sassy_cat

Cold, Ok, I will.
My DH has a business meeting on Friday 10th so we'll be there a day or two either side as it's a long drive from MA.

Echnaton

>>>What an utterly depressing list.<<<

Somehow, I get the impression that you do not know what you are talking about.

Who has been to Vienna and experienced the city more than superficially? - Anybody who knows Vienna will agree

- that the city's architecture is magnificent,
- that Vienna's cultural life is outstanding, with a theatre and an opera which belong to the leading institutions of their kind in the world,
- that Vienna has excellent museums,
- that Vienna has a wide range of bars, cafés and restaurants,
- that Vienna is a most cosmopolitain city with a high degree of cultural diversity,
- that Vienna has a most stimulating intellectual life,
- that Vienna has lots of recreational opportunities including easy access to the Danube cities (Prague, Budapest etc.).

For centuries, Vienna has been home of musicians, composers, philosophers, writers, scientists - and it still is.

If you do not trust Mercer: Why do you think has the OPEC made Vienna its headquarters? And the sheiks are people who can afford to go anywhere (BTW, they also like Geneve).

I could make similar lists for each other European top-10 city.

Who of you knows Düsseldorf? With the most elegant shopping street of all European cities? With the largest bar & entertainment district? With its outstanding contemporary arts scene?

These qualities were the reason why Japanese firms chose Düsseldorf as their headquarter for continental Europe. There are some 8,000 Japanese people (mostly managerial) living in Düsseldorf, with a Japanese hotel, a Japanese cultural center, Japanese grocery stores and a lot of high-end Japanese restaurants.

You probably know nothing about it just because a certain Rick Steves writes nothing about it.

The Mercer people are learned people and their list is serious business, made with using a refined methodology.

Fodorites, you are invited to open your minds to learn about places which might have been overlooked in the past.

otherchelebi

Do not advertise Vienna and Dusseldorf too much. Everyone living in Paris, rome, London, new York, istanbul will now rush there, as if the inhabitants do not have enough problems with the Sheikhs and the japanese.

And thank you for condescending to write on this thread.

danon

Visited Vienna several times...good place for coffee and cake.

as for museums, bars, cafes, architecture, music,and cosmopolitan feel...I will take Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Rome , London ,New York any time.

logos999

Go live in Frankfurt, it's almost as awful there as in London.
"What would you do, if your company foreced you to move to Frankfurt?". "Shoot myself!"
That is the common perception of Münchners about Krankfurt. London otoh could be located on the moon, nobody cares about place at all.

I like the rudeness of the folks in Vienna. Even their swear words and insults sound melodic. It's the local dialect.

StCirq

I've been to all of those places except Auckland and Sydney, most of them multiple times. While I will agree that Vienna has magnificent cultural offerings, you couldn't pay me anything to live there. Bunch of dour people dressed like dolls eating sausage and whipped cream. Same for any of the Swiss or German cities, though I have enjoyed many visits to some of them. But LIVE there? Hell no. Give me New York, San Francisco, Chicago, London, Paris, Rome, Lyon, Bologna, Fez, heck...New Orleans. Someplace with, y'know, a bit of an unsanitized wild side?

Aduchamp1

If you do not trust Mercer: Why do you think has the OPEC made Vienna its headquarters?

Because it is the best place in the world to artificially fix oil prices?

So why does Mercer have its headquarters in NYC, if it ranked 49th?

mari5

The choices are fairly personal, but I think a very special city has been left out of this discussion........but then I'm probably partial because we lived there for two years....a LONG time ago
Lisbon, Portugal

It has a LOT going for it,,,,beautiful city, very nice happy people, good living situations and housing, and very reasonable prices compared to a lot of Europe, and on and on. Lots to see and do....and can be be cosmopolitan in a very natural relaxed way.

ThinGorjus

The Viennese are fat from eating too much Sacher torte. Waltzing doesn't offer much exercise.

Jorg Haider was a closet homosexual who liked underage rent boys and cocaine. He was killed in a high-speed drunk driving accident.

Gee, what a figurehead for the Republik Osterreich.

Thin

travelgourmet

I've actually lived in Zurich. This list is shite if it makes #2.

logos999

The decadence of the Republik ÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖÖsterreich (="Republic Austrian Empire") is unmatched. That's why most people (me included) love it.

The republic is an empire.
The ÖÖÖÖ matters, only ... would omit it.

chazzarelli

I'm shocked Baghdad Iraq was last. I've been there a few times and I've found an even worse place than that h*ll hole. Try any city in Afghanistan (granted I'm not quite living downtown in either location but still).

From my accomodations at an undisclosed area in both Baghdad and Afghanistan (Southern City and Northern City) the Afghan ones are FAR WORSE! HAHA

My thoughts on the actual top 10 - I'm not really surprised by any of them. Been to most except for Aukland and Sydney, and all of them are amazing places.