RSS
Home
Santa Fe voted number 3 city in US in 2009 Conde Nast Traveler Reader's Choice Awards
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
People love Santa Fe. That was the overwhelming message when it was named third most popular city in the United States in the 2009 Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards. The results of the 22nd annual awards were announced in New York City on October 16th and appear in the November edition of the magazine, which hits the stands on Tuesday.
Santa Fe bumped New York City out of the 3rd spot; the Big Apple is now in 4th place.
According to Condé Nast, readers evaluated cities on the following criteria: atmosphere/ambience, culture/sites, friendliness, lodging, restaurants and shopping.
Santa Fe has a lot to offer visitors and an amazing amount of resources for a city of approximately 70,000. The adobe architecture gives the feeling a historic and old-world feel and the Historic Design Review Board makes sure that the architectural integrity of the historic Plaza area is maintained. The old-world feel of the city, the views and the spectacular sunsets attract visitors and keep them coming back.
There are lodgings to fit all budgets, the most expensive being in the Plaza area and the most reasonable on the Cerrillos Road commercial strip. With over 200 restaurants, visitors have a lot of options, including local New Mexican cuisine.
There is a broad art and culture scene. The city boasts 9 museums and over 200 art galleries. There is also a lot of music on offer. It is the home of the world-renown Santa Fe Opera and the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival as well as some very polished local performance groups. There are also many concerts through the year covering many musical genres. In addition, there is theater and dance.
The entire downtown area offers world-class shopping to visitors. Many of the shops offer Native American art and handcrafted items. As there are reproductions, make sure you are dealing with a reputable source. There are also shops offering wearable art, cowboy boots and hats and other Santa Fe-style items for body and home. You can even buy a Pendleton blanket coat for your dog.
For out-door enthusiasts there are activities every season including: hiking, fishing, rafting, skiing, snowboarding, snow-shoeing, ballooning, climbing, hot-air balloon rides.
The area has a rich and diverse historical heritage that goes back over a thousand years, reflecting the influence of Native American, Hispanic and Anglo cultures.. Visitors can tour historic pueblos, cliff dwellings, view petroglyphs, and visit a living history village. The city, the second oldest in the US has the oldest government building in continuous use, and the oldest house and the oldest church in the country. Another big attraction for visitors to The City Different is the Loretto Chapel with its Miracle Staircase. If you want to learn about the rich history, there are guided walking tours and open-air trolley tours in season.
Local business people are excited about the designation as the town’s economy depends on visitors. Chris Dempsey, manager of the Inn of the Five Graces, a Relais and Châteaux property, named 27 on the survey’s list of best small hotels in the US said,” We are absolutely thrilled as a small luxury hotel, to be recognized by the people and are equally excited that Santa Fe is ranked at number 3. We look forward to continuing our tradition of creating incredible experiences for our guests.”
Robert Chickering, owner of the Galisteo Bistro offered; “ I’ve been in Santa Fe since 1970 and this is my third restaurant. I really love the way over time how Santa Fe has revitalized itself. It’s nice to be part of a restaurant community that is appreciated by both locals and tourists alike.” The always-controversial Eric Stapelman, owner of Trattoria Nostrani, named 44th best restaurant in the US by Gourmet Magazine offered this comment, “It’s a wonderful city to visit, I wish I was a visitor.”
The popularity of the city has a positive effect of the real estate market. Stephanie Duran, associate broker at Sotheby’s International Realty, Santa Fe says, “A lot of vistors come here and fall in love, I was one of them and 16 years later, I don’t regret my choice.”
Travel professionals are also noticing this honor. Stephanie Diehl of Travel Designed by Stephanie, Freeport, IL, commented, “I’ve not been to Santa Fe, but have sent clients there who have had great times. I had no idea that Santa Fe was such a popular destination and I can’t wait to get there and experience all it has to offer. I will definitely recommend this exciting destination to my clients.”
In these challenging economic times, being named the number 3 destination in the country will hopefully encourage people to visit The City Different to find out why travelers awarded it this prestigious designation.
Related Articles:
Comments
