The 5 friendliest cities in America

Did you know?

• Named the most bike-friendly town in America by the League of American Bicyclists, Davis was the first place in the nation to build a city-wide system of bike paths.
  
  
• Davis is a university town, home to U.C. Davis.
  
  
• The population is a mix of farmers, university professors, students, natural food lovers and, of course, bikers. They all come together twice a week at the local farmers markets, where the emphasis is on organic food.
  
  
• The Mediterranean climate means residents and visitors can enjoy the outdoors year round.
  
  
• The median single-family home sales price is $539,000.

Nashville, Tennessee: Friendliness is contagious in this music city

“People will strike up conversations with you anywhere and at any time! Whenever we are at a grocery store, a coffee shop, a convenience store, pumping gas or even stopped at a red light, it’s not uncommon for someone to say hi and ask how you’re doing today. And, if we have our dogs with us, they will always give them a treat and ask about them as well … so the friendliness even extends to your pets! It's true what they say about southern hospitality. It definitely exists in Nashville!” — Joe Burton and Shandy Burton, Nashville real estate brokers

Did you know?

• Music City is home of the Grand Ole Opry and the Country Music Hall of Fame.
  
  
• Nashville hosts more than 10 million visitors annually, has 32,851 hotel rooms and more than 50,000 jobs directly related to the hospitality industry.
  
  
• The median single-family home sales price is $180,000.
  

Madison, Wisconsin: Friends help friends through the snowstorms

“It’s pretty hard to walk down the street of any neighborhood without getting a friendly smile or a friendly wave. Madison is a very active town with many bike paths, parks and lakes for residents to enjoy. Having so much in the way of outdoor activities really does get Madison’s residents interacting with each other in a fun environment.

Madison gets its share of snowfall every year along with some bitterly cold weather. It's not uncommon to go a week or two without cracking 10 degrees. You might think this would put everyone in a bad mood. It seems to have the opposite effect on many Madison residents, however. This past year, and really every year that I can remember, neighbors have gone way out of their way to help those who need assistance to make it through the winter. Every year there are one or two big snowstorms and even before the snow has finished falling there is the sound of people snow-blowing out the driveway of their house and many of their neighbors', or sights of people helping push cars through the snow of condo complexes, or just checking on their elderly neighbors and friends. My uncle used to fire up the snowplow in the morning and clear out the sidewalks of his whole street.” — John Schroeder, Madison real estate broker

Did you know?

• There are 15 farmers markets throughout the city.
  
  
• Madison ranks No. 1 on Prevention Magazine’s list of most walkable cities.
  
  
• It’s a college town, and the thriving student life at the University of Wisconsin makes the area a vibrant epicenter for music, art and theater.
  
  
• State Street is downtown’s pedestrian mall.
  
  
• The median single-family home sales price is $217,000.

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