Each year Travel + Leisure magazine polls its readers to determine "America's Favorite Cities," but while determining the reader favorites, they also turn up some, well, not-so-good aspects of city living. The glossy turned one such gripe into a list of "America's Dirtiest Cities." Topping that list is the "city that never sleeps"—and apparently never picks up its trash, either—New York City. That lack of cleanliness must be a problem for the owner of this two-bedroom Park Avenue apartment, who has the place fully coated in brilliant white, from the walls, to the floors, to the ceilings, to the furniture...right down to the towels in the bathroom. Perhaps all that cleaning is getting tiring, because the "chic and modern" flat was recently listed for $1.15M.
? The aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, plus near-constant partying, leaves New Orleans in pretty rough shape—and at number two on the list of America's Dirtiest Cities—but the same can't be said for this stunning Southern mansion. The Robinson House, as it is known, is described in the brokerbabble as "the finest home in New Orleans" and took more than five years to construct during the Civil War. Today it is a testament to antebellum opulence and probably wouldn't take very well to having filth from the city sidewalks tracked up on the plush carpets. Luckily, the nine-bed, 10-bath mansion is so expensive, potential buyers will probably only arrive by chauffeured car. The 12,000-square-foot house, sited on 0.62 acres, is listed for $12.5M.
? Baltimore's poor reputation might be due to a high crime rate (and The Wire), but it's not faring too well on the cleanliness front either. Rat complaints are up, despite a decades old tradition of "rat fishing," but parts of the city are seeing positive changes, like the Clipper Mill renovation in the city's Woodberry neighborhood. Anchored by a lauded farm-to-table restaurant, the development includes renovated factory lofts and new construction homes that are part of the mid-Atlantic's first LEED Silver-certified project. This one, a three-bedroom townhouse, was completed in 2008, has not seen much apparent wear, and is listed today for close to $600K. Two blocks from a Light Rail station that will take commuters to the downtown business district, this unit includes a rare two-car garage, shiny wood floors, and, in a particularly bold move, white wall-to-wall carpeting in the master bedroom.
? Known as a city of sun and sand, Los Angeles certainly has a grittier side, particularly downtown, but this architect-owned historic house overlooking the beach in Santa Monica sits in one of the city's cleaner districts. Maybe that explains why the exterior of the house was left a little rough around the edges, as a nod to larger L.A.'s casual grossness. Or maybe not. Either way, the recently renovated interiors shine here, especially on the upper level, where broad sets of windows reveal sweeping ocean views. Living just steps from the sand comes at a hefty price of almost $6M.
? Frankly, it's a little surprising to find Atlanta so high on this list, but despite some recent clean up measures, the city still scored low thanks to streets that don't feel safe. This must come as a real surprise to pampered residents of Atlanta's Tuxedo Park neighborhood, where bucolic boulevards are dotted with houses that sell for many millions. This is one such house, listed for $10M and featuring six bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, 20,000 square feet of interior space, two kitchens, "indoor and outdoor swimming pools, his and hers fitness studios, wellness center, theatre, golf room, indoor sports court and full home automation."
· America's Dirtiest Cities [Travel + Leisure]
· Chic and Modern on Park Avenue [Sotheby's International Realty via Streeteasy]
· Robinson House [Stribling via Zillow]
· 3423 Woodberry Ave [Zillow]
· Arcadia Terrace [Zillow]
· Tuxedo Park, Buckhead [Sotheby's International Realty]
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