America's Favorite Cities 2008

It's no surprise: Americans are super-opinionated, especially about the cities they live in and the places they visit. In fact, their feelings are so strong that in the 2008 America's Favorite Cities survey, Americans voted more than 600,000 times on 45 characteristics of 25 cities, weighing in on things like shopping, food, culture and nightlife, as well as cleanliness and affordability.

In 2007, there was a lot of cheering from cities that clinched the No. 1 spots, like Chicago, Illinois, (dining) and Austin, Texas, (best singles scene). But we also saw a lot of upsets -- upset people, that is. After all, someone had to come in last. Unfortunately for the proud people of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, America voted them dead last in the category of attractive people. And Los Angeles, California, took the prize for least friendly city, a category that most expected New York City to sweep.

Notable changes

For the winners in each category, 2008 brought some surprises. New Orleans, Louisiana, elbowed New York aside as the best city for fine dining. Las Vegas, Nevada, took the No. 1 spot for best singles scene as former No. 1 Austin tumbled to No. 5. In the cleanliness category, Portland, Oregon, swept Minneapolis, Minnesota, out of first place this year.

But other cities maintained their dominant positions. New York held its No. 1 ranking as the country's best spot for people-watching, while Charleston, South Carolina, was once again voted America's friendliest city.

Find your vacation

There's plenty more to explore beyond the rankings. If you're in the market for a great destination, the Vacation Finder at travelandleisure.com can help you find the perfect city for your interests. Austin and New Orleans, for example, are rollicking destinations for live music, cheap ethnic food and vintage shopping. If something more high-minded is your style, check out Washington D.C. (No. 1 for museums) or New York (No. 1 for classical music).

Travelers seeking the sophistication of cities paired with the exhilaration of the outdoors should head to Honolulu, Hawaii, (No. 1 for active/adventure vacations), Portland (No. 1 for public parks and access to outdoors), or Denver, Colorado, (No. 1 for athletic/active citizens).

If you're planning a trip with the kids, Orlando, Florida, is still on top, but alternatives like San Diego, California, and Washington D.C. still rate high with travelers. Seekers of romantic getaways should try their luck in Honolulu, Charleston or San Francisco, California, which hold their own particular charms.

And what happened at the bottom of the scale? Did Philadelphia rally voters and push themselves up the attractiveness scale? Did Angelenos take the criticism about being the least-friendly city to heart and begin using a kinder, gentler salute to fellow drivers on the freeway? Read on to find out.

Philadelphia

Philly’s historic sites and monuments (No. 3) and museums and galleries (No. 4) earned high marks.

But, voters warn, don’t hold your breath for stylish (No. 24) or attractive (No. 25) people.

Charleston

Charlestonians are America’s friendliest people. The city got second-place rankings for its noteworthy neighborhoods, vintage stores, flea markets, and peace and quiet. Not surprisingly, many travelers found the club scene (No. 24) disappointing.

Miami

Miamians win the title for America’s most attractive people, and second place for their stylishness.

Visitors also noted the city’s good weather (No. 3), but it’s not the spot to see historic sites and monuments (No. 23).

New York

The Big Apple received the most No. 1 ratings this year, getting top marks for its shopping; classical music and theater; stylish and diverse residents; people watching; and skylines and views. Where was its weak point? The city ranked last for peace and quiet.

Washington, D.C

Museums and galleries, and historic sites and monuments in the nation’s capital ranked first; the city was also voted the No. 1 cultural getaway. Just don’t plan on going there for a romantic retreat (No. 23) or an active/adventure vacation (No. 24).

Orlando

People still consider Orlando the top spot for a family vacation.

Voters were less impressed with its culture, food and dining, and shopping, which all came in last.

Atlanta

Atlanta’s best-rated quality was its affordability (No. 11). Despite a recent influx of culinary talent into the city,

its destination restaurants came in last.

Dallas/Fort Worth

Travelers gave Dallas good marks for being affordable (No. 8), but the city ranked low for public transportation and pedestrian friendliness, access to the outdoors, and environmental awareness.

Nashville

Travelers consider Nashville an affordable city (No. 2) with friendly people (No. 4).

The city’s luxury stores were ranked at the bottom of the pack.

New Orleans

The Big Easy collected No. 1 slots for live music and bands, vintage shopping, destination restaurants, and ethnic food and cheap eats. Athletic and active people though (No. 25), are harder to find.

Boston

Travelers gave Beantown high ratings for its cultural offerings, including classical music (No. 2), museums and galleries (No. 5), and historic sites and monuments (No. 2). It also ranked fourth for notable neighborhoods.

Austin

Austin got high marks for people: they came in second place for friendliness and athleticism, and third place for intelligence and attractiveness. The city also has great bands and live music (No. 2) and a buzzing singles/bar scene (No. 4).

Seattle

The city is best in the country for cafés and coffee bars, farmers’ markets, and intelligent people. Environmental awareness (No. 2) and public parks and access to the outdoors (No. 4) also scored well. Just be sure to pack an umbrella for that rainy weather (No. 23).

Los Angeles

L.A.’s luxury shopping came in third place, and its stylish residents ranked fourth. (Angelenos were also rated the least friendly and intelligent). The city’s traffic, unsurprisingly, was voted the nation’s worst.

San Diego

Ideal weather (No. 2), attractive people (No. 2), and access to the outdoors (No. 3)
make for a perfect family vacation (No. 2) and relaxing retreat (No. 4).

Las Vegas

Sin City dominated the nightlife category, finishing first for cocktail hour, the singles/bar scene, and late night/clubs;

people also voted it the top wild weekend destination. The city came in last for public parks and access to the outdoors.

Denver

People visit Denver for an active/adventure vacation (No. 2).
They don’t head to the Rockies though, for destination restaurants (No. 24).

Minneapolis/St. Paul

Voters think the Twin Cities are clean (No. 2), safe (No. 2), and full of intelligent (No. 2) and friendly (No. 3) residents.
Theater (No. 3) also got high marks, but the weather ranked second to last.

Chicago

Visitors rated Chicago’s skyline and views second in the country. Its cultural offerings—including theater (No. 2), classical music (No. 3), and museums and galleries (No. 3)—also placed well. But the cold weather (No. 25) was a turnoff.

San Antonio

The top-rated city for affordability and No. 2 for ethnic food and cheap eats is also great spot for a family vacation (No. 5).

Phoenix/Scottsdale

The top-rated city for affordability and No. 2 for ethnic food and cheap eats is also great spot for a family vacation (No. 5).

Santa Fe

The top finisher for peace and quiet has great art galleries (No. 2) and local boutiques (No. 4). The southwestern city finished last, however, in all nightlife categories.

San Francisco

San Francisco’s high marks were for its notable neighborhoods (No. 1), local boutiques (No. 2), specialty stores and farmer’s markets (No. 3), cafés and coffee shops (No. 3), and destination restaurants (No. 3). Affordability (No. 23) was its lowest ranking.
Portland

A model city for urban planning, Portland ranked No. 1 for public transportation and pedestrian friendliness, safety, cleanliness, public parks, and environmental awareness. It didn’t score in the bottom five for any overall category.

Honolulu

Hawaii’s capital was voted the No. 1 spot for a romantic escape, a relaxing retreat, and an active/adventure vacation.
The city’s weather also nabbed first place.

Visit here for the full results, best and worst, for each city and category, as ranked by residents and by visitors.