We’re the so-called City of Brotherly Love. We have the iconic downtown square called LOVE Park.
Yet, when it comes to rudeness, the city ranks behind only Los Angeles (No. 1) and New York City (No. 2) for most off-putting to outsiders and residents alike, according to Travel & Leisure magazine’s 2010 rating of American cities.
“Apparently, Philly’s charm offensive has been on a downward slide since, well, Ben Franklin,” the post on the magazine’s website reads in its listing. “[America’s Favorite Cities survey] voters also ranked the locals as No. 33 for being attractive and No. 30 for being intelligent. That’s a good excuse to focus on the good ol’ days while you’re here — its museums rank No. 8 and its historical monuments are No. 6.”
It might be simply an anti-Northeast stigma perpetuated throughout mainstream America. Five of the top-10 rudest cities in the rankings are along the Northeast corridor from Washington D.C. to Boston.
“The least-friendly Americans tend to live on one coast,” the magazine wrote, before reminding of L.A. “But there’s a new champion in the contest.”
