The World's Best City [According to the U.N.]

Sky News ^ | 10/05/2005 | unknown

[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

[RockyMtnMan]

Now ewe are being baaaad.

[NathanR]

LOL

So the weather is much like Seattle, or does it have more or less rain?

[Fierce Allegiance]

She's debating whether or not to heat the oil in the frypan before she throws it at you.

[airborne]

Then why not let the UN move there?

[Fierce Allegiance]

Pfft, it's just harder to breathe that way. Besides, we yanks have much harder granite poking out through the ice than you have under your 20-40' of packed powder.

[jbloedow]

But where is this heaven on earth, where can you have a great standard of living and healthcare?

That's true. You're only an hour and a half drive from the US border if you get sick.

[loreldan]

:~) Good catch!

[jbloedow]

I think Edinburgh, in your neck of the woods, should have been considered.

And one of the highest violent crime rates, from what I hear, at least in Europe.

Not to mention some of the most miserable weather I've ever experienced. It's the only place I've been where the trees are permanently bent over because of constant wind!

[p. henry]

More.

[jbloedow]

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

Do you think maybe, just maybe, this list was put together by a couple of Aussies and a Canuck who like skiing and smoking pot?

Seriously, Vancouver is a great city, makes Seattle (where I live) look like a turd-pile. But we chose Seattle over Vancouver because of job opportunities and taxes, and because real-estate is even more nuts in 'couver than here. Oh, and because we like liberty and democracy. Not sure if the list took that into account.

Calgary is fantastic, should be higher. Toronto used to be top-ten material, but shouldn't be anywhere near the top ten anymore. It's going downhill fast.

[Revolting cat!]

Thank goodness my city wasn't mentioned or all you monkeys (and those evolved from them) would be moving here spoiling the cat's paradise!

[infidel29]

A local radio show here in Pittsburgh was talking about it this morning, more on the list can be found HERE but still not a complete list...searching....

[infidel29]

Sorry, that's last year's list now that I look closer. Still searching anyways.

[loreldan]

I think I found it.

http://www.investincostarica.com/news/economist.htm

[Steve_Seattle]

When people ask me what there is to see in Seattle, I say, "Vancouver."

[Verginius Rufus]

I've been in Vancouver a few times, always in the spring or summer, and thought it was a nice place to visit, except that the lanes on some of the major highways are too narrow. There's an excellent museum on the UBC campus with lots of totem poles and other material on the "First Nations" of the area.

I don't see Detroit on the ten best list.

[billnaz]

I've been in two of the cities on the Best 10 list. No way would I live in them. And that goes for the rest of the cities on the list.

If the U.N. likes Vancouver, B.C. so much let it move there. I volunteer to help with the packing.

[rogue yam]

They have the best topless bars,thats for sure.

Better than Portland, OR?

[Asfarastheeastisfromthewest...]

Lived in Vancouver and have no desire to go back. Yes it is a beautiful place and has lots going for it - weather is nice for much of the year, Stanley Park, it's on the ocean and has the mountains. It also has the 'east side' with tons of drugs and prostitutes, approximately 1000 'gro-ops' in the lower mainland, very high taxes, real estate prices out of sight, horrible traffic problems, local city councils that are in the pocket of developers worse than most places and so. All in all, it wouldn't' rank in the upper 50 percentile in my books. Sorry that I can't list my favourite - don't have one because I hate traffic and love living in the country too much.

[rasblue]

Vancouver is like Seattle weatherwise except that Vancouver usually gets one or two snowstorms even at sea level.