World’s Best Cities

[William]

Florence tops the list of World’s Best Cities for a second time this year and is joined again by some lovely perennials—Rome, New York, and Sydney. But this year, Travel + Leisure readers prove that they’re also intrepid and curious, giving high marks to far-flung cities like Beirut and Kathmandu.
Top 10 Cities Overall

Rank Last Year Name 2006 Score
1 4 Florence 87.09
2 3 Rome 86.15
3 2 Bangkok 86.11
4 1 Sydney 85.94
5 5 Chiang Mai, Thailand 85.62
6 8 Cape Town 85.39
7 n/a Buenos Aires 85.03
8 6 New York 84.75
9 n/a Beirut 84.38
10 10 San Francisco 84.29

source: 2006 World's Best Cities | Travel + Leisure

[William]

A little suprised to see neither London nor Paris in that list, both of which I thought were popular travel destinations

[slimboyfat]

i think people were voting for beirut for a laugh weren't they?

[buadhai]

Korat probably just missed at number 11, right?

[aging one]

Too low for SF.

[benbaaa]

Bladdy Thaiophiles, the lot of 'em. Two Thai cities in the top five. And no mention of Bournemouth. Pah!

[slimboyfat]

wtf is there at Florence anyway?

[Itchy]

I've lived (one year or more) and studied/worked in:

London
Birmingham
Oxford
Edinburgh
Amsterdam
Paris
New York
Tokyo
Singapore
Bangkok
Hanoi
I'm currently in Rome


I’ve spent less than one year, but more than three months in

Frankfurt
The Hague
Manila
Liverpool
Glasgow


My personal favorite for a place to live is Edinburgh, Rome is tops the ‘wow’ factor and London is the city I would say offers the widest breadth of accessible experiences.

I found The Hague was the worst, closely followed by Liverpool.

For me Bangkok rates as “so so”.

[Itchy]

wtf is there at Florence anyway?

If you have to ask, there's no point trying to explain.

[slimboyfat]

wtf is there at Florence anyway?

If you have to ask, there's no point trying to explain.

yeah you're probably right. its in italy isnt it?

i agree with you about liverpool

i was only there for a couple of days to do an exam at the marine office there but i wasnt impressed.

even though i passed

[Bobcock]

Doubt Beirut will hold it's top 10 place next year....

[slimboyfat]

so anyway that list is a bit crappy in my humble opinion.

anyone care to list their own favourites? heres my top 10

1. Truro
2. London
3. Singapore
4. Bangkok
5. Rio de Janiero
6. New Orleans
7. San Francisco
8. Saigon
9. Cape Town
10. Kaohsiung

not based on any of that culture nonsense - only on good nights out i have had

[William]

Not sure when you were last in Kaapstad, but the place sucked.

*and it has been so long since I spoke Afikaans, I had to check how many "a"'s where in the name

Apart from that Rio would come ahead of Bangkok, London and Singapore.

For me, depending how I feel, likely going to be:

1.= Rio
1.= Mombasa (but I understand the place has changed in the last 2 decades)
3. Paris (I wouldn't want to live there, but boy do I enjoy my nights out there)
4. Newcastle (one of the finest place I've ever visited)
5. Rhodes, Greece (my much younger days, but we still have a house in the Greek islands, so no list would be right without one mention)
6. Hong Kong (probably the only city in the world I've been happy both at work and play. Only problem is, it's no fun if you're married)
7. Bridgetown, Barbados (probally where I learnt to play cricket. It was the 70s and the friendliest place on earth. Again, I understand this has changed)
8. Barcelona (as with Paris, not sure what Barcelona does for me, but I always enjoy it - must be the food!)
9. Cardiff (because this is where we beat the Welsh at rugby, at the Arm's Park - and you'll have never have met a more drunk 16 year school boy!)
10. Here and now, Bangkok.... (because one never knows what's round the next corner...)

[machangezi]

Quetta has got to be the world's best city!

[slimboyfat]

william - i was there in 1995 (i think that was the year). maybe it was good because i had just signed off a supertanker after being on board for 4 months without touching land. it was also the day after south africa won the rugby world cup.

and i scored with a rather nice lady

[William]

^ the "Table" still has to be one of the finest sights any sailor sees (in Southern Africa).

We (should read my family) currently still habe a place in Stellenbosch. Great place SA, but has the Devil's people...

[William]

Also, I bet FP never has to buy another drink in his life. These days we worry about trying to beat the bloody Aussies as home

[Mr Earl]

I avoid big cities lately.
But Bangkok and KL are pleasant in their own ways.

I lived in Paris for a few years and would be a great place except too many french people live there.

As far a pretty cities go Wash. D.C. has to be one of the prettiest with all the grand parks, monuments, Museums and such.

New York has it's virtues as well, too expensive though.

[endure]

william - i was there in 1995 (i think that was the year). maybe it was good because i had just signed off a supertanker after being on board for 4 months without touching land.

Are you a merchant person? Which branch? My record was 5.5 months without a foot shore.

[slimboyfat]

william - i was there in 1995 (i think that was the year). maybe it was good because i had just signed off a supertanker after being on board for 4 months without touching land.

Are you a merchant person? Which branch? My record was 5.5 months without a foot shore.

i worked on Chevron tankers from 1991 to 1996, and BP tankers from 1996 to 2003. Ended up as mate, and now working ashore.

[Bobcock]

9. Cardiff (because this is where we beat the Welsh at rugby, at the Arm's Park - and you'll have never have met a more drunk 16 year school boy!)

You obviously not English then....they hardly won at the 'Arms Park' during most people here's lifetime.

Of course the stadium wasn't actually called Cardiff Arms Park.

[Marmite the Dog]

You obviously not English then

True.

[Itchy]

If I were English I'd go easy on the Welsh for now, they are after all lending you their national stadium again for next year's footy finals.

[daveboy]

Its gotta be London, where else can you get pie & mash with green liquor.

[Lady Hawk]

^ yuk that liquor stuff is horrible,and jellied eel's yuk yuk yuk