Chicago tops the global ranking of the world’s most fun cities, followed by Melbourne, Lisbon and New York. In the annual Time Out City Index, a global survey across 18 cities worldwide, 20,000 residents reveal what makes their cities when it comes to having fun and enjoying city life.
While Chicago scores highest overall and for restaurants, bars, neighbourhoods and its affordability, this is also where residents more than anywhere else have a friendly chat with a stranger, go on dates and enjoy a great work-life balance.
Melbourne claims second place but beats all other cities when it comes to quality of life: 58% find it an easy place to live and three quarters love living there. Lisbon is the world’s most sociable and least lonely city, it’s the best place to make friends and find love. New York comes in fourth but compared to others is the most exciting city. Unbeatable for latest culture - think arts, nightlife, music - NYC offers always something new to do (say 82%) but has the toughest dating scene (3% like it vs 42% in Mexico City).
With other cities being more affordable, easier to make friends and offering a better work-life balance, London is ranked tenth overall but scores highly across key categories that give the city the buzz it is famous for: it’s super dynamic and one of the most tolerant places as well. Residents find it’s a vibrant hub, unbeatable for the latest culture (55%) and new things to do (66%). Londoners go to the theatre and museum often (with 25 times a year it’s close to 28 in Tokyo and Paris who score highest), they enjoy slightly less nights out than New Yorkers and Parisians (4.7 a month vs 6.4) and two thirds say that London has a great restaurant scene.
52% of Londoners are not too happy with their work-life balance, but they certainly do know how to use their workplace to have some fun: 17% have had sex at work (a whopping 31% in Barcelona) and 29% have made most of their friends through work. Londoners have on average eleven good friends, but feel a bit lonely sometimes (55%).
When it comes to being naughty, London is vying with Sydney for the title of the world hangover capital and one-night stand hotspot (64% vs 65% in Sydney).
While the capital ranks below average when it comes to cheating on their partners (23% have vs a city average of 27%), Paris lives up to its amorous reputation with people having more sex than anywhere else (1.6 times a week). Londoners get nookie 1.2 times a week (Millennials and those earning over £80,000 get down to business the most).
| 1. Chicago | 10. London |
| 2. Melbourne | 11. Hong Kong |
| 3. Lisbon | 12. Miami |
| 4. New York | 13. Tokyo |
| 5. Madrid | 14. Singapore |
| 6. Mexico City | 15. Paris |
| 7. Sao Paolo | 16. Sydney |
| 8. Los Angeles | 17. Dubai |
| 9. Barcelona | 18. Kuala Lumpur |
The Time Out City Index also found the key factors that make a city an exciting place for people who want to enjoy life to the fullest and that a city can afford to have some flaws and still be loved. An ever-evolving cultural life, optimism and diverse neighbourhoods are three key factors. As are great bars and restaurants; the better they are, the higher a city is in the Index. Chicago and Melbourne score the highest for both.
Work-life balance also affects a city’s fun rating and cities which do this best score more highly in the Index. Cities with the lowest working hours are revealed as Madrid and Barcelona, where residents work around just 38 hours a week – the least of all cities. Stuck in the office are those in Dubai (47 hours, ranking #17 in the Index).
Cities can sometimes be lonely places – maybe that’s why a smile from a stranger can make a big difference. People are most likely to chat to a stranger in Chicago and on the flipside, people are most likely to keep themselves to themselves in Singapore.
It doesn’t have to be always easy to live in a city, long commutes are a pain but not enough to not enjoy a city, and having a large social network doesn’t make city life more fun. And obviously, it’s easier to have fun when a city is affordable, and the Time Out City Index reveals two of the three most fun cities (Chicago, Melbourne and Lisbon) do offer best value.
Time Out London’s Editor-In-Chief, Caroline McGinn commented: “If there’s one thing that Time Out really knows and loves, it’s cities. We’ve been dedicated to discovering their best bits for many years. Now we thought it was about time to document urban life. Because cities are important. They’re fun. But they’re also crucibles for new opportunities, new ideas, and new ways of living.
So this year, we surveyed 20,000 urbanites in 18 cities across the world to find out two things. First: where are the most dynamic, gastronomic, culturally unbeatable urban hotspots right now? And second: what are we up to and how is that changing? We found out some fun stuff along the way. Looking for sex? Better head to Plumstead or Paris. Food and culture? Chicago and NYC are buzzing. Lisbon is the place to fall in love. As for London, we’ve got plenty going on in this amazing city, but many of us are feeling a bit lonely and hungover right now.”
Other highlights from the Time Out City Index 2016 include
· Chicago has the most foodies; 88% of residents agree the city has a ‘great restaurant scene’
· Tokyo city dwellers are most addicted to their phones – 48% admit posting #lunchagram photos daily
· Madrid is the clubbing capital, with residents going out 19 times a year versus six times in Melbourne
· Barcelona is the home of the boozy lunch – 69% of its residents love a bit of daytime drinking
· Mexico City is #1 for affairs and Miami for threesomes
· People in Mexico City are the least stressed by their job (22%)
· Tokyo and Sao Paolo are the real cities that never sleep with people staying up till sunrise the most
· Miami and Sao Paolo residents claim an average of 756 and 681 social media friends respectively compared to 119 in Lisbon
To read the full Time Out City Index story, go to www.timeout.com/cityindex or pick up this week’s Time Out magazine