Curbed Cup, our annual celebration of the best and most loved neighborhoods across America, wrapped up last week with the announcement of the winners, communities where passionate residents tuned in to vote round after round in month-long tournaments on Curbed city sites. Some of these places may have more national renown than others, but their Curbed Cup title means that each one has a lot to celebrate. And in features called "The People's Guide," a bunch of Curbed city site editors sought out local experts to explain what makes these neighborhoods so great. From a community with an impressive comeback story to one with all-around diversity, here are the places where people really love where they live.
1. Assembly Row, Boston
"We think Assembly Row is one of the biggest comeback stories in this region, if not country. Once the state's biggest brownfields site, a place devoid of sustainable development and with a riverfront fenced off from the community, Assembly Row has become a popular destination for people from all over Greater Boston for living, shopping and entertainment, working and relaxing. And it is all still growing." [Full story]
2. Pullman, Chicago
"The neighborhood is economically, socially, and racially diverse. Some families have lived in Pullman for three and four generations. People like to know their neighbors. In addition to the formal organization, there are many special interest groups like garden club, book club, wine club, Sunday brunch, etc. Residents include policemen, firemen, architects, teachers, lawyers, PhDs., artists, along with retirees, people getting by on social security, and people working in manufacturing jobs and the trades." [Full story]
3.Hamptons Bay, The Hamptons
"I love the fact that people who come to Hampton Bays for the first time can enjoy some of the most wonderful assets that we have for free. Back on to Flat Fish Alley and Rumba: Rumba offers an amazing experience for everyone. Once you get to Flat Fish Alley you may park at Mariners Cove Marine, which is a manmade marine basin that has been there since the early 50s, and take the very cool Rum Bus To Rumba. Once there you can jump on their pontoon boat free of cost to their other restaurant while taking a ride on the famous Shinnecock Canal. I love taking people on this tour for the first time. I was going to say that kids love it but I would have to change that to kids of all ages." [Full story]
4. West Adams, Los Angeles
"Almost every house is a hidden gem, even those that have been disregarded or stuccoed over. You're very much apt to find leaded glass in a built-in cabinet and wood beams, etc. In the way of architectural hidden gems, the surprise that lives in West Adams is a [Raphael] Soriano house, just south of Adams Boulelvard, built for Glen Lukens, the California ceramicist. This was his studio and home. It was very much abandoned and headed for the bulldozer, and it's been now taken over and restored and is in absolutely pristine condition once again. No one really looks to West Adams as a Mid-Century Modern neighborhood, and it's certainly not as a neighborhood, but [the Lukens house is] certainly a hidden gem amongst all these century-old houses." [Full story]
5. Coconut Grove, Miami
"In 2015, the grove was the safest neighborhood in the City of Miami with the highest overall crime reduction and the fewest reported crimes." [Full story]
6. Algiers Point, New Orleans
"It's not uncommon to find residents hosting impromptu barbecues, ball games or mini-bonfires on the batture of the Mississippi River levee, all year long. Over the 11 years I've lived here, I can't count the number of times I've been running on the levee at night, and stopped short of my 5K goal to grab a beer with some neighbors who have dragged a cooler and a grill over the levee for a last-minute get-together. The best-kept secret is, everybody is welcome!" [Full story]
7. Gowanus, New York City
"Gowanus is wrapped by the F and G to the west and the south, with the R to the east. Pretty easy to get here and walk anywhere in a short amount of time." [Full story]
8. Pennsport, Philadelphia
"Neighbors out walking their dogs or biking or just interacting with each other. It's rare to walk the streets of Pennsport and not have to stop to speak with your neighbors." [Full story]
9. Bayview, San Francisco
"We started a business here because I couldn't imagine wanting to feed a more deserving, option deprived, underserved, and better community than my own. Though I've wanted to feed people in my own restaurant since I can remember, Bayview really inspired me to pursue my dream and turn my passion into purpose. I also loved the idea that I could do this by sourcing virtually everything from my community." [Full story]
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