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Philadelphia's historical sites, such as Independence Hall, were ranked third in Travel + Leisure's recent poll. (Photo by G. Widman)

Recently, Philadelphia earned the fewest votes for attractive people in the Travel + Leisure America’s Favorite Cities 2009 poll. Yea, yea, yea, we’ve heard it before from them.

But: it’s not just a beauty contest. Here is a look at some of the categories in which Philly ranked in the Top 10 compared to 29 other U.S. cities:

· Historical sites/monuments (#3)

· Museums/galleries (#4)

· Cultural Getaway (#6)

· Classical Music (#6)

· Neighborhood joints (#7)

Maybe we’ve gotten last place for attractiveness in this poll, but for three years in a row, voters have loved Philadelphia’s museums, culture and history. You could say it’s working for us: overnight leisure tourism in Philadelphia and The Countryside is up 59% in the past ten years. We’re current World Champions of baseball and the 7th most entertaining city in the U.S., according to Forbes.com. We can’t be too greedy.

So, hey, Travel + Leisure voters: we invite you to visit our beautiful facades, genuinely historical attractions and cultural gems. Who knows? See for yourself if you’re the best-looking person on the street!

America’s Favorite Cities: 2009 [Travel + Leisure]