It’s the Big Apple that everyone wants to bite into. The city that never sleeps where the lights shine bright and the ads stand tall. It was Gotham before Batman and it’s home to the largest slices of pizza, the Ninja Turtles and even Taylor Swift.
It’s Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York baby and it has once again been named the World’s Best City.
According to the 2017 edition of the Ipsos Top Cities Index, the Big Apple maintained the top spot as the most livable, workable and travelable (yes, Merriam Websters says that’s a word) city among some 18,557 adults aged 16-64 living across 26 countries.
Image: Frank Kohntopp/Unsplash
Maintaining the #1 rank since the last 2013 Index, NYC was particularly popular among Millennials, Gen X and Gen Z because of its reputation as a place to do business and its diversity.
Closely following New York City was Abu Dhabi, which leapfrogged past Paris and London from 4th spot in 2013 to the 2nd position in 2017. This jump came after a a shift in perception among travellers, who now recognise the city’s potential.
Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Association’s Director General, HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, said the result is a testament to the “ongoing efforts to establish the Emirate as not only a tourist destination of distinction, but a location that international communities want to work, live and do business in”.
“It’s distinct popularity among the younger generations highlight the need for global cities to diversify and innovate to sustain their position and strength as business and tourism hubs.”
HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Association Director General
Of course, Abu Dhabi’s rise means that London was pushed from the 2nd to the 3rd spot, while Paris dropped from 3rd to 4th.
Rounding off the top 10 list of World’s Best Cities were Sydney (5th), Zurich (6th), Tokyo (7th), Rome (8th), Los Angles (9th) and Amsterdam (10th).