While travelers continue their quest to find cheap airplane tickets, cheap vacation packages, and discount hotel rooms, safety remains a top priority. Travel & Leisures annual survey of how travelers rank 30 of Americas favorite cities revealed that visitors feel safer in urban setting that embrace suburban traits and are less at ease in traditional urban settings.
The survey revealed that cities known for their cleanliness and friendly people and small town vibes ranked higher, such as Charleston, Austin and Denver. At the opposite end, congested cities filled with skyscrapers, heavy traffic, and pollution were ranked on the low end of the perceived safety scale.
Interestingly this meant cities like Los Angeles and New York show up in the bottom third of the safest cities although their crime levels are low on a per capita basis according to the Department of Justice.
The following were the highest traveler ranked cities when it came to safety:
1) Portland, OR: known for reliable public transportation, being environmentally conscious, great parks, and quiet.
2) Minneapolis/St. Paul: outstanding airport experiences, friendly people, family oriented activities and extremely clean streets.
3) Charleston: ranked #1 for its peoples friendliness and attractiveness.
4) Austin: its residents are viewed as intelligent, friendly and attractive, with terrific neighborhood restaurants and well maintained city parks.
5) Santa Fe: is ranked higher for its peace and quiet. Its moderate weather, cleanliness and vast antique shopping are all attractions.
Cities that ranked lowest in travelers perception of safe cities were as follows:
30) Lost Angeles: scored at the bottom for the friendliness of its people, its environment, relaxation, reliable public transportation, cleanliness and worthwhile public parks. Lack of people out in the evenings in Los Angeles was cited as a safety concern.
29) New Orleans: although it ranked number 2 for friendly locals and wild weekend getaways, perhaps visitors feared too much partying can result in trouble.
28) Miami: even though it remains a top destination for romance and home to a very attractive native population, it scored low on safety issues.
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