Chicago Was Just Voted the Best City in the U.S. For the Seventh Year in a Row
Often you'll hear people defending the city they live in to the death, so it can be hard to judge where you'll actually love to spend time. Every year, Condé Nast Traveler readers help solve the problem by voting for the best cities in the United States, both big and small. And for the seventh year in a row, one Midwest city came out on top.
Chicago topped the readers' list of the best big cities in the U.S. It shouldn't come as that big of a surprise; Chicagoans frequently praise their hidden gem of a lakeside city, especially when compared to its big coastal siblings of New York and Los Angeles. NYC comes in at number seven on the list, and while LA doesn't, two other major California destinations made the cut: San Diego at number two and San Francisco and number five. Bringing up the rear is the fast-growing tropical metropolis of Miami.
If big cities aren't your thing and you're in the mood for a bustling atmosphere with less noise and commotion, you might want to check out one of the top 10 small cities in the country. Two states—South Carolina and Florida—have two entries on the list: Charleston in first and Greenville in fourth, and St. Augustine and Pensacola at number seven and eight, respectively. You can live out your Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil fantasy in number five small city Savannah, GA. And if you find yourself in the Southwest, be sure to stop in Santa Fe, NM (number two) or get a psychic reading in Sedona, AZ (number 10).
The top 10 big cities are:
Chicago, IL
San Diego, CA
Milwaukee, WI
New Orleans, LA
San Francisco, CA
Boston, MA
New York City, NY
Nashville, TN
Washington, D.C.
Miami, FL
Meanwhile, the top 10 small cities have even more variety:
Charleston, SC
Santa Fe, NM
Alexandria, VA
Greenville, SC
Savannah, GA
Aspen, CO
St. Augustine, FL
Pensacola, FL
Annapolis, MD
Sedona, AZ
