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It's impossible to say what's "best" for everyone, of course. But where's the fun in not trying? Welcome to Businessweek.com’s second America’s Best Cities ranking. With assistance from Bloomberg Rankings, Businessweek.com evaluated 100 of the country’s largest cities based on leisure attributes (the number of restaurants, bars, libraries, museums, professional sports teams, and park acres by population); educational attributes (public school performance, the number of colleges, and graduate degree holders), economic factors (2011 income and June and July 2012 unemployment), crime, and air quality. Major professional league and minor league teams, as well as U.S.-based teams belonging to international leagues in that city were included. The greatest weighting was placed on leisure amenities, followed by educational metrics and economic metrics, and then crime and air quality. The data come from Onboard Informatics, except for park acreage, which comes from the Trust for Public Land. As the methodology has changed since the 2011 ranking, a city’s rise or fall compared with last year does not suggest that it has gotten “better” or “worse.”
The country's second-largest city squeaked into this year’s rankings at 50th place, dragged down by poor air quality and high unemployment. But with its iconic beaches, celebrity culture, and more than 8,000 restaurants to keep 3.8 million inhabitants occupied, Los Angeles never lacks something to do. Other highlights: comedy staples such as the Laugh Factory and spotting Jack Nicholson at a Lakers game.
Bars: 393
Restaurants: 8,305
Museums: 106
Libraries: 108
Pro sports teams: 5
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 6
Colleges: 30
Percent with graduate degree: 6.7
Median household income: $56,558
Percent unemployed: 11.1
Alaska may seem an extreme place to live, with its long summer days and winter nights. Anchorage's winters are milder than further inland in the state, and its residents’ boots are well heeled, as Anchorage has our list’s third-best economic conditions. You won’t find a professional sports team in town any time soon, but residents can enjoy a dozen local breweries and shop for Alaska’s indigenous art at the Alaska Native Heritage Center.
Bars: 63
Restaurants: 682
Museums: 12
Libraries: 14
Pro sports teams: 0
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 1,753
Colleges: 2
Percent with graduate degree: 7.5
Median household income: $85,554
Percent unemployed: 6.4
The home town of the Oracle, Warren Buffett, suffers from last-place air quality among the cities on this list. But Omahans have world-class activities to enjoy inside: The city boasts the Joslyn Art Museum, and locals can take in the world’s largest indoor desert and nocturnal exhibit at the Henry Doorly Zoo. Omaha has been the home of the College World Series for more than 60 years.
Bars: 206
Restaurants: 908
Museums: 12
Libraries: 15
Pro sports teams: 1
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 21
Colleges: 7
Percent with graduate degree: 7.1
Median household income: $64,026
Percent unemployed: 4.6
St. Louis is a fun place to be, at No. 10 in our leisure rankings, on the strength of such attractions as the Anheuser-Busch Brewery, outdoor sculpture center Citygarden, and the Gateway Arch. It’s a standout for its barbecue, the bustling Laclede’s Landing historic district, and popular sports teams, including the 2011 World Series champion Cardinals. St. Louis rated the worst on this list, however, in crime.
Bars: 143
Restaurants: 795
Museums: 32
Libraries: 23
Pro sports teams: 3
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 10
Colleges: 6
Percent with graduate degree: 7.8
Median household income: $44,360
Percent unemployed: 9.8
Cleveland's sports teams take their lumps, and onetime local hero LeBron James didn't help matters by taking his talents to Florida. Still, plenty of chefs have kept the food in Cleveland at a high level, led by celebrity restaurateur Michael Symon. The town has also worked to spruce up its beaches on Lake Erie (not that there isn’t still an algae scare or two), and music fans can always pay homage at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum.
Bars: 204
Restaurants: 866
Museums: 23
Libraries: 51
Pro sports teams: 3
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 7
Colleges: 8
Percent with graduate degree: 4.5
Median household income: $35,685
Percent unemployed: 7.9
Photograph by Cameron Davidson/Getty Images Chesapeake, Virginia
Rank: 45
Population: 223,454
Chesapeake is one of the nation’s safest cities. It's nestled between Virginia Beach and the Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in the southeastern corner of Virginia, but some residents may have to leave town to have fun: Chesapeake houses the fewest bars, museums, and restaurants on this list. The town is trying to perk things up in 2013 to celebrate its 50th birthday, holding such events as an oyster roast and a Mayor’s Cup T-ball tournament.
Bars: 10
Restaurants: 451
Museums: 1
Libraries: 8
Pro sports teams: 0
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 252
Colleges: 11
Percent with graduate degree: 6.8
Median household income: $80,695
Percent unemployed: 6.3
While the dry heat can get to you in Arizona’s state capital and largest city—it logged temperatures as high as 116 degrees this August—Greater Phoenix is a sunshine lover’s dream. The city has more than 300 sunny days a year in which to enjoy its golf courses and South Mountain Park/Preserve, the country's largest municipal park.
Bars: 179
Restaurants: 2,384
Museums: 22
Libraries: 44
Pro sports teams: 5
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 28
Colleges: 11
Percent with graduate degree: 6.2
Median household income: $60,366
Percent unemployed: 7.3
Scottsdale bills itself as “The West’s Most Western Town.” It's also a richer, safer sister to Arizona’s capital, Phoenix. Scottsdale residents earn almost $40,000 more in median household income. They can spend that money in the seven small districts of Scottsdale’s downtown area, which house more than 80 art galleries. No city features fewer libraries on our list; many residents busy themselves instead with Scottsdale's famous private golf clubs.
Bars: 64
Restaurants: 680
Museums: 5
Libraries: 7
Pro sports teams: 1
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 72
Colleges: 2
Percent with graduate degree: 10.8
Median household income: $99,130
Percent unemployed: 7.3
Known for its mining and casinos, Reno lately has struggled to park patrons in the seats of slot machines; its 11.7 percent unemployment rate is the highest on this list. The city has worked to reinvent itself through an unlikely pastime: bowling. Reno lays claim to featuring the only bowling stadium of its kind in the world, with 78 championship lanes for its tournaments.
Bars: 83
Restaurants: 596
Museums: 10
Libraries: 14
Pro sports teams: 1
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 11
Colleges: 3
Percent with graduate degree: 7.1
Median household income: $64,507
Percent unemployed: 11.7
Dallas is arguably the focal point for oversize American culture: fried food, mechanic bull riding, and glitzy displays of largesse that inspire stereotypes and television shows alike. If you just know Dallas as a fan of the soap opera (or, more improbably, the canceled GCB show), you’re missing out on a city with several major art districts and a vibrant music scene. And Dallas’s take on Beverly Hills, the Highland Park neighborhood, is very much real.
Bars: 249
Restaurants: 2,808
Museums: 26
Libraries: 43
Pro sports teams: 2
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 23
Colleges: 10
Percent with graduate degree: 5.9
Median household income: $44,838
Percent unemployed: 7.9
Nestled next to Chesapeake (No. 45), Virginia Beach has all the activities you would expect from its name, with a fishing pier, jet skiing, and long, yellow sandy beachfront. Virginia Beach ranks the safest city on our list, and it’s eco-friendly, too: Its 165-acre park, Mount Trashmore, covers a reclaimed landfill with hiking trails and a skateboard park.
Bars: 24
Restaurants: 1,144
Museums: 10
Libraries: 18
Pro sports teams: 0
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 68
Colleges: 3
Percent with graduate degree: 7.3
Median household income: $76,637
Percent unemployed: 5.7
Charlotte claims professional sports teams, though one of them—Michael Jordan’s NBA Bobcats—just set a record for worst season-winning percentage in league history. Nascar fans love Charlotte: the city holds the sport's hall of fame, there are races at nearby Charlotte Motor Speedway, and many drivers make the Charlotte area their home. The city was also home to this year's Democratic National Convention.
Bars: 121
Restaurants: 1,685
Museums: 16
Libraries: 26
Pro sports teams: 3
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 20 (countywide)
Colleges: 8
Percent with graduate degree: 8.6
Median household income: $65,622
Percent unemployed: 9.9
While Oklahoma’s second-largest city might not set the country on fire as a tourist destination, it’s home to the nation’s 18th-oldest opera company, two symphony orchestras, and the thriving Brady Arts District. Tulsans with more traditional tastes can scarf down corn dogs at the Tulsa State Fair, held through the first week of October.
Bars: 109
Restaurants: 956
Museums: 15
Libraries: 21
Pro sports teams: 1
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 19
Colleges: 6
Percent with graduate degree: 6.2
Median household income: $53,059
Percent unemployed: 5.5
Indianapolis is strong in sports and other leisure activities, including the NCAA Hall of Champions, the Indianapolis 500 auto race, and the funky graffiti art (such as it can get) of Broad Ripple Village. The city has been working to go green, opening the Indianapolis Cultural Trail this year. Its cuisine is still best known for meat of the red variety.
Bars: 195
Restaurants: 1,679
Museums: 21
Libraries: 35
Pro sports teams: 4
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 14
Colleges: 11
Percent with graduate degree: 6.5
Median household income: $56,862
Percent unemployed: 8.9
Colorado Springs, located 15 minutes from Pikes Peak, is well situated for subscribers to Colorado’s active, outdoor lifestyle. The city hosts the U.S. Olympic Training Center and liberal arts college Colorado College. For a nice meal out on the town, locals can head to Summit at the Broadmoor resort.
Bars: 69
Restaurants: 901
Museums: 16
Libraries: 10
Pro sports teams: 1
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 30
Colleges: 9
Percent with graduate degree: 9.0
Median household income: $70,437
Percent unemployed: 9.9
The site of this year’s Republican National convention, Tampa is our only stop in Florida this year. Credit the city's strong nightlife and parks. Tampa has its own Busch Gardens, aquarium, and zoo. And with such nice weather, the city’s sports teams usually have plenty of tickets available for the sports fan, even if that doesn’t always look good on TV.
Bars: 91
Restaurants: 1,114
Museums: 18
Libraries: 19
Pro sports teams: 4
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 10
Colleges: 6
Percent with graduate degree: 7.5
Median household income: $55,039
Percent unemployed: 8.8
Lincoln, home of the Cornhuskers of the University of Nebraska’s main campus, boasts low unemployment—just 3.7 percent. A major college town, Lincoln has a busy nightlife scene on O Street and has the cleanest air of any city on our list. Despite that, it’s also the most infected, in a sense: The city hosts an annual ZombieFest over two days in August.
Bars: 74
Restaurants: 523
Museums: 22
Libraries: 18
Pro sports teams: 0
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 25
Colleges: 3
Percent with graduate degree: 7.3
Median household income: $67,093
Percent unemployed: 3.7
Photograph by Walter Bibikow/Getty Images San Jose
Rank: 33
Population: 956,368
San Jose already has pro sports teams, but Oracle Chief Executive Larry Ellison has tried to add an NBA team to the city for years. Ellison’s attempt to buy and move the Memphis Grizzlies this spring was stymied, so for now this Silicon Valley center will have to make do with having the third-best combination of unemployment and median household income on our list, thanks largely to its more than 6,600 technology companies.
Bars: 68
Restaurants: 1,578
Museums: 12
Libraries: 31
Pro sports teams: 4
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 17
Colleges: 4
Percent with graduate degree: 9.8
Median household income: $92,539
Percent unemployed: 8.7
Rochester may be closely identified with the rust belt towns of the Erie Canal, but it still boasts a full slate of events to keep residents busy, from Oktoberfest celebrations to its annual Fringe festival over five days in September. History buffs can walk the War of 1812 Bicentennial Peace Garden Trail and relive dreams of Canadian conquest.
Bars: 78
Restaurants: 502
Museums: 14
Libraries: 17
Pro sports teams: 3
Park acres per 1,000 residents: 7
Colleges: 4
Percent with graduate degree: 7.8
Median household income: $37,111
Percent unemployed: 8.4
