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Best Places to live.

CattleArmy

Well-known member
The World's Best Places to Live 2008
by Carl Winfield
Thursday, June 12, 2008
provided by

Mercer Consulting's annual roundup of the global cities with the best quality of life is here, and Zurich once again comes out on top. The best place in the U.S.? Honolulu at No. 28.

New York, London, and Paris are internationally renowned cities but consultants at Mercer Consulting have picked Zurich, Switzerland, as the best place to live in the company's annual survey.


Consultants rated each city on a variety of factors including the level of traffic congestion, air quality, and personal safety reported by expatriates living in more than 600 cities worldwide. In the top 25, U.S. cities such as San Francisco, Boston, and Chicago were all edged out by Geneva, Switzerland, Vancouver, B.C., and Auckland, New Zealand. The highest-scoring U.S. city is Honolulu, which came in at No. 28.

Still, Mercer acknowledges that cities with a high quality of life are not necessarily the most exciting. "There are a lot of 'sleepy' towns that got high ratings," said Rebecca Powers, a principal consultant in human capital for the company. "But if you were to judge them on something like nightlife, there are some that probably wouldn't have rated as high."


No. 1: Zurich, Switzerland

Mercer score: 108*
2007 rank: No. 1
GDP: $300.9 billion (2007 est.)**
Population: 7,581,520 (total country); 347,517 (total city)
Life expectancy: 80.74 years

No. 2 (tie): Vienna, Austria

Mercer score: 107.9
2007 rank: No. 3
GDP: $319.7 billion (2007 est.)
Population: 8,205,533 (total country); 1,825,287 (total city)
Life expectancy: 79.36 years


No. 2 (tie): Geneva, Switzerland

Mercer score: 107.9
2007 rank: No. 2
GDP: $300.9 billion (2007 est.)
Population: 7,581,520 (total country); 185,000 (total city)
Life expectancy: 80.74 years

No. 4: Vancouver, Canada

Mercer score: 107.6
2007 rank: No. 3
GDP: $1.274 trillion (2007 est.)
Population: 33,212,696 (total country); 560,000 (total city)
Life expectancy: 81.16 years


No. 5: Auckland, New Zealand

Mercer score: 107.3
2007 rank: No. 5
GDP: $112.6 billion (2007 est.)
Population: 4,173,460 (total country); 1.18 million (total city)
Life expectancy: 80.24 years

No. 6: Dusseldorf, Germany

Mercer score: 107.2
2007 rank: No. 6
GDP: $2.833 trillion (2007 est.)
Population: 82,369,548 (total country); 581,858 (total city)
Life expectancy: 79.1 years


No. 7 (tie): Munich, Germany

Mercer score: 107
2007 rank: No. 8
GDP: $2.833 trillion (2007 est.)
Population: 82,369,548 (total country); 1,332,650 (total city)
Life expectancy: 79.1 years

No. 7 (tie): Frankfurt, Germany

Mercer score: 107
2007 rank: No. 7
GDP: $2.833 trillion (2007 est.)
Population: 82,369,548 (total country); 3,700,000 (total city)
Life expectancy: 79.1 years


No. 9: Bern, Switzerland

Mercer score: 106.5
2007 rank: No. 9
GDP: $319.7 billion (2007 est.)
Population: 8,205,533 (total country); 122,178 (total city)
Life expectancy: 79.36 years

No. 10: Sydney, Australia

Mercer score: 106.3
2007 rank: No. 9
GDP: $766.8 billion (2007 est.)
Population: 20,600,856 (total country); 4,297,100 (total city)
Life expectancy: 80.73 years
 

jigs

Well-known member
COurtland Kansas would give all those towns a run for thier money. cold beer, hot women, and when Pinky's Bar and Grill closes at midnight, some of the best lies in the world are told out on the bench in front of the tavern.....
 

Silver

Well-known member
I wonder what the Germans are doing so well the rest of us aren't figuring out.
I was kinda surprised to see Vancouver's pop. as only 500,000 or so. I guess all most of what I consider Vancouver is actually places like Coquitlam, Burnaby, Richmond, etc. even though it's all just one big town that goes on forever.
Also noticed that life expectancy is higher there than anywhere else listed. I guess our crappy socialist healthcare and excellent electric lettuce must have benefits. :shock:
 

burnt

Well-known member
Electric lettuce. B.C.

Why'd ya hafta bring that up? It made me really miss Judith and her banister stories. I wonder what she's up to.
 

Mrs.Greg

Well-known member
Vancouver :shock:


Must be the electric lettuce,mellows one out,so I've been told,being a teenager in the 70's I 'Wouldn't" have a clue about that stuff
 
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