The ‘Charm Index’ Says Boston Is America’s Most Charming Capital
Photo by Lisa DeCotis
With its brick sidewalks and abundance of brightly colored land-and-water terrain vehicles, Boston is decidedly a charming place. This week, apartment-finding platform RentHop revealed further proof of Boston’s charm.
Researchers with the site have asserted that Boston is America’s most charming state capital. By using a self-created data-mapping tool called “Charm Index,” analysts looked at variables like the quality of local businesses, crime statistics, and the availability of parks and walking trails.
The amount of “charming shops” were also considered, which include book stores, antique stores, coffee shops, restaurants, art displays, and boutiques. After some number crunching, the Charm Index generates “charm scores” for every street within a town. These charm scores are then viewed on a heat map.
Map via RentLingo
Out of all of the state capital heat maps, Boston turned out to be the hottest—it received an overall charm score of 93.47 out of 100. Because the Charm Index generates individual street scores, the ranking is a combination of every street and block in Boston.
The most charming street of all? Boylston Street.
Boston topped competitors including Annapolis, Providence, Washington, Madison, and Nashville. You can comb over Boston’s heat map here.
