Posted on 10/05/2005 11:21:59 AM PDT by loreldan
Beaches, ski resorts, mountains, great weather and friendly people are just some of the ingredients of the best place to live in the world.
But where is this heaven on earth, where can you have a great standard of living and healthcare, get your hands on the world's best goods and experience some of the best services?
The answer, according to the United Nations quality of life survey, is Vancouver in British Columbia.
The "City of Glass" - so called because of its mirror-fronted skyscrapers - has topped the poll every year for nearly a decade.
Conde Nast Traveller describes Vancouver as the "perfect Pacific city, shimmering on the edge of a beautiful harbour."
Canada did well in the poll, with two other entries: Toronto at number nine and Calgary in tenth place.
Jon Copestake, editor of the Economist Intelligence Unit, which commissioned the research, said: "There are hardly any problems in Canada and even less in Vancouver."
An impressive five Australian cities made it into the top 10, explaining why so many Brits escape the UK for Down Under.
London failed to impress in the survey and came a dismal 47th out of the 127 cities included.
The worst place to live was named and shamed as Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea.
The 10 best cities to live in are:
Vancouver, Canada
Melbourne, Australia
Vienna, Austria
Geneva, Switzerland
Perth, Australia
Adelaide, Australia
Sydney, Australia
Zurich, Switzerland
Toronto, Canada
Calgary, Canada
The 10 worst cities to live in are:
Tehran, Iran
Douala, Cameroon
Harare, Zimbabwe
Abidjan, Ivory Coast
Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Lagos, Nigeria
Karachi, Pakistan
Dhaka, Bangladesh
Algires, Algeria
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
More like foothills, but if the NYC crowd wants to call them mountains then I'll play along ;-)
The UN seems to be biased against the traditional Great Cities of the world. Certainly, some of them are a challenge but some are still quite nice places. Quality of life is more than kayaking and skiing one hour away. Cultural opportunities also impact quality of life. To be sure, Vancouver is no cow town. But it sure ain't anything close to Paris, London, NYC or Tokyo either.
Heh.
Please let us know when (or IF) she responds.
Didn't some monster eat Sheboygan some time ago???
CA....
hahaha...thanks...Hills, not mountains...
Strangely, she hasn't responded yet.
< |:/~
I lived in Vancouver for three years. It has "great weather" for ducks, frogs, and other forms of aquatic or amphibian life. If you for there between Thanksgiving and Palm Sunday, be sure to bring your fins and snorkel.
Killington can hardly be called a "foothill". Nor can Cannon in NH.
These "foothills" would entertain the most ardent fans of the Tetons most any day.
CA....
I'm looking out my window at a 14,114 ft pile of rocks and snow right now.
They wish.
Vancouver -- AKA "The Big Smoke". Ask someone from the interior (redneck country) & they'll probably tell you it's more like granola -- some fruits and nuts, and a whole lot of flakes.
Killington is 4,235ft
Cannon is 4,100ft
Not bad if you consider the base of most mountains in this area are around 7000ft.
Where did you find the complete list? I can't find it.
Too cold, too icy, too wet, too rainy... They can have it.
"You're in an undistinguished bar, yet the social center of Upper Sandusky..."
With all the New Yorkers in Florida, I was certain Miami/Tampa/Palm Beach/Ft Lauderale would be at the top of the list.
They have the best topless bars,thats for sure.
Vancouver has often been called "The Amsterdam of N. America"
Hills are just fine when you don't need sheep. ;-)
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