The World's Friendliest Cities
The secret to awesome travels is awesome people. So to help you get the most out of your next trip, we’ve put together a guide to the friendliest cities in the world.
We surveyed over 12,000 people in cities from Barcelona to Seoul about their social lives – How welcoming are they to strangers? Do they love to party every night of the week? How often do they eat out with their friends? We looked at ten distinct categories that, together, combine to make give us a picture of the friendliness and sociability of the world's biggest cities. And the results might just surprise you…
1. Gothenburg, Sweden
Gothen-what?! It's officially the world’s friendliest city, but it’s surprising how few people know where Gothenburg actually is. Sweden’s second largest city is an amazing place for young people and scored highly across almost every category.
#1 in categories: value placed on socialising / community mindedness / love of social media
#3 in categories: trust in friends / liberal attitude / any excuse to party
2. Stockholm, Sweden
Pipped to the top spot by its little sister, Stockholm is the second friendliest city in the world and the perfect place for a solo city break. Stockholm topped the "liberal attitude" category, which will come as no surprise to anybody who’s visited this friendly, open-minded city. The city even manages to avoid the soulless subways of many cities by filling them with art.
#1 liberal attitude
#2 love of social media
#3 community mindedness
3. Chicago, USA
Chicago, aka America's Second City, is the home of legendary sports, unbelievable food and a wealth of creativity. It ranks highly amongst cities where people eat out with friends most frequently (second only to NYC), and if you've ever tried Chicago-style pizza, you'll understand why. If you're looking for good eats and social vibes, the Windy City has got you covered.
#2 frequency of eating out
4. Boston, USA
Boston ranks highly in both frequency of eating out, and of meeting up with friends. The Massachusetts city is famous for its incredible food, world-conquering sports teams and love of socialising.
#3 frequency of eating out / frequency of meeting friends
5. New York, USA
When it comes to eating out with friends, New York City is the world's number one! NYC is known the world over as the city that never sleeps, and for good reason. Almost any type of food is available at almost any time of day. Food brings people together, and nowhere is that more true than in the Big Apple.
#1 frequency of eating out
6. Copenhagen, Denmark
It's easy to love Copenhagen, and its appeal can be summed up in just one word: HYGGE! The residents of Copenhagen love entertaining at home more than anywhere else, and it's one of the most socially tolerant cities in the world.
#1 love of entertaining at home
#2 liberal attitude / community mindedness
#3 frequency of using social media
7. Madrid, Spain
If you love to party, Madrid is the city for you. The locals aka "Madrileños" enjoy a good night out with friends, so why not join them if you think you've got the stamina? Finish a big night out in true Madrid style with churros and chocolate for breakfast at the tradicional Chocolatería San Ginés, which is open 24hrs a day. Party + churros = perfection.
#1 any excuse to party
#2 frequency of meeting friends
8. Rome, Italy
The locals are known for their friendliness, and it's so easy to ask for help from a random person on the street or to make new friends in a club! If you're looking for a place to meet new people, go to "Piazza Trilussa" – every night it's packed full of locals and travellers sitting on the steps by the fountain.
#1 openness to others
9. Hamburg, Germany
Hamburg is one of the most welcoming cities in the world, perhaps because of its history as a major port. If you want to socialise with the locals, make sure you check out Uebel & Gefährlich, probably the best club for live music in Germany.
#3 openness to others
10. Dublin, Ireland
Few things in life beat sitting in a pub with your favourite drink, your favourite people and some amazing live music. Picture that in the pub capital of the world, and you have the perfect night out. Dublin puts huge importance on socialising so if you want to get into the Dublin spirit, just head to the Temple Bar area – it may be a little touristy, but it's impossible not to have a fun night here.
Source: hostelworld.com
