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Time Out's "Best Cities in the World" 2022

Hello! Time Out is a great resource I've used to find things to do and see while visiting many cities. They just released their yearly "Best Cities in the World" for 2022, looks like Scotland won big this time :)

  1. Edinburgh, Scotland
    This is a city full of warmth that encourages self-expression across communities via its art, culture and nightlife. It’s progressive and forever welcoming of all groups (no wonder 88 percent of locals told us it was easy to ‘express who you are’ in the city).

  2. Chicago, USA
    After two years of on-off restrictions, we’ve come out stronger and more united, and now our beloved Midwest metropolis is thriving again – so much so, it was voted the funnest city in the world this year, too. Whether you want to try world-class dining, party until 4am at historic clubs, spend a day soaking up the sun along Lake Michigan, see iconic artworks or just wander among different neighbourhoods, there’s never a dull moment to be had (yes, even when winter rolls around).

  3. Medellín, Colombia
    Known as the City of Eternal Spring, Medellín offers more than just good weather year round. Fervently proud of their city (this being the only one in Colombia to have a metro system), the Paisa people are brimming with energy, entrepreneurship and curiosity; it’s really hard not to make good friends here.

  4. Glasgow, Scotland
    Casual kindness and good humour prevail in the city voted friendliest in this year’s Index. Glasgow excels at being outgoing and at going out. The city also ranked well overall thanks to its vast amount of green space and the variety of things to do.

  5. Amsterdam, Netherlands
    In many ways, Amsterdam is the perfect destination. It brims with great places to see art and pick up jazzy gifts, but is also damn chilled out; it’s large enough to reward exploration yet still eminently walkable (or cyclable!) The city combines a buzzy social scene and vibrant nightlife with tolerance and diversity.

  6. Prague, Czech Republic

  7. Marrakech, Morocco

  8. Berlin, Germany

  9. Montreal, Canada

  10. Copenhagen, Denmark

Here's the full list: https://www.timeout.com/things-to-do/best-cities-in-the-world

Posted by
6813 posts

Thank god, my city was spared for a change. Whew, that's a relief!

My condolences to the residents of Edinburgh, Chicago, Medellin, etc.

Posted by
11948 posts

Every year, we quiz thousands of city-dwellers worldwide about life in their hometown right now. We want to know about the restaurant scene and the bar circuit. The theatre and the art galleries. The nightlife and the dating apps. What the neighbours are like and which neighbourhoods are actually cool. The idea is to create a global snapshot of city living, and point people in the direction of the places locals are really raving about.

I wonder if all criteria are equally weighted ( and if not, how is it weighted) and if a the sample is statistically valid.

Some criteria are irrelevant to how I choose a travel destination.

Interesting, but of no practical value for me.

Posted by
4184 posts

Yeah maybe Time Out is for the different demographic that the usual RS crowd lol 😆

Posted by
129 posts

I'm always wary of lists like these, whether they be lists of the best cities to live or the best cities for travelling. There are a lot of great cities in the world, and what should be on any "best of" list ultimately comes down to personal preference. Also, it's not like any of the cities listed here are hidden gems that need the recognition.

Posted by
8124 posts

No arguments, they are all great cities. I have always loved Amsterdam, my first European city, and often a gateway city for me, so been there 6 or 8 times. In 2019 when I was there, parts were so packed I was glad to leave. It was nice to get to a quiet part, but the crowds were oppressive. I was there again last November, during the Pandemic, obviously no crowds, but rather than being vibrant with a small crowd, it was just dead, many places shut down, most everything closed at 6:00 PM, Restaurants at 8:00 PM. I sincerely hope they can find a happy medium.

Posted by
4184 posts

I visited Chicago back in Summer 2019, I quite liked it, I actually preferred over New York City, although both offer similar things, world-class museums, excellent green space, over priced hot dogs lol 😆

Posted by
15020 posts

It was reported on CNN that Vienna was still Number 1....Vienna retained that distinction.

Posted by
3102 posts

Having grown up a train ride from Chicago, and having visited NYC on many occasions, I would take a week in Chicago over a week in NYC anytime. Chicago has problems, especially right now, but it is a great city.

Posted by
9022 posts

It seems to me that cities just take turns being on these lists. Whichever have the best PR budgets make it.

Posted by
12315 posts

Nightlife, dating apps and bar circuit aren't on my list when I choose a destination. Clearly, I'm not the target audience for their "Best".