Best City - and the winner is...

I'm often thinking about what the world's 'best city' is. Not so much in terms of 'top trumps' - where's the best art gallery and the most beautiful park, but more in terms of where a human can really be happy, healthy, fulfilled and in good company. The sort of anthropologists at work on the 'Making Slough Happy' project may well be able to provide statistics which would help, but there's a much more fun way of going about it (if a little less scientific), and that's to go and check places out.

I wonder what you think? For me, I think that the winner is probably lurking in Northern Europe somewhere. Is there a Copenhagen without the few ugly buildings? Yes - it's called Riga. But then, Riga it too far from the coast and not quite as pleasing in the design stakes - so there's Helsinki, but I've not been to Helsinki!

What we need, is what new labour would call a 'full and frank debate' - which usually translates as 'I haven't got enough experience on this matter and have no sound bites to draw on. Plus my researcher is on holiday in Ibiza'. I'm not particularly well travelled outside Europe, and so probably wouldn't do too well if I was on Newsnight discussing the world's best city - so there's a nice opportunity for debate here. In a very real sense.

Comments

[AJE]

I agree, let's run this up the flagpole...

I think you're onto something about Northern Europe, but my own list is here:

http://thefilter.blogs.com/thefilter/2004/11/where_to_live.html

Bucharest, by the way, was beautiful

[dearieme]

My God but we loved living in Edinburgh.

[JRWB]

Edinburgh would get my backing too, but a bit like Andrew's initial problem I feel my knowledge is a little inadequate to give a fair comment.

[Andrew Mellor]

Looking at your list Anthony, I suddenly realise that where I'd WANT to live and where is best to live are quite different. Right now, I wouldn't want to live anywhere other than London, although I am sure that the quality of life is much better elsewhere. I agree with your Iceland listing, but am sure that St Petersburg would be a dreadful place to live, despite being one of my favourite cities. If that makes any sense.

[AJE]

You should do an index where a city is classified either as a mistress or a wife - i suppose St Petersburg would be good as the former, but not the latter, and London vice versa?