Top 5 Cities - Review

The list of most livable cities has once again been published (link here), whose results have thrown me into a deep quandry. Who the hell is writing this list and what is the criterion they are using?

After all, Switzerland makes it into the top 3 twice! Switzerland! Its like Lego land but inhabited by paranoid racists. Doesnt anyone else remember Switzerlands recent immigration policy? Well, heres the poster:

What's more, the majority of these countries are in cold climates, who the hell likes living in a cold climate apart from Eskimos?

Better than Switzerland, Germany has 4 countries in the top 10. This kind-of makes sense, unless you are one of the 20% of unemployed people in the country or a history professor, in which case no-one talks about your subject of choice (particularly events from 1939 - 1944). The cities that they nominated are all nice places, but very staid. This list gave me the feeling that it was put togethor by an over-50s walking club.

Vienna I can see as being in the top 10. Its a pretty city with a vibrant culture, awesome public transport and great cuisine. I was also impressed by how 'outdoorsy' the locals were there, with a number of people braving the elements to go for a run / game of handball etc.

Vancouver is probably a worthy nominee too, though Ive never been, as it has a great reputation for being interesting, safe and clean. But then, it does get to minus 40 degrees and is full of Canadians, the most unoffensive people going around.

Finally, at the bottom of the list, comes Sydney. A beautiful city with great restaurants and cafes, though prohibitively expensive. Whats more, Sydneys best assets (its beaches) are only readily accessible to those in the eastern suburbs. Dont get me wrong, I like Sydney, but I wouldnt want to live there.

So then, what would I consider to be more appropriate and why? Well, I put an importance on the vibrancy, multiculturalism, cuisine, public transport, climate and affordability of a city. There are a couple of other factors too (such as population density etc) but lets just get to my Top 5 cities for quality of life:

5) Galway

4) Chania

3) New York

2) Paris

1) Melbourne