Hello neighbor: One of America’s top 10 friendliest cities named in Upstate NY

Raise your bouquets, Upstate New York’s “Flower City” was named one of the friendliest cities in America.

From outgoing locals, to an easily navigable city and all around good vibes, Rochester came in at number two on Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards’ top 10 list. The publication asked readers to rate a city’s “friendliness” in the travel experiences they loved best, focusing on where they felt most welcome.

Other cities on the list include places like Lexington, Kentucky; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Beat out only by Greenville, South Carolina, Condé Nast wrote that New York’s third-largest city has a lot of offer travelers, from historical sites like Susan B. Anthony’s house, to restaurants and museums such as the ever popular Strong Museum of Play. The article notes that one of the city’s greatest assets is the friendly population. Happily chatting neighbors on the sidewalk or sitting on porches could inspire you to relocate to this Western NY city, they write.

Could it be that the home city of Upstate NY’s beloved Wegmans, recently voted one of America’s best grocery stores, makes residents that much more cheerful?

If you have plans to move in, Pittsford, just outside of the city was recently named one of the hottest zip codes in America and a popular destination for homebuyers.

Make plans to visit in 2024 when Rochester falls right in line with the total solar eclipse that will cross over Mexico, the United States and Canada. It will be the first time in nearly 100 years that New York will be in the path of the astronomical totality.

*Note: Condé Nast is owned by Advance Publications, the parent company of Advance Media New York, which publishes syracuse.com and The Post-Standard newspaper.