Over the past year, our lives were transformed. Our favorite places were no longer open for leisure and relaxing, our professional lives blended with our family time, and boredom levels continuously rose. And while we found a silver lining in filling extra free time with mind-sharpening hobbies like jigsaw puzzles, we missed hunting for the next piece with family, friends, and loved ones. But this summer will be different.
Whether you want to complete a puzzle at your favorite brewery, play a board game at your local coffee joint, sink into couch co-op in your favorite video game, or throw a frisbee in a public park, you’re ready to get out and play this summer. But not every city is as well suited for leisure activities, so where will Americans find it easiest to get together for summer fun?
Table Of Contents
Key Findings
- The Northeast is the least playful region in the U.S. Only 3 unique metros—Buffalo, NY; New York, NY; and Pittsburgh, PA—landed on the top 20 lists for either children or adults.
- The South is the most playful region in the U.S. With 11 unique regions spread across the two rankings, the South plays more than any other region.
- California is the most playful state overall. Four cities in California made the top 20 for children, and three cities made the top 20 for adults.
- Nine cities don’t leave anyone out of the fun. Nine cities made the top 20 for both children and adults. Additionally, the top 20 cities in both rankings followed the same regional pattern—South, West, Midwest, and Northeast from most to least playful.
- Miami, FL, is the best city for gamers. The southern city has 30.8 Gamestop locations per 100,000 residents, more than any other city in our study. It also houses 29.1 arcades per 100,000 residents, ranking second highest for that metric.
The Most Playful Cities for Children
1. San Jose, CA
South of San Francisco in California’s Bay Area, San Jose is the number one place to play. This large metro is steeped in sun and surrounded by the beautiful hills of Silicon Valley, so it’s no surprise that San Joseans have ample opportunity to play outdoors. As proof, the city boasts 224 public parks and 41.1 theme parks per 100,000 residents. However, being the tech hub that Silicon Valley is, we would have expected a stronger market for video games and arcades.
2. Miami, FL
Tropical Miami certainly caters to the gaming crowd. More than 30 GameStop stores and 29 arcades per 100,000 residents means both modern console players and vintage coin-slot arcade fans have something and somewhere to play. And when gamers spend their last quarter, there are plenty of public parks and theme parks for fun in the sun, too.
3. Los Angeles, CA
California makes the top five most playful cities for children again with the third place winner—Los Angeles. The City of Angels is known for many things of little consequence to children, but its sprawling metropolis is also filled to the brim with toy stores and arcades, making it a dream come true for kids looking for their next puzzle, action figure, or video game. Children can also play in the Memorial Fountain at Grand Park or squeal with delight on nearly unlimited amusement park rides. Whether it’s Legoland, Universal Studios, or Six Flags, the adrenaline never runs dry.
4. Denver, CO
With a city score of 37.1, Denver is a step down from Los Angeles but one of America’s playful meccas nonetheless. Myriad Gamestops, toy stores, and arcades give kids something to do in the winter months, while impressive city parks like Cuatro Vientos Park promise plenty of action for young adventurers.
5. Nashville, TN
Rounding out the top five most playful cities for children is Nashville, the capital and most populous city in Tennessee. Often called the “Athens of the South” due to it’s high number of educational institutions, it makes sense that Nashville outranked every other city on our list for the number of children’s museums per 100K. With playful and educational attractions like the Adventure Science Center and the Discovery Center at Murfree Spring on tap at all times, school field trips are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to fun served up the Nashville way.
The Most Playful Cities for Adults
1. Louisville, KY
Louisville has jokes, and we’re ready for the punchline! The most playful city for adults is filled with more comedy clubs per 100,000 residents than any other city on our list of the most playful cities for adults. Whether you’re after stand-up, a bit of slapstick, or dinner and a show, Louisville offers a bit of everything.
2. Charlotte, NC
Playful people of Charlotte are ready to get back to doing what they love, even if it means weathering a crowd. In this sunsoaked North Carolina metro, you’re bound to find fellow gamers who want to meet up. At the time of this writing, there were 34.5 gaming meetups per 100k (from Memorial Day to Labor Day with a 25 mile radius) on the popular social site meetups.com. In addition, the city has plentiful convention centers for those who want to explore their hobbies with like-minded enthusiasts.
3. Pittsburgh, PA
In fourth place in our ranking, Pittsburgh’s playfulness should not be underestimated. The western Pennsylvania city makes adventurers feel at home with miles of riverfront trails and lush public parks for summer fun with family and friends. Sprawl out and take in gorgeous city views and beautifully diverse landscapes in first rate parks like Shanley, Frick, and Riverview. The gaming community is alive and well here, too—residents don’t have to look far for a Player 2, with nearly 12 nearby gaming meetups per 100,000 residents.
4. Minneapolis, MN
Long winters with frigid weather don’t keep Minnesotans from enjoying Minneapolis’s 113.3 beautiful public parks per 100k. Fun outdoor activities like sledding and ice skating keep residents coming out to play. But for those born without that intangible northern hardiness, the metro also offers indoor fun like the Up-Down arcade bar. Barcades like this one give adults a space to pour a pint, socialize with friends, and let their inner child out to play with scores of arcade games and consoles.
5. Nashville, TN
Nashville solidifies it’s claim as one of America’s most playful cities by taking fifth place on our lists for children and adults. Aside from a rich musical scene, Music City’s love for the performing arts continues on with comedy. No joke, more than 15 comedy clubs per 100,000 residents call Nashville home. Additionally, the metro features the highest concentration of GameStop locations on our list of the five most playful cities for adults.
Full Data
Methodology
Using the U.S. Census Bureau, we determined the 50 largest U.S. cities based on population size. Then, for each city, we collected data for the following factors which affect the playfulness of each city. Factors are separated into categories for children and adults, as each age group is seeking something slightly different when it comes to entertainment value. Some factors relate to both demographics and are seen in both rankings.
Children:
Number of GameStop locations per 100,000 residents
- Source: Yelp
- Weight: 1.5
Number of arcades per 100,000 residents
- Source: Yelp
- Weight: 2.0
Number of toy stores per 100,000 residents
- Source: Yelp
- Weight: 1.5
Number of children’s museums per 100,000 residents
- Source: Yelp
- Weight: 1.75
Number of public parks per 100,000 residents
- Source: Yelp
- Weight: 1.5
Number of theme parks per 100,000 residents
- Source: Yelp
- Weight: 1.75
Adults:
Number of GameStop locations per 100,000 residents
- Source: Yelp
- Weight: 1.5
Number of bar arcades per 100,000 residents
- Source: Yelp
- Weight: 2.0
Number of convention centers per 100,000 residents
- Source: Wikipedia
- Weight: 1.5
Number of comedy clubs per 100,000 residents
- Source: Yelp
- Weight: 1.75
Number of public parks per 100,000 residents
- Source: Yelp
- Weight: 1.5
Number of summer gaming meetups
- Source: meetup.com
- Weight: 1.75
With the above data acquired, we assigned cities with a score of 0-10 for each factor—with a score of 10 representing the most favorable conditions for playfulness. Each factor was weighted according to its impact on the city’s playfulness, then individual factor scores were added together to give each city a final score from 0-50. Higher scores indicate that cities are more playful.