The chance to park your car elsewhere and completely forget about it as you explore a city on foot (or with excellent public transit) is the dream. That’s one of the reasons Americans really like European cities and love tiny medieval alleys a car could never hope to pass through. But are there American cities that offer this? KURU Footwear created a study that looked at 50 U.S. cities and ranked them according to their walk score, transportation score, pedestrian deaths per 100k people, the average number of sunny days per year and overall popularity as a tourist destination. The result is a list of the top 10 cities for a car-free vacation. Honk if you love leaving your car behind!
First on this list, surprising absolutely no one, is New York City. It’s a walker’s paradise with so many neighborhoods to explore, as well as a top tier subway and bus system, which earn it high points. There are 107 sunny days annually (we didn’t say they were warm, just sunny!) and a low pedestrian death rate of only 1.48 per 100,000 people (we hate writing about this sad way to perish, so we’ll leave it at that for the rest of the list). And of course New York is worth visiting, with famous landmarks and incredible dining and entertainment everywhere you look.
In second place is Boston, with its famous Freedom Trail, a self-guided walking tour of some of the most important sites in our country’s founding, as well as other charming, red brick neighborhoods. It has 98 sunny days a year, a fairly reliable transit system, and lots of draw for people who like New England flavor. Plus: sports up the yin-yang with the Red Sox, Celtics and Bruins.
In third place is Los Angeles. While it may not have a great method of getting around (its transit score is a dismal 53 out of 100), there are many individual neighborhoods where you can park and explore during the 147 sunny days. Plus, there’s much to experience like Hollywood, the beaches, great dining and awesome shopping.
Here’s the full top 10 list of the best U.S. cities for a car-free vacation:
1. New York City
2. Boston
3. Los Angeles
4. San Francisco
5. Chicago
6. Washington, D.C.
7. Miami
8. Philadelphia
9. Minneapolis
10. Honolulu