Author Topic: America’s Least Attractive Cities (Travel + Leisure) (Read 2314 times)

corbe · « **on:** April 22, 2017, 03:02:46 pm »

America’s Least Attractive Cities

Locals in these cities rely on warmth and authenticity to lure in visitors.

by Peter Schlesinger

Sept. 1, 2016: “They may not be head turners,” says Matisse Rhodes, a New Yorker who lived in the Ohio city from 2010 until 2015, “but Clevelanders are among some of the warmest, most genuine people in the country.”

Rhodes isn’t alone in her assessment. In this year’s America’s Favorite Places survey, T+L readers scored cities across a wide range of categories, including how attractive locals are: and Clevelanders ranked near the bottom for their looks.

But readers can be fickle. Atlanta, previously voted one of the country’s most attractive cities, now joins the ranks of least-beautiful. A city in Florida has also made the switchover. Some things stay the same, however, including a tendency for cities with ultra-dedicated sports fans to rank poorly in the looks department. This is true for Memphis, a basketball (and barbecue) loving city that appears on this year’s list. And it’s especially true for the East Coast city that readers found least attractive.

There’s no arguing that amidst its spacious skies and purple mountain majesties, the United States has some objectively gorgeous people. But looks aren’t everything, and, as the saying goes, “beauty attracts the eye, but personality attracts the heart.” Some cities, it seems, rely more on the heart.

Read on for the full list of America’s least attractive cities.

9. Memphis, Tennessee

8. Atlanta, Georgia

7. Tampa, Florida

6. Cleveland, Ohio

5. Milwaukee, Wisconsin

4. Charlotte, North Carolina

3. Spokane, Washington

2. Sacramento, California

1. Baltimore, Maryland

Description of each at link

http://www.travelandleisure.com/americas-favorite-places/least-attractive-cities#baltimore-maryland

jmyrlefuller · « **Reply #1 on:** April 22, 2017, 03:20:04 pm »

Quote

6. Cleveland, Ohio

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysmLA5TqbIY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZzgAjjuqZM

Cripplecreek · « **Reply #2 on:** April 22, 2017, 03:20:46 pm »

I was really impressed with the change for the better in Downtown Detroit when I was there on Easter. The place is filling up with millennials who have money to burn.

mirraflake · « **Reply #3 on:** April 22, 2017, 03:49:12 pm »

Memphis.. I lived there out of college. Most homes except upper middle class areas on up have bars on the windows.

2nd day I was there was walking into Mall of Memphis and 4-5 black guys came out and said "hey cracker" or something like that.

Great employer, rented for me an apartment for 2 months(at no cost) until I figured out what part of town was safe.

Major downside the safe areas know they are safe and the rent is priced accordingly.

Would not want to be caught there if the economy went kaputt overnight or electric grid went out

mirraflake · « **Reply #4 on:** April 22, 2017, 03:56:52 pm »

Quote from: Cripplecreek on April 22, 2017, 03:20:46 pm

I was really impressed with the change for the better in Downtown Detroit when I was there on Easter. The place is filling up with millennials who have money to burn.

I was just there in March for a meeting. Could not get over seeing a beautiful old home restored -major bucks-I'm talking maybe $500K on up renovations and the houses on either side look like crack dens with homeless living in them. I'm sure they have state of the art alarms.

Reminds me of the original Omega Man with Charleton Heston when he came home at night.

@Cripplecreek

TomSea · « **Reply #5 on:** April 22, 2017, 04:24:09 pm »

One year, Atlanta is one of the most attractive cities, the next city on the unattractive list. As said, that shows how fickle readers are and how subjective these lists are.

jmyrlefuller · « **Reply #6 on:** April 22, 2017, 04:31:47 pm »

Quote from: TomSea on April 22, 2017, 04:24:09 pm

One year, Atlanta is one of the most attractive cities, the next city on the unattractive list. As said, that shows how fickle readers are and how subjective these lists are.

Well, you know what they say: beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

driftdiver · « **Reply #7 on:** April 22, 2017, 04:33:29 pm »

Oakland isn't on the list? How bout easy LA? South Chicago.

Balderdash

geronl · « **Reply #8 on:** April 22, 2017, 06:13:48 pm »

These lists are all very subjective

corbe · « **Reply #9 on:** April 22, 2017, 07:53:51 pm »

Another important factor here is how much Advertising Dollars the local Chamber of Commerce spends at Travel & Leisure magazine.

Sanguine · « **Reply #10 on:** April 22, 2017, 09:01:06 pm »

Quote from: mirraflake on April 22, 2017, 03:49:12 pm

Memphis.. I lived there out of college. Most homes except upper middle class areas on up have bars on the windows.

2nd day I was there was walking into Mall of Memphis and 4-5 black guys came out and said "hey cracker" or something like that.

Great employer, rented for me an apartment for 2 months(at no cost) until I figured out what part of town was safe.

Major downside the safe areas know they are safe and the rent is priced accordingly.

Would not want to be caught there if the economy went kaputt overnight or electric grid went out

I've got a friend who still lives in Memphis. Apparently there are no safe areas any more.

Cripplecreek · « **Reply #11 on:** April 22, 2017, 09:08:53 pm »

Quote from: geronl on April 22, 2017, 06:13:48 pm

These lists are all very subjective

A lot of it depends on what you're looking for in a city and different cities provide different entertainments and diversions. In Detroit with the tech boom the millennials have taken over downtown and are making it their own. There are all kinds of upscale cafes, bars, cigar bars, sports bars. They're turning the alleys into open air art museums. We had dinner at Punch Bowl Social which is kind of an upscale sports bar and it was packed.

Downtown was booming for an Easter Sunday evening.

I think we decided that this was a hammered rat

These guys were in the alley painting a Detroit Tigers mural on the backside of a bar.

These pilings are the roof of the underground parking and the beginnings of the new building Dan Gilbert is putting up.

You really can't beat Detroit as a sports town either. There is Indy racing on Belle Isle, the NFL,MLB, NBA, and NHL all within a few minute walk on the edge of downtown.

Frank Cannon · « **Reply #12 on:** April 22, 2017, 09:10:59 pm »

How the hell did Schenectady not make the top 5?

Fishrrman · « **Reply #13 on:** April 22, 2017, 10:41:48 pm »

Title:
"America’s Least Attractive Cities"

They're ALL "unattractive" to me. No place I'd want to live or spend much time in.

The only city I've ever been in that impressed me was Salt Lake City, and it's been more than 30 years since I was last there. I'm sure it's changed since then.

Frank Cannon · « **Reply #14 on:** April 22, 2017, 10:51:57 pm »

Quote from: Fishrrman on April 22, 2017, 10:41:48 pm

The only city I've ever been in that impressed me was Salt Lake City...

Not into having fun, are you.

massadvj · « **Reply #15 on:** April 22, 2017, 11:16:09 pm »

I lived in Sacramento from through the 1980s and early 90s. I thought it was a great city with a wonderful historic river ftont, lots of economic growth and vitality, and the American River Parkway might be the best local public park in the country. Not sure why the city should be ranked number two now.

Must agree that Baltimore is an awful city. Even the bayfront there is unsafe and run down now. There is very little in Baltimore worth going to see.