STORM2K

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (AP) -- For the 10th straight year, Charleston tops the unofficial list of the nation's best-mannered cities.

"The people ... have such an affection for their city," said etiquette expert Marjabelle Young Stewart, who started compiling her annual list 28 years ago and released the latest installment Friday.

"It's the soft, gentle way of behaving, and they do it with such ease," Stewart said from her home in Kewanee, Illinois.

It's the 11th time that Charleston, the South Carolina city of quiet alleys and picturesque gardens, has taken or shared top honors. The survey is based on letters and faxes to Stewart from the public and those who have taken her etiquette courses.

"When you pass people on the street, they will nod at you," said Nicholas Fuqua of Tour Charleston, which conducts city walks.

"People who live here are, for whatever reason, polite. Whether it's breeding or in the water, it's hard to say," he said.

Stewart said the military atmosphere in San Diego, California, which ranked second, helped make it one of the nation's most polite cities.

Seattle was third on the list, followed by Peoria, Illinois. Omaha, Nebraska, and the Quad Cities, which are Bettendorf and Davenport in Iowa and Moline and Rock Island in Illinois.

Hollywood, Florida, was seventh, followed by Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Houston, Texas, and Salt Lake City, Utah.

1-Charleston,South Carolina

2-San Diego,California

3-Seattle,Washington

4-Peoria,Illinois

5-Omaha,Nebraska

6-Quad Cities in Iowa=Bettendorf and Davenport

Moline and Rock Island in Illinois

7-Hollywood,Florida

8-Philadelphia,Pennysilvania

9-Houston,Texas

10-Salt Lake City,Utah



Congratulations Stormsfury as your city is the #1.David congrats too for that 9th position.

Houston, is one of the fattest and one of the nicest so I guess I "fit" right in!!! It definitely is a polite city compared to some I have been in.

LOL.. I can see Orlando nowhere near the top 10 lol

I'm about 50 miles from Hollywood. Hopefully, some of it will rub off on the rest of SoFla.

I think the politeness of Houston spills over into surrounding communties also (*ahem!* Galveston, for example). I was amazed when I moved here at how polite people are compared to Lexington. I was taught to hold doors open and say, "Please" and so forth. But it seems many people in Lexington weren't. So imagine my surprise, shortly after moving here, when I was going into an office and a woman who was a few feet ahead of me opened the door and held it while waiting for me, instead of just letting it close and walking on. I mean, of the ones who do display politeness like that in KY, guys tend to do it more often girls, simply because it's a "chivalrous" thing, I guess. I was amazed at first, but now it happens all the time. It's just how they're raised here also, I guess, because I've seen young gentlemen and ladies being courteous also and I can't help by smile at the parents in a "Way to go...nice job!" kind of way.

Well, Irving, TX is one of the best mannered cities. Wonder why it isn't listed? Then again, it's living next to Dallas, the RUDEST City.

Are you serious? My area makes #5 and #6? Cool! I didn't think anyone even knew who or where we were!

LOL, no wonder, the woman who makes the list is from Kewanee... that's only about an hour away!

I'm in a small town, but Atlanta has to be one of the worst. Geez... I dread even driving through that trap.

I am kind of amazed my area is on there. It would make more sense if this was 1980-1990. Nowdays though, it is like a mini-New York. Granted every city has nice citizens, but it can get very nasty out there, you name it, in grocery stores, Sears or Home Depot/Lowes before a snowstorm. The highways/freeways...ha, ha. In 1980, the city of Omaha had a population of just over 300,000, the metro area was 500,000 approximately. Now the city, itself has about 400,000 (I believe we have cracked 400,000 in an estimate last year), with about 900,000 in the metro area. The highways are more crowded and commutes are more longer due to urban sprawal.

I have lived in Omaha all my 23 years, and I never thought it would be this nuts!

Seattle was third on the list, followed by Peoria, Illinois. Omaha, Nebraska, and the Quad Cities

I don't see Seattle on the list.

Brent wrote:I'm in a small town, but Atlanta has to be one of the worst. Geez... I dread even driving through that trap.

I and my children are just three of the very few people left in Atlanta and her suburbs with anything remotely resembling good manners. I've lived here since 1968, and I MISS when Atlanta was a relatively small city.

The suburban town I grew up in (Smyrna) was once considered out in the "sticks". Now it is becoming more and more urban and is prohibtively expensive to live there.

For example, my parents paid $25k for their house in Smyrna in 1968. Today, that same house is on the market for $325 - $350k (new owners, my folks sold in 1999).

And...if you want something new or new-ish (ie, built since 2000), you're looking at pretty much $400k and above all the way into the low millions.

The new people who have moved into my old hometown are transplants from elsewhere (the NE and Calif...mainly from blue states, though). I still attend my home church in Smyrna. I've noticed that no one knows anyone, and no one bothers to get to know anyone there either. It's very cold and impersonal there now. It's just as bad down the road where I actually live.

If you'd have told me 25 years ago when I was in high school that million dollar homes would one day be common in our small town, I'd have laughed myself silly. Now...I can't even afford a traffic ticket there...and the Smyrna cops are REAL good at handing those out.

<sigh> I dream of escaping this madness and living in a small, remote little town with the same kind of connectedness I grew up with as a child.

Jeny

Brent wrote:I'm in a small town, but Atlanta has to be one of the worst. Geez... I dread even driving through that trap.

Don't blame you. Same here. And I live in the suburbs of Atlanta.

Jeny

I'm waiting to meet those well-mannered people ... LOL!!

j/k ...

Charleston is indeed a very hospitable city ... and thanks for the congratulations...

SF