h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Dublin's a great city, but you can't beat Bolton, although Birmingham and Aberystwyth run close.

For all you unfortunate people who have never visited Bolton, it's where the M61 is cobbled.

Just to upset the pot that seems to be brimming with western/white world cities,

Kyoto is probably the best city in the world...

Its small enough to be friendly but not sparse (population 1 million),
Its surrounded by mountains in all directions,
It has a densely packed centre for the nightlife/pleasure/seekers,
It has literally thousands of cafes/eateries/drinkeries,
Bars/pubs are open 'till 5am (some don't even bother closing).
It has thousands of ancient temples and shrines for mellowing out at.
The people are really friendly and generous,
Really good sukiyaki (thinly sliced beef fried in sugar and soy sauce and dipped in raw egg before eating - sounds bad - tastes bloody delicious!!)
Thousands of years of tradition, style and sophistication

Welcome! I think it's because most of the previous posters come from white western backgrounds that those are our favourite places. I don't think I'd be as comfortable as you are in Tokyo for that reason: I don't share enough of the culture. I do try very hard not to live in a foreigners' enclave (which hasn't always been possible in China, for example)but none of my current neighbours(in Hong Kong) speaks any English which is one of the reasons I'm happy here, though it doesn't make it to my top ten.

I'd say Amsterdam any time. There are so many different kinds of people there, it's slightly chaotic (in a very good way), the Amsterdam accent is one of the friendliest I've ever heard. I don't know, guess that whenever I go to Amsterdam, I feel at home

Amsterdam - The nicest people, the nicest atmosphere, it is just a lovely place.........
BCNU - Crescent

Hard to choose a favourite, but im surprised Stockholm hasn't made it into anyones lists yet - gotta love that archipelago, so much water and so clean - cold? Ok Ill give you that, but so beautiful and so many friendly Swedes

I must say it is heartening to see all you Brits putting Sydney up there, but what about little Adelaide - the city of Churches, admitedly an overgrown country town, but that's the beauty of it. Can be dreary in winter, but so pretty in summer

Im also with the vote for Prague - loved it, mind you I was there not long after the iron curtain came down and when it was still czechoslovakia - it may have changed now.

What about Malmo in Sweden - love that too, as well as Copenhagen

They'd have to be my favourite 5

London? Grey, wet, old.
Sydney? Hyped, vain, commercialised.
New York? Glamourised, hectic, overdone.
Dublin? Quaint, touristy, cold.

MELBOURNE
If variety be the spice of life, then Melbourne be the stuff of dreams. The spice rack of the world. It is new, it has the variety of weather, with four easily discernible seasons. It has the best nightlife in Australia (all you Sydneysiders needn't pipe up here. After the Olympics are over and the tourists and international media have left you there like a used contraceptive, Melbourne will still be here as vibrant as ever while you go into the clean-up and inevitable economic winter). The most cosmopolitan attitude. Sensible real estate prices. People as friendly as you will find anywhere in the world. Melbourne is the HOME of Australian Rules Football. Melbourne is only 2 hours drive from the ski-fields in winter. Melbourne's restaurants are second to none regardless of what your tastes are, it can cater for all. Melbourne has the St'Kilda festival, the Grand Prix, and Moomba. Melbourne has everything for everybody. If it sounds like I am biased....fair enough. I grew up in Melbourne so that is only natural. But I count myself as rare among Australians in that I have lived in every state of Australia except for Tasmania, for varying lengths of time (including four years in Sydney) and I am still constantly surprised and impressed by Melbourne and its immense appeal to all who visit it. Cheers and no hard feelings, BFM.

Hi,
a man of taste, If I didn't already have two husbands and two lovers I would want you too. Well maybe I do have a bit of time available.

Have you ever tried to get a cup of coffee in Sydney after 11pm at night. do they think everyone goes home after the theatre or a meeting. Not that they have much theatre. I have found places in Melbourne that never close. Serve coffee as long as you want. You could go out every evening and not have to see the same thing twice. I'm biased but then every one is for a certain place.

I would also vote for Bolton because it is best place in the known universe. But since it unfortunately isn't a city, it doesn't count as my favourite city.

I will therefore split my vote three ways and choose Bath, Chester and York on purely stunning architecture and stuff like that.

Talking of universes - I've found this charming little town on Jupiter...............

I may live in Tokyo, but I definitely wouldn't put Tokyo up there as the best city in the world. It has plenty of everything, except nature... and what nature it does have is forced.

Kyoto, on the other hand has the nature too.

There just aren't many cities in the world where you can go to a gothic-decor cafe (it was built when gothic was "in" the first time round) run by an 80yr old grandma who plays old tango records day in, day out.

Then there's "Rabbit", a bar that can seat about 10 people at a squeeze and overlooks one of the oldest parts of Kyoto where you can still see Maikos shuffling (you can only shuffle in full Maiko dress) around between teahouses. Then someone comes in, picks up a guitar and starts strumming some lazy jazz... before you know it, the sun is rising outside...

Avignon in Provence, France.

Great people, amazing history, architecture, phenomenal food, sun (breakfast on the patio in February) and a great theatre and dance festival.

I even wrote an entry on it.... http://www.h2g2.com/A352900

I *really* miss it...

Having said that, I love London, you have absolutely everything here, including privacy and peace and quiet.

I agree with you on London. I'm hoping to enjoy the privacy that a city that big offers again and hopefully soon. People just don't understand how London can be peaceful, but there are areas that are out of the way enough from the background noise even near the centre that give the illusion of peaceful if not quite there by the great outdoors standards. I used to do a lot of thinking in the parks for example and would often escape there to write as you could see life yet somehow not quite hear it there. Very inspirational.

Howver I'm still sticking with Prague as no. 1. London doesn't even reach my top 10 on aestectics but it is somewhere I could live quite happily.

If you want ancient or cosmopolitan or friendly or riots or history or religion or beauty or food or differnet cultures or peace or music or architecture or shopping or pubs...but no sea, I'm afraid, then go
visit Jerusalem - it just has to be the finest city in the world!
TheOkapi

Beijing doesn't rate too highly - there are far too many 60s concrete blocks, the traffic is incomprehensibly mad and its a bit dusty...and people keep spitting at me!

Tyddewi - because nobody goes there and it has a magic chip shop.

Is it magic because they serve stuff other than fish and chips?

We used to go on family holidays to Tyddewi when I was a kid (for the benefit of English speakers, we're talking about St David's in Pembrokeshire here). It's got to be the smallest place in Britain that's officially a city. Trouble is, there isn't actually a heck of a lot there other than the cathedral. And the chip shop, if you insist. Wonderful scenery, though.

My favorite city is Cardiff, but that has a lot to do with being born there, so I'll nominate Paris. Because I'm too boring and unimaginative to be able to be cynical about the place, and because the finish of the Tour de France is just about the best free show on earth (cue howls of derision from other researchers).

Lux

My dear friends,
NO doubt you are all too influenced by your extreme anglosaxonism and the 2000 Olimpic games.
The BEST city to live in (and probably to visit) is Barcelona.
People are extremely kind, food is outsatnding, nightlife is extreme or extremely laid back (depending on what you want), women have no comparison, weather is great and generally speaking the prices are not to high.
When living in Barcelona you can go to Ski to some great resorts (1 1/2 hours by car), or to some of the nicest beaches in all of europe. You also have the Balear Islands (Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza) a mere 45 min. away by plane or a nights ferry ride away.
Historically, artistically and culturaly speaking Barcelona has nothing to envy other cities thnat have more fame.

Come to Barcelona and visit. I will shortly start posting entries about the real city and also aboutr Ibiza.

Hope you enjoy them.

LazyBoy

My dear friends,
NO doubt you are all too influenced by your extreme anglosaxonism and the 2000 Olimpic games.
The BEST city to live in (and probably to visit) is Barcelona.
People are extremely kind, food is outsatnding, nightlife is extreme or extremely laid back (depending on what you want), women have no comparison, weather is great and generally speaking the prices are not to high.
When living in Barcelona you can go to Ski to some great resorts (1 1/2 hours by car), or to some of the nicest beaches in all of europe. You also have the Balear Islands (Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza) a mere 45 min. away by plane or a nights ferry ride away.
Historically, artistically and culturaly speaking Barcelona has nothing to envy other cities thnat have more fame.

Come to Barcelona and visit. I will shortly start posting entries about the real city and also aboutr Ibiza.

Hope you enjoy them.

LazyBoy