Discover Why New York Tops The World’s Fall Foliage Destination List

According to a world poll, the most beautiful city to visit in the fall is located right here in New York.

Those of us who grew up in New York or New England were fortunate enough to enjoy the true colors of autumn.

Every year, my parents would pack my sister and me into their car to drive around during peak foliage.

Some adventures took us out of Connecticut, where we visited Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York to enjoy the beauty of fall.

This childhood memory isn't unique and I am far from the only person who went on family trips to see the colorful leaves.

The thing is, many of us might be taking this annual tradition for granted. Countless places across the world don't experience fall foliage like we do.

That's why we tend to see a chorus of various license plates on our scenic roads once the leaves start changing colors.

There are tourists who believe traveling to New York or New England just to see the leaves is well worth the trip.

New York Ranks #1 for "Most Beautiful" City to Visit in the Fall

A new survey from British travel blog Travelbag looked into the cities that experience the highest volume of tourists during the fall months.

With the rise of social media, it's become a bit easier to determine just how many visitors descended upon a single place.

The travel website compared cities across the globe, from Seoul to Vancouver, to see which received the most Instagram hits over the last year.

The website also determined each city's most popular fall hashtag.

Topping the list was none other than New York City, which saw over 41,000 users posting photos from their respective fall trip the previous year.

This was almost double than the world's second place finisher, Chicago, which had just over 26,000 posts.

The most viral hashtag from these NYC-centered posts was "FallInNewYork," according to the study.

The world's third biggest hotspot for fall activity was Melbourne, Australia, while fourth place went to Seoul, South Korea.  Seattle, Washington, rounded out the top 5 list of the world's most popular fall destinations.

As for why New York City reigned supreme in the study, Travelbag estimates Central Park tends to offer tourists a chance to catch the seasonal fall colors and take those FOMO-worthy photographs.

In addition to enjoying the spoils of fall, visitors can also take advantage of everything else the city has to offer; from world-famous food to award-winning musicals on Broadway.

While those living outside the city may be unhappy to hear that, yet again, NYC is taking the blue ribbon in yet another world study - Travelbag also offered a reason why people tend to visit the city over other parts of the state.

They believe NYC is a more popular destination because it has warmer temperatures.

While Upstate New York tends to experience those crisp, autumnal chills - New York City tends to have an average temperature between 50 to 60 degrees in the fall.

While those of us Upstate are used to our colder temperatures, tourists might not be so keen of what we consider "chilly" weather.

I recently returned from a 2-week vacation in Japan and, let me tell you, I went from 80 degree weather in Tokyo on October 23 to 35-degree weather when I arrived back in Utica.

Although I love my cold weather and am a stout winter lover - the temperature whiplash was pretty painful!  I now fully understand why people in more tropical places think 60 degrees is "chilly."

While I understand why tourists may want to visit New York City in the fall, I also know they're really missing out on the true beauty of autumn by not including a trip Upstate.

Read More: America's Best Fall Foliage Spots Names 3 Upstate NY Locations

That being said, where is your favorite place to do leaf peeping and take photos of nature?

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