Philly: Unattractive, stressful, miserable

Sometimes reaching the top isn't so great.

A number of recent rankings in publications like Forbes and Travel & Leisure have rated Philadelphia near the top in their rankings of the most miserable, stressed, overweight and unattractive cities in the United States.

For example, Philadelphia was recently ranked as the 10th-most stressful city in the U.S., according to a Forbes list.

Still, experts and tourism officials say those lists shouldn't affect the city's image too much.

"We're good sports and my main thought is not to get our feathers too ruffled by these rankings," said Cara Schneider, spokeswoman for the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation.

And experts say that no one should blame these kinds of rankings for frightening away prospective residents.

"I don't think these rankings make a difference to anyone," said John Landis, chairman of Penn's City and Regional Planning department.

"If you look at why people move to different places, I don't think obesity matters a whole lot," he said. "What matters is the rate of job creation."

That's not to say that Philadelphia couldn't use stronger marketing, Landis said.

Tourist groups and organizations like GPTMC say they attempt to reach out to the editors of the magazines that produce city rankings.

"We encourage them to come and see Philly for themselves," Schneider said. "We try to shine the spotlight on the things that people love about Philadelphia."

They try to show that Philadelphia is an affordable alternative to New York City, with a strong urban lifestyle.

And while urban life may be stressful, there are plenty of things to be excited about in the city, said Schneider.

She said people love rankings because even if they aren't completely objective, they can give people a sense of pride - even if you live in Philadelphia.

Others have ranked Philadelphia as one of the best places to drink beer and wine.

And according to Schneider, that's more relevant to college students than the city's stress level.

"Philadelphia's great for a college student," said College junior Victor Zajdel. "As for the rankings, I don't have any of those impressions."

And like prospective residents, rankings also don't sway prospective students, according to Michele Hernandez, president of Hernandez College Consulting.

"You don't have to eat a Philly cheesesteak if you go to Penn," she said. "There are more important things to consider."

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