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Many cities and neighborhoods in the United States have been graded according to their walkability. The Walk Score system assigns points based on how far it is to walk to various amenities from a specific address. A score of 90–100 means you don't need a car to accomplish your daily tasks. Once it gets below 50, you'll have a hard time getting by without a vehicle. Here are the five most walkable cities in the U.S.
Philadelphia
Score: 79
Philadelphia is a city of firsts: the first public school in the colonies, the first religious magazine, the first theater house, the first hospital and school of anatomy, the first public bank, and so much more. The first recorded U.S. flag was made here, too, which you probably already know.
Beautiful cobblestone streets and plenty of history make Philadelphia a joy to see on foot. The Liberty Bell and Independence Hall are minutes apart, and while you're walking in Old City you can enjoy museums, churches, and plenty of great food. Philadelphia also ranks fifth in the country among transit scores.
Nearby Rittenhouse Square is considered one of the city's most walkable neighborhoods in the city. Areas like East Market, near Market and Broad, are also designed with walkability in mind.
Miami
Score: 79.2
Though Miami's transit score is on the lower side, walkability remains high. The downtown gives you easy access to the waterfront, museums, and a wide variety of restaurants. There's also a City Bike program, which allows residents and visitors to rent bikes and drop them off at another bike station as they make their way around the city.
Miami also rolled out an initiative to address pedestrian concerns and make the city more walkable. Simple measures such as crosswalk push button confirmation make intersections safer and improve the walkability of the city.
Miami is more than 70 percent Hispanic/Latino, so you can find that flair in the food, music, and more. Little Havana is west of downtown, and the annual Calle Ocho Music Festival is the largest Latino music fest in the United States, covering 20 city blocks.
Boston
Score: 80.9
Boston has top universities, renowned hospitals, rich history, and great walkability. You can spend the morning at the Museum of Fine Arts and then walk to Fenway Park for a baseball game.
The Freedom Trail is the perfect example of just how walkable the city is. This is a favorite walking tour around Boston. You can join guided tours by interest or duration, or you can follow the map yourself. It leads you to some of the city's most fascinating sites, and it can easily be done in a day.
The Chinatown-Leather District, bordering the historic Boston Common, is one of the most walkable neighborhoods, with a score of 98.
San Francisco
Score: 86
Don't mind the hills! San Francisco offers great walkability for residents and visitors. For the residents who are fortunate enough to walk to work, many are met with incredible views of the bay and the city itself.
Chinatown is the most walkable neighborhood, with a score of 100. You can start at Portsmouth Square, known as the Heart of Chinatown. Soak up the artwork and the history — in 1846, this was the first place in San Francisco to raise the American flag. Make your way down Stockton Street, a major shopping destination with about 50 unique shops. No chain stores. It's the place to buy fresh meat, fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
New York City
Score: 89.2
In New York City, walking is far easier than owning a car — not to mention less expensive. Its walkability is due in part to being so compact: the city's approximately 8.4 million residents live in less than 303 square miles. There are stores and restaurants everywhere, and since the city has one of the best public transportation systems in the world, you're never far from a bus or subway stop.
Certain neighborhoods, such as Union Square and Bowery, have walk scores of 100.