Travel and Leisure Ranks Atlanta Among Dirtiest, Most Unsafe Cities

Travel and Leisure ranked Atlanta among the bottom five cities in the states when it comes to cleanliness, safety and driving ability.

It came in #34 out of 35 when it comes to traffic, just behind Miami. New York City had a higher ranking than Atlanta, even if just by one slot. We were also ranked #34 in the Romantic Escape and Safety categories. Baltimore came in at #35 for safety.

Atlanta did not make the top ten in any category, but did make #12 for barbecue, #18 for luxury stores and #24 for affordability.

According to the AJC, city spokeswoman Sonji Jacobs Dade was "disappointed that some visitors to our great city have left with a negative impression with regard to cleanliness."

The city recently passed a ban on smoking, so maybe next year Atlanta will go up a few notches in that category.

Dade also disagreed with the safety ranking, claiming that crime is down to a rate the city hasn't seen since the '60s, according to the AJC.

“We will not rest in our mission to reduce crime and improve the quality of life in the city,” she said.

What do you think of the rankings? Do you agree or disagree?