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Boston is still the best place in America to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, according to a new ranking.
A report from WalletHub ranks the Massachusetts capital as the best U.S. city to celebrate the holiday, beating out 199 other cities analyzed across the country.
RECOMMENDED: St. Patrick's Day at Time Out Market New York
The study evaluated 200 of the largest U.S. cities across 15 metrics, including the number of Irish pubs and restaurants per capita, hotel prices on March 17, expected weather, safety and accessibility and the presence of long-standing traditions.
Boston took the top spot thanks in part to its deep Irish roots and one of the nation’s oldest St. Patrick’s Day traditions: A parade that dates back to 1724 and still draws massive crowds each year. More than 13 percent of Boston residents claim Irish ancestry, and the city ranks among the leaders nationally for Irish pubs and restaurants per capita.
“St. Patrick’s Day celebrates the Irish, but it’s become a beloved cultural holiday for millions of Americans regardless of their ancestry," WalletHub analyst Chip Lupo said in a statement. "The best cities for St. Patrick’s Day combine rich traditions with tasty and affordable food, safe conditions to celebrate, and good weather. Celebrating in one of these cities will increase your chances of having a memorable holiday, as long as you don’t overdo it.”
WalletHub analysts say the best places to celebrate combine “rich traditions,” accessible bars and restaurants, reasonable prices and decent weather—plus enough infrastructure to handle big crowds safely.
The report also revealed a few quirks. For example, Reno came in at No. 2 thanks to traditions like the Reno Leprechaun Crawl and Annual Leprechaun Race 5K.
At the other end of the list are places where Irish heritage and festivities are harder to find. Cities including Paterson, Miramar and Bellevue rank among the worst destinations for the holiday, largely due to fewer St. Patrick’s Day traditions and fewer Irish pubs and restaurants.
Here are the top 30 best U.S. cities for St. Patrick’s Day celebrations.
1. Boston
2. Reno
3. Savannah
4. Overland Park
5. Henderson
6. Omaha
7. New York City
8. St. Paul
9. Worcester
10. Buffalo
11. Chicago
12. Madison
13. Las Vegas
14. San Francisco
15. Santa Rosa
16. Pittsburgh
17. Springfield
18. Providence
19. Amarillo
20. Minneapolis
21. Seattle
22. Des Moines
23. Thousand Oaks
24. Olathe
25. Tampa
26. Richmond
27. Syracuse
28. Naperville
29. Columbia
30. Fort Collins