Seattle Tops “Ritz Cracker FUNomenal Places” Study, Followed by Minneapolis, San Francisco, Chicago and Washington, D.C.
EAST HANOVER, N.J., April 23 /PRNewswire/ — Seattle, known for the Space Needle, strong coffee and grunge music, can now add another distinction — it’s also the most fun place in America! According to the “Ritz Cracker FUNomenal Places” Study, which looked at 50 of the largest metro areas in the United States, Seattle residents have higher than average participation in social activities such as block parties and barbecues, and rank near the top in several other categories of “fun”, including participation in outdoor activities, such as skiing and access to amusement parks, as well as scoring high for the number of dog parks (17 total). Seattle edged out Minneapolis, San Francisco (one of four California cities that ranked in the survey’s top ten overall), Chicago and Washington, D.C. for the top spot.
The study found that Seattleites dedicate a high percentage of their income to fun activities, with above average spending for gyms, sporting events, movies and theater, bicycles, and — apropos of its reputation as the birthplace of grunge music — musical instruments. Seattle is also surrounded by more forests and parks than any other major U.S. metro area, and its nearby oceans, rivers, and lakes make the city a great location for fun.
Ritz released the findings in conjunction with the brand’s 75th anniversary, a celebration of the fun and excitement that Ritz crackers bring to millions of Americans. Ritz crackers, which can be found in one out of every three homes in America, continues to play an integral part in the food enjoyed at fun occasions, from big parties to small gatherings and every day celebrations.
Below is the ranking of the top 20 cities, according to “Ritz Cracker FUNomenal Places” Study:
1. Seattle, WA 6. San Jose, CA
2. Minneapolis, MN 7. Los Angeles, CA
3. San Francisco, CA 8. Boston, MA
4. Chicago, IL 9. San Diego, CA
5. Washington, D.C. 10. New York, NY
While New York, Los Angeles and Boston were out-funned by Seattle, the study found several sources of fun-spiration in these areas. New York (number 10 overall) is still a haven of fun in its own right, with some of the finest museums in the world, plenty of fun for the outdoor enthusiast (including more than 4,000 city parks) and a thousand playgrounds, 700 ball fields, 16 public golf courses, 51 dog parks, eight skate parks, and nine ice rinks. Los Angeles (number 7 overall) was given high marks for its eight amusement parks and earned the highest score of the study for its breadth of attractions such as museums, sports teams and nearby state and local parks.
Looking at the FUN-damentals of Boston (number 8 overall), residents enjoy a higher than average participation in block parties and barbecues. Boston was also recognized for its museums and support of local sports teams like the New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox. Philadelphia (number 23 overall) was cited for its higher than average incidence of block parties and residents’ support of local sports teams.
California Fun: San Jose (number 6 overall), San Diego (number 9 overall), Oakland (number 11 overall) and Santa Ana (number 17 overall) join San Francisco (number 3 overall) and Los Angeles (number 7 overall) to make California THE state for fun. San Jose’s nearly 400 hiking trails, surfing and windsurfing are great for lovers of outdoor fun, and San Jose residents are near the top of the study in terms of spending on sports events, movies, recreation lessons (including yoga, tennis, golf and music), and bicycles. San Diego’s mild temperatures and dry weather make it easy to spend the day surfing, windsurfing, biking, and running. Oakland’s nearby outdoor options (Santa Cruz for surfing, Marin County for mountain biking) and Santa Ana’s five amusement parks were particular areas of fun highlighted in the study.
“Ritz crackers have long been associated with fun; let’s face it, it’s hard to think of any other cracker that brings out as much joy and happiness in people,” said
Sheldon Cummings, Senior Brand Manager, Ritz crackers. “As a champion of fun, we at Ritz are excited about this list of “FUNomenal Places” as a way to recognize and celebrate our 75th Anniversary and the many people out there who are looking to have fun in everything they do.”
Below are some additional fun findings from the “Ritz Cracker FUNomenal Places” Study:
Minneapolis, MN (2)
Minneapolis’ park system is considered to be one of the best in the United States and, in addition to hundreds of playground, ball fields, and tennis courts, the area also features an incredible 69 ice rinks, most of them outdoor, and four amusement parks. When it comes to spending on fun, residents of the Minneapolis-St. Paul area choose to spend a greater than average amount of their disposable income compared to the other cities in the study. This includes spending on sporting events, musical instruments, camping gear, video games and movies, and participating in sports.
San Francisco, CA (3)
The City by the Bay is our “Ritz Cracker FUNomenal Places” Study‘s top spot for active fun. San Franciscans take advantage of their temperate climate to have a great time in the outdoors. There are hundreds of hiking and running trails surrounding the metro area. City residents spend more money annually for their park system than any other city in our study, $268 per person annually. And there are 26 off-leash dog parks, the most (per person) in the study. The area boasts superb museums and beautiful parks in and around the city. Residents of San Francisco are more likely than the rest of the cities to spend money on movies, sporting events, recreation lessons, musical instruments and bikes.
Chicago, IL (4)
The Chicagoland area has plenty to offer for people looking for fun in the Windy City. When it comes to the more relaxed ways of having fun, like attending sporting events, visiting zoos, aquariums, and visiting world-class museums, Chicago is the top spot in the study. Nearly 50 percent of the respondents in our study say they get together with friends and family at block parties. In the winter, they can spend an afternoon at one of the eleven city-operated ice rinks. A look at spending patterns in Chicago shows a high concentration on movies, recreational lessons and classes (such as tennis and golf), and bicycles.
Washington, D.C. (5)
The District of Columbia has one of the best public park systems in the study, including ice rinks and skate parks. It’s also home to some of the greatest museums and zoos in the United States, and best of all, many of these attractions are completely free. College and pro sports are popular, and there are dozens of hiking trails in the large surrounding forests and parks. The Washington metro area is home to one of the study’s largest concentrations of dog parks (39 total). A look at the DC area’s consumer expenditures shows that residents spend more than most of the cities in the study on movies, recreation lessons, musical instruments and membership fees for country clubs, health clubs and gyms.
About Ritz/Kraft Foods
Ritz (www.ritzcrackers.com) is a leading brand within the Nabisco cracker portfolio of Kraft Foods. Kraft Foods (http://www.kraftfoodscompany.com) makes today delicious in 150 countries around the globe. Our 100,000 Kraft Foodies work tirelessly to make delicious foods consumers can feel good about. From American brand icons like Kraft cheeses, dinners and dressings, Maxwell House coffees and
Oscar Mayer meats, to global powerhouse brands like Oreo and LU biscuits, Philadelphia cream cheeses, Jacobs and Carte Noire coffees, Tang powdered beverages and Milka, Cote d’Or, Lacta and Toblerone chocolates, our brands deliver millions of smiles every day. Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT) is the world’s second largest food company with annual revenues of $42 billion. The company is a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor’s 500, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Ethibel Sustainability Index.
Study Methodology
The “Ritz Cracker FUNomenal Places” Study was conducted by
Bert Sperling of Sperling’s Best Places and sponsored by Ritz crackers. The study evaluated 50 of the largest metro areas in the United States, and identified the most fun cities using a variety of data, including outdoor recreation resources, spending on fun activities, sports and recreation, and in-home entertainment, as well as participation in and spending on social activities.
SOURCE Ritz/Kraft Foods
