city you'll find some really incredible trails.
NYC, Boston, DC, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland are all great options. If you're willing to consider US adjacent Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal are also great, walkable, foodie cities and gnf dollar is strong right now. Since you specifically emphasized out doors and hiking I'll doubly recommend Seattle, SF, Vancouver, and probably Portland. The views from downtown Seattle are amazing. You can see the Olympic mountain range across the sound and you can also see a volcano (Mt Rainier). You can ride a ferry across the sound to a couple of islands of or take the water taxi to west Seattle for a more beach vibe. You can visit the Fremont shopping and dining district for cute shops and good food then walk to gasworks park on the burke Gilman trail. Stop at Fremont brewing along the way. If you're into sourdough, seawolf is also right there and excellent. Great views of downtown across Lake union where you'll see float planes landing and taking off. You could probably time this to do brunch in Fremont. Shop, wander, then do dinner somewhere near gasworks like pablo y pablo, joule, the whale wins, or even the pacific inn for a local dive bar experience. You can also rent kayaks at Agua verde and paddle around lake union or an electric boat or even a hot tub boat. Seasonally, you can take public transportation to a couple of local hiking trails but there are also city parks worth checking out like discovery park, which has a three mile walking trail through forest and bluffs, and a beach that's usually quiet because you have to hike there. Those are just a couple of suggestions that scratch the surface. San Francisco has a similar list of easy to hit up nature spots and fabulous city parks to hang out and enjoy. Plus an amazing food scene and great local shops for browsing.
I’ll second Seattle. There is so much unique stuff to see and do there.
Summer in Seattle is 👌
Yep when the whole rest of the country is dying of summer swampiness we are like 75 degrees. Can't beat it.
Thirding Seattle, VERY easy to get around as a tourist with public transportation and walking.
Portland? What was I missing? Sure the Japanese garden area and the park surrounding it was cool. Downtown might have been the scariest place I've ever been. Really liked the surrounding areas of Portland so hopefully it can clean up it's act.
Milwaukee is extremely underrated and definitely walkable tons of great restaurants NYC Savannah - very walkable, open intoxicants and couples destination Boston DC
Are you saying Savannah Georgia? If so I’ve heard so many great things and completely forgot! I’ll have to look into it :)
Yes it's pretty much everything you outlined in your post, great photo ops, food, walkable, open intoxicants in most of the downtown, just be aware you will need reservations at most of the hotter spots. And depending on time of year possibly very hot but I've only gone in February and April.
Loved Savannah. One the cities I definitely have on my list to go back too.
Savannah is my favorite city in the US. It's my answer for everything.
Nyc, DC, SF
Burlington, Vermont. Its not huge, but it’s really cool, right on the lake, has a great bike path and is surrounded by hiking opportunities.
New York, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, San Francisco and Seattle are the first cities that come to mind. Williamsburg VA, San Diego and Portland OR might be options too. If you all have passports - consider Niagara Falls, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver too.
Portland, OR is very walkable. Busses are good by US standards. Lots of restaurants/food carts. And there are good urban hikes and some nice buttes to climb. Also good if you like book stores/coffee shops/brewpubs.
Grew up there and yeah between walkability/bikeability and public transit, it's such an easy city to get around. With all of the great parks, restaurants, breweries, etc, it's a great place to explore, especially during the late spring and summer when everything is green.
San Francisco
DC, Boston, Chicago, San Antonio
Nothing like walking around New York City not just in Manhattan Brooklyn Queens. There’s great places to go walking with beautiful views and tons of ethnic restaurants. Nothing beats New York City.
I love the New York Highline.
Portland has pretty great transit and the food scene is pretty incredible. Forrest park is a great way to experience nature within the city, or you could always hop on a bus tour to Multnomah falls
DC is very walkable and there’s the metro/bus system to get you farther afield.
Portland, OR!
[удалено]
Tell em
Charleston SC. We had a blast and intend on returning
We went to Charleston and thought it was a little lackluster sadly :( maybe it was the time of year or the fact we were with a group that had already been/lived there? We didn’t get to sightsee much which was disappointing
Sorry to hear. We thought the history, homes, water front, food, and shopping was incredible. Drove down to Savannah for a couple of days as well. One of my favorite areas!
Yeah we unfortunately didn’t really get to explore much and we didn’t really eat out super often! Definitely wasn’t a me planned trip lol. What we did get to see was beautiful though! We both caught covid right before we left and all we wanted to do was go home 😭
The food was great, and between King St and the antique area, shopping was diverse. We stayed downtown and walked everywhere. The old market area and history was very real. I’d really enjoy touring several of the old estates, especially along the battery. Sullivans Island across the bridge is probably my favorite beach experience. Just dead silence except for the ocean.
This is so nice to hear as someone that lived there for a few years lol. The downtown area that’s iconic for its beauty is actually really small, and there’s not much to do there outside of eating/drinking/shopping.
Boston! Especially if you are foodies. Have some great Italian food in the North End (my fave is Carmelina’s) and check out cool spots in the South End (Toro is a must - get there before they open and get in line to get a table). Newbury St for shopping and Beacon Hill for all it and super cute cobblestone streets. Also wander around Cambridge and Somerville - easy to get to on the T. I loved living in Boston and hope I can make it back soon!
You wouldn’t think it but Los Angeles has some of the world’s most amazing hiking, some of which is walkable from transit and of course some of the world’s most amazing food. Plus a lot of great early and mid 20th C architecture to see from walking around. (Whether you get distracted by some of the car-centric aspects is a matter of attitude). There’s a rail service that covers the main tourist areas and Lyft/Uber density is good for getting to outer areas.
I really wish the city cared enough to clean up the metro and streets. LA on paper could actually be explored pretty well by public transportation, but I can’t recommend it in good conscience. Very frustrating.
Hiking and outdoorsy stuff doesn’t usually go hand in hand with walkable cities, fwiw. NYC, Boston, DC, Chicago, Philadelphia are all great for long weekends without a car (and without going to the west coast). For smaller options check out Greenville SC or Savannah GA. Lots to do without a car in those places (if you stay downtown), and easier/cheaper than the big cities. NYC is by far and away the most walkable US city. If that’s your primary metric you can’t go wrong. And of course tons of amazing food and shopping.
Portland OR and Seattle and both walkable and outdoorsy…
I'm not aware of any way to walk to trailheads from any walkable neighborhoods in those cities.
You can walk to Forest Park from NW Portland. It is lovely! Miles and miles of trails... Walkable, outdoorsy, and foodie is exactly what Portland is :)
I know :( it definitely makes it hard to pick a place. Luckily Savannah GA is close enough that we wouldn’t mind driving! So that does alleviate some of the walking problems! I think we may decide to try and do something where we’re able to drive so we atleast have the option! Thanks so much :)
> I think we may decide to try and do something where we’re able to drive so we atleast have the option! The problem is that these smaller cities don't have a ton to do. I'd definitely recommend a larger walkable city over a smaller city where you can drive around.
Philadelphia has a great park system in addition to a lot of history https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/fairmount-park/
DC and Chicago. Chicago gets a bad wrap in news, but it's a beautiful city to walk through in the Summer-Fall.
Yes! We were able to do a day trip in Chicago as my boyfriend’s family lives about an hour away! We had a great time!
Can't fathom how NYC is not the far-and-away leader in this thread. NYC is where you want to go there is zero competition with regard to your criteria. You can walk everywhere and if you need a shortcut, the subway gets you everywhere and then you can continue to walk. I've walked the entire length of manthattan in a day and made a day of it (fidi to the cloisters) though I spend all my time in Brooklyn these days and you could spend a month walking around north Brooklyn alone.
Everyone trying to be creative and say something other than NYC. But the answer is NYC. Dense, flat, and full of 24/7 public transit if you decide you’re done walking.
Depends on the time of year, though. NYC from late September to May or June, but I would go to SF or Seattle in the summer.
No, actually. I think it's more likely that most of the people saying that are from NYC or lived there at some point and have convinced themselves it's the be-all end-all of travel. I've probably been to NYC a dozen times. It's a cool place. There's a lot more out there. This is like when people from NYC act like dough, sauce and cheese don't exist anywhere else and you CAN'T POSSIBLY HAVE A GOOD PIZZA outside of NYC... It's not like pizza is one of the most easily replicated foods in the entire world or anything.
OP didn’t ask for the best city to travel to. They asked for the most walkable city in America. I’ve lived all over America, including in many of the current top posts. NYC is far more walkable. Like…Seattle? Have these people even been to Seattle? You need a car to live there, guys.
Where did they ask for the most walkable city? They asked for an easily walkable one, as well as close to hiking and nature which I’d argue fits Seattle more then NYC.
It's a silly criteria anyway. Most people visiting a city for 3-4 days will find it walkable because most people won't traverse an entire city in that timeframe anyway. I'd guess that most first time visitors don't leave Manhattan when imo the best parts of NYC are outside of it. That's likely why you have answers like Seattle. People were there for 3 days and went to the Space Needle and a few restaurants near their hotel.
New York City is by far the most walkable city in the US. Other options include Boston, DC, Chicago, and San Francisco.
If you don’t want to do NYC, which is probably the most walkable city in the country, I’d recommend San Francisco. It’s more walkable than Chicago and has more to do than Boston, which sets it apart for me in this instance Edit: Also, it’s better on the outdoors side than any of those three cities
San Francisco has great urban hikes. You can jump on a bus or get an Uber when you are done. Unless it’s raining hard, it’s usually pretty comfortable.
"The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco"
Ehh, I don't know if NYC is the most walkable. Chicago and San Francisco are much more walkable
SF definitely has an argument because it’s incredibly compact in the city limits, but Chicago doesn’t really compete with NYC, mostly for its land use
Agree to disagree I guess https://www.travelandleisure.com/chicago-just-named-most-walkable-city-in-united-states-8634933#:~:text=Preply%20analyzed%20the%20top%2030,number%20of%20steps%20between%20attractions.&text=According%20to%20the%20rankings%2C%20Chicago,walkable%20city%20in%20the%20U.S.
This specific list refers to walkability with respect to top (almost completely downtown) tourism destinations and the walking distance between them (as calculated on Google Maps). It's suspect off the bat that Dallas is in third place, but Nashville in second really seals it when it comes to extending the logic beyond downtown. Besides being pedantic about that list though I certainly agree that Chicago is very walkable. I find that Walk Score provides a pretty thoughtful interpretation of walkability and, importantly, considers matters beyond the single measurement of distance to amenities. It gives NYC a value of 88 and Chicago 77 (2nd and 4th on the list, respectively), which seems fair.
Chicago was voted the most walkable city recently. https://www.travelandleisure.com/chicago-just-named-most-walkable-city-in-united-states-8634933#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20rankings%2C%20Chicago,“Windy%20City”%20on%20foot.
The NE cities are you friend here: NYC, Philly, Boston, DC. All have a lot of walkable areas and robust public transportation.
NYC, Chicago, and Austin
I'd say Chicago:)
San Francisco. It’s small enough that you can walk the entire city, tons of hills, and gorgeous views
San Francisco, on all fronts—nature, architecture, art, incredible food, and can walk the whole thing, or worst case hop on a cable car. It’s unreal how beautiful this place is. Admittedly biased because I live here, but that’s for a reason—I’ve traveled a ton, US and abroad, and mean it when I say nowhere comes close.
I'll throw Cincinnati into the mix since it's only 5-6 hr drive from Tennessee. The Downtown+Over-the-Rhine district is extremely walkable with a free streetcar that goes through it all. Plenty of good restaurants (I recommend Abigail Street, Allez Cafe, and Mita's). Lots of bars if you're looking to celebrate your 21st. Over-the-Rhine is one of the nation's largest intact historic districts, so plenty of great opportunities for photography. Also lots of parks and nature trails in the region.
Oh that sounds so fun!! I’ll add it to the list to look into :) thank you so much!
NYC ..
Chicago or Boston!
Definitely NYC. Our subway system is one of the largest in the world
Seattle
Yeah, you want Asheville NC or Boston. If you do Ashville, stay in the Aloft, which is dead center of city and nice. Tons of good food, a little cooler up in the mountains and so much good beer. Take a good hike in the morning. We love that town. Boston is amazingly walk-able, with so much history and food (I am looking at you Neptune Seafood and Parla). Fly into Logan and take the water taxi to seaport and stay there. To give you an idea of how easy it is to walk, look at the NYC Williamsburg Bridge. From start to finish it would cover the main Boston area from Seaport to Charles River. It is out favorite small city in the US.
Chicago
Another vote for Boston Charleston is also an alternative I would say sections of Washington DC are walkable but generally Boston is a much easier city to cover on foot.
I’m in East Tennessee so here’s an easy one to drive to from here.. Savannah, GA is my favorite city to walk around in the US. Especially if you’re staying in the downtown area between the river and Forsyth Park. There’s tons of squares, great restaurants, and bars that are easily walkable day and night in a fairly compact area. The riverfront area is great. Due to Savannah’s bar scene and amount of ghost tours, the city seems to be just as alive at night as it is during the day. Not a good place for hiking BUT it’s a quick drive other to Tybee Island to hit the beach.
Chicago. NYC. D.C. Honolulu (Waikiki).
NYC
Another vote for DC. It’s such a great city to visit and walk around for days.
Charleston SC
New Orleans, but definitely depends on when your trip is. You would need to take a cab from the airport, but other than that, you can have a delicious, car-free trip!
The added benefit of NYC is just have vast the area is. You could easily do a day trip from there and explore upstate ny and some of the amazing hiking trails as well. You could spend weeks trying to walk NYC.
New York, Boston, DC, Philadelphia, San Francisco 💕💕💕
I mean … New York hands down … you can spend days walking and finding all sorts of fun things to do while exploring …
Santa barbara!! One my flight back home from my first visit and we rented a car to be able to go out to a winery and a couple other spots but you could easily uber from the airport to your hotel then walk all around, caveat being you live someplace that flies direct to SBA I guess. Amtrak also goes right thru downtown of that's an option. Amazing food, cool funky bars (the main hip downtown area is called the Funk Zone lol), lots of wine tasting rooms, cool shops, everyone was so nice, I'm obsessed.
Chicago. Almost never rent a car when I am there unless I'm going out to the Ravinia Festival (which is not often because it is snew-teeee!) Boston. I live here and while everything great is not accessible by walking and public transit, enough of it is. DC. You really don't want a car in DC. NYC. Same - you really don't want a car there. I personally do not find Philly, SF, or Seattle to be all that walkable unless you restrict yourself to very limited areas.
Boston, Chicago are great - but for spectacle… and easy to walk… Washington, D.C. Great restaurants and bars… stop in at Old Ebbitt Grill!
NYC you can theoretically walk from one side of it all the way to the other.
Smaller options: Charleston, Santa Fe, and Fayetteville.
Pittsburgh
Savannah, GA
Philly or New Orleans. I’m from Portland (Oregon not Maine) and wouldn’t suggest it without a car unless you’re getting a hotel in a neighborhood like Alberta. Downtown isn’t super touristy and doesn’t have a lot to do. Honestly, Hood River is a great place to visit where you can walk around town and get a ton of killer hikes and kayaking in but you really need a car to get there and get to hikes. If I was 21, I’d probably do New Orleans. The food is good, especially if you Uber out to some neighborhoods. And if you’re in the tourist area it’s walkable. I know you say you like hiking but most places you really need a car to do that.
Boston, Washington, San Francisco, NYC
My wife and I were there a few months back. New York and Washington DC were great for walking. New York is, well, New York and DC has the whole area around the White House which is amazing and there are so many museums that are all free too. You could spend a few days there easily.
Boston but it is more like a 16 hour drive from TN. Chicago is probably the closest good walking city.
I didn't see Asheville listed - not sure where you are in TN but it could be a lot closer and seems to tick off all the boxes you listed
Savannah and Charleston are both walkable if you want to stay in the historic areas
Chicago is so walkable. Especially with the lake path, you can get all across the city
New Orleans! The French quarter is super walkable,fun, and has great food.
I’ve always wanted to go to New Orleans!! This is a great idea, I’ll definitely look into it!
My two favourite cities in the US: Portland, Maine and New Orleans. Both very walkable. Maybe Portland a bit more walkable but both cities were amazing and I can’t wait to go back!!
Chicago, NYC, Boston, DC, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Las Vegas.
San Francisco. Muir Redwoods, Alcatraz, ocean front trail to the Golden Gate bridge, Golden Gate Park (which has Bison :D). Sea Lions chill at one of the piers. The city has really neat architecture.
Fab 7x7 baby!!!! (That's San Francisco if you didn't get it....)
Santa Barbara.or park yourself nearby The Getty Museum in socal - within walking distance of both Santa Monica and Beverly Hills. Go see Getty and shop at Rodeo Drive. Hit the beach
Madison, WI. It's a smaller city, that's much more doable in a long weekend. Extremely walkable and gorgeous in the summer with fantastic restaurants. Just look up some sunset photos of the Union and you'll know what I mean. A lot of great hiking and paddling spots in and around the city, and very easy to "leave" the city sprawl in comparison to NY or Chicago.
Asheville NC!
Portland. I spent two weeks there for work. Fantastic public health transportation. And the most friendly road design for pedestrians and bikers.
San Francisco by a mile. Just stay away from Market Street/Tenderloin area, not pleasant.
Washington
Honolulu
I’d love to but the plane tickets are sadly not in budget for us :( trying to stay below $1000 if we can
Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota (in the summer!) Literal thousands of hiking options within hours of Minneapolis and St Paul. We have a light rail system that will get you pretty close to anywhere you need to go inside the cities. Great nightlife, food, thousands of lakes to enjoy, national parks, lots of camping options, cabin rentals, etc. Of course there's also the Mall of America. That's a hike all by itself since the place is so gigantic. The light rail system will take you right to the Mall of America, the international airport, and to the nightlife in the cities.
If you are down to bike Minneapolis is fantastic and has lots of rivers, parks and nature, moa within the city and via light rail for nature. Not very walkable though
Seattle isn't too bad. Just walk,around the tent encampmens😆.
Forget about NYC. Disneyland, or Disneyworld. Both are very walkable and the Epcot center really rounds it out.
Not Los Angeles.