The charm of Alexandria has won people over — again. The city ranks No. 3 on the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards for best small city, right behind Charleston, South Carolina, and Santa Fe, New Mexico.
“Most folks start to imagine moving there immediately after setting foot in Old Town, once they’ve strolled the red-brick sidewalks, clocking street after street of perfectly preserved rowhouses from the 18th and 19th centuries,” Condé Nast Traveler wrote.
It recommended visitors check out King Street’s boutiques, restaurants, and specialty shops before heading to the waterfront to watch the boats and then to see the art at the Torpedo Factory Art Center.
This is the second year that Alexandria made the Best Cities in the U.S. list. Last year, it was No. 9. At No. 9 this year is Annapolis, Maryland.
Here are the top 10 small cities on the list:
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Santa Fe, New Mexico
- Alexandria
- Greenville, South Carolina
- Savannah, Georgia
- Aspen, Colorado
- St. Augustine, Florida
- Pensacola, Florida
- Annapolis, Maryland
- Sedona, Arizona
Among large cities, DC ranks No. 9. Chicago and San Diego take the top spots.
To come up with the rankings, the prestigious publication asked its readers to weigh in about their experiences. The annual Readers’ Choice Awards survey had 526,518 responses.
Feature image courtesy Visit Alexandria/Mike Mielcarz
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