ArtPlace named Miami Beach and Philadelphia two of America’s top ArtPlaces today. ArtPlace, a collaboration of national foundations, banks and federal agencies, identified Miami Beach and Philly as being “communities that successfully combine the arts, artists and venues for creativity and expression with independent businesses, restaurants and a walkable lifestyle to make vibrant neighborhoods.” America’s Top ArtPlaces is a new annual ArtPlace initiative recognizing neighborhoods in the largest 44 metropolitan areas in the country where the arts are central to creating the kinds of places where people want to be.

ArtPlace based its selection on six indicators:

• Number of retail & service businesses
• Percentage of independent businesses
• Neighborhood’s Walk Score
• Percentage of workers in creative occupations living in the neighborhood
• Number of arts-related nonprofits
• Number of arts-related businesses

The  neighborhoods ranking among the Top Twelve ArtPlaces for 2013 are:

• Brooklyn, NY / The intersection of Downtown, Fort Greene, Gowanus, Park Slope and Prospect Heights
• Dallas, TX  / The Dallas Arts District, with parts of Deep Ellum and Exposition Park
• Los Angeles, CA / Central Hollywood
• Miami Beach, FL / South Beach
• Milwaukee, WI / East Town and a portion of the Lower East Side
• New York, NY / Manhattan Valley
• Oakland, CA / Downtown, including Chinatown, Old Oakland, and Jack London Square
• Philadelphia, PA / Old City
• Portland, OR / The Pearl District and a portion of Downtown
• San Francisco, CA / The Mission District
• Seattle, WA / The Pike-Pine Corridor
• Washington, DC / The intersection of Adams Morgan, U Street, and Dupont Circle

Click here for more information about America’s top ArtPlaces