Chattanooga
Chattanooga has truly lived up to its moniker as the "Scenic City," being tucked among the Southeast Tennessee mountains and situated along the Tennessee River. The Department of Health formerly ranked Chattanooga as the most polluted city in the country, but during the past few decades, the city has undergone an urban rehabilitation that has prioritized sustainability and given it a much-needed boost in diversity without sacrificing its small-town charm.
Due to its roles as a Civil War battlefield and the main hub for southern railroad travel in the 19th and 20th centuries, Chattanooga is regarded as a historical center. As one of the first American communities to provide its residents 2 gigabits per second (read: extraordinarily fast) internet access and the first American city to have its own typeface, appropriately titled "Chatype," the city is now a pioneer in a variety of ways. Silicon Valley ought to keep an eye on itself.
Technology aside, visitors of all kinds may spend days taking in Chattanooga's broad collection of attractions. Adventurers can explore the nooks and crannies of Lookout Mountain, history buffs can travel through the ground where Civil War soldiers once marched, engineers can be amazed at restored trains—some of which are more than a century old—at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, and foodies can eat their way through the mouthwatering North Shore neighborhood. Or you can just stroll down the riverwalk of the city and watch the sun set from the Walnut Street Bridge, one of the longest pedestrian bridges in the world.
Rankings:
- #5 in Best Places to Visit in Tennessee
- #15 in Best Places to Visit in April
Location: Tennessee
