🇺🇸 The Best Small City to Live in the U.S. — Richmond, VA 🏡🌸

All photos were taken near my home or within a few minutes’ drive. I’ve been in the U.S. for 20 years now 🗽, lived in many cities, and traveled deeply across the country. If you asked me to choose the best small city for quality of life, I’d pick Richmond. As someone who grew up in Shanghai, I usually find small cities boring. I’ve considered moving to New York, the Bay Area, Irvine, Seattle… but after spending time in those places, I still keep coming back to Richmond. Here’s why: 1️⃣ History & Culture 🏛️ I love cities with depth — colonial architecture, historical stories. That narrows it down to early colonial cities like Boston, NY, DC, Philly, and Richmond. 2️⃣ Cleanliness 🌿 Clean, well-kept streets? That leaves Boston, DC, and Richmond. 3️⃣ Affordability + Quality Living 💰 You can find nice homes from $500K to millions. A $500K house can give you 200+ sqm plus a yard (see pics!), and you’re ≤10 mins from downtown — restaurants, theaters, museums. 4️⃣ Education 🎓 The metro has over 1 million people. Several great universities 🏫, and great access to tutors, sports, music lessons — unlike Seattle where demand outweighs supply. 5️⃣ Healthcare 🏥 Lots of hospitals and highly skilled medical professionals. 6️⃣ Arts & Entertainment 🎭 Theaters, top-tier museums, historic architecture, stand-up comedy 🎤. I’ve already seen 3 Broadway shows and 7 comedy acts this year! The VMFA is a top 10 U.S. museum in my opinion. 7️⃣ Food Scene 🍜🛒 Diverse supermarkets + the most grocery stores per capita in the U.S. 🌎 Plenty of international cuisines — probably because there are many affluent residents supporting a vibrant dining scene. 8️⃣ Location 🚄 Under 2 hours to DC 🏛️, 6-hour train to NYC 🗽. I sometimes take the early train and have lunch in New York! 9️⃣ Nature & Seasons 🍁❄️ Beautiful landscapes, four distinct seasons. Blooms in spring 🌸, warm summers ☀️, stunning fall foliage 🍂, and cozy snowy winters with hot chocolate by the fire. 🏡☕ What do YOU think makes a city livable? Let me know! 👇 #AmericanLife #RichmondVA #Virginia #DreamCity #Livability #USATravel #CityLife