Walkable Downtown
Making Chattanooga pedestrian friendly was the smartest move of all. Parking can be tough during big events, but you can push a stroller everywhere. Most of the attractions lie within a 5- to 15-minute walk from the aquarium. (A sidewalk elevator carries wheelchairs and strollers up a steep hill.) The new water taxi ferries visitors across the river for $3, and a free electric shuttle stops by the Chattanooga Choo Choo, restaurants, the Sheraton Read House Hotel, and the aquarium. Joggers and cyclists cruise the 13-mile Riverwalk that extends from downtown to the Chickamauga Dam.

An utterly inspiring turnaround, Chattanooga proves that a vision, a plan, and a community that cooperates can make big dreams happen. We hope other Southern cities on the rise will dare to follow its footpaths.

above: Kids love cooling off among the playful statues and fountains in Coolidge Park. The carousel waits nearby.