America's Snobbiest Cities

from Travel and Leisure: http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/americas-snobbiest-cities

At one time or another, we've all found ourselves at a restaurant, a bar or a party where the people seemed a bit too snobby for our tastes. But what about a whole city?

A new survey conducted by Travel + Leisure has revealed 20 of America's most pretentious places. To determine the "winners," the survey's participants were asked to rank 35 of the country's metropolitan centers based on factors such as trendy eateries and attractive citizens. In each area, Travel and Leisure also considered the prevalence of artisanal coffee shops, expensive boutique shopping centers, and (somehow) "aloof and smarty-pants residents," among other factors.

The top ten are listed below, but you can head over to Travel + Leisure to find out who else earned a spot on their snobby city study.

#1. San Francisco

#2. New York

#3. Boston

#4. Minneapolis/St.Paul

#5 Santa Fe, N.M./Seattle (Tie)

#7. Chicago

#8. Providence, R.I.

#9. Washington, D.C.

#10. Charleston, S.C.


I have been to 5 of those.

Seattle didn't get in on attractive residents unless women with hairy legs is your thing. Must be the hipster factor.

I've been to New York, Boston, Chicago, and Washington DC... can't say I noticed anything particularly snobby in any of them, tho in all fairness all I was only in Chicago for a few hours waiting for a connecting flight so all I saw was the inside of an airport bar.

I've been to San Francisco, New York, Boston, Seattle, Minneapolis and st. paul, Chicago and Washington D.C..and I would say Minneapolis/St. Paul is the nicest on the list.

Good luck trying to talk to anyone on the street in Seattle, you most likely will receive the "seattle freeze"...no matter what season it is.

I prefer Saint Cloud to Minneapolis/St. Paul. St Cloud is a nice college town.

exact33 wrote:

I prefer Saint Cloud to Minneapolis/St. Paul. St Cloud is a nice college town.

I think I passed through St. Cloud for just a minute once. As far as college towns go, Eugene Oregon and Kalamazoo Michigan are great also.

Charleston is awesome in every way possible, so dunno what that's all about. 

Portland, Or is the only one that I have been to on the list. And yeah, political snobbishness abounds.

Ive been to Boston, New York City, Providence cant say I ever noticed anything snobbish. Also been to San Fransisco but I was too young to notice any snobbish activities as I was just 4.

I live in the DC area - not at all surprised that it made the list

I was born and raised in DC and the surrounding area and I felt it's character changed over the last few years that I lived in the area.  Some of that may have stemmed from spending more time in places like Georgetown.  Just never felt it was the same city that it was back in the day.

Charlotte, NC was the only city where I really just didn't care for my experience with it's denizens.  Of course I've heard from many others whose experience was different.  Suppose it all boils down to where you go in those cities.

Philly didn't make the top 10?

Dang, I gotta try harder.

jstate wrote:

Charlotte, NC was the only city where I really just didn't care for my experience with it's denizens.  Of course I've heard from many others whose experience was different.  Suppose it all boils down to where you go in those cities.

I had the same experience in Charlotte, lived there for a little over a year and just couldn't wait to get the hell out of there.

I'm a bit unclear about the way that this survey was conducted. Nice places to eat/get a good cup of coffee (important for me as I don't drink booze) Great shopping and good looking residents all go towards them being pretentious? Huh?

I get pretentious snobby attitudes of some people in larger metropolitan areas. People in London always have a stupid superior attitude despite the fact that they live in a massively overpriced crime ridden dump that is so crowded that they have no option but to get herded around like mewing cattle for half of their lives, but they think it makes them superior so who am I to argue? But the fact that they are superior buttholes has nothing to do with how good looking they are. (If you are ever in the U.K, go to Chester, for some reason the place is choc full of very beautiful people, it is also a wonderful town, with great shops, food and coffee!)

Seems like a massive case of inverted snobbery based on envy tbh.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

Philly didn't make the top 10?

Dang, I gotta try harder.

i too was surprised. I figured this article would have a made the obligatory jab at Philly fans throwing snowballs at Santa...

Affirming to see Minneapolis on there as I grew up there and they would get my vote from a music perspective. I came from the same generation as the Husker Du/Soul Asylum/ Replacements crowd (and Prince too) and even though I liked punk rock in general none of those Minneapolis bands happened to do much for me. I thought they were lame frankly, and still do. I liked a few songs but much preferred Styx or Black Sabbath. I didn't get invited to the hipster parties very often. In certain circles I'm probably still remembered as "that guy who likes Blackfoot".

Been in all of those cities except Santa Fe & St.Paul. Never noticed being treated differently than anywhere else.

There are jerks everywhere......Go to just about anyplace outside of California and get treated like crap just becuase you are from there.

I think the snobbiest city is the one I currently live in...Lubbock Texas..of course its also a college city and the second most conservative city in America...

 

SAHB Healer wrote:

In certain circles I'm probably still remembered as "that guy who likes Blackfoot".

That's a great way to be remembered!