The Charms of Affordable Cities (Not Named San Francisco or New York)

A recent post identifies a sweet spot in the urban market: affordable cities like Cincinnati and others in the Rust Belt that provide an attractive alternative to more expensive, if more famous, cities on the coasts.

1 minute read

November 1, 2014, 1:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Cincinnati Over-the-Rhine

Max Herman / Shutterstock

A post by John Sanphillippo asks a provocative question: "Who needs New Urbanism or Smart Growth when so many amazing old neighborhoods are just sitting out there in under-appreciated and radically undervalued cities all across North America?" 

Sanphillippo's post includes a series of photos from cities like Cincinnati, in additional to his rhetoric about cost of living and the benefits of buildings that age well, to show that Rust Belt cities and other more affordable locations (compared, especially, to San Francisco and Brooklyn) offer many of the same benefits and charms as more famous locations. 

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