Top 10

Downtowns across the country are seeing a resurgence of restaurants, shops, offices and residential development. We've picked out the best downtowns, places that offer amazing amenities and high quality of life.

To find the best small towns in the country we examined cities with less than 25,000 residents, beautiful scenery, cultural amenities, great restaurants and lots of outdoor activities.

Our third annual list of the best college towns looks at cities where the college plays an integral part of the economy and culture. We ranked the cities according to the ratio of students to residents, cost of living and entertainment options. You'll be surprised by what we found.

Spend any time looking for the best barbecue cities in America and there's no doubt you'll come across the usual suspects. Much has been written about the smoking, saucing and rubbing going on in places like Memphis, Austin, Chicago and Kansas City, but the search for the best 'cue is an endless one. So consider our list of barbecue cities as an addendum, or maybe it's just excuse to keep on eat'n.

We went looking for the best soccer cities and ended up finding some of the best places to live. Cities with great soccer facilities tend to have great amenities in general and offer residents a high quality of life. Check out some of the best soccer complexes, biggest soccer clubs and most passionate fans in the country.

Why study history in books when you can walk through it? These cities have made historic preservation a priority and recognized the potential it has for attracting tourists, residents and businesses. Community leaders in these towns are committed to protecting historic buildings and, to a greater extent, their city's identity.

Looking for a great vacation spot that won't bust your budget? We found the best places for affordable vacations. These cities are packed with things to do, and in many cases attractions that are free.

Top 10 Cities With the Best Music Scenes Outside of Nashville NYC and LA

We've identified the best spring break destinations for families. These vacation spots keep you away from the college party scene but put you close to top attractions, great restaurants and amazing landscapes.

We looked at 500 libraries to find the best libraries for kids. The children's libraries we selected not only look amazing, they offer great programs and activities to get kids excited about reading, learning and exploring.