Magazine Calls Out Snobs Across the River

Written by Sharon McLoone and Jason Spencer

Finally, someone has called out the snobs across the river.

Travel + Leisure magazine, in its list of the nation’s top 20 snobbiest cities, ranks Washington, D.C., No. 9.

Arlington, of course, is not on the list. Perhaps that's because Arlington is a county, but most of these lists that rank cities never take that into account.

The magazine says it factored in criteria such as a reputation for aloof and smarty-pants residents, number of artisanal coffee houses, along with high-end shopping and “highbrow cultural offerings like classical music and theater,” among other things.

Arlington, by contrast, we know to have well-traveled and highly educated residents, independent coffee houses, high-end shopping and entertaining and engaging cultural offerings, like performance arts festivals and our own Mardi Gras.

In Travel + Leisure's survey, the locals ranked as some of the unfriendliest in the nation.

The Washington Post Going Out Guide blog says the authors have a point, but “Visitors consistently ranked D.C. as one of the less friendly cities on the list — an impression they formed, undoubtedly, while touring our free museums, watching our free concerts and movie screenings, drinking at our competitively priced happy hours, and clogging our mass transit.”

What a snobbish thing to say. Arlington always welcomes its visitors.

What other ways is Arlington so much better than Washington? Tell us in the comments!