Best Downtowns Among Smaller Cities (places, cons, metro, people)
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definitely; it seems like a micro-Philly to me mostly, but I can see a resemblance to Beacon Hill too.
Armory square is nice, but the rest of the Syracuse downtown needs some TLC. the bones are there though. Speaking of NY cities, Rochester and Buffalo have some decent downtowns; Buffalo has the new canal side district, the downtown is getting some attention and Rochester has some nice development along the river/falls/gorge and is removing a part of their highway that used to circle the city like a moat.
Harrisburg is nice (much smaller and walkable than Syracuse/Rochester or Buffalo) but also could use some more love. It has a ton of potential with how the residential is woven into the downtown the way it is, as well as the fact it's the state capital. Also the river is beautiful; I can't believe there's no highway destroying it. Another thing I like about Harrisburg and Lancaster for that matter, is that it's on the Amtrak keystone line that quickly connects them to Philly and NYC. This line is one of the faster Amtrak routes since it's electrified (125 mph top speed I think, but I would imagine it could do the same as the NEC). They also managed not to tear down their beautiful train stations.
Also, being from Philly I love public markets, and both Lancaster and Harrisburg have them. I think the one in Lancaster is the oldest in the country.
Yes I agree about Harrisburg too. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania is a total gem. It feels much larger than it is. Between downtown and midtown to me it feels like a mini Philadelphia. Its skyline is also quite attractive.
And yes that waterfront is gorgeous. The fact is has a park along its entire length makes it even more special with all that fantastic historic architecture lined across it.
And then you have the historic walking bridge to the City Island park. So much potential there.
As Philadelphia and DC are getting more expensive... I am noticing an uptick in Harrisburg development.
500k doesn't get you much in DC or Philadelphia but in Harrisburg it does.. and I am noticing a lot of people moving there or investing in the city, who want a walkable and vibrant city that is still affordable but accessible to NYC, PHL and DC and the Atlantic Beaches and Mountains.
Last edited by rowhomecity; 04-06-2021 at 10:34 AM..
Here are a few I've visited, below. For their size, they are really very good--busy, vibrant, lots of bar/restaurant options, and lots of things to do, as well as being somewhat diverse in their offerings, and safe:
Chattanooga, TN
Knoxville, TN
Asheville, NC
Lexington, KY
Madison, WI
I agree with these. I think Knoxville has not reached its full potential yet. I would add these towns:
Portland, ME
Morgantown, WV
Tulsa, OK
Sarasota, FL
definitely; it seems like a micro-Philly to me mostly, but I can see a resemblance to Beacon Hill too.
Armory square is nice, but the rest of the Syracuse downtown needs some TLC. the bones are there though. Speaking of NY cities, Rochester and Buffalo have some decent downtowns; Buffalo has the new canal side district, the downtown is getting some attention and Rochester has some nice development along the river/falls/gorge and is removing a part of their highway that used to circle the city like a moat.
Harrisburg is nice (much smaller and walkable than Syracuse/Rochester or Buffalo) but also could use some more love. It has a ton of potential with how the residential is woven into the downtown the way it is, as well as the fact it's the state capital. Also the river is beautiful; I can't believe there's no highway destroying it. Another thing I like about Harrisburg and Lancaster for that matter, is that it's on the Amtrak keystone line that quickly connects them to Philly and NYC. This line is one of the faster Amtrak routes since it's electrified (125 mph top speed I think, but I would imagine it could do the same as the NEC). They also managed not to tear down their beautiful train stations.
Also, being from Philly I love public markets, and both Lancaster and Harrisburg have them. I think the one in Lancaster is the oldest in the country.
St. Petersburg definitely has a great downtown, but I'm not so sure I'd classify it as a "smaller city" at this point.
Sarasota i.e. the DT is tiny, the big developments are suburban, even exurban e.g. Lakewood Ranch and other satellite communities planned in west Manatee. Te city of Sarasota is tiny, but the bayfront is getting a bit too zazou vogue in imposing "walkability" for the dog walking crowd.
St Pete DT is getting a bit too much in trying to get there, and has too many weird people
I'd agree with those suggestions. Myself I'd say Bloomington, IN, Ann Arbor, MI, and Iowa City, IA are pretty nice as well for college towns. Athens, GA is also great for a college town.
For smaller towns, I also liked visiting Madison, IN, and Burlington, IA as well. Dubuque, IA has a pretty nice downtown, and so does nearby Galena, IL. Monroe, WI isn't too far north of Galena, and also has a nice downtown too.
I actually liked Downtown Knoxville slightly more than Downtown Chattanooga but both are nice.
Sarasota i.e. the DT is tiny, the big developments are suburban, even exurban e.g. Lakewood Ranch and other satellite communities planned in west Manatee. Te city of Sarasota is tiny, but the bayfront is getting a bit too zazou vogue in imposing "walkability" for the dog walking crowd.
St Pete DT is getting a bit too much in trying to get there, and has too many weird people
Sarasota is small, but not that small. They’ve had a grocery store there (Whole Foods) for years which goes a long way towards livability. Only recently did downtown Tampa get one, and it’s not really in the core CBD.
I’m not sure why St. Pete is hard to get to. The city attracts a lot of different people, some of which are weird. I think the same could be said for any diverse city.
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