Oxford Economics comes out with a yearly, scientific study of the world’s best cities. The group analyzes a city’s economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance and combines them into an overall score. It’s probably no surprise that Western democracies score well, but you might be surprised (a bit) by the number four entry on the list. Note, also, that Canadian cities did quite well, as did the major cities in Europe, the U.S.A. (especially California), and Australia. New Zealand also has a couple entries. Here’s the top 25 for this year. New York City London Paris Seattle Read more
Melbourne
The folks at Time Out have a nice, new list of the world’s top food cities. I’m quite shocked that Japan didn’t place any city in the top 10, and that only one Japanese city (Osaka) made the top 20. I’m also surprised that only two cities in North America (only one in the U.S.) cracked the top 20. Still, it’s an interesting, tasty list that includes a few cities you might not expect to see. Here’s their full top 20. Lima, Perun (I’ve never been to Peru, but Peruvian cuisine is excellent) Bangkok, Thailand (fabulous street food and very Read more
It’s been a rough go for Hawaii of late. Visits from Canada are down, and they’ve struggled to regain their once super-strong Japanese market. There’s also, of course, the devastating fire that destroyed most of the lovely, funky town of Lahaina. Maui in 2023. On top of all that, the state suffered a series of devastating rainstorms over the past couple weeks when a Kona low, an unusual low-pressure weather system, parked itself over the island for days on end. There was some damage to roads and infrastructure, but I’m happy to report that the skies are sunny again and Read more
The people who run the Global Liveability Index have come out with an exhaustive ranking of world cities. The top ten list is dominated by Europe and Australia, but Canada placed four cities in the top 20, which is nothing to sneeze at. According to Time Out, The Global Liveability Index rated more than 170 world cities based on five major factors. They are stability (such as the threat of conflict or prevalence of petty crime); healthcare (availability of over-the-counter drugs, quality of public healthcare); culture and environment (temperatures, levels of censorship); education (availability and quality of private education) and Read more
Los Angeles Tourism invites visitors to experience the cultural explosion of events, exhibits and future openings that are redefining the city’s art scene. Los Angeles, and the surrounding region, will come together for Southern California’s landmark arts event, PST ART: Art & Science Collide, kicking off on September 15th with 70+ gallery and museum exhibitions opening concurrently across the city. The Destination Crenshaw project continues to take shape in South LA, while the surrounding neighborhood offers a cultural hub of arts organizations, galleries and dining to visit in the area. Lastly, the city’s major cultural institutions are debuting significant Read more










