[lorenzo]

http://www.citymayors.com/features/quality_survey.html

According to the highly respected annual Mercer Consulting Report on the cities with the best quality of life in the world, there is not one US city in the top 25 of best cities in the world.

By way of contrast there are 15 European cities in the top 25, with Zurich heading the rank, and 5 Canadian cities with Vancouver at number 3.

Amazing, to say the least.

[dissimulo]

Ah, Vancouver BC, where anything that is not padlocked is stolen by an army of homeless drug addicts. I know it well.

Let me just say that Vancouver at number 3 makes me a bit skeptical about the criteria used in this evaluation. I couldn't wait to return to my lower quality of life in the US.

[Dreamtwister]

Yeah um...Vancouver doesn't belong *anywhere near* the top 5.

-Poorest neighborhood in the industrialized world
-Highest incidence of drug use in the industrialized world
-More people below the poverty line than anywhere in Canada except Toronto
-Lowest rental unit vacancy rate in the country (less than 0.5% IIRC)
-Highest homeless rate in the country
-Focal point in the north american human sex trafficing market

You couldn't PAY me to live there.

[UIUCstudent01]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Dreamtwister', '
')-Highest incidence of drug use in the industrialized world
-Focal point in the north american human sex trafficing market

[zed]

Vancouver is beautiful and possibly the big city to which I would go if had lots of money. Of course, lots of money insulates you from most of the problems others have mentioned. Lists like this usually imply the person has enough money to actually live well in the city - otherwise there is no way Washington DC deserves to be on this list!

[Kingcoal]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('lorenzo', 'A')mazing, to say the least.

[Tyler_JC]

http://www.who.int/mental_health/preven ... revent/en/

And which countries have the higher suicide rates?

That's right, Australia, France, Germany, Japan, Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, and the rest of your top 25 cities list.

It's difficult to compare a city to a city based on a few somewhat random statistics.

Personally, I would consider a nation's suicide rate to be a useful indicator of that nation's population's happiness. Clearly the people of Europe are not significantly happier than the people of the United States.

[Kickinthegob]

Meh, Vancouver is not for everybody but I love it. the air is always fresh, the greenery is spectacular, the women are beautiful and where else can you escape suburbia in under an hour. I have lived here for many years and have never had anything stolen, then again I don't drive and don't have a lot of stuff to be stolen. This is not a place to buy a house right now, the traffic can be horrendous and certain "hoods" are trouble, but hey - all of that is easily avoided.

Growing up as a kid I always had this dream of moving stateside, those days are long gone but I can't even think of one particular reason why. I have been to a handful of US cities and none of them really turned my crank, the finger lakes area of NY is nice, Florida is OK for a vacation but would never want to live there. Hmmm, maybe Oregon would be nice

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', 'A')nd which countries have the higher suicide rates?

[Dreamtwister]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('pstarr', 'W')hat a stupid list. NYC and San Francisco are missing. The former is the Most Exciting and Important City in the World, the latter the most Beautiful--The Shining City on the Hill.

[Yamaha_R6]

Lexington made the list!? WWWHAT THE FUUU####K!

[0mar]

Chicago is easily the best city in the world. I loved living there.

[rogerhb]

And comining in at number 12 - WLG, beaten by AKL at 5.

[oilfreeandhappy]

It seems to me that the predominant factor for these ratings was public transit. It mentions this as one of the criteria, but I think it was probably the highest criteria. Where is Denver? It's probably not there, because, it's public transportation doesn't reach enough areas. Probably the same can be said for Dallas, Phoenix, St. Louis, and Minneapolis/St. Paul.

[Tyler_JC]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', 'A')nd which countries have the higher suicide rates?

[Kickinthegob]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', 'I')ndustrialization should lead to higher suicide rates, right?

[emersonbiggins]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Tyler_JC', 'T')he United States is down on the list at number 31 after much of the European Union. A majority of Europeans live in countries whose citizens are more unhappy than the average American.

[skeptic]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('lorenzo', 'h')ttp://www.citymayors.com/features/quality_survey.html

According to the highly respected annual Mercer Consulting Report on the cities with the best quality of life in the world, there is not one US city in the top 25 of best cities in the world.

[PenultimateManStanding]

San Diego, California, probably has more peakoil.com posters than any other city anywhere. I have no idea why, just something I noticed. And I'd rather be here than in Lithuania or Belgium.

[pup55]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'M')ercer’s study is based on detailed assessments and evaluations of 39 key quality of living determinants, grouped in the following categories:

* Political and social environment (political stability, crime, law enforcement, etc.)
* Economic environment (currency exchange regulations, banking services, etc.)
* Socio-cultural environment (censorship, limitations on personal freedom, etc.)
* Medical and health considerations (medical supplies and services, infectious diseases, sewage, waste disposal, air pollution, etc.)
* Schools and education (standard and availability of schools, etc.)
* Public services and transportation (electricity, water, public transport, traffic congestion, etc.)
* Recreation (restaurants, theatres, cinemas, sports and leisure, etc.)
* Consumer goods (availability of food/daily consumption items, cars, etc.)
* Housing (housing, household appliances, furniture, maintenance services, etc.)
* Natural environment (climate, record of natural disasters)