|
And the survey says (Travel +Leisure / July 23, 2012) |
Baltimore's Public Works department is asking city residents to vote to assure Baltimore a good showing in a new Travel + Leisure poll.
But what they seem to be forgetting is that voting residents seems to be the very thing that doomed Baltimore's standing in the America's Favorite Cities survey last year.
"Public Works sanitation workers work very hard to keep this city clean," department director Alfred H. Foxx said in an email blast on Friday. "Please send this flyer to your family and relatives -- let's get a true reflection of Baltimore in the news and not let such a small number of people cast Baltimore in a negative light!"
It's unclear who this "small number" of negative Nancys is. According to the results of America's Favorite Cities 2011, pretty much everyone was down on Baltimore -- but especially residents. Those are the people who live here and experience the results of the Public Works department's efforts every day as well visitors who merely got a taste of it.
When it came to impressions of Baltimore's cleanliness, the city ranked in the bottom 10 according to both residents and tourists.
The city also sank to the bottom of the pack when it came to, "peace and quiet," "safety," "public transportation and pedestrial friendliness" and "public parks and outdoor access."
And those are just the survey parts that seem most connected to what Mr. Foxx and his fellow public servants do.
Baltimore failed miserably in pretty much everything the survey ranked. Food options. Shopping. Culture. The attractiveness of residents.
The city did score in the top 10 for "sports-crazed." And it made a respectable showing when it came to the categories of "offbeat," "base for day trips," "historical monuments" and "classical music."
But overall, it's clear that residents judged the city more harshly on just about everything than tourists did. So, if Al Foxx is hoping his email leads to a better 2012 showing for his city, he just might have misjudged.
Baltimore is one of 35 cities the magazine is attempting to rank.
Take the survey at travelandleisure.com.
jill.rosen@baltsun.com
@BaltInsider on Twitter
But what they seem to be forgetting is that voting residents seems to be the very thing that doomed Baltimore's standing in the America's Favorite Cities survey last year.
"Public Works sanitation workers work very hard to keep this city clean," department director Alfred H. Foxx said in an email blast on Friday. "Please send this flyer to your family and relatives -- let's get a true reflection of Baltimore in the news and not let such a small number of people cast Baltimore in a negative light!"
It's unclear who this "small number" of negative Nancys is. According to the results of America's Favorite Cities 2011, pretty much everyone was down on Baltimore -- but especially residents. Those are the people who live here and experience the results of the Public Works department's efforts every day as well visitors who merely got a taste of it.
When it came to impressions of Baltimore's cleanliness, the city ranked in the bottom 10 according to both residents and tourists.
The city also sank to the bottom of the pack when it came to, "peace and quiet," "safety," "public transportation and pedestrial friendliness" and "public parks and outdoor access."
And those are just the survey parts that seem most connected to what Mr. Foxx and his fellow public servants do.
Baltimore failed miserably in pretty much everything the survey ranked. Food options. Shopping. Culture. The attractiveness of residents.
The city did score in the top 10 for "sports-crazed." And it made a respectable showing when it came to the categories of "offbeat," "base for day trips," "historical monuments" and "classical music."
But overall, it's clear that residents judged the city more harshly on just about everything than tourists did. So, if Al Foxx is hoping his email leads to a better 2012 showing for his city, he just might have misjudged.
Baltimore is one of 35 cities the magazine is attempting to rank.
Take the survey at travelandleisure.com.
jill.rosen@baltsun.com
@BaltInsider on Twitter
