World's Best City

[DBAHO]

Boo yah! 2 years in a row,

 

MELBOURNE is the world's best city. And we have our much-maligned weather to thank for our top ranking.

 

Melbourne racked up a perfect score to take its second consecutive world's most liveable city title.

The London-based Economist Intelligence Unit rated 130 cities on criteria including housing, education, crime, health, recreational activities, the risk of terrorism and weather.

 

Arch rival Sydney finished sixth, marked down because its crime rate was on a par with New York and London.

 

Adelaide and Brisbane shared sixth spot with the harbour city and Perth ranked fourth.

 

Melbourne was joined in first place by Vancouver in Canada and Vienna in Austria.

 

Melbourne was the only Australian city to score top marks for its weather, with the others losing points for humidity.

 

Ecstatic Lord Mayor John So said Melbourne's weather, diversity and friendly people made it the most livable city in the world.

 

"Melbourne's weather appeals to all people," he said. "I always say 'if you don't like the weather you don't have to wait long for it to change'.

 

"Where else in the world can you get weather like that?"

 

Premier Steve Bracks said the number one rating ensured Melbourne remained a magnet for overseas visitors.

 

Mr Bracks said he was particularly pleased Melbourne out-performed Sydney on crime.

 

"I'm very proud of that, The whole community can be proud of the label we've got," he said.

 

"I think more people want to come to Melbourne and stay in our great city.

 

"We should be proud of the fact we've got a great environment, great architecture, great parks and gardens and a low crime rate."

 

Tourism Minister John Pandazopoulos said Melbourne was also a very affordable city, offering value for money in top fashion and food.

 

"It's a brilliant pat on the back for Melbourne, particularly for two years in a row," he said.

 

The EIU, an offshoot of The Economist magazine, assessed hardship levels for expatriates in the 130 cities, rating them on a scale of one to five in 12 categories. A score of one represented no hardship and five indicated extreme hardship.

 

Melbourne scored perfectly in each category.

 

Papua New Guinea's capital, Port Moresby, retained the last placing it took in the previous survey in October 2002 after a scoring five for crime.

 

Survey co-editor Jon Copestake said it was a close race in Australia.

 

"The difference between all the Australian cities is minimal," he said.

 

"One thing Sydney had different to the other cities was a higher crime rate, and its climate. Its level of humidity was worse than Melbourne's."

 

The other Australian cities all rated two for climate. Two was also given to Adelaide for housing, Brisbane and Perth for transport and Sydney for crime.

 

The terrorist threat only had a minimal impact on Western cities, even those in America, largely because of new security measures.

 

The highest ranked US city was Honolulu at 19. New York finished 51st and Washington was the lowest of the 16 US cities at 57th, mainly because of a higher risk of terrorism.

 

London was equal 45th with Los Angeles, Madrid and San Francisco.

 

Kuwait's was the biggest fall, from 87 to 97 because of the Iraq war.

[SnB]

Oh yeah? well we have the highest murder rate, BOOYAH!

[baggio202]

Oh yeah? well we have the highest murder rate, BOOYAH! 

number 1 baby!!!

[FlaSoxxJim]

DBAHO, kudos from another Melbournite (Melbourne, FL) on claiming the most livable city title 2 years running. looking at my kid's globe, it looks like your latitude is approximately the southern equivalent of San Francisco, so I can see how the moderate climate would tip things in your favor.

 

I haven't been to Melbourne, but have spent time in Sydney, Brisbane, and Cairns along the eastern side of the country. I can see crime being an important consideration in these rankings, but It seems like the rankings must have downplayed cultural aspects. It is my ignorance that can't come up with Melbourne's cultural or architectural equivalents to the ANZAC Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, world-class Taronga Zoo, Sydney Harbor/Darling Harbor/Botany Bay, Manly Beach, etc.

 

As far as Brisbane ranking lower, I can see it on cultural history grounds but there are few places in the world with TWO World Heritage Sites (GBR, Kuranda Mountains) essentially in your backyard. It's saying something when my biggest problem while I was in Cairns was getting up in the mornings and having to decide whether I wanted to go hiking in the rain forest or diving on GBR! Tough life.

 

Like I said, I'm sure I just need to learn more about Melbourne and I'll see the light. I'll tell you where to send plane tix and you can set me right.

[DBAHO]

DBAHO, kudos from another Melbournite (Melbourne, FL) on claiming the most livable city title 2 years running.  looking at my kid's globe, it looks like your latitude is approximately the southern equivalent of San Francisco, so I can see how the moderate climate would tip things in your favor.

 

I haven't been to Melbourne, but have spent time in Sydney, Brisbane, and Cairns along the eastern side of the country.  I can see crime being an important consideration in these rankings, but It seems like the rankings must have downplayed cultural aspects.  It is my ignorance that can't come up with Melbourne's cultural or architectural equivalents to the ANZAC Bridge, the Sydney Opera House, world-class Taronga Zoo, Sydney Harbor/Darling Harbor/Botany Bay, Manly Beach, etc. 

 

As far as Brisbane ranking lower, I can see it on cultural history grounds but there are few places in the world with TWO World Heritage Sites (GBR, Kuranda Mountains) essentially in your backyard.  It's saying something when my biggest problem while I was in Cairns was getting up in the mornings and having to decide whether I wanted to go hiking in the rain forest or diving on GBR!  Tough life.

 

Like I said, I'm sure I just need to learn more about Melbourne and I'll see the light.  I'll tell you where to send plane tix and you can set me right. 

That could mayb be arranged, if u send me plane tickets to Florida as well. Our weather gets pretty interestin down here, often gets all 4 seasons in 1 day, but it isn't as sticky and humid as it is further up the north coast. Funny thing is bout crime, we just had a recnet survey down here and 7 out of 10 ppl thought it was safe in Melbourne at nite. U r prob rite bout our cultural relics, we really don't hav an Opera House that's a easy symbol to recognise.

[SuperSteve]

Jackass!!! Rub it in.