10 best art-scene cities in North America

Museums you actually visit, galleries you stumble into, studios that move at night.

Ranked by climate, cost of living, language access, safety, and lifestyle fit. Personalize this →

#1
New York, United States
100
match
The city. Everything happens here, faster and pricier than anywhere else.
#2
Chicago, United States
100
match
Midwest workhorse with architecture as good as anywhere on earth. Brutal winters, beautiful summers.
#3
Toronto, Canada
100
match
Canada's biggest city. Multicultural to the bone, lakeside, and the country's financial and tech engine.
#4
Montreal, Canada
100
match
French Canada's beating heart. Bagels, festivals, and the most European feel on the continent.
#5
Mexico City, Mexico
100
match
Sprawling, museum-rich megacity with a culinary scene rivaling anywhere on earth.
#6
San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
100
match
Colonial highland Mexican town. Pink cathedral, art schools, the Americas largest English-speaking expat retiree scene.
#7
Asheville, United States
100
match
Blue Ridge mountain town. Craft breweries, organic everything, queer-friendly Appalachia.
#8
Oaxaca, Mexico
77
match
Mountain city of indigenous cultures, mezcal, and arguably Mexico's deepest food scene.

New York, United States