It comes as no surprise that most of these markets have landed at the upper end of the rankings. These large metros are renowned for their broad variety of entertainment and recreational options.

But skeptics might question the inclusion of the Portland, Maine, area (population: 512,000), the only metro in the top 10 with a population below 3 million. Portland doesn’t have the flashy image of its bigger counterparts, yet it’s still a fun place:

• It’s a haven for shoppers. No U.S. market has a stronger concentration of stores than Portland’s 521.7 per 100,000 residents. The typical U.S. metro has just 356.8 stores per 100,000.
• It’s ideal for boaters and fishermen, offering quick access to the Atlantic Ocean. Portland leads the nation with 7.4 marinas per 100,000 residents.
• It’s versatile. Portland is among the five concentration leaders in seven other fields: fitness centers, restaurants, golf courses, amusement parks, museums, movie theaters, and performing arts companies.
• Missing from the top 10 are several renowned tourist destinations, including New Orleans (13th), Las Vegas (26th), Washington (27th), Atlanta (34th), Orlando (42nd), Tampa (45th), and Phoenix (57th). They all have their strengths, but also have areas of great weakness:
• New Orleans ranks second in the gambling category and ninth for food and drink, but does poorly in participation in high-impact (80th) and low-impact (71st) sports.
• It’s a no-brainer to slot Las Vegas first in the gambling category. That high score, however, is offset by ranks of 81st for shopping and 88th for low-impact sports.
• Tourists are attracted by Washington’s rich history, which contributes to its rank of 14th in the culture category. But the nation’s capital drops as low as 52nd for food and drink and 55th for gambling.
• Atlanta is an exciting place for shoppers (18th), but it ranks 40th or worse in three other categories.
• The rankings of popular entertainment include amusement parks as a key component, which helps Orlando to 12th place in that category. It does even better for shopping (10th), but high-impact sports (88th) is an area of weakness.
• Tampa also scores relatively well for shopping (22nd), but culture (58th) and high-impact sports (81st) are detriments.
• Phoenix isn’t in the top quarter of any of the seven categories. Its best finishes are 28th place for gambling and 30th for popular entertainment. Its worst are 69th for culture and 84th for shopping.

Four markets hold the top positions in the study’s seven categories. New York, as already mentioned, is No. 1 in three of them. Here is the complete list of category winners:

1. Shopping: New York City
2. Food and drink: New York City
3. Culture: New York City
4. Popular entertainment: Miami
5. Gambling: Las Vegas
6. High-impact sports: Boston
7. Low-impact sports: Boston

The 10 markets at the bottom of the standings have two things in common. All have fewer than 1 million residents, and all offer a limited variety of recreational and entertainment opportunities.

Provo, Utah, occupies last place. Joining it in the bottom five are McAllen, Texas; Modesto and Bakersfield, California; and El Paso.