10 American cities with a great downtown

From small New England town commons to bustling Southern centers and Western squares, downtowns serve as a city’s backbone. Beyond office space, they’re hubs for social activities, fine dining and cultural experiences. But not every downtown is equal.

With a focus on renters and options apartment amenities, a new ranking from StorageCafe ranks America’s best downtown spaces based on a “variety of factors such as cost of living (rent-to-income ratio, cost of groceries), rental inventory, apartment amenities (personal space, green units, unit quality, access to workout facilities), safety, restaurants, cultural and shopping options and more,” according to a brief about the findings.

Cities in the South comprise nearly half the list, which can be viewed in the gallery above. Visit StorageCafe’s website for more information.