New York is America’s Dirtiest, Rude and Loud City

The city is known for style, glamour and luxury. It might also be the most expensive place to live. But when it comes to cleanliness New York City falls behind.

In Travel + Leisure magazine’s this year’s survey on America’s Favourite Cities, New York lead as America’s Dirtiest City. Last year, the city occupied a cleaner spot at No. 5.

New York City also has the distinction of being the rudest and loudest, according to the survey.

New Orleans and Baltimore occupies the next two positions. While debris is what has put New Orleans in the top, increasing number of rodents has Baltimore occupying the third position from last year’s sixth.

A common thread that connects the top three dirtiest cities, apart from grit and grime, is that they are all big cities with a bustling nightlife and a big party crowd comprising largely of youngsters, a Travel + Leisure said.

“Studies have consistently found that youths and young adults are the most prone, or willing, to litter,” Steve Spacek, author of the American State Litter Scorecard, told Travel + Leisure.

Though the city has a strict anti-littering policy – an offender might have to spend up to 10 days in jail – people believe the terms should be tougher.

Interestingly, many people are willing to turn a blind eye on dirt in exchange for a chance to live in a great city. “New Orleans is a living, breathing antique,” Cindy Denney, a talent manager, told Travel + Leisure. “What makes it great is also what makes it funky—old wood, mismatched bricks, and peeling paint, from daily heat and moisture. We pay more attention to cuisine, music, and football than we do dirt.”

However, to keep their cities clean, various measures have already been adopted by some metros. For instance, the magazine reports that Boston has installed 400 solar-powered trash compactors on city sidewalks. And in Las Vegas, it is now compulsory for people handing out advertisement flyers to pick up the dropped ones every 15 minutes.

America’s 10 Dirtiest Cities
1. New York
2. New Orleans
3. Baltimore
4. Los Angeles
5. Atlanta
6. Philadelphia
7. Dallas
8. Miami
9. Memphis
10. Houston