Atlanta recently received some love from Travel + Leisure readers.

After voting on “dozens of features that make 38 cities special, from museums to bakeries and flea markets”,  Atlanta was rated the 16th most charming city in the United States.  Here’s the rather hilarious write-up…

Readers love Atlanta for deftly walking the line between historic charm and buzz-worthy cool. You’ll find both at the Swan House in Buckhead’s Atlanta History Center: you can chat with costumed character guides at the 1920s mansion’s Open House tours—or, you can take its Capitol Tour, and see how the house was used in the film The Hunger Games.  The Georgia hub also worked its way into readers’ hearts by way of their stomachs, ranking at No. 2 for Southern-comfort diners: At Buckhead’s old-style Highland Bakery, for instance, you can tuck into both sweet-potato pancakes and sweet-potato biscuits. Another heartwarming touch: at downtown’s Mary Mac’s Tea Room, the hostess still offers free back rubs at your table.

Two other Southern cities topped the list.  Charleston and New Orleans were ranked #1 and #2, respectively.

Photo of “Swann House” by Carsonmc via Wikimedia Commons

Who on earth knows how these lists are compiled, but free publicity is free publicity, right?

Travel + Leisure has named the much discussed and once quite controversial Decatur Square as one of “America’s Most Beautiful Town Squares” and manages to squeeze in at least one reference to Cakes & Ale.

Cities such as New London, Portsmouth and Oskaloosa also make the list.

Don’t you love it when a random ranker in a travel magazine spits all over your hometown?  From Travel + Leisure, who recently ranked Atlanta the 9th dirtiest city in the U.S…

Many cities that made the dirtiest Top 10 scored well for having a vivid nightlife, cool neighborhoods, or great live music. Alas, Atlanta couldn’t claim any of those in the survey. At least the city has its quality—and sloppy—barbecue going for it.

Huh?  This kick-you-while-your-down statement comes from T+L’s recent “America’s Favorite Cities” survey, which sort of suggests that visitors to Atlanta aren’t aware of our great neighborhoods or music scene.  Also, in case you’re interested, Atlanta also ranked among the bottom 10 cities among visitors for Farmer’s Markets, “neighborhood joints or cafes”, “boutique hotels”, microbrew beer, live music and intelligence.

Ignoring the fact that both residents and visitors alike agree that the city is “dirty” and not environmentally friendly, pedestrian friendly or safe, it seems like we’ve got some PR work to do in the great neighborhoods realm.

Right now the only folks that come to Atlanta, check-in to their plushy business hotels (#8) and sit down in their Aeron desk chair to map out their barbeque (#10) tour around the city.

h/t: Atlanta Business Chronicle