You’re young (under 30), you’re thinking about changing jobs and moving somewhere for a fresh start—but where is that? Where will you find people who like the same things you do (going out for the evening, catching culture, dining like kings and queens, quaffing that ridiculously intense cocktail), in a city that’s fun, safe and rewards healthy things, too, like parks and nature? Helpfully, Time Out has come out with its inaugural list of the Best Cities for Gen Z, a global ranking created by Gen Z, for Gen Z.
It results from Time Out’s Best Cities survey, but we kicked out all the responses from anyone older than 30 (we're not resentful at all), to create a spiffy look at where you should live. And on this list of 20 international cities, two hail from our very own United States—but first, let's look at which locale claimed the top spot this year.
That would be Bangkok: Of the respondents who already live in Thailand’s capital, 84-percent of Gen Z say that they’re happy there. It’s also an affordable city and has an incredible street life—including bars and dance clubs and street food to fawn over—plus colorful and sacred temples and statues, floating markets in the canals, and a safe and welcoming vibe.
Next up are two fellow international destinations, Melbourne, Australia and Cape Town, South Africa, which take the No. 2 and No. 3 spot, respectively.
And in fourth place, we hit the first U.S. city on the list: New York City. A foodie haven for those with abundance and not, this sprawling city of 8.4 million is great for Gen Z with spectacular nightlife (84-percent applaud it) and walkability (82-percent). Respondents called it the most “exciting” city on the list. And, of course, it’s got fabulous hotels and culture, too.
We’ll race past the other non-American cities on the list (you can see those below) to get to No. 17, the other U.S city embraced by Generation Zed: Chicago. Also known to satisfy eating and drinking lust (hello, deep dish pizza), Chicago offers affordable nightclubs, scenic boat rides, world-class museums and gorgeous greenspaces. And its zoo is free!
Takeaway from the list: no country has more than two cities on the lineup, with Thailand, Australia, Spain, China, the United Kingdom and the United States also getting double entries this year. But there's one omission we feel deeply: where's San Francisco?!
The top 20 best cities for Gen Z, according to Time Out:
1. Bangkok, Thailand
2. Melbourne, Australia
3. Cape Town, South Africa
4. New York City, United States
5. Copenhagen, Denmark
6. Barcelona, Spain
7. Edinburgh, United Kingdom
8. Mexico City, Mexico
9. London, United Kingdom
10. Shanghai, China
11. Sydney, Australia
12. Beijing, China
13. Paris, France
14. Tokyo, Japan
15. Berlin, Germany
16. Seville, Spain
17. Chicago, United States
18. Chiang Mai, Thailand
19. Prague, Czech Republic
20. Lisbon, Portugal