There's nothing better than being able to throw on your sneakers and walk next door to grab a coffee. Or, better yet, head to a bookstore on foot, take a stroll in a park after a long, hard winter. Who needs a car when you have two feet?
Living in a place where you can walk around is good for you. Science even says so. What's more, researchers have found that living in a walkable neighborhood reduces stress and depression—which is why we're so excited to report that Boston, according to a new Time Out survey, Boston is actually the second most walkable city on planet Earth.
We specifically asked 18,500 people all over the world one question: how easy is it to get around your city by foot?
Out of the 20 cities on the list, Abu Dhabi led with 91% of locals loving their pedestrian-friendly capital, Boston came in second with an 89% approval rate, followed by Brighton in the United Kingdom with 88%.
It's easy to see why Boston fared this well. Downtown Boston is approximately 1.5 square miles and the overall area is 48.4 square miles, making the core of the city incredibly walkable. Within an hour, you can get to the heart town Boston and give your legs a rest by sprawling out by Boston Common.
The Freedom Trail (2.5 miles), Charles River Esplanade (3 miles), Beacon Hill (2.5 miles) and South End (1 mile) are walking routes that offer scenic views along the river and through the main local attractions.
For those looking to get their steps in, the 27-mile Walking City Trail that connects 17 Boston neighborhoods through residential areas is truly a unique experience.
Overall, it's clear that the city's compact setup makes it easy to view the architecture, cobblestone streets and tourist destinations by foot. We are, indeed, very lucky.
These are the world’s 20 most walkable cities
1. Abu Dhabi, UAE, 91 percent
2. Boston, US, 89 percent
3. Brighton, UK, 88 percent
4. New York, US, 87 percent
5. Bilbao, Spain, 86 percent
= Chicago, US, 86 percent
7. Edinburgh, UK, 85 percent
= Marrakech, Morocco, 85 percent
9. San Francisco, US, 83 percent
10. Cardiff, UK, 82 percent
= Shanghai, China, 82 percent
= Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 82 percent
= Paris, France, 82 percent
14. Oslo, Norway, 81 percent
= Stockholm, Sweden, 81 percent
16. Singapore, Singapore, 80 percent
= Melbourne, Australia, 80 percent
18. London, UK, 79 percent
= Lyon, France, 79 percent
= Washington DC, US, 79 percent