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This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.

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Travel + Leisure Likes It Dirty: Los Angeles Takes Third Prize For 'Dirtiest' City In America

LA-smoggiest-city.jpg
Photo by G. J. Winterboer via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr

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Travel + Leisure magazine's annual survey of America's Favorite Cities rates Los Angeles number three... for dirtiest the nation (top honors went to Philadelphia and New Orleans). Top 10 dirtiest cities are chosen by Travel + Leisure readers who evaluate the dirtybirds on the likes of litter, air pollution and even the taste of the local tap water.

No. 3 Los Angeles: That infamous rep for smog is tough to shake: the City of Angels, which is No. 3 for the second year in a row, continues to do poorly in national air-quality tests. AFC voters also put traffic-clogged Los Angeles in last place for being pedestrian-friendly and in the bottom three for overall quality of life.

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