Santa Fe - America's Favorite Cities 2011

Travel + Leisure magazine's "America's Favorite Cities" 2011 survey again puts Santa Fe at the top of several notable categories and includes the city in the Top Ten in a number of others. Overall, the results confirm Santa Fe as a place for culture, fine food, peace and quiet, shopping, and romance.

As determined by visitors to Santa Fe, the city was included in the top ten in the following categories:

#1 Quality of Life/Visitor Experience - Cultural getaway
#1 Shopping - Independent boutiques
#1 Quality of Life/Visitor Experience - Peace and quiet
#1 Shopping - Home décor and design stories
#2 People - Offbeat
#2 Shopping - Flea markets
#2 Quality of Life/Visitor Experience - Safety
#2 Best Time to Visit - Christmas
#3 Quality of Life/Visitor Experience - Cleanliness
#3 Type of Trip - Romantic escape
#4 People - Diverse
#4 Culture - Museums/galleries
#4 Quality of Life/Visitor Experience - Architecture/Cool buildings
#4 Quality of Life/Visitor Experience - Weather
#4 Shopping - Antique stores
#5 People - Driving Ability
#5 People - Intelligent
#5 Best Time to Visit - Fall
#6 Culture - Classical Music
#6 Food/Drink/Restaurants - Ethnic Food
#7 People - Proud of their City
#7 People - Stylish
#7 Quality of Life/Visitor Experience - People Watching
#7 Type of Trip - Base for day trips
#8 People - Friendly
#8 Culture - Historical sites/monuments
#8 Type of Trip - Pet friendly vacation
#9 Food/Dining/Restaurants - Fine Dining

The city fared less well for Nightlife, as a place for a Wild Weekend, and as a Sports-Crazed town, where it came in last. Santa Fe was also ranked in the top spot for Peace & Quiet and as a Cultural Getaway in last year's annual survey.

"In this survey Santa Fe is compared to some of America's greatest cities like San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans, and New York," said Jim Bradbury, Executive Director of the Santa Fe Convention & Visitors Bureau. "It's a real testament to Santa Fe's enduring character when we are included in such a group and get voted as the best, in one way or another, year after year."

An online survey that appeared on travelandleisure.com was used to gather ratings during a 90-day period this spring and summer. Thirty-five cities were included in the survey and respondents were asked to rate cities in 7 different categories: Type of Trip, Nightlife, Culture, Shopping, Food/Drink/Restaurants, Quality of Life/Visitor Experience, and Best Times to Visit. Visitor's responses are published in the November issue of the magazine. Full results can be seen on the web-site, www.travelandleisure.com/americas-favorite-cities/2011.