The world's greatest city?

being a newyorker and going to college in tokyo i am slightly biased. I would have to say however London beats both to first place.

1: Istanbul 2:Paris 3:New York 4:Rome 5: Barcelona

Why the debate, we know it should of been London. Of course, being born here im slightly biased but have been all over the world and there is nowhere like home.

Why the debate, we know it should of been London. Of course, being born here im slightly biased but have been all over the world and there is nowhere like home.

Happy to see Kingston Jamaica there. It is an amazing city with amazing people!!! Lots of music ,great theatre and some of the best jerk chicken and patties in the world!!

Happy to see Kingston Jamaica there. It is an amazing city with amazing people!!! Lots of music ,great theatre and some of the best jerk chicken and patties in the world!!

Why didn't you include Luxembourg? It is a nice turn-of-the-century city (designed consciously) with a nice modern quarter by several big names, bouyant cultural life and a high quality of life.

A Barcelona Guide agrees with the final results :)

It extends both on the European and on the Asian sides of the Bosphorus

istanbul in europa and asia.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Istanbul

Only 6 for Tokyo's arts & culture? You must be kidding!!!

Seriously, only 9 for architecture and Art & Culture for Paris? I lived in Paris and NY and there is no way NY should have the same grade in those categories. I love NY, but NY is just ugly compared to Paris.

The list is a joke!

New York and London only ranked 9 out of 10 in world status? What's up with that?

Never mind Madrid. What about Valencia??

Re Madrid vs Barcelona, Madrid is the seat of the Spanish government and Monarchy, that's it, Barcelona is THE cultural capital of Spain open to European and Mediterranean influences. Can you really compare Madrid's architecture with Barcelona's? Name the architect and you'll answer the question! After Barcelona, it's Valencia, definitely!

We are having this very debate at Sleep New York Forums, and I think that Hong Kong is being cheated here. Hong Kong is streets ahead of London in the proximity to other world cities game, like Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore, Shanghai, Bangkok, etc. Food in London a 9? New York a 9? You can get great pizza at Pelham Bay at 3 am - try getting a decent anything in Tooting Bec at that time. London shuts down too early to be in the top 5. It should be the top city in the world - if you are a malted milk drinkin' grandma!

We are having this very debate at Sleep New York Forums, and I think that Hong Kong is being cheated here. Hong Kong is streets ahead of London in the proximity to other world cities game, like Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore, Shanghai, Bangkok, etc. Food in London a 9? New York a 9? You can get great pizza at Pelham Bay at 3 am - try getting a decent anything in Tooting Bec at that time. London shuts down too early to be in the top 5. It should be the top city in the world - if you are a malted milk drinkin' grandma!

We are having this very debate at Sleep New York Forums, and I think that Hong Kong is being cheated here. Hong Kong is streets ahead of London in the proximity to other world cities game, like Tokyo, Sydney, Singapore, Shanghai, Bangkok, etc. Food in London a 9? New York a 9? You can get great pizza at Pelham Bay at 3 am - try getting a decent anything in Tooting Bec at that time. London shuts down too early to be in the top 5. It should be the top city in the world - if you are a malted milk drinkin' grandma!

and finally these results are obviously biased because they are only accesible through the anglo saxon world. There is no time-out in the latin american world nor the asian countries. It is the only way to explain why there is no asian cities in the top ten (3 billion domestic voters) nor south americans..... where is Buenos Aires or Rio?

and madrid????? This is not about football rivalry between Barsa and Madrid, but based on these criteria Madrid has definately more and better museums than any of the top ten, has the best quality of life (people do not work in August!!!) and it reunites all the diversity of Spanish food in one city. Believe me I have lived in Madrid, Paris, London and New York and there is no city that can compare to Madrid in most of those categories. In all the cities in that list you have to be rich to enjoy them, Madrid gives museums, culture, nightlife and quality of life for everyone.

Size doesn't matter

the point about such a survey ought to be to re-adjust existing misleading perceptions. for example imho the food is better in istanbul than paris. many famous european and american cities have no buzz, food is bad. they live on past cliches. tokyo is more exciting than new york. sorry!

Jorge - I couldn't agree less. Madrid is a giant of a city. Barcelona is very pleasant, and great to visit, but this is not about the most pleasant cities - which is why Avignon and Sienna aren't on the list, and why Glasgow trumps Edinbugh, and Madrid is better than Barca.

If you rate Barcelona with work status 4, which I believe it is correct, how is it supposed to be such a great city? it is great for turists that come and spend the money they make somewhere else, but not for locals, since all this "buzz" life is less and less affordable for them. A little bit of consistency pls.

Oh come on, the only thing Madrid has is being the capital of Spain. Barcelona has much more. It's like comparing Istanbul to Ankara, or New York to Washington.

Madrid deserves to be in the top ten. It has not only first class art ( arguably the best museums of painting in the world), life style or gastronomy, it is also the cultural and financial capital of the Hispanic world and the siege of multinationals with a global reach far beyond Barcelona, Istambul or Rome.

In Europe (Istanbul excluded): 1. London 2. Paris 3. Madrid 4. Rome 5. Naples 6. Berlin 7. Barcelona 8. Glasgow 9. Lisbon 10. Warsaw.

I think Madrid is better than Barcelona

Beirut it is!

A the moment, there is no question but that London is number one. The exhibitions, theatre and music are way ahead of New York. But enjoy, as the golden age won't last.

Hong Kong, Barcelona, Istanbul Hong Kong= Still asian but also so global. The sprit of Lan Kwai Fong is unforgettable. Barcelona= the excellent talent of Gaudi and all Catalan artists + great food and time in Tapas Bars Istanbul= city resists to the empires. I have to admit that Tokyo has her own charm too.

Hong Kong, Barcelona, Istanbul Hong Kong= Still asian but also so global. The sprit of Lan Kwai Fong is unforgettable. Barcelona= the excellent talent of Gaudi and all Catalan artists + great food and time in Tapas Bars Istanbul= city resists to the empires. I have to admit that Tokyo has her own charm too.

Sngapore, Istanbul, London, Paris..!

Singapore is by far the best place to live and enjoy life ! Cheers!

TOKYO: Its amazing just to sit back and view how the city functions. Everyone rushing at the metro station, maintaining that calm, poise and everyone is very high on the style quotient. The classiest city to be at.

London

LONDON of course -where else!!! My maternal grandfather was born there and since my first visit 41 years ago I have felt a deep affinity with THE CITY!!!

Barcelona missing from the euro list is unforgiveable.

GREAT IDEA. I've just filled up the survey but i can't find Barcelona in European Country listings...