Settled in 1625, nearly 400 years ago, Boston continues to live up to its statewide tagline as “the spirit of America.” And this week, our beloved city received yet another “best cities to live in the U.S.” recognition, this time by the Condé Nast Reader’s Choice Awards! Whether you refer to the city as Puritan City or Home of the Masshole, there’s no denying the charms of Boston’s juxtaposition of history and revolutionary innovation.
Now in its 36th year, the Condé Nast Reader’s Choice are one of the most prestigious awards in the travel industry. And for its 2023 edition, Boston came in at #6 for the best big cities to live in the U.S. according to the nearly 250,000 readers who completed this year’s survey! Boston is no stranger to this list, getting ranked as one of the best cities to live in the U.S several times in years past by Condé Nast readers.
For their annual survey, Condé Nast divided America’s best cities into categories of small and big, with populations under and over 250,000, respectively. With a healthy population of 700,000 people, Boston was recognized as one of the “best big cities.” Despite Boston’s small size of 90 square miles, it’s full of endless things to do year-round.
In the announcement, Condé Nast shared: “for one of the oldest cities in the U.S., Boston sure has aged with style.”
To get a quick refresher on our nation’s history, walk the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile route along a string of historic sites that takes you through the country’s founding. Other activities worth adding to your itinerary include slurping up oysters at Neptune, visiting the eclectic salon-style art display at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and catching a ball game at Fenway Park. Just be sure to learn the words to ‘Sweet Caroline’ before you go.
We might be biased, but we have to agree that Boston is wicked awesome. We invented the coastal grandmother trend, and have the highest per capita ratio of Dunkin Donuts.
What are the best cities to live in the U.S.?
As for how Boston fared next to other big cities? See where it placed here:
- Chicago, IL
- San Diego, CA
- Milwaukee, WI
- New Orleans, LA
- San Francisco, CA
- Boston, MA
- New York, NY
- Nashville, TN
- Washington D.C.
- Miami, FL
While many cities on this list came and went since 2022, Boston held the same position from the year prior. Condé Nast Traveler has been helping readers worldwide discover the most magical places on Earth since 1987. Take a deep breath of gratitude knowing you live in one!