Explore the stunning city skylines and hidden gems of these top US cities, perfect for those seeking a balance of work and leisure. Discover your next dream destination here!
Work Money: By Michelle Nati
To see the total list click here.
A city’s majestic skyline may draw us in with its beauty and energy, but the first glance is only skin deep. These city skylines are not only some of the most majestic in the country. The cities, themselves, all have something wonderful to offer prospective residents.
If you’re looking to relocate, one or more of the cities on the list may have something you’re looking for when it comes to work-life balance.
16. St. Louis:
Roger Hunt
The St. Louis Arch is the focal point of this Missouri city’s glorious skyline. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll find that the people who live there say it has a big-city feel with small-town charm. The cost of living is fairly low, too.Â
If you’re looking for work in the Gateway to the West, the main industries are aviation, biotechnology, chemicals, financial services, life sciences, medical research, plant sciences, refining, telecommunications, and transportation.Â
What is GDP:
Gross Domestic Product is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and rendered in a specific time period by a country or countries. GDP is more often used by the government of a single country to measure its economic health. Due to its complex and subjective nature, this measure is often revised before being considered a reliable indicator.
Population:Â 298,034/Metro-2.8 million(largest in MO)
GDP: $170 billion
Where to stay: Hyatt Regency St. Louis
Rent a car:Â In St. LouisÂ
The cities ahead of St. Louis are:
15. Charlotte Skyline
Population: 903,211
GDP: $170 billion
Bottom Line: Charlotte
Charlotte is one of two cities growing by leaps and bounds in North Carolina (Raleigh is the other) as people are flocking here from larger cities because of the lower cost of living and a more relaxed lifestyle in mind.
Banking and finance, manufacturing, energy, automotive, healthcare, tech and retail are drivers for this city’s economy. Some big business names are based here, including NASCAR, Wells Fargo, Dillard’s and Dollar Tree.
Where to stay: Sheraton Charlotte
Book flights: To Charlotte
Rent a car: In Charlotte
14. Detroit Skyline
Population: 624,177
GDP: $268 billion
Bottom Line: Detroit
Admittedly, Detroit, Michigan, has seen some tough times in the past 50-odd years, but the city seems to be making a bit of a comeback. Real estate prices are lower here than in major cities. If you’re looking for homes or office space downtown that needs a little love, there are plenty of buildings with old-school character to be had here.
The Motor City’s main industries are now defense, logistics, healthcare, and IT. And believe it or not, the “Big Three” — GM, Ford, and Chrysler— are still based in this city.
Where to stay: Siren Detroit
Book flights: To Detroit
Rent a car: In Detroit
13. Denver Skyline
Acton Crawford
Population: 738,594
GDP: $227 billion
Bottom Line: Denver
Colorado’s Mile High City is one of the most picturesque and walkable towns in the U.S. If you’re an outdoors-minded person, this may be the place for you, as Denver boasts 200 parks within city limits and 20,000 acres of parkland in the surrounding areas.
Denver’s main industries are aerospace, bioscience, broadcast and telecommunications, energy, financial services, healthcare and wellness, and IT.
Should you wish to start a career in Denver Boston Market, Coors, Jolly Rancher, and Frontier Airlines are just a few of the businesses based here.
Where to stay: Hyatt Place Cherry Creek
Book flights: To Denver
Rent a car: In Denver
12. Miami Skyline
Population: 450,797
GDP: $389 billion
Bottom Line: Miami
Sunny skies and warm temperatures bring people to Miami, Florida, all year round. The area was first settled in 1566 by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés who claimed it for Spain. The city was founded by Julia Tuttle, who convinced railroad tycoon Henry Flagler to extend his railway to the region. In 1896, Miami became a city of just 300 people and has grown quickly since.
Many major companies have headquarters in Miami, including Cisco, Lennar Corporation, and World Fuel Services. The city’s port is also the largest cruise ship port in the world, with over 5 million travelers making the journey each year.
Where to stay: Hyatt Regency
Book flights: To Miami
Rent a car: In Miami
11. Boston Skyline
Population: 687,257
GDP: $413 billion
Bottom Line: Boston
Boston plays a big part in colonial American history. It was here in Massachusetts that the famed Tea Party and Paul Revere’s Midnight Ride took place.
Today, the city boasts strong employment in biotechnology, engineering, higher education, maritime trade, information technology, finance, and tourism. Some of the industries headquartered here include Iron Mountain, Wayfair and Gillette.
Where to stay: W Boston
Book flights: To Boston
Rent a car: In Boston
10. Atlanta Skyline
Venti Views
Population: 514,457
GDP: $432 billion
Bottom Line: Atlanta
Founded in 1837, the formerly named town of Marthasville has become one of the biggest cities in the U.S. The Peachtree City is now a major transportation hub and is home to the world’s busiest airport.
Some big multinational companies with headquarters in Atlanta include Coca-Cola, Home Depot, UPS, AT&T, Delta Airlines and Chik-fil-A.
The Georgia city is also known as the “Hollywood of the South.” In 2018, 455 movies and shows were produced in and around the city.
Where to stay: Atlanta Marriott Marquis
Book flights: To Atlanta
Rent a car: In Atlanta
9. Seattle Skyline
Population: 762,687
GDP: $444 billion
Bottom Line: Seattle
This Pacific Northwest city was founded in 1851 by the Denny Party, but it didn’t really gain popularity until the 1896 Klondike Gold Rush.
Today, its famous skyline boasts the Space Needle, and the city is home to famed businesses such as Starbucks, Amazon and Microsoft, which are all headquartered there.
If you like tech, the outdoors, and plenty of rain, this is the place to be.
Where to stay: W Seattle
Book flights: To Seattle
Rent a car: In Seattle
8. Philadelphia Skyline
Say Cheez Studio
Population: 1,619,355
GDP: $457 billion
Bottom Line: Philadelphia
Philly, like Boston, is central to this country’s beginnings. The first daily newspaper, the first zoo, the first hospital and first medical school in the country were all located in the City of Brotherly Love. It is still a place of innovation today, and its skyline boasts the modern with the historical.
This Pennsylvania city has a world-renowned medical sector. One out of six doctors in the U.S. is trained here. The city also boasts employers like IBM, Comcast and Lockheed Martin.
Where to stay: Sheraton Philadelphia
Book flights: To Philadelphia
Rent a car: In Philadelphia
7. Houston Skyline
Adrian Newell
Population: 2,345,606
GDP: $489 billion
Bottom Line: Houston
Founded in 1836 by the Allen brothers, Houston is the fourth-largest U.S. city in population but will likely become third in the second half of the 2020s. The Texas city is also the most ethnically diverse in the county with over 145 languages spoken by residents.
Oil and gas, healthcare, biomedical research, and aerospace are driving forces in Houston’s economy, and several Fortune 500 companies, including Sysco, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Halliburton, and Occidental Petroleum are all based here.
Where to stay: Hyatt Regency
Book flights: To Houston
Rent a car: In Houston
6. Dallas Skyline
Max Fray
Population: 1,325,691
GDP: $524 billion
Bottom Line: Dallas
The third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the country, Dallas is the largest inland city in the country without a link to a major body of water. Nevertheless, the stunning skyline features “The Ball,” a noteworthy staple of the skyline for more than four decades.
The Big D is home to nearly two dozen Fortune 500 companies, including ExxonMobil, Southwest Airlines, Kimberly-Clark Corporation, JCPenney and Texas Instruments. Its biggest industries are defense, financial services, IT, energy and telecommunications.
Where to stay: Hyatt Regency
Book flights: To Dallas
Rent a car: In Dallas
5. Washington, D.C., Skyline
Vlad Gorshkov
Population: 707,109
GDP: $579 billion
Bottom Line: Washington, D.C.
While the city is not filled with high rises, one only has to look at the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Monument, and the Capitol Building among other historical American landmarks to see its majesty.
And if you want a career in national politics, there’s only one place to be. However, there are other companies headquartered here, should you want to do something not in politics, directly anyway. Amtrak, the USPS and the American Red Cross all call Washington home.
Where to stay: The Morrow
Book flights: To Washington D.C.
Rent a car: In Washington D.C
4. San Francisco Skyline
Population: 887,711
GDP: $594 million
Bottom Line: San Francisco
San Francisco’s skyline is a modern downtown that rises up against more modest homes from the turn of the last century, and with Golden Gate partially enveloped in the city’s famous fog, it can be quite a site.
We won’t kid you and tell you San Francisco, California, is an easy move. It’s very expensive, and rentals are costly and limited. IT, social media, biotech, clean tech and international business are the city’s main industries. Twitter, Gap/Old Navy, Pottery Barn, Mother Jones, Williams Sonoma and the Sierra Club are all based in the City by the Bay.
Where to stay: Four Seasons Embarcadero
Book flights: To San Francisco
Rent a car: In San Francisco
3. Chicago Skyline
Jeff Brown
Population: 2,756,546
GDP: $715 billion
Bottom Line: Chicago
Chicago’s famed skyline sits next to Lake Michigan and boasts the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower, which held the title as the tallest building in the U.S. for about 25 years), the John Hancock Center, and the neo-Gothic Tribune Tower. The Illinois city is currently the third largest in the U.S. It is home to vibrant industries such as transportation and distribution, manufacturing, publishing, insurance, finance, and food processing.
Boeing, Motorola, United Airlines and McDonald’s are just some of the 36 Fortune 500 companies that have headquarters here.
Where to stay: The Langham
Book flights: To Chicago
Rent a car: In Chicago
2. Los Angeles Skyline
Population: 3,919,973
GDP: $1.1 trillion
Bottom Line: Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles wasn’t an area people lived after work hours. When the day ended, they’d go to other parts of the California city, and the place was a ghost town.Â
But DTLA has had new life breathed into it over the past few decades. While there are still plenty of issues, condo after condo has sprung up (as have skyscrapers), and the restoration of older theaters, restaurants and office buildings is taking place at a record pace.
Virgin Hyperloop, Evite and Joymode are just some of the companies headquartered in the downtown area, and should you choose to venture into Hollywood, Burbank, and beyond, you’ll find the headquarters of the major film studios, record companies, aerospace companies, and even tech firms.
Where to stay: CitizenM
Book flights: To Los Angeles
Rent a car: In Los Angeles
1. New York Skyline
Image by Trevor Hayes
Population: 8,930,002
GDP: $1.87 trillion
The Big Apple, the City that Never Sleeps, the City So Nice, They Named It Twice. You can’t beat New York City when it comes to skyline views and pretty much everything else. Sure, living in the city isn’t cheap, but the opportunity here is endless.
The city’s main industries are finance, advertising, fashion, and the arts, and there are so many companies headquartered in New York City they are almost too numerous to mention.
But we will anyway — IBM, Deloitte PepsiCo, JPMorgan Chase Co., Citigroup and Conde Nast are just a few names you may be familiar with.
Where to stay: Refinery New York
Book flights: To New York
Rent a car:Â In New YorkÂ
#cityskylines #majestic #beauty #worklifebalance #relocation #hiddengems #GDP
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