Best city "downtown" where is it?
 

During a recent cross country car trip I enjoyed touring the "downtowns" of cities large and small. Mant downtowns were depressing with mostly empty store fronts destroyed by Walmart and other big box retailers (and of course changing retail habits of the local population)

Other places had vital downtowns, not yet destroyed by the strips out side of town.

What cities large and small have the best downtowns?

Large: Tossup between New York and Chicago, frankly. I love them both. LA (the largest downtown near me) has an architecturally interesting downtown, but almost nothing to bring you there after dark (c'mon, does ANYONE really hang out around Staples Center?...), so it can't compete at all.

Smaller: Hmmm... The problem here is, most small- to mid-size cities are/were dependent on one or two major industries, and as the economy has lurched from favoring one sector to another to yet another, these cities' downtown areas suffer. Pittsburgh, for example, has an attractive downtown area, but the lack of good nightlife is killing it as an economic engine. I love San Diego, but parts of its downtown are ghost towns as new companies choose to settle in office parks outside the city itself-- which is a common occurrence killing downtowns throughout the US. In my hometown (Long Beach CA), there are great things happening downtown, but in small, highly concentrated pockets, surrounded by practically deserted office complexes. Kinda depressing.

Smaller would be Charleston, Asheville, Savannah or Athens.

GoTravel: Good suggestions! All nice cities.

My favorite ... Chicago

I like New York, like the previous posters - but if we can add Canada - I love Ottawa - VERY cool city, especially in the spring. Boston has some neat areas in it, as well.

I think Philadelphia has a lovely 'downtown.
Also-Montreal:)

I think for a big city, Chicago has a wonderful "downtown". Tons of things go on till late at night and lots of people are out. Toronto also has a very nice "downtown"

For small...Boulder and Fort Collins, Colorado. We live in Fort Collins and have the BEST "old town" down town. Also San Louis Obispo.

Oh my, I did forget about SLO! I adore that town-- I have to get back this summer for a day visit! Thanks for reminding me, Ani. And I concur-- fun li'l downtown area!

I also agree with Debi about Boston, Scarlett about Montréal (my folks lived there for 3 years, and it was magical for them), and Hipster70 about Toronto. Ahh, great towns.

For a small town downtown, I like Nevada City, Ca.

Another Canada...Halifas, Nova Scotia and Wolfville, Nova Scotia. Darmouth, NS used to have a lovely downtown (complete with a Woolworths) but it went downhill. It's hopefully on the mend though.

New York City, San Francisco, and Santa Fe.

I have visited many large cities through the years and would have to say that in my opinion the best downtown I have found is in Chicago. Both in quanity and quality of the stores. Marshall Fields is probably the nicest department store I have ever been in annnd I have found very little in other cities that can compare for shopping to the "Magnificent Mile".

Personally I think Seattle's downtown is fantastic for a smaller city. Tons of wonderful restaurants in all price ranges, lots of music venues, theaters, etc.

Portland OR has a nice and revitalized/ing downtown. Very walkable and interesting shops.

I second Santa Fe. Those that stand out in my head as being nice downtowns seems to be cities that have made an effort to revitalize or to restrict how their cities grew.

I hate to get people started on San Francisco but I think it has (or had) a nice downtown area where there was lots to see and do and walkable.

Admitting a bias, I vote for San Antonio. It's quite pretty and built on a human scale, very walkable, has lots of restaurants and shops, and a strong sense of history. All it lacks is a grocery store - but the terrific Central Market is not far away.

Naperville, IL. It's a small town, but they have done an outstanding job with their downtown, there is a mix of "mall" stores, like Pottery Barn, Willams-Sonoma, The Gap, Talbot's, etc, but they have also kept some antique stores & independent stores. Lots of restaurants, a riverwalk, can't beat it!

The comedian, WC Fields, once said, "once you leave New York, everyplace else is Philadelphia." How true.

San Luis Obispo has a good downtown for a small city. In fact I liked it so much I moved there.
For large cities New York has no equal but Chicago is good as well as Boston.

I agree that the downtown area of Asheville, NC is a force to be reckoned with.

No other city in North Carolina is as architecturally diverse as Asheville, which boasts one of the largest collections of Art Deco architecture in the country, as well as the distinction of having the vast majority of the buildings constructed during its first major boom period (1890 - 1935) still standing.

Downtown Asheville can't be beat in North Carolina for the quality and quantity of great restaurants, bars, and nightclubs, performing arts and venues, commercial art galleries, fun shopping, and public art.

Now, of course, you can't just take someone's word for it. Get an expert opinion. James Howard Kunstler, a renowned writer whose works deal with urban issues, called Asheville an "urban gem." National Geographic Traveler named the city's top attraction, the Biltmore Estate located just south of downtown, one of the 50 places you must see in America. American Style named the city one of the top arts destinations in America. The Boston Globe, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Charlotte Observer, Washington Post, and Hemisperes Magazine all wrote glowing reviews of downtown, the city, and all it offers. Asheville placed 15th in a nationwide survey of the cities people would most like to live (New York was first), and Asheville has earned glowing reviews in various men's magazines, Southern Living, and Woman's Day, thanks in large part to the vibrancy and beauty of downtown. Wallpaper Magazine even named the city the "No. 1 Urban Haven in the World."

Downtown Asheville, and the thriving neighborhoods that surround it can take all the credit. Sure, the city sits in amazingly beautiful natural surroundings, and has over a million acres of government-owned land at its doorstep for people to play in, but without that incredibly alive central city, Asheville would just be a place to sleep between hikes, and never a place to visit.

And of course, many who visit want to stay, and quite a few want to immerse themselves in that wonderful downtown -- which is why in the last census, downtown Asheville was the census tract that showed the most growth, beating out mountaintop communities, gated golf course communities, and the shiny new subdivisions that can be found throughout the area. It certainly wasn't from lack of choice. There are plenty of suburban areas and small towns to settle down in; people chose downtown over plentiful other options because of downtown amenities, beauty, character, and overall joie de vivre.

There really is no other city like it, and it's definitely one of the best and most beautiful cities in the country. boasting one of the greatest downtowns in the country. And remember, I'm not just saying that -- I've got the research to prove it.

I'm biased, having grown up there, but I've lived in Washington, LA, and New Orleans since, and visited numerous others - Seattle still has the best downtown I know of. Unlike most cities, it's the best place in the city to shop, eat, go out, and in many cases live.

Chicago...

New York City, Chicago, and Philadelphia all have nice lively downtowns. San Jose has done a nice job of revitalizing their downtown also.

Hands down....New York City.

In New England --- Boston (of course), also on a smaller scale - Portland Me., Burlington Vt., North Hampton Ma., Concord NH

I agree that San Jose is doing a nice job of revitalizing downtown. The difference between now and 10 years ago is amazing.

A downtown that really surprised me was Omaha. I went there a few months ago for a training seminar, and the area called the Old Market is really pretty nice. It was winter time, so there wasn't a whole lot going on, but there were lots of restaurants, most with seating out front, the sidewalks were covered so rain and snow isn't as much of an issue, there were also several bars and a lot of shops. I was pleasantly surprised.

J Cor, Great call on Nev City. Especially in the winter with some snow on the ground and a big chill in the air.
Just be careful with the parking tickets, especially around the Courthouse!
I hit a trifecta on 3 straight trips up there one year! ((%))

When did Kam become such a big San Jose fan? :-?

I have to throw my Cub hat into the ring for Chicago.
Kal

Tanks, Kal, from duh great siddy ah Chicahguh. Next time you's over by dere, get youself to wonna da Sox games, too, Dere's mawr tah Chicaguh den jest da Nort side.

- da Mare

San Jose has really improved their downtown by leaps and bounds. Good nightlife, restaurants, perfoming arts, museums, etc. As far as other big cities, New York without a doubt as well as Chicago. In terms of mid-sized cities, I like downtown Austin.

Philadelphia has one of the best downtowns in the country (but they call it Center City). You can walk from Elfreth's Alley up to Fitler Square and never run out of interesting things to see and do. Not to mention the great restaurant scene, outstanding cultural activities, endless list of museums, beautiful homes, and green, pretty parks.

Bozeman, MT
San Antonio, TX
Washington,DC
Jackson, WY

Mpls is good espescially in the winter with all their enclosed walkways you can get around without ever going out-side.

Large - NYC. No place has so much energy packed into one downtown area.

Small - Evanston, IL.

I like Mpls. also - both in winter and summer. The "skyways" are wonderful when it is either really hot or really cold. On nice days it is fun to walk on Nicollet Mall.

I believe El Paso, TX has the best best city downtown. Its very busy unlike most U.S. city centers. It has many types of stores and eateries. It's not just some yuppified business district. El Paso's city core is for the common man...and woman!

Small city: Red Bank, NJ

Large: of course, NYC

For larger cities, I would probably have to say Chicago or San Francisco.

For smaller downtowns, my favorite would probably have to be Golden, Colorado. Charming and the setting is unbeatable!

For smaller cities under 100K Missoula, MT hands down.

God bless downtown Santa Cruz, CA, with its filthy hippies harassing cigarettes out of pretty girls in tank tops and telling them dirty jokes in front of Borders Bookstore ("How many times does one go into zero? As many times as it can [dirty hand motion]!"). I cannot pick up a pizza and walk out to the car without some sleazy bastard going "Hey, I want a piece!"...some of them even threaten to come after me when I flip them off. How rude.

Ha! What a place. It's actually quite nice, with lots of flowering planters, benches, retail alleys/courtyards, the ubiquitous surf shops and a good mix of chain stores and local shops and lots of moderatey priced restaurants and coffeehouses, and my favorite, Marini's candy n ice cream, home of the pretty girl with the strong scooping wrist. There's even a couple of hot tub places on the side streets that are awesome (the "soak n poke" as my friend calls them). Sometimes the street music is even good. Sometimes. Excellent people watching overall. And yes, that's a needle exchange over by the bus station.

love
roxy