Korean Job Discussion Forums

[catman]

The Monocle a magazine for EcoFriendly-Euro-Yuppies has come out with its "Best Cities in the World to Live In" rankings.

Scored apparently by ranking the following:

Internationalism.
Crime stats.
State education systems.
Sunshine and weather.
State Health care.
Tolerance.
Public transportation.
Access to nature.
Architecture.
Ease of starting a successful business.
Drinking and Shopping.
Media.
Culture.
Environmental issues and sustainability.
Forward planning and government concerning the environment and sustainability.

They do not count or rate affordability as it is just assumed
you have money.

And now for the winners.
1 Zurich
2 Copenhagen
3 Tokyo
4 Munich
5 Helsinki
6 Stockholm
7 Vienna
8 Paris
9 Melbourne
10 Berlin
11 Honolulu
12 Madrid
13 Sydney
14 Vancouver
15 Barcelona
16 Fukuoka
17 Oslo
18 Singapore
19 Montreal
20 Auckland
21 Amsterdam
22 Kyoto
23 Hamburg
24 Geneva
25 Lisbon

So Europe gets 15 cities.
North America gets 3 of which Canada gets 2.
Japan gets 3
Australia 2
NZ 1
Nothing for Russia or China.
Nothing for South America, Central America or Africa.

Interesting that Rome, London and New York failed the cut
but Vancouver and Montreal made the grade.

[VanIslander]

[drkalbi]

26. Seoul?

[beercanman]

Why are these lists made anyway? Someone has an opinion? Has lived in all of them for a while? Unlikely. There are many great cities and many not so great.

Assumed you have money. haha, yeah if you're rich enough you can go anywhere I guess.

Somehow I reckon Prague and a few other European cities could be there. Don't know personally but there seem to be a lot of great cities in Europe. Hell, they could choose many from just the US as well I guess. Assumed you have money? That is rich.

[alphakennyone]

I'm surprised to see Fukuoka in that list, but I only spent two days there.

However, I spent many months near Kyoto, and I'm very surprised to see that city on the list. Beautiful, yes. Historical, yes. Good food, erm, well, maybe if you're rich. I don't see it as very cosmopolitan, though, other than the large number of tourists who go there annually. If anything, the cosmopolitan city in the region is Kobe..but that's not quite as sexy as saying Kyoto I guess.

Some of the criteria are a bit strange though, as they are based on a national level rather than a local level - "state health care" - doesn't that automatically exclude all of the USA? State education? Again, are we ranking countries or cities? Probably this is why NYC didn't make the cut. It has the American health system (none) and New York state is not known for its public university system. Then again, I don't recall public universities in Japan or Canada being very "public" (read: free) either.

And this seems repetitive

"-Environmental issues and sustainability.
-Forward planning and government concerning the environment and sustainability. "

Anyway, these lists come out all the time, and are about as useful as national or world rankings of universities.

[Elvis Gratton]

Incheon didn't make the top 25?

[Rex Jacobs]

26. ChunCheon

[cangel]

I lived in Fukuoka for 7 years and it's a great city. I am more inclined toward having 4 distinct seasons so Fukuoka doesn't really cut the mustard. Asia Week magazine voted Fukuoka the #1 city in which to live and work for 3 consecutive years http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0WDP/is_1999_Dec_13/ai_58532822/. The Monocle also quite recently, stated that Fukuoka is the #1 retail city in the world http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20080626a2.html. I personally don't believe Fukuoka to be the best retail city in the world as it's nearly impossible to find shoes in size 11+ (US) as well as a a numerous other examples...

[whitebeagle]

Some magazine or other seems to publish a list like this every week. I guess it's good publicity for them as they get quoted in other articles and elsewhere. But really they are very subjective and open to debate (and therefore perfect fodder for massive ongoing internet forum arguments!). I do like the bit about assumption of money

[bobbyhanlon]

i live in zurich (number one!) right now. it is clean, efficient, crime-free, and all the rest of it. but i am bored out of my skull. most people i met here are so dull and devoid of spirit that i yearn to be pushed out of the way by a crazy ajumma whilst swerving to avoid a motorbike delivery guy while on my way for some samgyeopsal and soju.

[DWAEJIMORIGUKBAP]

Yeah Lisbon is gorgeous and the cafes / bars and nightlife ROCKS in that cool mediterraenean laid back way, not like the anglo saxon walk around srtutting and showing off your designer tags and wanting to punch out anyone that looks 'ard or is 'giving it the eyeballs...'

[JongnoGuru]

Very mixed feelings seeing Lisbon on the list.

On the one hand, been there many many times and love it, yet on the other, I really would not have thought Lisbon had enough of what appeals to most people, and certainly the sort who compile or take surveys like that one. Top 100 okay, but #25 is too high for comfort.

Basically, I prefer Lisbon (and other places I like) to not register with or not appeal to the masses. I want that lot down in the Algarve and out of earshot.

Bottom line: Get out of MY Lisbon!


Re: the rest of the survey -- Does anybody honestly think "ease of starting a successful business" fits any of those cities? Sounds crazy to me. Now if it were merely "ease of starting a business", I could see it. But a "SUCCESSFUL" one, no less? That depends on the city? Might as well say "ease of playing and winning the lottery". Ridiculous.

[Bucky]

As a suburban Vancouverite, I think a large part has to do with our climate and natural geography. We are the only major city in Canada to stay above freezing in the winter but we also have ski mountains, so it's possible to ski, jog and surf on the same day (which means you can stay fit easier). The air is also quite clear due to prevailing winds that drag the crap in the air AWAY from us.

We also have multiculturalism going for us -- about 49% of Vancouver is foreign-born and in my suburb of Richmond, 60% of the population is Asian. (The Koreans are in the suburbs of Burnaby and Coquitlam, where Korean is almost an unofficial language.)

However, I wonder if these rankings consider the economies of the cities. Vancouver has a huge homeless and drug problem (which I'm sure will be documented during next year's Winter Olympics -- watch for it). We also have a creaky transportation system -- the City of Vancouver has no freeways (unless you count the freeway flyover that "cuts the corner" in the northeast end).

Not to mention it's hell to find a job in this city, and the housing prices are a complete rip-off (the average house in Vancouver costs around $1 to $1.1 million now), and the gas prices here are higher than the highest gas prices in the US any day of the week.

With that said, we're lucky to be at #14. I don't think we deserve to be in the top 20, quite frankly.

[Kurtz]

#9 Melbourne, my hometown.

World class sporting events, European standard bars and cafes, not bad weather, many music and arts festivals, but these days it's getting very violent and congested for Australian standards. Public transportation system sucks and can't cope with the growing population and extra use due to high fuel costs.

Suburbs that sprawl for miles and miles, several places you just avoid now, it's becoming a nasty place like any big Western city.

[PeteJB]

I wouldn't say copenhagen is all that great. Boring.