San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Reader survey ranks S.A. the 10th-best city in U.S.
San Antonio remains one of the best cities in the United States.
At least according to Travel + Leisure. The magazine’s annual World’s Best Awards survey results came out Tuesday after readers were asked to rate travel experiences around the world.
“San Antonio’s colorful, picturesque architecture is a nod to its past, while contemporary hotels and restaurants keep the south Texas city looking toward the future,” Travel + Leisure wrote. “A hotspot for history buffs, foodies and families, a perfect day in San Antonio includes an afternoon stroll along the Museum Reach, a 3.5-mile-long park on both banks of the San Antonio River that’s filled with walking paths and public art installations.”
San Antonio was the lone Texas city to make the top 15 of this year’s list.
Almost 165,000 readers completed the survey this year, with more than 685,000 votes cast regarding more than 8,500 unique properties, from hotels to cruise lines.
Cities were rated based on sights and landmarks, culture, food, friendliness, shopping and value. Readers were asked to
rate each city with a value of excellent, above average, below average or poor. The final scores were averages of responses.
San Antonio came in at No. 10 on the list of best cities within the United States, beating out the likes of Williamsburg, Va.; Bend, Ore.; and San Diego,
Calif. The top three cities in the United States were Charleston, S.C.; Santa Fe, N.M.; and New Orleans, La. Rounding out the top five were Savannah, Ga., and Chicago. The top 10 cities also included No. 6 Honolulu, No. 7 New York and No. 8 Nashville.
San Antonio received an average score of 82.57, just below No. 9 Alexandria, Va., at 82.71.
“Readers’ favorite cities ran the gamut this year, from destinations filled with old-fashioned charm to modern, bustling metros,” Travel + Leisure wrote of the U.S. list. “From coast to coast, the cities that made the list this year captured a variety of cultures and cuisines — and proved that travelers may not need their passports to see a new and exciting place.”
The publication also released a list of the 25 favorite global cities, topped by Oaxaca, Mexico; Udaipur, India; and Kyoto, Japan. Five Mexican cities made the list (San Miguel de Allende at No. 5 and Mexico City at No. 6), while just two U.S. cities did (Charleston and Santa Fe).