How's your quality of life? - TravelPUNK Backpacker College Student Budget Travel Message Boards!

**urOZm8** · 03-26-2005, 02:48 AM

So guys how did your city rank?

Any disagreements with the list? I don't think Brussels should be so high - seemed to be a bit dodgy and with crime.
My home of Perth came in 20th.

ev

**ChasinJason1313** · 03-26-2005, 02:54 AM

Anyone who's lived in San Diego will tell you that it should be hiiiiigh on that list.

OHT1910 · 03-26-2005, 04:18 AM

I'd have thought Edinburgh would be high up there but with 600k population, it might be a bit small for that list.

Never heard of a few: Lexington, Winston Salem or the bottom two Japanese places.

**Tadpole** · 03-26-2005, 06:24 AM

If your in to basketball OHT here are soem refrences:

Wake Forest University is in Winston Salem, NC.

University of Kentucky is in Lexington, KY.

**MolsonGirl** · 03-26-2005, 07:50 AM

Numba 15!!! oh yeah... Torontonians rock!!! I love my city, as much as I love travelling sometimes just can't wait to come home and chill here.

It was 4 degrees here yesterday and I walked the 40 mins to the train station instead of taking public transport... and let me just say it rocked!!! Everyone was out on the streets, all of the stores in the little markets had brought BBQ's out on the street cooking fish, and meat and all sorts of great smelling foods. Just people everywhere out in the sun... And yes we do get all excited about plus temperatures cause it's been so cold, and we know that in a month or so it''ll be so hot we don't wanna go outside at all.

**MolsonGirl** · 03-26-2005, 07:53 AM

opps wrong column we're #14

**TimmyJames1976** · 03-26-2005, 08:13 AM

yikes....i knew the usa was lieing to me....not even in the top 20....and what's up w/pittsburgh...seriously, pittsburgh?

**TheJake** · 03-26-2005, 08:48 AM

yeah no way in h e double hockey sticks pittsburgh beats out san diego

Cities that SHOULD NOT be on the list

pittsburgh
washington dc
lexington
boston

Not clean cities from what I remember. Why the hades isn't denver on the list? or heck even Phoenix has a higher quality of living then those above.

starpiste · 03-26-2005, 09:05 AM

Vancouver deserves where it is. It can do with some cleaning up of the downtown east side but it's being worked on. Even though I don't think it'll be my home for much of the next 10 years of my life like it has been, I love that city.

I'd like to spend time in the swiss cities that topped it just for comparison.

Also interesting that only one UK city is on the list. Probably cost living that does them in and Londons perks just outweigh how expensive it is.

**kingcrazylegs** · 03-26-2005, 09:09 AM

Yea, what the heck did they base this stuff on?

**Sijuki** · 03-26-2005, 09:14 AM

I don't understand why Detroit wasn't on the list. Detroit is the cleanest, most industrious city and its city folk are always out and about walking the streets shopping in our beautiful treelined downtowns and our mass transit is just top notch! As a matter of fact Detroit should be the base and everyone else would have been below it. (note: you will believe this or else we will kill you and dump your body in some toxic waste pit.)

Ok, ok... you got me, Detroit is a freakin hole. But we have some nice suburbs. Since we are talking of quality of living, let me just say this about Detroit and Michigan in general. Michigan has once again proved to be the leader of the U.S. with our 7.4% unemployment rate... I would just like to say.... THANK YOU JENNIFER GRANHOLM.... please go back to whereever you came from in canada. They probably don't want you either... go to hell.

**Diorama** · 03-26-2005, 01:05 PM

whoo hoo Vancity is #3! I do agree with that very much. Especially after travelling I realize it more and more how lucky I am. I've been to a lot of those cities on the list and I must say that Wellington, NZ should definately be higher on the list. So clean and such fresh air and an abundent of outdoor activities to explore. I've been to #1 Geneva and it was clean and nice, but it didn't have as much of a fun, sociable atmosphere that Wellington and Van has. That's my 2 cents.

**space virgin** · 03-26-2005, 11:33 PM

It's possible that if it wasn't for Bushie, Seattle would probably be higher than #46 since it's so similar to Vancouver in so many ways.

**omisan** · 03-28-2005, 01:30 AM

San Fran is tied w/ Honolulu for #24 and #1 in the US. Hah! SUck on that, other American cities! I guess they don't take into account availability of parking...

Realmofo · 03-28-2005, 07:13 AM

Miami should have been on there.....Boston?? New York City??? PLEASE!

**my retro career** · 03-28-2005, 08:13 AM

I'm not so sure about Pittsburgh too....

I'd be curious to see how they based their results on...

**TimmyJames1976** · 03-28-2005, 08:15 AM

and where the hell is philly...why isn't philly on there?

oh. oh wait...philly sucks, thats why

**LiveFreeorDie** · 03-28-2005, 09:53 AM

I would be interested to know what the criteria is. Liveable in what sense? Germany has a national unemplyment rate of over 12%. NYC is ridiculously expensive. So is London. I love Toronto and Montreal........for about 4 months a year (similar to my local city on the list....Boston) - the winters are just too killer.

My standard for liveability would be (in no particular order):

-mild climate - not too many extremes(or at least not for long periods of time)
-reasonable cost of living
-availability of a full spectrum of jobs
-quality education including University level
-male to female ratio of 1 to 10

(joking)
-entertainment and cultural infrastructure
-decent public transport
-access to quality outdoor activities

Based on my experiences, I would think cities in the Pac NW in the U.S., perhaps some southern cities (North Carolina region) and Sydney Aus for sure would be near the top of my list.

What other "liveability" factors are important to you??

**TimmyJames1976** · 03-28-2005, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by LiveFreeorDie@Mar 28 2005, 10:52 AM
I would be interested to know what the criteria is.* Liveable in what sense?* Germany has a national unemplyment rate of over 12%.* NYC is ridiculously expensive.* So is London.* I love Toronto and Montreal........for about 4 months a year (similar to my local city on the list....Boston) - the winters are just too killer.

My standard for liveability would be (in no particular order):

-mild climate - not too many extremes(or at least not for long periods of time)
-reasonable cost of living
-availability of a full spectrum of jobs
-quality education including University level
-male to female ratio of 1 to 10* * (joking)
-entertainment and cultural infrastructure
-decent public transport
-access to quality outdoor activities

Based on my experiences, I would think cities in the Pac NW in the U.S., perhaps some southern cities (North Carolina region) and Sydney Aus for sure would be near the top of my list.*

What other "liveability" factors are important to you??

well, it's based on the city not the country so while all of germany may have high unemployment, a higly rated city may not. also, new york can be crazy expensive, like manhatten, but salaries are also ridiculously inflated.

**tumblezweedz** · 03-29-2005, 06:39 AM

Quote:

It was 4 degrees here yesterday and I walked the 40 mins to the train station instead of taking public transport... and let me just say it rocked!!!

That's what it's like here - the sun has been shining in Vilnius, and the mercury's above freezing, it might as well be summer! Everyone's smiling and cheerful and we walk everywhere anyway, but now it's a pleasure.

But I've got to say, I'm happy with Vancouver's rating...I think the .5 is politically correct, but that's my bias. At least I can hold my head up in our house. My husband's home town isn't anywhere in sight. In fact, his country (US) does pretty poorly. And now everyone knows that Vancouver is the best city in Canada. Sorry TO.