Millions of Americans are spending their vacations and long weekends close to home to save money and avoid travel headaches like long lines at airports. But can they have fun without traveling?
Are their hometowns prepared to keep them busy, happy and entertained?
Bizjournals created a comprehensive formula to find the answer, evaluating the fun potential of the nation's 50 largest markets.
At the top of the list is New York City, which adopted the nickname of Fun City back in the mid-1960s. New York is blessed with an impressive array of recreation and entertainment options, truly making it the fun capital of America, based on the study's calculations.
Bizjournals began by collecting federal statistics for 14 relevant types of businesses, from retail stores and restaurants to gambling casinos and golf courses. Each market was graded on both the volume (total number) and the concentration (rate per 100,000 residents) of such businesses.
Results were then grouped in seven broad categories of fun: shopping; food and drink; culture; popular entertainment, which includes spectator sports; gambling; high-impact sports facilities, such as fitness centers; and low-impact sports venues, such as golf courses and bowling lanes. The best scores went to markets that performed well in a wide array of categories.
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