Boston has been named one of the top cities in the country offering a great downtown living experience for its residents. 

StorageCafe’s 2023 Downtown Living Hotspots list ranks the nation’s hubs with the best urban lifestyles looking at which area offers the best combination of apartments and amenities both balanced by cost. 

They selected 30 of the most populous cities and ranked them across several factors including cost of living, rental inventory, apartment amenities, safety, restaurants, cultural and shopping options and more. StorageCafe’s researchers also included self-storage in their analysis due to the need for many apartment dwellers to have to store items to make the most of their living space. 

Dallas topped the list followed by Austin and Chicago in the second and third spots. And while more than half of the cities in the top 10 were occupied by the South, Boston broke the top five. 

Boston ranked fourth on the list ranking best in apartments in luxury buildings, green apartment buildings and access to restaurants. It’s also the first East Coast city to make the list.  

The report found Boston is tops in its share of luxury apartments – 93% are located in high-end buildings and 82% have access to a fitness center in their complex.

Twenty-five percent of Boston’s downtown apartments are located in green buildings (only second to Austin). The city appeals to electric vehicle enthusiasts and has the highest number of charging stations among the cities on the list. More than 15,000 electric vehicles are registered in the Boston area. 

Boston was also the most educated downtown in the rankings — 80% of adults have a BA or higher, plus the entertainment is all around as the city offers 18.4 restaurants and 2.9 theaters per 1,000 people, according to the report. 

Seattle came in just behind Boston in the report, followed by Nashville and Houston. Columbus, San Diego and Phoenix rounded out the top 10.