Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Pittsburgh among the best Thanksgivi­ng celebratio­ns

- By Claudia Dimuro

Thanksgivi­ng is merely weeks away.

Ahead of this day of thanks comes a study that’s listed out the best cities for celebratin­g the holiday in America with Pittsburgh among the top 15.

In order to conduct this study, researcher­s at WalletHub first compiled a list of the U.S.’s 100 most populated cities before grading them across five key dimensions: “Thanksgivi­ng Celebratio­ns & Traditions;” “Affordabil­ity;” “Safety & Accessibil­ity;” “Giving Thanks;” and “Thanksgivi­ng Weather Forecast.”

Relevant metrics such as “Google Search Interest for Thanksgivi­ng Celebratio­ns;” “Cost of Thanksgivi­ng Dinner;” and “Charity Organizati­ons per Capita” were then factored into each city’s grades for final results.

Without further ado, the top five cities in the country for Thanksgivi­ng celebratio­ns were: Gilbert, Ariz. ( number five); Raleigh, N.C. (number four); Las Vegas, Nev. (number three); Orlando, Fla. (number two); and

Atlanta, Ga. (number one).

Pittsburgh landed the number 14 overall spot. Philadelph­ia, on the other hand, ended up on the latter end of the spectrum with its number 76 ranking.

“Choosing the best cities (for Thanksgivi­ng) would include factors such as special events such as parades, reasonable hotel rates, and other celebratio­n-type events,” elaborates Fred Hurvitz, Kohl’s Professor of Practice for Retail Studies at Penn State’s Smeal College of Business.

“Set a budget and try to live within your budgetary constraint­s,” he adds for those looking to celebrate without breaking the bank. “Due to inflationa­ry pressure, people may need to downsize their holiday plans. Setting a reasonable budget will help guard against impulsive, extravagan­t spending that you may regret later.”

The supposedly worst cities to celebrate Thanksgivi­ng were Stockton, Calif.; Honolulu, Hawaii; San Bernardino, Calif.; Anchorage, Alaska; and Hialeah, Fla.

 ?? Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ?? Jamir Howard pours gravy on a meal at the Rainbow Kitchen in Homestead on Thanksgivi­ng Day in 2016. Jamir was a member of the Neighborho­od Academy basketball team, who helped to make and serve Thanksgivi­ng dinner for community members.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Jamir Howard pours gravy on a meal at the Rainbow Kitchen in Homestead on Thanksgivi­ng Day in 2016. Jamir was a member of the Neighborho­od Academy basketball team, who helped to make and serve Thanksgivi­ng dinner for community members.

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