America's Top 10 Best Eco-Neighborhoods

Image Gallery WestFest celebration in Asheville Photo by Io Design & Illustration

Our picks for the country’s top urban neighborhoods encourage the healthy, eco-conscious good life. These burgs boast community involvement; shopping, libraries and schools within a walkable area; public transportation; and locally owned businesses.

Some are more affordable than others, but most have mixed-income housing and relatively diverse populations. They encompass environmental and/or social programs; parks, green spaces and neighborhood gathering spaces; farmer’s markets and community gardens; and sometimes alternative-energy programs and green building practices.

1. Asheville, North Carolina

WEST ASHEVILLE NEIGHBORHOOD
Revitalized in the 1990s, West Asheville has affordable, renovated and fixer-upper bungalows and cottages plus a fashionable commercial district, tree-lined streets, historic architecture and a small-community feel.

Curb appeal:

• Array of locally owned businesses: bookstores, coffee houses, community centers and restaurants
• Two farmer’s markets, plus access to fresh, organic and locally produced food at a community food co-op
• Diverse mix of singles, young families and older residents
• Plans for a revamped problem intersection, including a medicinal herb garden, info kiosk, bike rack, benches, sculpture garden

2. Austin, Texas

SOUTH CONGRESS NEIGHBORHOOD
Located near downtown Austin, South Congress (SoCo) has  a lively commercial district full of retro shops, boutiques, neighborhood bars and coffee shops, mixed-use and mixed-priced housing, and outdoorsy orientation.

Curb appeal:

• Local markets and groceries; year-round organic farmer’s market
• Sustainable food center and organic community garden
• Affordable alternative-energy options, including big rebates for solar-panel installation and a green-power program
• Very walkable and cyclable; bus system on the city’s central line

3. Bozeman, Montana

DOWNTOWN AREA
Known for its friendly, laid-back Rocky Mountain atmosphere, Bozeman’s historic downtown features rows of restored redbrick storefronts filled with art galleries, boutiques, eateries, a cultural arts center and nearby parks.

Curb appeal:

• Two farmer’s markets and a food co-op
• More than 50 homegrown community programs that create collaborations between city government, grassroots groups, businesses, nonprofits, schools and churches
• 25-mile multi-use trail system called “Main Street to the Mountains”
• Growth plan that promotes high-density housing, urban infill, narrow streets, detached garages, front porches
• Refuge Sustainable Building Center that sells eco-building materials
• Open-space preservation along Bozeman Creek