Chicago voted best big city for a second time by Condé Nast Traveler readers

For a second time, readers of Condé Nast Traveler voted Chicago to be the best big city in its annual reader survey. While it’s no surprise to locals, everyone else is finally catching on. Between the lakefront, our world-class museums, and award-winning restaurants—what’s not to love?

The travel magazine collected about 429,000 votes for the 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards. Due to the high number of responses, the results are divided up into two categories—15 best small cities, with populations under 1 million, and 15 best big cities.

Charleston, South Carolina; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Savannah, Georgia were the top three small cities. Charleston has topped the list for eight years running thanks to its extraordinary food scene, historic mansions, and charm.

Chicago beat out places like San Francisco, New Orleans, Denver, Boston, and even New York City. Here’s what CNT had to say about Chicago:

Second City? Not by our count. Chicago is world-class in so many categories—magnificent architecture, stunning museums, brilliant chefs, a massive brewing scene, and so much to do that you’ll never see it all. Scratch the surface in the Loop and on the Gold Coast, then go deeper into the city’s 77 neighborhoods, where you’ll find cutting-edge restaurants (like Parachute), chilled out corner bars (Sportsman’s Club), and some of the most pleasant people you’ll find anywhere. It’s no wonder Chicago tops this list again.

Find out what other places made the list—check out all 30 here.

Want to find out what makes this city so great? Look through our seasonal pocket guide for a curated list of 26 places to go that will help you see the city in a new way.

• Chicago rated top big U.S. city by Condé Nast Traveler readers [Curbed Chicago]