NEW YORK CITY—In honor of Earth Month, RealtyHop recently compiled a list of the Top 100 Greenest Cities in America and evaluated each city based on its sustainability, policy and infrastructure, energy, environment, and affordability.

Among their key findings, New York City was one of two east coast cities on the Top 10 list. "While the Concrete Jungle does not seem inherently green, it scores higher than any other city when it comes to sustainability," Realtyhop says. "New York is the only city where over three-quarters of the workforce commutes via public transportation. However, New York City is also the least affordable city on the Top 10 list, and owners will pay more to live here."

The west coast also topped the charts. They found that Portland is the greenest city in America, boasting high energy, policy, and environmental scores. "The city optimizes its location to harness wind and other forms of renewable energy, helping homeowners save money and live sustainably. The city actively works to achieve a net-zero carbon emissions goal by 2050 by enforcing new sustainable initiatives across the energy, development, and transportation sectors. Portland also features a relatively affordable housing market compared to other major cities, with a median list price of $459,950," RealtyHop says.

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Natalie Dolce

Natalie Dolce, editor-in-chief of GlobeSt.com and GlobeSt. Real Estate Forum, is responsible for working with editorial staff, freelancers and senior management to help plan the overarching vision that encompasses GlobeSt.com, including short-term and long-term goals for the website, how content integrates through the company’s other product lines and the overall quality of content. Previously she served as national executive editor and editor of the West Coast region for GlobeSt.com and Real Estate Forum, and was responsible for coverage of news and information pertaining to that vital real estate region. Prior to moving out to the Southern California office, she was Northeast bureau chief, covering New York City for GlobeSt.com. Her background includes a stint at InStyle Magazine, and as managing editor with New York Press, an alternative weekly New York City paper. In her career, she has also covered a variety of beats for M magazine, Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel, FashionLedge.com, and Co-Ed magazine. Dolce has also freelanced for a number of publications, including MSNBC.com and Museums New York magazine.