Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Louisville, Kentucky and Richmond Virginia were the first places that came to mind when I read this post.
Same here, but I didn't mention them because I didn't know if their bike infrastructure would be suitable for the OP. Otherwise, they are excellent recommendations.
Same here, but I didn't mention them because I didn't know if their bike infrastructure would be suitable for the OP. Otherwise, they are excellent recommendations.
Louisville is now one of the top cities in the SE for cycling, especially in the large city category:
It is now a Silver community....there are only 25 gold of Platinum communities...these include San Fran and all the usual suspects, almost entirely on the west coast. In Louisville's area, only Bloomington, IN (which is a very small town), ranks higher on the list
Almost all downtown and urban areas have painted bike lanes and trails ,and there are even a few mile of paved dedicated bike lanes now, with many more to come. The Mayor has made a serious commitment to cycling and there are several cycling clubs in the area.
Louisville is now one of the top cities in the SE for cycling, especially in the large city category:
It is now a Silver community....there are only 25 gold of Platinum communities...these include San Fran and all the usual suspects, almost entirely on the west coast. In Louisville's area, only Bloomington, IN (which is a very small town), ranks higher on the list
Almost all downtown and urban areas have painted bike lanes and trails ,and there are even a few mile of paved dedicated bike lanes now, with many more to come. The Mayor has made a serious commitment to cycling and there are several cycling clubs in the area.
I think Boston is a obvious choice, but it's probably too big and too expensive. So with that in mind, I would suggest Portland, ME. Yes there are winters, but spring/summer/fall are beautiful and it's not as cold as Chicago or WI.
I am curious to hear the responses on this one. What about Denver, CO, Nashville, TN or Austin, TX or New Orleans? Since you liked Asheville, I wonder what would compare to it in a bigger size?
All of these cities are larger than what the OP wants, in some cases (Denver, Nashville, Austin) by several times over. Austin, for ex is almost 900,000. Denver and Nashville are in the 600Ks, and NOLA is almost 400K. Denver is bike friendly, the winter is long but not severe.
OP here! I really appreciate everyone's suggestions, links, and information!
From your suggestions, I've narrowed it down to Albequrque, NM; Boise, ID; Denver, CO; Louisville, KY; Fort Collins, CO; Richmond, VA; and Nashville, TN. I know not all of them meet all of the requirements, but they meet enough that they are in the running
OP here! I really appreciate everyone's suggestions, links, and information!
From your suggestions, I've narrowed it down to Albequrque, NM; Boise, ID; Denver, CO; Louisville, KY; Fort Collins, CO; Richmond, VA; and Nashville, TN. I know not all of them meet all of the requirements, but they meet enough that they are in the running
Thanks so much!
This is an outstanding lists of up and coming, hip, progressive, temperate, vegan friendly cities. Denver is the biggest and in a different size class....Ft Collins is the smallest and probably the least interesting along with Boise.
Louisville and Nashville are by far the coolest cities listed but make sure you either get a local guide or ask incessant questions before exploring. You will need at least a good week in each to check them out. Both cities are developing very cool "nook and cranny" type of urban neighborhoods that could be hard to find unless you are "in the know." IMO no city on the list has a neighborhood as awesome as the Highlands of Louisville (maybe LODO in Denver but that is just so much bigger of a city), and that is why it is the winner for me. Louisville would be best to visit during a festival which are frequent. I strongly recommend Forecastle July 17-19 (coming up!). The St James Art fair the first weekend in October also gives you a sense of what the city is all about. Also, Nashville has gotten so BIG. Louisville still feels like a small town big city. It is very clean, but its urban areas also have a lot of "old school" industrial "grit." In this way, it is very much like New Orleans. The best way to explore the cities is to stay at a couple different hotels, a couple different airbnb spots in different neighborhoods, and walk and eat your way around the city. I can provide an excellent guide should you choose to check Louisville. Louisville also has several city tour buses and city taste food tour which is pretty good. Make sure you check an urban distillery out to get a feel for the direction the city is moving (bourbon and food based tourism) Louisville's only downsides for me are allergies and air quality.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
