Ya gotta love a headline and list that touts America’s top 22 snobby cities. After all, snobby is an interesting word.
I’ve heard Americans called all kinds of things – conservative, ridiculous, stupid, narrow-minded, poorly read, brash, arrogant, loud, disrespectful, rich and insensitive. I’ve also heard them described as generous, warm, giving, curious, friendly and sadly, usually loud is in there too on the positive list as well as the negative one.
Snobby only comes up among Americans…..between Americans, as you’re tearing down other cities, particularly between east and west and north and south. It’s no surprise that the largest the urban area, the more snobby the city could itself be deemed.
I’m not surprised that San Francisco made the #1 slot for the snobbiest place in America but largely because of what has happened in the technology scene in the last ten years – it hasn’t always been this way.
On a recent trip to Europe, a female entrepreneur on a panel said this of the investing and startup scene in San Francisco: “they seem to create a lot of solutions for problems people in the real world just don’t have.” Hear hear sister I found myself thinking and even saying out loud. Enter the world of self-serving and snobby thinking.
My fellow San Franciscans won’t be happy as I write this of course, and I think in large the European panelist was referring to the Silicon Valley startup scene, not the entire Bay Area. As for the Bay Area and San Francisco, its also loaded with foodies, and they’re kinda snobby about food too.
Then again, am I or have become so from living here?
That’s the million dollar question. I’ve lived in Boston and San Francisco, both in the top 3 of the most snobbiest cities in America and have spent enough time in New York to feel like I’ve lived there. I grew up in in upstate and so……..
What gives a city attitude and the snob factor is the even bigger million dollar question.
San Francisco has cultivated its reputation as a serious foodie city, and apparently according to the survey (done by Travel & Leisure), readers gave it high marks for both fine dining and ethnic cuisine, shopping, galleries, and for being gay-friendly.
While I somehow thought Boston would be #2, New York took its place and given that New Yorkers don’t think there is a better city anywhere and why go explore when you have everything “at home,” I guess I can understand. Boston has a different kind of snobbery and I’m not sure I ever quite recovered from not going to the “right school.” That said, I lived there long enough that I managed to find a whole crowd of people who are not snobby, read great literature, have weekend barbecues in the summer and judge far less than what I’ve experienced in San Francisco and New York. I guess that’s what puts it in third place.
It’s the Harvard thing in Boston and the fact that the city is steeped in history and has more bookstores than most….something btw, I miss. Here’s the top ten list for what it’s worth. I was surprised to see Santa Fe so high u on the list – ditto with Seattle, especially above places like Washington DC and LA for crying out loud. I’m not sure I’ve ever met a snobby Philly-ite. The original article is over at Travel & Leisure and they take you through the top 22.
1. San Francisco, CA
2. New York, New York
3. Boston, MA
4. Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN
5. Santa Fe, NM/Seattle, WA (tie)
7. Chicago, IL
8. Providence, RI
9. Washington, D.C.
10. Charleston, S.C.
LA is #16 and #14 is Philadelphia (Philly).
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
