"A lot of people foresaw the potential of this area, and they didn't want it to die with the steel," he said.
Former employees of the plant highlighted the historical economic importance of the manufacturing site.
"If you talked to one of the old guys who worked here, he'd tell you that the US won World War I and World War II because of Bethlehem Steel," said Mahesh Vyas, a museum docent and former research engineer who spent nearly four decades working for the company before it ceased production.
"Bethlehem Steel was Bethlehem," Vyas said, recalling the stable employment opportunities provided by the plant during its peak operation years.
"It was a very good job."
Iowa City, Iowa, also earned a spot on the list, recognized as the first UNESCO City of Literature in the United States.
CNN described it as "America's engine room of literature," noting that "almost everyone including taxi drivers seems to have ink-stained fingers."
The network also recommended that travelers visit nearby Riverside, which promotes itself as the future birthplace of "Star Trek" captain James T.
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Kirk.
