Providence is Snobby, but not That Snobby

Sunday, June 29, 2014

GoLocalProv News Team

 

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Is Providence a snobby city?

Providence has been ranked the 22nd snobbiest place in America by Movoto Real Estate's blog team.

"We're not looking down on anyone as a snob," said spokesperson Nick Johnson.  "We did some research on what makes someone a snob and just went from there."

The places were ranked on home prices, household income, college graduation percentages, private schools, performing arts, art galleries, fast food restaurants, and country clubs.  Movoto's blog team compiles city rankings on any and every possible designation- from "nerdiest places" to "worst dressed places."

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The “snobbiest” place in America, according to Movoto, is Pasadena, California.  Worcester, Massachusetts is the snobbiest place in New England according to the rankings.

See the complete rankings here.

Simpson Defends Providence

When he saw the results of the "Snobby City" rankings, Providence resident and community leader John Simpson couldn't help but crack a joke.

"I don't think Providence is snobby at all," he said. "In fact, my chauffeur says it's one of the nicest places he's ever lived.":

Simpson, who works in Boston but lives in Providence, says the people of Providence are definitely not snobby.

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More college graduates makes Providence "snobbier"

"I don't think of them as snobby at all," he said.  "Maybe it's from spending so much time in Boston, where people are proud to the point of cockiness about their city."

Simpson feels the rankings didn't accurately define what it means to be a snobby city, pointing to Providence's arts and education success as a desirable trait, not one to be frowned upon.

"Snobbyness is something to be avoided, but to have a culturally literate city is something to be proud of," Simpson said.

How Legit is It?

Movoto Real Estate is based in San Mateo, California. The PR team is located in Lafayette, Indiana, so the list makers haven't been to all of the places they rank in their blog pieces.  Johnson said the blog team receives plenty of feedback from people, both positive and negative.

"We've done some pretty controversial lists in the past, and I think we've alienated some people, which we're not happy with," Johnson said.  "We don't want anyone to be offended. There's nothing wrong with being a snob."

Johnson said the public can comment on the blogs and give suggestions and ideas for future rankings projects.  He added that while it's a lot of fun and games, Movoto's rankings are becoming a viable resource when researching respective homes.

"It's a good publicity stunt, but we realize we are becoming a viable resource for some people," Johnson said.  "Our goal is to be light-hearted and fun, but also informative and practical."

How Cities are Ranked

The Movoto blog defines their mission in city-rankings on their website.

“We have received coverage from all over the world for our city-ranking lists. Our thorough and well-researched methods involve using algorithms to weigh categories in ways that have never been done before. We take the time to dig deep into the important subjects in life, like which city is the nerdiest, and research the criteria no one has dared to touch before us,” it says.

Johnson said the analytics team uses an algorithm to rank cities based on data they can gather from primary sources and the internet.

More information on the rankings process can be found at http://www.movoto.com/blog/kind-of-a-big-deal-lists/.

 

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