Conde Nast Traveler names Oakland third 'unfriendliest' city in the world, again

The Oakland skyline The Oakland skyline Photo: Mark Costantini, The Chronicle Photo: Mark Costantini, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 27 Caption Close Conde Nast Traveler names Oakland third 'unfriendliest' city in the world, again 1 / 27 Back to Gallery

Another year, another chance for people to misunderstand Oakland.

Conde Nast Traveler, a site dedicated to tourism, has once again dubbed Oakland as one of the "unfriendliest cities in the world," based on a readers' choice awards survey for the year 2015.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the designation of "friendliest" destinations generally went to Southern U.S. cities — Charleston, South Carolina took the top position, Savannah, Georgia landed at No. 7, and Nashville hit at No. 10 — but Ireland also fared well, getting both Galway and Dublin on the list.

On the "unfriendly" side, on the other hand, were a smattering of cities generally known to have high rates of poverty and crime. While it's no secret that Oakland has its problems, such a dismissal seems misguided and ignorant.

Every metro has its rude locals, though calling the entire population of Oakland "unfriendly" — roughly 400,000 people — is a brash generalization.

In a broader sense, Oakland is improving, at least for travelers. City organizations are working to save local art, the tourism industry has dramatically grown, and the homicide rate is "way down." Its food is phenomenal, as is its music scene. It's also one of the most diverse cities in America.

Though some on Conde Nast's survey state that some parts of the city are "scary," Oakland, on the whole, is one of the great West Coast cities. It changes quickly — there's always the oft-quoted Gertrude Stein line that "there is no there there" — but even in flux, it remains a city of character.

Alyssa Pereira is a staff writer for SFGATE. Follow her here on Twitter.