curbed.com
In an annual, seasonably appropriate ranking of U.S. cities that double as the best staycation non-destinations, Atlanta’s attractions again landed it near the top of the heap, although we’re slipping.
In fact, Charleston made the top 10 this year, while the ATL didn’t.
Wedged between The Holy City and Minneapolis at No. 11, Atlanta did score higher, per personal-finance website WalletHub’s analysis, than places people commonly go for actual vacations, such as Miami, Austin, Denver, and relative bottom-feeder New Orleans (No. 53).
WalletHub crunched numbers for more than 180 American cities for their list of 2018’s Best & Worst Cities for Staycations, which saw Atlanta fall four slots since last year’s No. 7 rank.
Orlando again took the top spot for 2018.
What worked in Atlanta’s favor? When it comes to spas, concert halls, swimming pools, and tennis courts per capita, the Big Peach is no slouch.
The study weighed “40 key indicators of a fun-filled yet wallet-friendly staycation,” in three primary fields: 1. Recreation; 2. Food and Entertainment; and 3. Rest and Relaxation.
Everything from bowling costs to house-cleaning services and prevalence of aquariums and zoos held weight. Here’s how Atlanta fared:
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