Editor's Note: This story originally appeared on Point2.
Culture and arts have long been essential aspects of life, and the U.S. boasts some superb places to enjoy museums, galleries, festivals and events. And as increasing numbers of people transition from traditional office roles to remote work, it’s never been easier to relocate in pursuit of a cultural lifestyle.
To determine which American metros have the most to offer in this respect, 42Floors recently put together a study ranking 50 major U.S. cities.
Its analysis considers various metrics, including arts and cultural venues, festivals, libraries, jobs in the arts, as well as the local coworking landscape.
Below are the top metros for remote workers in search of cultural havens.
1. New York City-Newark-Jersey City
With 68.2 points out of 80, the New York City metro took the No. 1 spot by a fair margin, earning top scores across six of the eight metrics. NYC boasts the highest number of libraries, the most cultural tours, the largest cultural workforce, the most cultural establishments and the most film festivals.
This doesn’t come as a huge surprise, with NYC long holding a reputation for being a melting pot of culture, art and diversity.
Plus, with more than 600 coworking spaces in the NYC area, it’s never been easier for remote workers to take advantage of all that the “city that never sleeps” has to offer.
2. Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim
Scoring 55.5 points, the L.A. metro took second place, remaining a good 28 points ahead of Chicago, which came in third.
With 21 music festivals this year, L.A. ranked first in this metric and scored second in terms of libraries, film festivals, employment in the arts sector and the number of cultural establishments.
With more than 500 coworking spaces in the L.A. area, there are plenty of places for remote workers to get their jobs done.
3. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
With 81,740 jobs in the arts and culture sector, Chicagoland took the third spot in the ranking with a score of 27.5 out of 80. The metro is also home to over 160 libraries and hosts at least 14 music festivals this year. It came in fourth in terms of the number of cultural establishments and fifth for its number of annual film festivals.
Finally, a bustling Chicago coworking scene, the fifth-largest on the list, helped cement the metro’s spot in the top three.
4. Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach
Miami is the only Florida metro to make the top 10 and thoroughly deserves its spot. This metro took fourth place for music festivals, putting it on par with Austin and Orlando.
It also scored well for the number of cultural establishments in the metropolitan statistical area (MSA).
The Miami coworking community is the fourth-largest in the ranking, boasting plenty of fantastic places for remote professionals.
5. San Francisco-Oakland-Berkeley
San Francisco is known as a center of counterculture, and while it’s typically considered among the most expensive places to live, it has lots to offer.
Most notably, it took third place for the number of film festivals and fourth place in terms of the ratio of cultural entertainment venues per 100,000 residents.
There is also a wealth of coworking spaces in San Francisco. Equipped with exceptional amenities, they continue to attract top talent and promote an excellent environment for startups.
6. Washington, D.C.-Arlington-Alexandria
Rich in history, the Washington, D.C., metro is awash with diversity, great music and countless fascinating museums. It took third place in terms of the number of cultural tours on offer and is fourth best for libraries, while its score of 20.3 landed it No. 6 overall in the ranking.
And if you thought everyone in the nation’s capital worked in the public sector, you might be surprised to hear that it’s home to the seventh-largest number of jobs in arts and culture.
Finally, the D.C. coworking community is the third-largest in the ranking, boasting a wide variety of exciting spaces worth checking out.
7. Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin
With 25 cultural establishments per 100,000 residents, the Nashville MSA dominated this metric taking the top spot. Additionally, it’s behind only NYC and L.A. in terms of the number of entertainment, arts and recreation establishments.
Famous for its rich music scene, Nashville boasts some creative coworking spaces in which inspiration can thrive.
8. Boston-Cambridge-Newton
Boston is rapidly becoming a life science hub but has boasted a vibrant art scene for many years. Home to the impressive Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston is rich in art and culture.
It ranked fourth in terms of the number of film festivals hosted in the city and also scored well for cultural tours.
Because of all the fantastic Boston coworking spaces, the metro enjoys the ninth-largest flexible working market in the ranking.
9. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington
Another up-and-coming life science hub, the Philadelphia metro has been taking active steps to become a 24-hour city. It scored fifth regarding the number of jobs in the arts and culture sector, as well as the number of libraries.
It also boasts multiple other cultural establishments, taking the eighth spot in the metric, while scoring 16.2 points overall.
A host of great coworking spaces in the Philadelphia area mean you’ll never be far from some incredible attractions and experiences.
10. Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue
Rounding off the top 10, Seattle is another strong contender for the “capital of counterculture.”
It enjoys a solid arts and crafts scene and incredible local entertainment options. Seattle scored high in terms of film and music festivals, but also libraries.
You’ll find local art almost everywhere in the city, from cafes and bars to neighborhood art walks and even shared workplaces. In fact, the creative coworking spaces in Seattle are sure to spark imagination and innovation.
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