{"id":21839,"date":"2020-11-11T10:20:48","date_gmt":"2020-11-11T18:20:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/?p=21839"},"modified":"2020-11-11T10:20:48","modified_gmt":"2020-11-11T18:20:48","slug":"most-exciting-small-cities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/most-exciting-small-cities\/","title":{"rendered":"These Are the 10 Most Exciting Small Cities in America"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Not everyone can live in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/oakland-ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Oakland, CA<\/a>. But after the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Movoto Real Estate<\/a> Blog named it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/10-most-exciting-cities\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">the Most Exciting City in America<\/a>, it seemed like everyone in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/ca\/ps-bay-area\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bay Area<\/a> was thinking about giving it a shot. Sure, living in a big city can be exciting, stimulating, educational, and tons of fun, but often the tradeoff for living in a bustling city is a high cost of living and constant crowds. It seems the trend now is to seek out the perfect blend of small-town vibes and accessibility to culture and activities. If you\u2019re the type to prefer a quieter lifestyle without sacrificing fun, we crunched the numbers to rank the top cities that provide the best of both worlds.<br \/>\nWhat did we find? We\u2019re sure the passionate citizens of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/sitemap\/nj\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New Jersey<\/a> will be happy to learn that their very own Hoboken took the (flashing, noise-making, spinning) crown of excitement after our results had been tallied. The birthplace of baseball\u2014a sport whose degree of excitement varies depending on who you talk to\u2014headed up a diverse top 10 of miniature metros. Find out what makes these small cities so exciting.<br \/>\nTop 10 miniature metros including:<br \/>\n1. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/hoboken-nj\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hoboken, NJ<\/a><br \/>\n2. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/la-crosse-wi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">La Crosse, WI<\/a><br \/>\n3. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/chapel-hill-nc\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Chapel Hill, NC<\/a><br \/>\n4. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/lancaster-pa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lancaster, PA<\/a><br \/>\n5. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/new-brunswick-nj\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">New Brunswick, NJ<\/a><br \/>\n6. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/manhattan-ks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Manhattan, KS<\/a><br \/>\n7. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/lakewood-oh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Lakewood, OH<\/a><br \/>\n8. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/royal-oak-mi\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Royal Oak, MI<\/a><br \/>\n9. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/san-marcos-tx\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Marcos, TX<\/a><br \/>\n10. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/sarasota-fl\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sarasota, FL<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400\">How Do You Measure Excitement?<\/h2>\n<p>A unique challenge was how we could quantify something like \u201cfun\u201d with numbers. What we came up with is a combination of six criteria designed to translate excitement into something measurable:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Nightlife per capita (bars, clubs, comedy, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Live music venues per capita<\/li>\n<li>Active life options per capita (parks, outdoor activities, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Fast food restaurants per capita (the fewer the better)<\/li>\n<li>Percentage of restaurants that are fast food (the lower the better)<\/li>\n<li>Percentage of young residents ages 20 to 34 (the higher the better)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>With these metrics, we compiled this list of small cities across the country with populations between 50,000 and 60,000 residents, which came to a total of 140. We then analyzed our six criteria within each city and awarded a score from 1 to 140 in each criterion.<br \/>\nAfter all of the individual criteria has been scored and ranked, we averaged all the individual rankings for each city to produce an overall Big Deal Score\u2014the lower this number, the better. The 10 cities with the lowest overall scores were our most exciting small cities.<br \/>\nIf you think you can handle the excitement, we\u2019ve detailed where Hoboken and the top nine other highest achievers excelled below. You can also find a complete ranking of the top 50 cities.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400\">1. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/hoboken-nj\/\">Hoboken, New Jersey<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_46695\" style=\"width: 1930px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46695\" class=\"wp-image-46695 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/movoto.kinsta.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/new-jersey-4649453_1920.jpg\" alt=\"These Are the 10 Most Exciting Small Cities in America, Hoboken New Jersey\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-46695\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Pierre Blach\u00e9 from Pixabay<\/p><\/div><br \/>\nThis hip, young Garden State town taking top honors actually didn\u2019t surprise us much. While it\u2019s widely known as a popular New York City commuter town, Hoboken itself has plenty to offer. When we said Hoboken was young, we meant it. Over 50 percent of its population is between 20 and 39 years of age\u2014the largest such group in our top 10. Hoboken\u2019s youthful population seems to be getting its kicks mostly at bars and clubs with the city posting the best overall score (third place) in nightlife out of any place in our top 10.<br \/>\nHoboken also scored especially well (fourth overall) in the percentage of its restaurants that are fast-food chains\u2014a minuscule 2.5 percent. Instead of mass-produced dreck, they\u2019re dining on exciting fare like La Isla\u2019s famed stuffed French toast, which even Bobby Flay couldn\u2019t top when the Cuban hotspot appeared on the Iron Chef\u2019s show \u201cThrow-down.\u201d<br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/maps-of-new-jersey\/\">Learn more about New Jersey<\/a><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400\">2. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/la-crosse-wi\/\">La Crosse, Wisconsin<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><div style=\"width: 597px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/s3.amazonaws.com\/movotoblog\/2013\/12\/most-exciting-small-cities\/images\/2.jpg\" alt=\"These Are the 10 Most Exciting Small Cities in America\" width=\"587\" height=\"441\" \/><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Flickr user Jazz Guy<\/p><\/div><br \/>\nWe know what you\u2019re thinking: How can a town situated in the shadow of \u201cGrandad Bluff\u201d be exciting? Well, the numbers don\u2019t lie. Numbers like five, which is the place La Crosse took when it came to nightlife. And we\u2019re sure regulars at places like Bodega Brew Pub and the Starlite Lounge would agree if we could get them to put down their glasses for a second.<br \/>\nLa Crosse also posted great numbers when it came to active life and having a young population. It ranked 20th for the former and 11th for the latter, with a median age of 28.8.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400\">3. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/chapel-hill-nc\/\">Chapel Hill, North Carolina<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_46703\" style=\"width: 1570px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46703\" class=\"wp-image-46703 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/movoto.kinsta.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/77080744_10157907792442262_2479952943214755840_o.jpg\" alt=\"These Are the 10 Most Exciting Small Cities in America, Chapel Hill, NC\" width=\"1560\" height=\"1040\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-46703\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Courtesy of Town of Chapel Hill &#8211; Facebook<\/p><\/div><br \/>\nOne point of North Carolina\u2019s \u201cResearch Triangle\u201d and home to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill claimed a fourth-place finish for active life options, which isn\u2019t surprising given its large student population. Its 14th place ranking for nightlife isn\u2019t a surprise either when you consider it is home to spots like Local 506 and the Cave, venues that play host to world-renowned musical acts throughout the year.<br \/>\nWhile Chapel Hill only ranked 49th for the percentage of non-fast food chain restaurants it boasts, that\u2019s not to say there aren\u2019t plenty of unique gems like the Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen and Merritt\u2019s Grill, where the BLT is not so much a sandwich as it is an art form.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400\">4. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/lancaster-pa\/\">Lancaster, Pennsylvania<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_46705\" style=\"width: 1360px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46705\" class=\"wp-image-46705 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/movoto.kinsta.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/LiveMusic2_8ef7ea6302ebfbef14fae837bb7b9c7d.jpg\" alt=\"These Are the 10 Most Exciting Small Cities in America, Lancaster, PA\" width=\"1350\" height=\"900\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-46705\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: DiscoverLancaster.com<\/p><\/div><br \/>\nIf our 15th president James Buchanan were alive today, we can\u2019t help but think he\u2019d be living it up and enjoying Lancaster\u2019s nightlife. We say that because the city certainly has plenty to offer, ranking seventh overall in this category. We\u2019d probably find old Jimmy at places like Annie Bailey\u2019s and Lancaster Brewing, practicing his mid-19th-century pickup lines on the ladies.<br \/>\nLancaster also did well in terms of its percentage of non-fast food restaurants (96 percent for a 12th place finish there) and its percentage of 20- to 34-year-old residents (coming in at number 15 in that category).<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400\">5. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/new-brunswick-nj\/\">New Brunswick, New Jersey<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_46704\" style=\"width: 970px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46704\" class=\"wp-image-46704 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/movoto.kinsta.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/107355552_4078735105535290_6446032370134462552_n.jpg\" alt=\"These Are the 10 Most Exciting Small Cities in America, New Brunswick, NJ\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-46704\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Courtesy of City of New Brunswick &#8211; Facebook<\/p><\/div><br \/>\nRemember when we said that New Jersey had not one, but two cities in our top 10? New Brunswick might\u2019ve gotten trounced (relatively) by Hoboken, but a fifth-place finish is still something to be excited about. Like Chapel Hill, New Brunswick likely owes some of its fun cred to the fact that it\u2019s a college town\u2014in this case the home of Rutgers University.<br \/>\nThis clearly had a hand in New Brunswick\u2019s fourth place ranking for 20- to 39-year-olds of 43 percent. The city also ranked respectably for non-chain restaurants (17th) and nightlife (19th). The latter category is headlined by places like <a>Clydz<\/a>, which\u2014in addition to myriad libations\u2014serves unusual fare including alligator, python, and kangaroo. Weird, yes, but undeniably exciting.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400\">6. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/manhattan-ks\/\">Manhattan, Kansas<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_46708\" style=\"width: 2026px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46708\" class=\"wp-image-46708 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/movoto.kinsta.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/74376557_10156455560757341_1799786254179500032_o.jpg\" alt=\"These Are the 10 Most Exciting Small Cities in America, Manhattan, KS\" width=\"2016\" height=\"1512\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-46708\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Courtesy of City of Manhattan, Kansas &#8211; Facebook<\/p><\/div><br \/>\nYes, we\u2019re starting to sense a trend here, too. By that we mean that, like Chapel Hill and Lancaster, Manhattan\u2014nicknamed the \u201cLittle Apple\u201d\u2014is also a college town. In this case, that college is Kansas State University. Again, this translates to a large population of young people between 20 to 34 years old (it placed third for that criterion) and plenty of nightlife (enough to get it ranked 15th).<br \/>\nA good chunk of that is centered in and around \u201cAggieville,\u201d the city\u2019s main cultural hub and an area that also hosts Manhattan\u2019s mock-holiday, Fake Patty\u2019s Day, which occurs just before the real deal each year. Local bars, like Aggieville hotspot the <a href=\"http:\/\/solongsaloon.com\/\">So Long Saloon<\/a>, get in on the excitement, while more sane-minded folks can be found elsewhere in the city enjoying sober fun at places like the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sunsetzoo.com\/\">Sunset Zoo<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400\">7. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/lakewood-oh\/\">Lakewood, Ohio<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_46710\" style=\"width: 1930px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46710\" class=\"wp-image-46710 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/movoto.kinsta.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/parasailing-449758_1920.jpg\" alt=\"These Are the 10 Most Exciting Small Cities in America, Lakewood, OH\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1440\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-46710\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: L Griffin from Pixabay<\/p><\/div><br \/>\nOut of all the criteria we measured, this Cleveland suburb ranked highest for things related to active life. This isn\u2019t really surprising when you consider all of the things to do on and around Lake Erie. Things like the Lakewood Park and the Rocky River Reservation.<br \/>\nIn the town proper, there\u2019s a pretty happening nightlife scene along Madison and Detroit Avenues. There are even places lauded for their dual specialization in grub and brews, such as <a href=\"https:\/\/meltbarandgrilled.com\/location\/lakewood\/\">Melt<\/a> (with its deep fried sandwiches) and and <a href=\"http:\/\/buckeyebeerengine.com\/\">Buckeye Beer Engine<\/a>, which is renowned in the area for its burgers. Best of all, they aren\u2019t chains; only 7 percent of restaurants in Lakewood are, which is something to be excited about.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400\">8. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/royal-oak-mi\/\">Royal Oak, Michigan<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_46711\" style=\"width: 970px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46711\" class=\"wp-image-46711 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/movoto.kinsta.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/11707565_898166576904109_8861137423387663086_n.jpg\" alt=\"These Are the 10 Most Exciting Small Cities in America, Royal Oak, MI\" width=\"960\" height=\"720\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-46711\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: romi.gov<\/p><\/div><br \/>\nWe can\u2019t say we\u2019re too surprised to see Royal Oak in our top 10. After all, the city was ranked number 7 on our list of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/blog\/10-best-cities-in-michigan\/\">best cities in Michigan<\/a>. In terms of this ranking, however, it had to measure up to a very different set of criteria. In those, it did best when it came to young residents, where it placed 17th overall with 39 percent of its population ranging between the ages of 20 to 39.<br \/>\nLike the other nine most exciting small cities, Royal Oak did quite well across the board, with places like the trendy <a href=\"http:\/\/sclroyaloak.com\/\">SCL Royal Oak<\/a> or the divey Gusoline Alley to bolster the nightlife score, the <a href=\"https:\/\/redcoat-tavern.com\/\">Redcoat Tavern<\/a> on non-fast food eating, and a bustling art scene.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400\">9. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/san-marcos-tx\/\">San Marcos, Texas<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_46712\" style=\"width: 1290px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46712\" class=\"wp-image-46712 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/movoto.kinsta.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/Hays_county_courthouse_historic_district_2013.jpg\" alt=\"These Are the 10 Most Exciting Small Cities in America, San Marcos, TX\" width=\"1280\" height=\"853\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-46712\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: Larry D. Moore CC BY-SA 3.0<\/p><\/div><br \/>\nWhen it comes to the excitement generated by a young, active population, our top 10 has no better representative than San Marcos, home to Texas State University. This city ranked second in both active lifestyle options and 20 to 34 population, which currently stands at 44 percent.<br \/>\n\u201cSan Marvelous,\u201d as it\u2019s nicknamed, offers lots of reasons to get outdoors, such as the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.toursanmarcos.com\/attractions\/outdoors\/meadows-center.html\">Meadows Center Glass Bottom Boat Tours<\/a> and a chance to go spelunking in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wonderworldpark.com\/\">Wonder World caves<\/a>. From caverns to taverns, nightlife in San Marcos is headlined by the likes of the <a href=\"https:\/\/taproomsanmarcos.com\/\">Taproom<\/a>, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.zelickssmtx.com\/\">Zelicks Icehouse<\/a>, and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.rileystavern.com\/\">Riley\u2019s Tavern<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400\">10. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/sarasota-fl\/\">Sarasota, Florida<\/a><\/h2>\n<p><div id=\"attachment_46715\" style=\"width: 1930px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-46715\" class=\"wp-image-46715 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/movoto.kinsta.cloud\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/beach-4982463_1920.jpg\" alt=\"These Are the 10 Most Exciting Small Cities in America, Sarasota, FL\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1280\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-46715\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Source: DaveRanck from Pixabay<\/p><\/div><br \/>\nLast\u2014but in no way least\u2014we have Sarasota, which was the exact opposite of last in a couple of key categories, namely live music and nightlife where it placed first overall. The latter category is bolstered by more than a hundred bars, including <a href=\"https:\/\/www.shakespearesenglishpub.com\/\">Shakespeare\u2019s<\/a>, and trendy lounges like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pangealounge.com\/\">Pangea Alchemy Lab<\/a>.<br \/>\nFor the active minded, Sarasota was another standout at seventh overall, helped in no small way by numerous beaches, while its ninth place finish in non-fast food eateries was thanks to places like Amish (yes, Amish) restaurant <a href=\"https:\/\/yodersrestaurant.com\/\">Yoder\u2019s<\/a> and the Cuban fare at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.columbiarestaurant.com\/\">Columbia<\/a>. Just don\u2019t expect to see as many 20- to 34-year-olds in these places; the city placed 88th overall in that category.<\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-weight: 400\">Small Cities, Big Fun<\/h2>\n<p>Hopefully by now, you\u2019ve started to see the light: You don\u2019t have to be a big city to be in an exciting city. There\u2019s just so much these small towns have to offer those seeking active lifestyles with plenty to do at all hours (and plenty of folks to do things with). So if it\u2019s an exciting small city you\u2019re after without the stress and noise, here are some locations to put on your list.<\/p>\n<div class=\"cityBottom\">\n<div class=\"cityColumn\">\n<h5>Homes for Sale<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/las-vegas-nv\/\">homes for sale las vegas<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/orlando-fl\/\">houses for sale in orlando fl<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/san-francisco-ca\/\">real estate san francisco<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/charlotte-nc\/\">charlotte nc real estate<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/fort-lauderdale-fl\/\">ft lauderdale real estate<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/denver-co\/\">houses for sale in denver<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/alexandria-va\/\">alexandria va real estate<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/frisco-tx\/\">frisco tx real estate<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/palm-springs-ca\/\">palm springs homes for sale<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/sitemap\/fl\/\">homes for sale in florida<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cityColumn\">\n<h5>School Information<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/schools\/santee-ca\/santana-high-school-061623002026\/\">santana high school<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/schools\/newport-nc\/croatan-high-school-370063002369\/\">croatan high school<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/schools\/cary-nc\/davis-drive-elementary-school-370472001669\/\">davis drive elementary<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/schools\/fresno-ca\/central-unified-school-district-0607970\/\">central unified school district<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/schools\/san-diego-ca\/westview-high-school-063153010632\/\">westview high school<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/schools\/la-verne-ca\/damien-high-school-00071639\/\">damien high school<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/schools\/julian-ca\/julian-charter-school-061914008596\/\">julian charter school<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/schools\/calabasas-ca\/viewpoint-school-00081895\/\">viewpoint school<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/schools\/el-cajon-ca\/hillsdale-middle-school-060681005234\/\">hillsdale middle school<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/schools\/orlando-fl\/bishop-moore-catholic-high-school-00258027\/\">bishop moore high school<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"cityColumn\">\n<h5>Real Estate Resources<\/h5>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/for-sale\/\">homes for sale near me<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/agents\/\">find a agent<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/atlanta-ga\/\">atlanta homes for sale<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/virginia-beach-va\/\">homes for sale virginia beach<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/portland-or\/\">homes for sale in portland oregon<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/jacksonville-fl\/\">houses for sale in jacksonville fl<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/chicago-il\/\">houses for sale in chicago<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/fort-myers-fl\/\">ft myers real estate<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.movoto.com\/san-jose-ca\/\">houses for rent in san jose ca<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Not everyone can live in Oakland, CA. But after the Movoto Real Estate Blog named it the Most Exciting City in America, it seemed like everyone in the Bay Area was thinking about giving it a shot. Sure, living in a big city can be exciting, stimulating, educational, and tons of fun, but often the tradeoff for living in a bustling city is a high cost of living and constant crowds. It seems the trend now is to seek out the perfect blend of small-town vibes and accessibility to culture and activities. If you\u2019re the type to prefer a quieter [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":46704,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[57],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21839","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-top-places","post--single"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>These Are the 10 Most Exciting Small Cities in America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"These places might not have size on their side, but when it comes to being exciting small cities, they\u2019re a really big deal.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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