Salt Lake City ranked as nation's second-friendliest city

Salt Lake City is the nation's second-friendliest city and the fourth-most attractive, according to Travel+Leisure magazine. Nearby Park City is America's favorite mountain town.

The magazine included those reader rankings in year-end emails sent out this week.

Salt Lake City ranked behind only Nashville, Tenn., for friendliness, according to Travel+Leisure.

"These outdoorsy locals apparently treat visitors like family. In that spirit, the city also ranked near the top for being both kid-friendly and having a sense of adventure," it wrote.

"If you come to ski in December, though, you can see why the city also ranked at No. 3 for Christmas lights," it added. "Year-round, readers' favorite food in SLC was the burger, in part because the city has its own regional quirk: pastrami-topped wonders, like the originals found at Crown Burgers."

Rounding out the top 10 friendliest cities in the country were, in order: Minneapolis-St. Paul; Kansas City, Mo.; Oklahoma City; Charleston, S.C.; Pittsburgh; New Orleans; Albuquerque, N.M.; and Austin, Texas.

The magazine ranked Utah as No. 4 for most attractive city behind Honolulu; Boulder, Colo.; and Scottsdale, Ariz.

"Brigham Young hailed Salt Lake City as a 'Kingdom of Heaven on Earth' when he founded it in 1847. Walk the streets of Utah's capital today, and it's hard to disagree with the Mormon leader," the magazine wrote.

"Not only are the sidewalks spotless — SLC earns top marks for cleanliness — but the locals are attractive, too. In the winter, they have eight nearby ski resorts at their disposal, including those of Park City, America's favorite mountain town."

It adds, "During warmer months, active Salt Lakers explore the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, an ever-expanding route of biking and walking paths following the shores of the ancient Lake Bonneville."

The magazine said Park City ranked as America's favorite mountain town in part because of its 7,000 acres of Olympic-level ski terrain.

"Off the slopes, everyone converges on historic Main Street, flanked by a mix of adventure outfitters, galleries and restaurants," it said.

"Sundance Film Festival brings in the A-Listers, who feel at home in the town's luxe hotels, like Stein Eriksen Lodge," it added.

Others on the list of favorite mountain towns included, in order: Taos, N.M.; Asheville, N.C.; Durango, Colo.; Pigeon Forge, Tenn.; Eureka Springs, Ark.; Aspen, Colo.; Vail, Colo.; Jackson, Wyo.; and Missoula, Mont.