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Of top cities in the world, Pittsburgh is best US city at 29th, Vancouver the best
We didn't realize that the US was such a terrible place to live until the Sydney Morning Herald reported it this morning. According to the Economist's 2009 liveability survey, Pittsburgh is the most liveable city in the United States of America, ranked 29th in the world.At the top of the list? Vancouver, Vienna, Melbourne,Toronto and Perth, giving Canada and Australia two of the top five cities in the world each. Dakar (Senegal,) Abidjan (Ivory Coast) and Kathmandu (Nepal) were at the bottom of the 131 polled cities.
"Liveability" was ranked using a number of factors including stability, health care, culture and environment, education, and infrastructure.
You can read the full report over at the Economist, although to read the entirety of the data you'll need to pay the modest $250 fee.
[via the Sydney Morning Herald]
Filed under: Europe, North America, United States, News
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
laurie Jun 9th 2009 9:27PM
that's cause pittsburgh has primanti brothers!
Natasha Jun 10th 2009 10:48AM
Don't hate on Pittsburgh. It is a great place to live (except maybe Jan & Feb)!
Lisa Jun 13th 2009 2:37PM
YAY!!!!!!! Now everyone knows about the hidden gem that Pittsburgh is, and oh, by the way, we have a couple of championship sports teams here, also!!
BigMike46 Jun 13th 2009 3:51PM
Congratulations to Pittsburgh and to all its residents, but...you can't believe all you read, especially on AOL. I recently retired to the Pacific Northwest and was pleased to see Vancouver finally getting the respect it deserves. However....(long, poignant pause....) the cities/towns in the USA south of Vancouver belong on the list without a doubt. Seattle and Portland and the smaller sized/populated places near them are wonderful choices for retirement. Check them out. Great real estate prices and real value for your money. Clean air, clean water and plenty of it, good roads and infrastructure, quite favorable tax situations....take a look...you will be surprised and pleased.
Grant Martin Jun 13th 2009 4:12PM
Mike,
Those data are from the economist, not AOL. Check it out here:
http://www.economist.com/markets/rankings/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13809770
Grant
fiona Jun 13th 2009 5:30PM
I've been to 90% of the major cities in the US and lived in Pittsburgh nearly all my life because of my family ties. Believe me, there are plenty better than Pgh....even with that criteria and most of the steel mills gone.
Michele Jun 13th 2009 6:44PM
You can't beat the Burgh! The people are the best, and that's what makes it so wonderful. There is so much to love about the city and the towns around. There's deep roots, lots of tradition, and let's not forget the Pens! You won't find the feeling that hangs in the air in that city anywhere else in the world!
Dean Jun 13th 2009 7:47PM
Don't forget the FBI violent crime statistics, Pittsburgh has had an extremely high murder and violent crime rate for many years (close to the highest in the country). Pittsburgh has rotten weather too. Rating Pittsburgh the best city the US has to offer is a load of hog wash.
james n. Jun 14th 2009 7:22AM
yeaa it's all good! but if that's the case it may not be all good forever. what time is it? we've had all kinds of role models of sportsmen and supersex symbles. so now maybe it's time for a model US city that we are proud of but which one is it?
Stephanie Jun 14th 2009 7:22AM
So two Canadian cities get points for health care, when so many Canadians are pouring over the border to get "elective" surgeries like hip replacements without waiting for months and months? I admit the US health care system needs help, but socialized medicine doesn't work either. (I've lived in the UK for 15 months now, and the health system is a mess. I don't know where Michael Moore found all those NHS fans, but the only ones I find are people who work for the NHS -- and not all of them.)
Barb Jun 14th 2009 7:40AM
I was lucky enough to travel to Pittsburgh quite often. Other than driving downtown (which will drive an outsider nuts), it is a great place with great people!
Sam Jun 14th 2009 7:48AM
Where can I get some of the drugs that the surveyors at the Sydney Morning Herald are using? They've got to be great drugs ... because they almost completely erase all aspects of reality and intelligence ... I need those drugs!
James Roberts Jun 14th 2009 8:01AM
The only reason Pittsburg was named is because Iron Mike Ditka would bust the chops of anyone who said otherwise.
georgechevy1 Jun 14th 2009 8:30AM
I highly doubt it. Also an Auseralian paper giving itself two top spots along with its bastard sister Canada, real fair and honest. NOT.
Susan Jun 14th 2009 8:59AM
Its ALL about demographics. When the population is more of one type and less of another, its just better. Better schools, better health care, less crime . . and on and on and on!
Monica White Jun 14th 2009 2:46PM
Of all the comments posted to this blog, yours are probably the worst and most dangerous of all.
You've got to be kidding yourself Susan. Any city where you, and others like you, are located can't be that pristine with the "best" of anything. Your presence, lack of intelligence and strong sense of bigotry is strong enough to infect an entire nation. Your view, and views like yours, is precisely what keeps the United States unraveling and falling to levels which is considered far from the "best".
"Miss America" please repeat & recite the following:
I pledge allegience to the flag of the United States
of America...and to the republic, for which it stands,
one nation under GOD, with liberty and justice for ALL.
Rinse well and repeat.
The Constitution of the United States should be read
in the same manner. The Bible can't hurt you to read also and often. I will contine to pray for you, and others like you.
denise Jun 14th 2009 9:10AM
You can believe that Pittsburgh is the most livable city. We moved here 5 years ago for my husband's job. The real estate prices are unbelievably cheap compared to most major cities and great school districts too. There is theater, top rated health care, major universities with Allegheny County (where Pittsburgh is located) including Carnegie Mellon, University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University, and museums such as the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, The Children's Museum, the National Aviary and the Pittsburgh Zoo just to mention a few. There's a lively night life all over the city. There's over 15,000 acres of parks and parkland all over the place so there is a lot of green space here too.
The people are wonderful here and go out of their way to make you feel welcome and it's just not the wave of the hand as you drive by. Great people who really become your friends. You get invited to BBQ's, come over and sit on the deck and have a drink and there's nothing like a Pittsburgh wedding reception. None of that tea and cookies BS. It's a real party with dancing and music well into the night. The ethnic food shops and restaurants give you a wide variety from Thai to African to some of the most authentic and best Italian ANYWHERE. If you get lost while driving and ask directions, they will have you follow them until you are back on track.
And once you see a football game here, you understand why they say they "bleed black and gold". They are incredible and loyal fans.
We've lived in San Diego, Dallas, Tampa, and Raleigh and we hope to stay here even after my husband retires. January and February aren't great but spring is breathtaking and fall is a visual feast for the eyes. Pittsburgh deserves this honor.
Pelly pell Jun 14th 2009 10:21AM
How can you compare pitt to Dallas, Tampa, and Ral,NC there is no comparison! The housing market alone kills it compare a 4000sq ft house price in texas anywhere to a house of the same stature in pitt u gotta be a millionare to buy it case closed!!!! HOLLA
Otter Jun 14th 2009 9:17AM
Pittsburgh is a dirty city. Everyone there thinks the ground is thier personnel garbage can. I lived there for 4 years and could not wait for our daughter to graduate high school so we could get out of there. The people walk the streets like they are affraid of talking to anybody that is not from thier neighborhood. I have noticed that almost everytime someone is walking toward you they will put thier head down and look slightly away so as to be sure you can not make eye contact with them to say a pleasant hello. The bus system is horrible and always asking for more money. Smoking is everywhere and they are not even considerate enough to blow the smoke away from you. The medical facilities are top notch but other than that I can't say anything good about the place. Did I mention the state, city and school taxes that are high too. But at least the weather is great ( Ha, Ha, Ha) Sorry Pittsburgh but you should just bulldoze everything and try again.
Joe Jun 14th 2009 9:47AM
I would say Cleveland blows Pittsburgh away - just about everything is better here from the medical facilities to the arts - but the one thing that hurts Cleveland is the high percentage of minorities in the city itself (fortunately, the suburbs have very few minorities and are exceptionally nice. Although HUD is changing that by buying hosues and moving minorities in from the projects, totally estroying the burbs.) This has lead to extremely high crime rates - especially murders and other drug related crimes. No city can be a "good city" (i.e. decent place to live, low crime, good schools, etc....) once the percentage of minorities reaches 30% or more, according to some sociologist that did a study on this. I'm not sure how scientific the study was but if you look at US cities with a population of minorities greater than 30%, I would say he was 100% right!