Which are the most popular cities in the world ? (and it’s not Paris!)

What are the most exciting cities in the world ? No fewer than 15,000 people responded to Times Out magazine about their city on criteria such as happiness, conviviality, food, culture, housing… I might as well tell you right away that Paris is far from first place!

The Time Out City Life Index

The magazine has taken 32 cities in the world to judge which ones are the most fun to live in. This index is not negligible because it will encourage readers to visit the best. In other words, some cities have taken a big slap that she tries to minimize.

The weekly magazine « Time Out » gives programs of shows or ideas for visits or restaurants in different cities.

The British magazine can be found in over 60 cities including London, Chicago, New York, Paris, Mexico City, Beijing, Dubai, Istanbul, Tel Aviv, Cyprus, Moscow, Athens, Singapore, St Petersburg, Bucharest, Kiev, Bombay, Abu Dhabi, Sydney, Shanghai and Barcelona.

Portugal is really in the spotlight

Portugal’s two largest cities are at the top of the ranking. There is Porto in second place and Lisbon in eighth place.

Porto is, according to the survey, the best place in the world to make friends, find love, feel free. For travellers, it is also the most affordable city for one night. But one fifth of the inhabitants surveyed say that »too many tourists » is the city’s biggest problem.

To talk about Lisbon would require much more than an article. For the gourmands, they will visit the « Pastéis de Belém », the best pastry shop in the world where you can enjoy for only 1€.

Our English friends are also quite good

London is ranked 5th and Manchester 7th. There is no denying that the British capital is one of the best cities in the world for culture. There are a variety of restaurants. Londoners find their city stressful.

A good surprise for Manchester who suffered a shock in 2017. People say that the best thing about Manchester is to keep doing anything. Live music is easily found and conviviality is a must.

The Israeli capital, Tel Aviv, is in the ranking

Tel Aviv is in 12th place, which isn’t so bad. Tel Aviv has a reputation for hedonism and is said to be the world’s leading city for drug use. But the big city also has the best districts in the world and an incredible gastronomic scene. The capital is also very « gay friendly ». It could have had a better place if the inhabitants judged it better on happiness and housing prices.

Paris is only in 14th place …

Paris remains unbeatable for culture. However, it has lost points on the happiness of living there and on the high cost of housing. The reputation of a gastronomic city has lived on. For those who insist on driving, the city is used to congestion. As for parking your car in the wrong place, within 5 minutes you will have to pick it up at the pound. The French still have trouble speaking English and have little patience to help our tourists.

Singapore takes a slap

Among the cities interviewed by Times Out, Singapore received the lowest cultural rating from its inhabitants. Museums may be too expensive for the average Singaporean. They only have the cinema whose films will be censored. But everyone agrees on safety everywhere and for public transport. There are also many places to play sports. Restaurants are numerous and inexpensive in the « food court ». For the others, a little more resources will be needed.

The general classement

Chicago – Porto – New York – Melbourne – Londres – Madrid -Manchester – Lisbonne – Philadelphie – Lisbonne – Edinburgh – Tel Aviv – Austin – Paris – Mexico – Shanghai – San Francisco – Berlin – Tokyo – Los Angeles – Zurich – Pékin – Washington – Bangkok – Moscou – Hong Kong – Miami – Sydney – Dubaï – Boston – Singapour et Istanbul.

Serge Fabre