Magazine lists Atlanta as fifth dirtiest city in country - Atlanta News, Weather, Traffic, and Sports | FOX 5

Atlanta was ranked one the fifth dirtiest cities in the country in a survey of tourists done by Travel and Leisure magazine.

Trey Thomas of All News 106.7-FM spent some time at popular tourists attractions in downtown Atlanta, but couldn't find anyone who thought the city was dirty.

"It's a nice city. We're plan on coming back . And, no, dirty was not the first thing that came to mind until you mentioned it," said Danny Topp.

"Well it's definitely cleaner than London in my opinion," said David Helland.

City leaders take issue with the ranking and point to Atlanta's nightly street cleaning and recently expanded curbside recycling program as examples of the city's commitment to becoming cleaner and greener.

Maurice Henry has kept Atlanta clean for 16 years as a worker for the city's sanitation department.

 "When I heard it, I was like -- not Atlanta. No. I'd have to see that survey," said Henry.

Henry said that he's offended that Atlanta is ranked as one of the country's dirtiest cities.

"If you come to Atlanta and it's not clean, that's a reflection of me. That's like saying I'm not doing what I do. And I know I do good. Like I said I put my city up against any of them," said Henry.

But no matter the perception it hasn't stopped people from coming. The Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau says we had nearly 40 million visitors last year.

Atlanta remains one of the top tourist spots in the country. It ranked 17th on TripAdvisor.com's 2012 list of best destinations in the U.S. for its world-class restaurants, cultural attractions and hip nightlife.