The list has a number of clear biases: It values quieter, smaller and slower. For those that have a preference for that style of life it might be a fine list. But for many of us world class cities are a preference -- NY and London are prime examples in the West -- and they tend to be larger or if not larger at least more sophisticated such as Paris. For my entire lifetime -- I was born in NYC in 1947 -- New York has been universally acknowledged as the world's leading city although not, by many standards, the most livable. Most livable is so subjective as to be virtually beyond measurement. Clearly the city on the rise is Shanghai and some might consider it the worlds leading city already. I have not been there but my guess is that designation is still premature ... but not by much. I have little doubt that sometime within the next 10 to 20 years Shanghai will be considered the world's leading city yet ranked one of the least livable large cities. I also have no doubt that ranking cities as "most livable" is inane. Most livable for Einstein, Steinbeck, Pollock, John Lennon, JP Morgan and those that want to be in a city where people like that live or a city like Vienna where few talk above a whisper? The NYC winters are starting to drive me nuts and I may opt for a milder climate at some point. If I do head for the sun someday I am more likely to end up in Recife -- http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~sergiok/brasil/recife.html -- than Panama City, FL. That said, there are many in the Northeast that would consider the "Redneck Riviera" (their phrase, not mine) as their place in the sun. The English have an expression "horses for courses" and that is why livable is an almost useless judgment. Livable for who ... Lloyd Blankfein or the guy who runs the one man Edward Jones office in East Bumfuck Georgia? You know that guy ... he sells munis to farmers and, while not a NASCAR fan, he can and does speak about it in some detail with his clients. Lloyd thinks NASCAR is an obscure exchange in a small third world country and he keeps meaning to put someone on the case to see if they can arb something -- ANYTHING -- against something, somewhere ... ANYWHERE! And we all know the guy in East Bumfuck may well be happier and more content than Lloyd ... hey, no one ever curses at him on the street or demonstrates in front of his storefront office. Horses for courses ladies and gentleman. It has always been thus and shall forever remain so.
it seems to me every business is more lucrative in San Diego than on the west coast of fla, except maybe medicine. I lost a lot of money in real estate in florida so I had to start making money quickly. So for me the choice was obvious, I moved back here to do some of the things i had done before trading and that was real estate law and real estate. right now I find San Diego to be one of the most livable cities in the world because I can afford it. However, I realize that can quickly change in my profession.
How affordable is San Diego? Surely, FL is far more affordable then San Diego. Perhaps you mean more affordable because you can make more money there. Also you moved from a state where you paid zero state income taxes to one where you pay 10% or thereabouts. Doesn't that equalize things at all? Not to mention the cost of housing?
its odd... but people in ca seem more willing to work together to make more money. almost everybody on the west coast of florida was trying to keep every nickel. there was no synergy. I despise the state income tax and that is why I moved... if I still made a living trading I would still be in florida. but for business I have business opportunities in San Diego I am too busy to pursue. Fla seemed dead to me. there was no synergy. I live in a nice subdivision in san diego, but far from the best... where there are hundreds of people making 6 figure in their jobs. In Sarasota and bradenton, I only knew a few people in the medical field with six figures jobs or businesses. I also knew maybe one tennis pro, a couple of realtors and one lawyer who made six figures. that is just the way i saw things. san diego, possibilities, west coast of florida... fishing golf and tennis for those who do not need a job. same type of subdivision similar people same education.
That's very interesting. I think part of why the west coast of FL is dead, especially the Sarasota area, is because of the number of retirees. Tampa has a decent economy but that's about it. I wonder what's driving the economy of San Diego. Is it the defense industry. Sure, there are doctors and lawyers up the wazoo, all wealthy enclaves have their share of that demographic, but where else are people making their money in Sand Diego specifically? Not really a hotbed of finance or banking. Not a big retail area. Tourism probably plays second fiddle to LA. I can't imagine there is an manufacturing jobs there. Yet at the same time, it's not exactly all retirees either.
Wikipedia??? Thats your professional source??? Grow a brain. Most of those minorities?? The majority is still white because 80% are European... he just said that. You cannot get any whiter than 80%? Umm how about 100%? Please read your own remarks before you puke them out... Latinos go to the states because it is closer, other minorities come to Canada because we are more welcoming. Plus we are still mostly white because really only the cites are multicultural, the towns are still predominantly white because the jobs are scarcer, but because of a rise in Urbanization, soon that number will change.
Judging by neighbors and friends.. many people are employed in bio tech industry. composites qcom intuit second tier tech all sorts of communications tech homeland and defense tech alternative sports agents products and promoters Lots of real estate technology providers boat loads of video game developers and head of the industry. medical device guys and gals and all sorts of sales people who do well. many companies moved down here from silicon valley houses are still overpriced and many people are not paying their mortgages... but many of the food establishments are still packed.
Glad to see such enthusiasm on this thread. However, it should not be caled 'most liveable'. Having lived in Melbourne most of my life and now living in Vancouver it puzzles me how Vancouver keeps getting rated so high every year. I could discuss at length why it doesn't belong on the list but instead will urge anyone visting Australia to go to Melbourne anytime of the year to see how much beetter a city it is.