There are many American cities that welcome solo travelers.
Traveling to an all inclusive resort destination or a family-centric theme park may not be the most comfortable travel option for singles traveling solo. Luckily, there are several American cities where singles can comfortably explore on their own, while at the same time have the opportunity to meet other singles.
New York City
New York City is full of visitors--tourists, business travelers and commuters. The more than eight million residents (1.6 million in Manhattan alone, 28 percent of which are reportedly unmarried, according to "Forbes"; Best Cities for Singles 2009; Lauren Sherman; July 2009) barely blink at a solo traveler. It's likely that someone will eventually cross your path.
Cafes and restaurants are filled with solo diners, and there are many activities in NYC that you can do alone and feel comfortable, like museums, Broadway shows (especially matinees), sightseeing or strolling through Central Park. With 35,000 restaurants, 3,800 bars and 734 museums according to Sherman, there are countless options from which to to choose. The city's excellent transportation systems allow you to transverse the city effortlessly. As far as accommodations, there are countless mid-range and luxury hotels, although finding a budget accommodation may be more difficult, but not impossible. If you are willing to stay in a hostel, the Williamsburg HostL in Brooklyn is affordable. If you are only willing to stay in a private room, the American Dream Hostel in Manhattan is probably the most affordable option.
Williamsburg HostL
318 Bedford Avenue, #2,
Brooklyn, NY 11211
347-857-9925
American Dream Hostel
168 East 24th Street
New York, NY 10010-3703
212-260-9779
americandreamhostel.com
San Francisco
Voted by "Conde Nast Traveler" in 2009, as the best city in the U.S., between May and October there are so many tourists and business travelers in the city, you will have no trouble blending in. California, and the West Coast in general, has arguably the best infrastructure for backpackers and budget travelers in the country, which attracts many solo travelers from Europe, Australia and Asia.
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender travelers will find a large counter-culture community, primarily located in the Castro section of the city, but the entire city is considerably liberal and gay friendly. The website Gay.com voted San Francisco "favorite domestic destination" in a 2009 travel poll. The city has a public bus system and underground transportation system called BART; but much of the city can be easily seen by foot. This alone makes it a more attractive destination than Los Angeles. San Francisco contains several parks, and is great for those who enjoy the outdoors.
Austin
A large college city, Austin is known for its great local music scene. Home to the music festival South by Southwest, and where social media tool Twitter was launched, Austin, located in Central Texas, was ranked as the third best city for singles by Travel and Leisure's annual 2010 American's best cities for singles survey. The same survey ranked Austin in fourth place for friendliness and second for intelligence.
The fourth largest city in Texas, Austin boasts 300 days of sunshine per year and temperatures are fairly moderate rarely going below 40 F.
South by Southwest Music and Media Conference and Festival Headquarters
P.O. Box 4999
Austin, TX 78765
512- 467-7979
sxsw.com
Tags: American cities, American Dream, American Dream Hostel, best city, business travelers