Monocle Magazine, a global news, culture, and fashion magazine recently named its top 25 cities - "a city that's well run, delivers on life's essentials and is fun too..." No US city made the cut. I tend to agree that few american cities are really getting it right. Now, yes, perhaps that's a symptom of being in America, subject to state and federal regulations and various funding conditions outside of the control of most municipalities, but surely there are meaningful lessons to be gleaned from these international frontiers. If I recall correctly, the Chamber visited Toronto last year. I wish they'd continue exploring cities beyond our borders as templates for success.
25) Oslo
24) Brisbane
23) Auckland
22) Fukuoka
21) Singapore
20) Paris
19) Barcelona
18) Dusseldorf
17) Kyoto
16) Amsterdam
15) Vancouver
14) Hong Kong
13) Sydney
12) Lisbon
11) Stockholm
10) Helsinki
09) Melbourne
08) Hamburg
07) Madrid
06) Berlin
05) Copenhagen
04) Zurich
03) Vienna
02) Tokyo
01) Munich
4 German cities? Oslo is a city of 600k. I'm interested in learning why it made the list over New York, San Fran, Seattle, Denver, Austin.... or a number of other American cities.
Quote from: Captain Zissou on August 29, 2018, 12:24:34 PM
4 German cities? Oslo is a city of 600k. I'm interested in learning why it made the list over New York, San Fran, Seattle, Denver, Austin.... or a number of other American cities.
Can't say why the magazine preferred a place like Oslo over NYC, but my sense is that while NY has a range of outstanding unmatched features, it fails on a number of points that the magazine appears to value and extol in other places: cleanliness of the rivers and creeks, tidy streets, cleanup and reuse of previously contaminated industrial zones, creative solutions to homelessness, gleaming and alluring public transit centers...etc
Here are a few descriptions of what's happening in Oslo quoted from the article:
"...innovative architecture and extended use of green space"
"Large swathes of land along the fjord, previously covered in shipping containers, have been transformed into new neighborhoods, complete with restaurants, offices, and kindergartens."
"You'll find few gated communities here and walking the streets at night feels safe."
"Bars stay open until 03.30, and if the drink prices put you off you are welcome to enjoy your own bottle of wine in a park."
"...city council's plans for a car-free city centre are at last coming to fruition."
"...a cycle culture is growing thanks to the investment in new bike lanes..."
I completely agree on the German cities. I'm in Germany twice a year and absolutely love my experience anywhere I go. Several very close friends are in Munich (I'll be there again next summer for a wedding), and I found Hamburg to be an indelible example of livability. Some of its lakefront neighborhoods were a bit reminiscent of Avondale/Ortega, but again, the commercial and retail plazas are pedestrian-scale, dense, clustered, mid-rise (very few skyscrapers and there needn't be to get vibrancy and international renown), with ease of access to breathtaking and open waterfront spaces.
HOW TF DID JAX NOT MAKE THE LIST >:(
I don't know how they arrived at this list. But I'd put NYC or San Francisco ahead of Paris. Or at least near.
Somehow Seoul is off the list, too? These lists always look a little goofy and non-scientific. Plus, it's a UK magazine, OF COURSE they're not gonna say anything nice about the USA.
Any list of "best cities" that excludes New York and Seoul is a joke. But hey, it's got us talking about it I guess.
Quote from: Tacachale on August 29, 2018, 02:55:44 PM
Any list of "best cities" that excludes New York and Seoul is a joke. But hey, it's got us talking about it I guess.
I live in NYC and visit tons of other global cities and can definitely see how NYC didn't make the cut. NYC is amazing - for the haves - for the upper echelons of income earners. For middle class earners, well outside of Manhattan and the reach of gentrification, it's OK, without all the sparkle and charm. Also, the conspicuous homelessness and untreated mental illness leave an impression that I really haven't found among the cities on the list that I've visited. As for our monuments to public transit, aside for the overpriced Oculus, our subway stations are dumpy and smelly, and we are still the home of a grimy and low-ceilinged and uninspiring Penn Station and Port Authority. Yes, Grand Central is spectacular, but based on volume, Penn Station is much more of a front door to the city - or shall I say, dirty doormat.
Quote from: jaxnyc79 on August 29, 2018, 03:33:49 PM
Quote from: Tacachale on August 29, 2018, 02:55:44 PM
Any list of "best cities" that excludes New York and Seoul is a joke. But hey, it's got us talking about it I guess.
I live in NYC and visit tons of other global cities and can definitely see how NYC didn't make the cut. NYC is amazing - for the haves - for the upper echelons of income earners. For middle class earners, well outside of Manhattan and the reach of gentrification, it's OK, without all the sparkle and charm. Also, the conspicuous homelessness and untreated mental illness leave an impression that I really haven't found among the cities on the list that I've visited. As for our monuments to public transit, aside for the overpriced Oculus, our subway stations are dumpy and smelly, and we are still the home of a grimy and low-ceilinged and uninspiring Penn Station and Port Authority. Yes, Grand Central is spectacular, but based on volume, Penn Station is much more of a front door to the city - or shall I say, dirty doormat.
It's also the cultural capital of the world, which some might say would put it up with the lofty heights of Auckland, New Zealand.
Quote from: Tacachale on August 29, 2018, 03:46:43 PM
Quote from: jaxnyc79 on August 29, 2018, 03:33:49 PM
Quote from: Tacachale on August 29, 2018, 02:55:44 PM
Any list of "best cities" that excludes New York and Seoul is a joke. But hey, it's got us talking about it I guess.
I live in NYC and visit tons of other global cities and can definitely see how NYC didn't make the cut. NYC is amazing - for the haves - for the upper echelons of income earners. For middle class earners, well outside of Manhattan and the reach of gentrification, it's OK, without all the sparkle and charm. Also, the conspicuous homelessness and untreated mental illness leave an impression that I really haven't found among the cities on the list that I've visited. As for our monuments to public transit, aside for the overpriced Oculus, our subway stations are dumpy and smelly, and we are still the home of a grimy and low-ceilinged and uninspiring Penn Station and Port Authority. Yes, Grand Central is spectacular, but based on volume, Penn Station is much more of a front door to the city - or shall I say, dirty doormat.
It's also the cultural capital of the world, which some might say would put it up with the lofty heights of Auckland, New Zealand.
As mentioned in my original post, the range of factors used to determine the list sought to identify and rank "a city that's well run, delivers on life's essentials and is fun too..."
Yes, NYC is culturally amazing and has a range of artistic and cultural accoutrements, as one would expect of a place with such an intense concentration of wealth, investment expertise, and capital markets infrastructure. That doesn't mean it's a city that is more responsive to the needs of all its residents than a place like Auckland, without vast disparities in quality of life, namely resulting from vast income disparities. New York will always have the best of everything given its status as the capital markets capital of the world, but if many of its splendors are largely reserved for the ultra-rich, I can see how a much smaller city that keeps its splendors in mint condition and fully accessible to the general public, could be very competitive.
Yes, NYC is legend, but if the factors gear more towards big city amenities with immense livability for all ages and income types, I can definitely see how NYC falls off the list. I'm saying this as someone who loves the city and has been here 13 years.
Quote from: jax_hwy_engineer on August 29, 2018, 02:29:06 PM
Plus, it's a UK magazine, OF COURSE they're not gonna say anything nice about the USA.
That has to be the stupidest thing I've read on this forum that wasn't posted by I-10.
(Well, maybe not
the stupidest, but pretty stupid).
Looks like Vancouver is only North American city on the list. It's def my favorite!
Quote from: sanmarcomatt on August 29, 2018, 05:25:03 PM
Quote from: Adam White on August 29, 2018, 04:59:10 PM
Quote from: jax_hwy_engineer on August 29, 2018, 02:29:06 PM
Plus, it's a UK magazine, OF COURSE they're not gonna say anything nice about the USA.
That has to be the stupidest thing I've read on this forum that wasn't posted by I-10.
(Well, maybe not the stupidest, but pretty stupid).
Please. Probably doesn't even make the top 2935.
Wait...you wouldn't read your own posts. Probably doesn't even make the top 10.
Thanks Matt. I was getting a bit worried that I was starting to actually like you.
Quote from: sanmarcomatt on August 30, 2018, 06:48:42 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 30, 2018, 03:49:02 AM
Quote from: sanmarcomatt on August 29, 2018, 05:25:03 PM
Quote from: Adam White on August 29, 2018, 04:59:10 PM
Quote from: jax_hwy_engineer on August 29, 2018, 02:29:06 PM
Plus, it's a UK magazine, OF COURSE they're not gonna say anything nice about the USA.
That has to be the stupidest thing I've read on this forum that wasn't posted by I-10.
(Well, maybe not the stupidest, but pretty stupid).
Please. Probably doesn't even make the top 2935.
Wait...you wouldn't read your own posts. Probably doesn't even make the top 10.
Thanks Matt. I was getting a bit worried that I was starting to actually like you.
That would put you in dark place.Bullet dodged. Actually, with no American cities on the list...let's say knife avoided instead.
No British cities, either. Not sure what the preferred method of dispatching one's adversaries is in Kyoto. Samurai sword? Dodgy currywurst or doner kebab in Berlin?
Quote from: Adam White on August 29, 2018, 04:59:10 PM
Quote from: jax_hwy_engineer on August 29, 2018, 02:29:06 PM
Plus, it's a UK magazine, OF COURSE they're not gonna say anything nice about the USA.
That has to be the stupidest thing I've read on this forum that wasn't posted by I-10.
(Well, maybe not the stupidest, but pretty stupid).
Sorry I got salt in your eye, pal. Having a sense of humor is important, ya know... so is taking things with a grain of salt. I'm not saying anything conspiratorial, just saying the global consensus on the US isn't all that great as of late, so I wouldn't really expect a UK publication to list a US city as one of their top 25 in the world.
Quote from: jax_hwy_engineer on August 30, 2018, 07:38:18 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 29, 2018, 04:59:10 PM
Quote from: jax_hwy_engineer on August 29, 2018, 02:29:06 PM
Plus, it's a UK magazine, OF COURSE they're not gonna say anything nice about the USA.
That has to be the stupidest thing I've read on this forum that wasn't posted by I-10.
(Well, maybe not the stupidest, but pretty stupid).
Sorry I got salt in your eye, pal. Having a sense of humor is important, ya know... so is taking things with a grain of salt. I'm not saying anything conspiratorial, just saying the global consensus on the US isn't all that great as of late, so I wouldn't really expect a UK publication to list a US city as one of their top 25 in the world.
Well, the UK is hardly a hotbed if anti-Americanism. And they love NYC and Florida, for some reason.
It's worth noting that there are no UK cities on the list (perhaps they are self-loathing, too) AND they listed Paris and four cities in Germany.
I went to Oslo last year, and the city is incredible. Walkable streets, clean, safe and great use of their waterfront. They deserve to be up on that list.
Quote from: Adam White on August 30, 2018, 07:43:15 AM
Quote from: jax_hwy_engineer on August 30, 2018, 07:38:18 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 29, 2018, 04:59:10 PM
Quote from: jax_hwy_engineer on August 29, 2018, 02:29:06 PM
Plus, it's a UK magazine, OF COURSE they're not gonna say anything nice about the USA.
That has to be the stupidest thing I've read on this forum that wasn't posted by I-10.
(Well, maybe not the stupidest, but pretty stupid).
Sorry I got salt in your eye, pal. Having a sense of humor is important, ya know... so is taking things with a grain of salt. I'm not saying anything conspiratorial, just saying the global consensus on the US isn't all that great as of late, so I wouldn't really expect a UK publication to list a US city as one of their top 25 in the world.
Well, the UK is hardly a hotbed if anti-Americanism. And they love NYC and Florida, for some reason.
It's worth noting that there are no UK cities on the list (perhaps they are self-loathing, too) AND they listed Paris and four cities in Germany.
Yeah, the whole list is a little strange, didn't even connect the dots about it not having any British cities.
My comment was tongue-in-cheek, not meant to be some social critique, so I took a bit of offense to having it called stupid, given it was said more or less in jest.
All in all, I dislike these lists. I've read a bunch of them pertaining to the USA, and they all tell me I need to move to Austin, TX or Denver, CO...
Quote from: jax_hwy_engineer on August 30, 2018, 08:25:26 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 30, 2018, 07:43:15 AM
Quote from: jax_hwy_engineer on August 30, 2018, 07:38:18 AM
Quote from: Adam White on August 29, 2018, 04:59:10 PM
Quote from: jax_hwy_engineer on August 29, 2018, 02:29:06 PM
Plus, it's a UK magazine, OF COURSE they're not gonna say anything nice about the USA.
That has to be the stupidest thing I've read on this forum that wasn't posted by I-10.
(Well, maybe not the stupidest, but pretty stupid).
Sorry I got salt in your eye, pal. Having a sense of humor is important, ya know... so is taking things with a grain of salt. I'm not saying anything conspiratorial, just saying the global consensus on the US isn't all that great as of late, so I wouldn't really expect a UK publication to list a US city as one of their top 25 in the world.
Well, the UK is hardly a hotbed if anti-Americanism. And they love NYC and Florida, for some reason.
It's worth noting that there are no UK cities on the list (perhaps they are self-loathing, too) AND they listed Paris and four cities in Germany.
Yeah, the whole list is a little strange, didn't even connect the dots about it not having any British cities.
My comment was tongue-in-cheek, not meant to be some social critique, so I took a bit of offense to having it called stupid, given it was said more or less in jest.
All in all, I dislike these lists. I've read a bunch of them pertaining to the USA, and they all tell me I need to move to Austin, TX or Denver, CO...
In retrospect, I realise I should've read it as tongue-in-cheek. As you might've inferred from my I-10 comment, it would appear that I assume the worst, based on previous experiences.
Quote from: jax_hwy_engineer on August 29, 2018, 02:29:06 PM
Somehow Seoul is off the list, too? These lists always look a little goofy and non-scientific. Plus, it's a UK magazine, OF COURSE they're not gonna say anything nice about the USA.
Notice how London is not on the list...don't see any city in the UK on it.
Can we get a link to the list in question. Monocle has several lists like this and at that they do them every year. It's not clear which one the original poster is looking at.
Quote from: bl8jaxnative on September 01, 2018, 01:55:07 PM
Can we get a link to the list in question. Monocle has several lists like this and at that they do them every year. It's not clear which one the original poster is looking at.
I only subscribe to the print version of Monocle. The aforementioned list is in Issue 115, July/August 2018. If you go to the Monocle website, you can see an image of the cover page where the list is referenced: "We Name Our Top 25 Cities in the World." You can't see the actual list and explanations unless you're a subscriber.
I love Monocle, but the list isn't totally in line with what I'd expect. Madrid before Barcelona? No Bangkok? Buenos Aires? Mexico City?
Hmm..
Quote from: ben says on September 03, 2018, 10:50:43 AM
I love Monocle, but the list isn't totally in line with what I'd expect. Madrid before Barcelona? No Bangkok? Buenos Aires? Mexico City?
Hmm..
Point taken. I would remind you it's not so much a list of must-see tourist destinations, but rather a livability ranking. Perhaps that doesn't change your point of view at all, but I thought I'd note that.
Quote from: jaxnyc79 on September 03, 2018, 10:55:02 AM
Quote from: ben says on September 03, 2018, 10:50:43 AM
I love Monocle, but the list isn't totally in line with what I'd expect. Madrid before Barcelona? No Bangkok? Buenos Aires? Mexico City?
Hmm..
Point taken. I would remind you it's not so much a list of must-see tourist destinations, but rather a livability ranking. Perhaps that doesn't change your point of view at all, but I thought I'd note that.
Yeah, saw that. Normally when I travel, I rate (like?) places on livability...and not whether or not it is a good tourist destination (Venice...good tourist destination...but rather not live there, ever).