Just because Earth Day is behind us doesn’t mean we’re done thinking about going green. When it comes to where we choose to live, saving the planet can be just as important as saving some green.
Recently, Apartment Guide unveiled a list of the greenest cities in the country. The ranking took into account the best places for eco-friendly apartments.
“For renters looking to live a greener life, it often comes down to choosing an apartment, building or complex that offers existing green amenities,” the apartment finder website said. “But where is best? What are the greenest cities in the US for renters? We scoured apartment and property listings across the nation. Among these, we looked at which listed green amenities from solar panels and smart thermostats to LEED-certified buildings and available electric vehicle charging stations.”
After compiling a list of 50 cities, Atlanta managed to crack Apartment Guide’s top 10.
Coming in at No. 8 is the Peach State’s capital city where 21.58% of the communities are green.
“Atlanta is known as a city in a forest for the abundance of trees and the extent of the city’s tree canopy cover. In fact, nearly half of the city features a canopy of trees. In the city, parks such as Piedmont, Centennial Olympic, Woodruff and the developing Westside Park dominate massive spaces,” Apartment Guide said.
The greenery continues throughout the city, which offers more than 3,000 acres of parkland. That also extends toward the metro area which has a multitude of parks.
Atlanta’s environmentally friendly ways reach past its pines and oaks, however. In 2017, the city became the third most environmentally friendly city in the country based on an analysis of LEED-certified office spaces in the 30 biggest U.S. markets.
There is also an abundance of earth-conscious restaurants. According to Epicure & Culture, they include health food eatery True Food Kitchen, organic spot Upbeet and King of Pops, which feature popsicles containing a wholesome mix of no more than five ingredients.
Apartment Guide’s greenest cities in the U.S. for renters
- San Antonio, Texas
- Richmond, Virginia
- Plano, Texas
- Austin, Texas
- Tacoma, Washington
- Tempe, Arizona
- Omaha, Nebraska
- Atlanta
- Wilmington, North Carolina
- Charleston, South Carolina and Boston (tie)
