Overview
While Budapest is praised for its "courteous drivers", Savannah, Georgia for its "animated guides in seersucker suits" and Cambodia's Siem Reap for its "resiliency and kindness", Auckland and Melbourne have taken out the top spot as the two friendliest cities in the world.
Run as a Reader's Choice award by Condé Nast Traveller and focused on how a visitor feels in each city, the Friendliest and Unfriendliest City in the World poll asks readers to submit reviews of each city with a focus on the overall warm fuzzies generated by their experience. "Everything from location (no one likes an airport city) and political perception (everyone watches the news) to size and basic language barriers can make a destination unattractive to tourists and be a factor in their evaluation of a place's 'friendliness'."
Praised as a "friendly bunch" with a "wonderful sense of humour", Melbourne was awarded the friendly blue ribbon for being "one of the classiest cities in the world", boasting an "abundance of parks and fabulous public art." CN also gave high-fives to Melbourne's food, nightlife and hotels.
Tied for the top spot, Auckland's residents were given big ups. "The people are friendly, and their humour and view on life is something to aspire to attain." Positioned as the "ideal starting place" to see New Zealand, Auckland was given the thumbs up for being a "clean, youthful, adventurous, beautiful city," and was praised for its "clear air," "fresh food," and "amazing culture."
Although Brisbane and Wellington didn't make it in the top ten, Sydney came in at number five; tied with Dublin. Sydney was praised for being super friendly ("They’re always so helpful, and they love Americans!") and its ever-applauded nosh: "Sydney is also home to the best food in the world. Don’t visit without stopping by at the spectacular Quay for Chef Peter Gilmore’s nature-inspired cuisine."
Here's the list of amicable cities, double numbers are ties.
THE FRIENDLIEST CITIES IN THE WORLD:
1. Auckland, New Zealand
1. Melbourne, Australia
3. Victoria, BC, Canada
4. Charleston, South Carolina, USA
5. Dublin, Ireland
5. Sydney, Australia
7. Siem Reap, Cambodia
8. Cape Town, South Africa
9. Savannah, Georgia, USA
9. Seville, Spain
11. Budapest, Hungary
11. Salzburg, Austria
But what of the jerks? The Unfriendliest Cities in the World side of things is a little hairier, with no Australian or New Zealand cities making the cut. Up high.
Nassau in the Bahamas was dissed for feeling "unsafe... and mundane," while Morocco's Monte Carlo was called "conspicuous consumption at its worst," and "just too rich for my blood." Beijing got a bad wrap for being a "smoggy, crowded city," while Marseilles (one of three French cities in the top five) was flagged for pickpockets and Johannesburg took out the top unfriendly spot as "a city of crime and contrasts."
THE UNFRIENDLIEST CITIES IN THE WORLD:
1. Johannesburg, South Africa
2. Cannes, France
3. Moscow, Russia
4. Paris, France
5. Marseille, France
6. Beijing, China
7. Frankfurt, Germany
8. Milan, Italy
9. Monte Carlo, Monaco
10. Nassau, Bahamas
Via Condé Nast Traveller.