Chattanooga. Tennessee

Once called 'the dirtiest city in America', today the town is one of the country's greenest, boastong miles of waterfront trails, electric buses and footbridges criss-crossing the Tennessee River. With it's world-class rock-climbing, hiking, biking and water-sports, it's among the South's best towns for outdoor enthusiasts. It's had a major facelift since the '60s, just look at the views from the Art District!

Once a railway hub throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the city's 'Chattanooga Choo-Choo,' originally referring to the Cincinnati Southern Railroad's passenger car, inspired the title of a 1941 Glen Miller tune. The extremely walkable downtown is an increasingly gentrified mix of historic stone and brick buildings and gourmet kitchens.