Off Topic Most livable cities

The Economist has published its annual ranking of the best cities in the world to live in, based on factors like security, political stability, crime, access to health care, education etc. Melbourne has come top for the last seven years but now.....
The ten most liveable cities in 2018
1. Vienna, Austria
2. Melbourne, Australia
3. Osaka, Japan
4. Calgary, Canada
5. Sydney, Australia
6. Vancouver, Canada
7. Tokyo, Japan
8. Toronto, Canada
9. Copenhagen, Denmark
10. Adelaide, Australia

Surprised to see Toronto in there, the place where I have seen more genuinely seriously mentally ill people sleeping on the street (as opposed to homeless people) than any other first world city.

And all very nice places too, I would be delighted to visit them all (again, except for Calgary which would be a first for me) but only Tokyo and Sydney would make it on to my list of places to live (for a couple of years, in some cases more) which would include (in no order) London (about 50th on the list, well beaten by Manchester), Chicago, New York, Berlin, Milan, Edinburgh, Istanbul, Lisbon (close run thing with Madrid). These may not all be the most ‘livable’, but they have some edge or something which makes them lovable.

I love cities and rarely find one that I genuinely dislike on multiple levels.

Any preferences? For cities to live in for a bit rather than go on holiday too, or visit for work.

 

I'd go with Sydney. It's a beautiful setting and is not so large that it has ceased to be personal. Sailing, swimming and easy access to walks in the Bush.

 

Paris Toulouse Montpellier Beziers
Girona Valencia Granada London Hereford

Apart from London I wouldn’t live there

Country boy

Only town I would live in would be EASTBOURNE in the meads

 

not surprised no cities in Sweden included. Gone off there again last night

 

Goldie, as an old Sydney boy who moved away some years ago, l can tell you it has truly lost who it was. We live on the Gold Coast.

My wife and l visit our daughter and family about 4 times a year, having just returned last weekend.

I can’t tell you have stressful it was driving through the city and back. The traffic and the driving etiquette really caused us some grief.

Without sounding like a racist, the former majority Anglo-Saxon Aussies that many would expect to see, have moved away.

You see every other nationality than the more so called traditional types, with the exception of our indigenous who are still with us.

I am not exaggerating when l say that the face of this city has changed dramatically over the past 20 years.

I have always embraced people from all walks of life but l take exception when l see whole areas completely change and lose the what was built up over many years.

Anyway, rant over. Sydney still has much to offer, just with another twist to it.

 

I don't have the budget for lower Manhattan, San Francisco or Central London - otherwise I'd be there. Buzz, culture, yet (if you can find/afford it) peaceful enclaves.

Copenhagen, Montpellier and Munich all seemed to appeal when I was in them. Possibly not "big" enough as a city, but I also really fell for Lucca in Italy.

 

Not lived in any of those wondrous places Stan, but I did visit Tokyo a couple of times and enjoyed it immensely, not that I knew what was going on half of the time. I concur with Lisbon and also I have a fond place in my heart for Beirut and Lebanon generally. Lebanese people have a passion for life which is infectious.

I can also offer my own personal Worst 5 Cities I have lived in -

5. Freetown
4. Monrovia
3. Manila
2. Lagos
1. Riyadh

All pretty grim for a variety of reasons but KSA wins hands down

 

I would add Berlin and Turin to my list as lived outside Turin or Torino at Orbasseno with girlfriend for 2 months in the nineties

 

One cant get a decent pie in the Kingdom I'm guessing? (Or a good Porter for that matter)

 

It's sad to hear it's lost its former character, Aussie. I used to go to Sydney on business once or twice a year in the 1990's. My last visit was 1997, so that fits with your 20 year reference. It was the only city I would have felt really comfortable moving to. I loved the fact that despite being an important and elegant city, I could walk down George Street and quite often bump into someone I knew. Didn't happen in London.

Places change constantly, I guess. On an optimistic note, sometimes it is for the better. I worked at London Bridge (south of the river, my office looked over the Thames). The eating and drinking areas around Borough were the absolute pits. Heavy traffic, grimy buildings, a souless place. But now, that area seems to have been transformed and is thriving. Sadly, that came to my attention when terrorists attacked a year or two ago. Nothing stays the same.

 

Stockholm in the autumn is lovely

That’s interesting Aussie. I first went to Australia in 1986 I loved it, but found the cities, though in beautiful settings, really dull, especially at weekends. When I went to Sydney a few times for work more recently it was a revelation, much livelier, loads of excellent restaurants and bars, buzzing in the evenings. Largely due, I think, to immigration from lots of different places. A truly international city, rather than an isolated provincial one. Traffic was awful though.

I’ve been lucky not to live in any real ****holes (Retford the worst, stupidly opted for bigger house for less money when we could have gone to Sheffield, which I really like), but I’ve visited a fair few, Medan in Sumatra ****ing dire, and almost any Chinese city you want to name. Indian cities are filthy, but I really love the place for some reason, especially Calcutta. Have avoided west Africa and the Gulf/Saudi to date, though an Uber driver from the Ivory Coast who was ferrying me around in Paris a few weeks ago urged me to go to Africa (and played some great music) but not to the cities, just the villages and small towns.

 

I do miss Sheffield. Its a crap saying but it does feel like a big village, loads of students and parks, bars and galleries/museums. Proper northern football city too. Surrounded by the Peak District. A lovely city that I have lived in and brought my kids up in - even though I am out of the country more than in it. I would retire there but I want a warm climate. Northern Mallorca or North Lebanon has an equal appeal.

 

If I had to choose a city to live then Uppsala in Sweden would be high on my list. Got a mate who lives over there and the city has such a cool vibe and the air is so fresh. Love it

 

For the size of it's population of around 170k Cork takes some beating, great social and cultural place, close to the country and coast, easy to walk around.....feels more like a small town rather than a City.

 

I loved Ljubljana when I was there in the mid noughties.

Smaller Japanese cities wonderful too - Kyoto, Hiroshima and Oita too.

I'd happily stay in any of them for a protracted period of time (a bit of notice to learn the languages required though).

Over several visits, I spent 4-5 weeks in Copenhagen while I was at Maersk. I didn't take to the place at all (except for the very strong and delicious Carlsberg Christmas beer).

 

You were at Maersk? I think our infrequent but outspoken visitor Danish worked for them until relatively recently.

 

From 2007 to 2012. Loved the job too (until they decided to offshore 90% of our office and relocate the rest to Liverpool).

If Danish was there at the time and knew any of the UK systems super users then maybe our paths have crossed....

 

Ah the offshore trend madness was it not?
I feel for the companies that can never reverse that trend

 

They went all out for it on a global scale. I don't have to much sympathy for the company because it is characterised by Mr Moller in HQ and a few careerists who move to retain their jobs after the desolation (usually the ones that embrace and manage the off shoring).

You probably know as well as anyone when the trend comes back to promoting local call centres and local offices. They just rip out the loyalty and experience of their own staff in between.

 

I just spent a wonderful week in the Peak District. Fantastic scenery and lovely little towns. The only thing that seemed to be missing was decent restaurants.