Who’s address is best…?
Well, the answer to that question always depends on how you rate what the best qualities are in an address. Yet, the American Planning Association’s ratings of America’s Best Neighborhoods is right on point.
Here’s the list:
— Chatham Village (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania)
— Eastern Market Neighborhood (Washington, DC)
— Elmwood Village (Buffalo, New York)
— The First Addition Neighborhood (Lake Oswego, Oregon)
— Hillcrest (San Diego, California)
— North Beach (San Francisco, California)
— Old West Austin (Austin, Texas)
— Park Slope (Brooklyn, New York)
— Pike Place Market Neighborhood (Seattle, Washington)
— West Urbana (Urbana, Illinois)
— 2007 Great Streets in America
— 125th Street (Harlem, New York)
— Bull Street (Savannah, Georgia)
— Canyon Road (Santa Fe, New Mexico)
— Delmar Loop (University City and St. Louis, Missouri)
— Main Street (Northampton, Massachusetts)
— Monument Avenue (Richmond, Virginia)
— North Michigan Avenue (Chicago, Illinois)
— Ocean Drive (Miami Beach, Florida)
— South Temple Street (Salt Lake City, Utah)
— St. Charles Avenue (New Orleans, Louisiana)
I’ve lived in the North Michigan Avenue and Chicago, Bull Street and Savannah, and on the border of North Beach…With the changes of North Carolina and the effects upon university expanision, I sometimes wonder what the hell got me out of one of those neighborhoods.
Each neighborhood has mixed-income, mixed-use, is walkable, preserved their essence, and has changed with long-term planning and preservation models in mind. Check out San Francisco’s thrill for landing North Beach on the list.
With that said, take a tour and enjoy these neighborhoods. More importantly, if you explore one of these areas, jot down a few ideas and contribute your thoughts to your next neighborhood meeting.
Neighborhood Action,
BD