The Queen City's been buzzing today with talk about how great of a place it is to live, or not live. The conversation was sparked after a group of urban researchers again placed Poughkeepsie on their annual list of America's best cities. Mary Reynolds understands why WorldsBestCities.com elevated Poughkeepsie four spots to #82. She has about 40 musical acts from all over the region booked for next month's Porchfest, a series of concerts on porches in the Southside Historic District.

"Everybody collaborates together," she said as she ran through a detailed schedule of the various mini-concerts, "and it's just a great fun day." Reynolds said the festival, which has grown each year since she started it in 2020, is one of her contributions to make Poughkeepsie more liveable, loveable and prosperous. Those are the three factors WorldsBestCities.com's team of researchers considered in forming their 2025 rankings. Poughkeepsie rose a few spots for a few reasons according to their findings: walkability, air quality, architecture, colleges just north and south of the city, and its parks, namely the Walkway Over The Hudson.

"We feel like there is so much here," Reynolds said Friday in an interview on her porch, which will become a stage next month. "There's history. There's community. There's the arts."

Reynolds, some city officials and local business owners all recognized the city's challenges -- including the housing crisis, homelessness and drug addiction -- when asked about quality of life in the city. They also said the city is loaded with potential, and they believe the WorldsBestCities.com team recognized that. "This city is on the rise," Chef and restaurant owner Garfield Salmon said during an impromptu interview at his front counter. "I want to be a part of it." He shared how his family opened their Jamaican Restaurant, Upstream Cafe on Main Street, in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, navigating restrictions and getting by. Salmon said they still managed to build up a steady base of out-of-town customers quickly, and that in time the locals started showing up too. Because important aspects of his business are now trending upward, he sees the relatively new restaurant lasting in Poughkeepsie.

"We put in the work. We put in the time," he said. "We interact with customers. We're here to stay." WorldsBestCities.com ranked New York City #1 for its culture, landmarks and how its economy recovered after the pandemic nearly ruined it. Poughkeepsie was ranked just behind Memphis, Tennessee and just ahead of Huntsville, Alabama.