While many digital nomads head off to Chiang Mai, Bali, Mexico City, Medellín, and Lisbon, some digital nomads just can’t afford to leave the US. Perhaps you want to take some time exploring your own country, or perhaps your job lets you work remotely but only within the US. Whatever the reason, there are many amazing US cities for digital nomads.
5 Best US cities for digital nomads
New Orleans, Louisiana
One of the challenges of nomading in the US is that most cities are not very walkable. If you’ve been nomadic in Europe, Southeast Asia, or South America, you’re probably accustomed to excellent public transportation options and/or low-cost Ubers and motorbike taxis. Unfortunately, living in most of the US requires a car.
However, New Orleans is one of the rare exceptions, especially if you stay in the French Quarter. The French Quarter in New Orleans has it all, from chic cafés to jazz clubs to exotic food to haunted pub crawls. All you really need is an e-bike.
New Orleans offers a remarkable number of coworking spaces as well. For just $410/month, you can get a semi-private desk at The Warehouse. If you need something more private, $595/month will get you a fully private small office.
There are also three conference rooms, and each plan gives you a limited number of access hours to the conference rooms monthly. It even features indoor bike parking, so if you’re getting around New Orleans on a bike, it’s perfect for you.
If you’re only in New Orleans for a couple of days, check out The Shop at CAC. This co-working space offers day passes for just $35, with no need to book in advance. A day pass comes with not only coffee and tea but also cold brew and beer on tap.
Boston, Massachusetts
Boston has some of the best food in the Northeast, and while it does get cold in the winter, it’s a great place to nomad in the spring, summer, and fall (and in the winter if you don’t mind the chill!).
While in Boston, make sure to try the cannolis from Mike’s Pastry, which offers a fantastic variety of authentic Italian desserts. Meanwhile, Neptune’s Oyster Bar is the place to go if you’re a seafood lover. Its lobster rolls and fresh oysters deserve a special mention.
Boston also has one of the best public transport systems in the US. While not as good as NYC, it covers most of Boston and runs until late at night. You can get almost anywhere using the T.
Things to do in Boston include walking the freedom trail and taking a Boston ghost tour to explore the haunted side of the city, such as the Boston Athenaeum and the Old Granary Burial Ground.
Private rooms in shared houses on Airbnb start at around $50 a night, while private apartments start at around $125. Just make sure public transportation is accessible from your Airbnb or hotel, and you’ll be good to go.
The best coworking space in Boston is the Workbar. It’s clean, affordable, and spacious. A day pass is available for $59, which gives you access to all of its amenities, such as the café and mother’s room.
Private meeting rooms are available starting from $50 an hour – perfect for Zoom meetings. It’s right next to the Boston Public Garden, where you can take a break and use a quick stroll in nature to jog your creativity.
Read more:
- 20 Best Things to Do in New Orleans
- 10 Fun and Unusual Things to Do in Boston_ A Guide for All Budgets
- Where to Stay in NYC: The Best Hotels and Neighborhoods
- Things to do in NYC: Tips on Exploring the City that Never Sleeps
New York City, New York
New York City is one of the priciest cities in the nation, but if you can afford it, it’s also one of the best for digital nomads.
Airbnbs have been mostly banned in the city. The city has restricted apartment owners from renting out their units for less than 30 days unless they adhere to strict requirements, such as being physically present in the house and not having any internal locks in the house.
However, staying in an expensive hotel is not your only option. There are various Facebook groups where you can sublet apartments or rooms for short periods. In addition, there are several hostels in the city, such as the NY Moore Hostel. Just keep in mind – NYC hostels tend to start from around $100 a night and upward, so they’re not cheap!
In terms of working, NYC is known for its many cafés and small eateries, most of which offer good Wi-Fi. Of course, if you’d prefer a coworking space, there are plenty of those as well, such as Rise New York, The Farm SoHo, and Workville. At The Farm SoHo, which is located in New York’s boutique SoHo neighborhood, a day pass costs just $29, while a monthly membership is $179.
If you’re on a budget, you can make up for the high cost of accommodation by eating $1 pizza slices or street food, which is in abundance in Manhattan. From fried rice to falafel to hot dogs to bagels, there are food carts and stalls everywhere.
Of course, there’s no need to mention New York City’s public transportation system, which is the best in the country. Wherever you are, there is likely a subway system near you, and trains come regularly. Buses take you pretty much everywhere as well, and there are other systems, such as the LIRR, if you want to venture a bit further out.
New York City now has a new system called OMNY. You no longer need to purchase a metro card. Instead, just tap and pay using your contactless credit or debit card or smartphone. The system will automatically track your payments.
If you pay for 12 rides with the same payment method within a 7-day period, the rest of your rides for the week are free! There’s no need to pay in advance; just pay as you go with the same payment method.
In other words, that means that for $34 a week, you can essentially ride unlimited on the subway and local buses. If you are concerned about using your debit card, you can instead buy an OMNY prepaid card and fill it up. Of course, the old MTA cards are still an option, but many people are no longer using them.
Chicago, Illinois
The problem with most US cities that offer decent public transportation (and there are only a few of them) is that they tend to be large and quite expensive. Take New York City, for example. The ban on Airbnb has made staying there even pricier. Los Angeles is another city with excellent public transport, but once again, it’s one of the most expensive cities in the US.
Chicago is a smaller city that still offers a decent public transport system. Since it’s smaller, it tends to be less expensive as well. Full apartments or guest suites tend to cost around $75-150 a night, although rooms in shared houses are usually cheaper. Chicago has plenty of cafés from which to work as well.
A day pass at Workbox costs $35, while a floating membership, which allows you to work from any Workbox location, costs $250/month. Another popular coworking space is The Pitch, which offers day passes for just $25.
Portland, Oregon
Last on our list is Portland, Oregon. While the public transport system in Portland isn’t on par with that of New York City, Boston, or Chicago, it’s still decent for the US. Portland has plenty of cute cafés to work in, as well as a number of coworking spaces, such as NedSpace, which offers day passes for $45 and monthly passes starting from $175/month.
If you’re working in tech, Portland has a thriving and quickly growing tech scene. Dubbed the “Silicon Forest,” Portland offers plenty of opportunities to network.
