Chicago has recently been nominated in the top ten most fun cities to be in, and this news is no surprise for locals, since we all know our possibilities to have fun right here at home are endless.
Of course, everybody likes to travel, and might think a vacation in any other destination is better than a staycation, so it would be nice to know which are the most fun cities to be in around the country.
More than 180 US cities were compared to make up the top
To establish this hierarchy, WalletHub compared more than 180 U.S. cities based on 65 pertinent metrics. The three key dimensions were entertainment and recreation, nightlife and parties, and overall costs.
“WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state,” WalletHub stated.
Las Vegas, Nevada, was first on the list as the most fun city in America, with a score of 71.38. No surprise here, you might say, since Sin City is recognized for the endless possibilities to have fun 24/7.
WalletHub gave the city the top spots in the entertainment and recreation rank and the nightlife and parties categories.
On the 2nd and 3rd spots were two renowned destinations in the warm state of Florida: Orlando and Miami.
In Orlando, the city’s nation-leading theme parks helped push the city’s ranking toward the top of the list. The city has one of the lowest nightly rates for a 3-star hotel room and relatively low average prices for staple foods such as pizza and burgers, according to WalletHub. It also ranked as one of the best cities for soccer fans.
Miami seems to be one of the favorite destinations for spring-breakers who choose its beaches to party on, and was listed as the third most fun city in the U.S. by WalletHub. The city was also ranked as the best in America for its boat tours and water sports and is perfect for those with an outdoorsy lifestyle.
Chicago is in very good company in the most fun cities list
As for Chicago, the Windy City ranked 8th overall as the nation’s most fun city, with WalletHub ranking the third largest city 8th in entertainment and recreation and 12th in nightlife and parties. Maybe we would also add some fun in the boating department, with our new hot tub cruises down the Chicago river this winter.
Back in November, Chicago was named the Best Big City in the U.S. for the 7th time by the Condé Nast Traveler readers, through the magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards.
For 36 years, Condé Nast Traveler has captured input from readers to determine the winners of their Readers’ Choice Awards, the longest-running and most prestigious recognition of excellence in the travel industry. And every year since 2017, Chicago has led the pack as the Best Big City in the U.S. Using input from more than 520,000 readers this year, the luxury and lifestyle publication once again crowned Chicago as the nation’s top city in its 36th annual Readers’ Choice Awards. The Windy City beat out San Diego, Milwaukee, New Orleans, San Francisco and others for the honor.
Now, Chicago is in good company in the top of the most fun cities to be in, as listed below.
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Orlando, Florida
- Miami, Florida
- Atlanta, Georgia
- San Francisco, California
- New Orleans, Louisiana
- Austin, Texas
- Chicago, Illinois
- Honolulu, Hawaii
- New York, New York
Activities, parks, beaches, boating and more fun things to do
“Finding a city that matches your own unique brand of fun is important. All cities have a variety of activities, but some shine more than others when it comes to things like parks and beaches, live music and comedy, partying, sports culture or fine dining,” said Cassandra Happe, WalletHub analyst. “Picking a city to spend a weekend in is easy, but moving to a city where you’ll have fun on a regular basis requires more research.”
In case you need ideas for fun stuff to do in the city this season, you might want to try this Mad Hatter’s Tea Party Show which brings a Las Vegas feel (Lite Show!) to Chicago’s South Loop. It is a fun, cheesy, humorous show, housed in a venue with unique decor and enough booze to make an elephant inquire about detox centers. Totally worth a visit, according to our review. And if the drinks you enjoy here are not enough to quench your thirst, check out this local guide to Chicago hotels with rooftop bars, which include some of the best rooftop bars in the city.
But, if you are more the classical tea party type, the best hotels and restaurants in Chicago go above and beyond to perk up the high tea experience. If you fancy the classic afternoon tea ritual, you won’t go wrong with the Windy City’s downtown hotels and quaint tearooms, where you can savor a delicious brew with equally scrumptious canapés, colorful pastries, and bite-sized sandwiches.
For those in the mood for a contemporary twist, the likes of Kostali and Bar Pendry have reinvented the tea-time tradition. Some of these innovative tea houses are treating patrons looking for something potent to tea-infused cocktails with a punch.
Whatever is your fancy, Chicago sure has it, and, if our fair city is not enough fun inducing for you, you can check WalletHub’s full listing of the most fun cities in America here.
