City "livability" study: Vienna #1

Posted by Thomas (Vienna, Austria) on 05/27/10 12:19 AM

Sorry! Gotta brag.
Having said that, this survey is --of course-- subjective and looks at it from the perspective of a company looking to post employees worldwide. There are, no doubt, strong arguments to be made for other criteria and other cities. Having spent time in Chicago, NY, L.A., San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Honolulu, I can say that those cities also great places and a lot of fun. Nonetheless, I also gotta say Vienna is deservedly rated high. It's pretty sweet.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/money/2010/may/26/vienna-tops-quality-of-living-list

Posted by Pearl

Wannavacation

05/27/10 05:07 AM

19 posts

Vienna is indeed a lovely city and it is well deserved! Where do I sign up to transfer?

Posted by Elaine

Columbia, SC

05/27/10 02:28 PM

989 posts

You're preaching to my choir. I spent a week there last summer - borrowed a flat in the 4th district - and I loved Vienna. I have considered it a retirement option but a job transfer there would be even sweeter. Does anyone know if there's BlueCross/Shield of Austria??? (joke, but I wish I was more internationally marketable).

Posted by Roy

Auburn, Alabama

05/28/10 05:32 AM

1064 posts

Frankfurt is also in the top 10. That is what Jo has been saying all along. I have to agree; having spent two years there in the Army many years ago, I have long had a special feeling for Frankfurt. Munich is also in the top 10, of course, and so is Dusseldorf. But, as much as I like Vienna, I would place it in the bottom half of my list of top 10 cities. With so many 19th and 20th century government buildings, it reminds me of Washington, D.C.

Posted by John

St. Petersburg, FL, USA

05/28/10 08:07 AM

104 posts

Got to agree with Vienna as being quite liveable. Went there for the first time in 2007 and just loved it. Have to wonder why Rick didn't include Austria in his Eating in Europe country section in "Europe through the back door" book. The schnitzel alone should rank it pretty high but when you add in all the pastries and desserts, it's a no brainer!

Posted by Ms. Jo

Frankfurt, Germany

05/28/10 11:30 PM

9146 posts

Frankfurt, Munich and Dusseldorf are consistently in the top 10. They just seem to trade places each year, though Dusseldorf comes out ahead most often. Last year, Munich and Frankfurt were tied.

Yeah, I am always thrilled when this comes out every year and Frankfurt is in the top ten. It truly is a great city to be in. Walkable, good public transport, cultural activities galore, over 40 museums, over 40 parks, festivals all the time, lots of historic preservation going on, safe, fairly clean, good medical care and insurance, good universities, and very near to lots of outdoor spaces for hiking. The Taunus Mountains are so pretty.