NATION : Charleston Tops Manners List

CHARLESTON, S.C. —  Executives once again declared this antebellum city by the sea the nation’s most mannerly city, capable of watching its p’s and q’s even when a most unwelcome guest--Hurricane Hugo--dropped in.

“With the hurricane and the wonderful recovery you’re making, everyone is in love with Charleston again,” etiquette expert Marjabelle Young Stewart said.

Stewart bases her annual list on an unscientific survey of about 2,700 executives who have taken her etiquette courses during the last three years.

Ranked No. 2 this year is Council Bluffs, Iowa, followed by Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and last year’s top choice, Portland, Ore. Tied for seventh are Rock Island and Moline, Ill., and Davenport and Bettendorf, Iowa. San Francisco, Denver and Phoenix round out the top 10.