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Want to really get to know a city? Lace up your sneakers and hit the pavement. Walking like a local is hands-down one of the best ways to explore any given destination.
To find out which cities around the world do walkability best, Time Out asked 18,500 residents a simple question: how easy is it to get around your city on foot?
Coming in at number one: Abu Dhabi, where 91% of locals praised the city’s pedestrian-friendly design. Boston followed with 89% and Brighton, in the UK snagged third with 88%.
New York wasn’t far behind—earning the number four spot, with 87% of locals across all five boroughs showing love for the city’s walkability.
And they’re not wrong. From restaurants and bars to parks, shops, landmarks and hidden gems, NYC is bursting with things to do and see—often just a few blocks apart. And while Central Park might be the city’s green crown jewel, it’s far from the only place to escape the concrete: community gardens, waterfront promenades and leafy side streets offer plenty of nature breaks.
Sure, we’ve got a vast subway system. But when delays hit (and let’s be honest, they do), walking becomes the unofficial backup plan. Manhattan’s grid makes navigating on foot easy—even for newcomers. As a cheat sheet: 20 north-to-south blocks equals about a mile, or a 20-minute stroll for the average New Yorker.
And as everyone knows, in 20 minutes, you can end up in a completely different neighborhood, with a totally different vibe. That’s the magic of walking here.
Want to see which other cities made the cut? Check out the list below.
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