[imagesource: Virginia Miller]

Living in a city might have seemed like an unattractive idea at least once during the COVID-19 pandemic.

That’s because life during lockdown meant many couldn’t enjoy the perks of being in a sprawling metropolis, like going to restaurants and bars or partaking in the various cultural and sports events.

Being out in the country, surrounded by nothing but nature, seems like the place to be lately.

That’s partly why Paternoster is so hot right now.

Then again, many cities adapted and some communities grew closer by helping each other through the tough times.

Some even had a little fun in the process, according to Time Out, which launched the “world’s best” cities for 2021 index.

Time Out tapped into its network of editors from across the world, surveying some 27 000 global city dwellers, to get a comprehensive list of the best cities in the world, per CNN:

Each city’s nightlife, restaurants and cultural highlights were considered, as well as the city’s sense of community, which in the wake of COVID-19 is perhaps more important than ever.

Cities’ environmental initiatives were also examined, as well as their commitment to activism, and general friendliness.

Here’s Caroline McGinn, Time Out’s global editor in chief:

“This year’s list of the best cities in the world shines a spotlight on cities that adapted during a time where the key factors that make these metropolises the place to be — fun, culture and socialising — were largely off the table,” said McGinn.

“You’d think a pandemic might defeat the point of living in a city, but the results show that community spirit is higher than ever, people are supporting each other as well as local business and initiatives, and many of us are even having some fun.”

San Francisco has taken the crown for the “world’s best” city because of its “unbeatable combination of progressiveness, acceptance and sustainability”:

In terms of its response to the pandemic? Well, it was applauded for having one of the highest vaccination rates in the US.

Plus, lockdowns weren’t able to dampen community spirit in the Bay Area:

Businesses got creative to stay afloat, while innovative initiatives like the SF New Deal put restaurant employees to work making meals for those in need.

Neighbours stepped up to take care of each other through far-reaching mutual aid networks, and one genius even had the idea of hanging sourdough starters from trees to fuel all the baking people took up.

The city also embraced outdoor dining, something that might just remain as the norm, which Time Out said makes the city’s streets look like “one big outdoor party”.

The image right up the top of the post shows the restaurant State Bird Provisions adding art to the outdoor dining experience.

Time Out has a list of the 37 best cities in the world, but we’ll just cover the top 10:

1. San Francisco, California, USA

2. Amsterdam, Netherlands

3. Manchester, UK

We’re leading the way in: General great vibes. This city has a rep for knowing how to have a good time, and it came as no surprise to us that it was voted top for ‘nightlife’, ‘creativity’, ‘community spirit’, ‘friendliness’ and ‘getting to know your neighbours’. —Rob Martin, Time Out Manchester

4. Copenhagen, Denmark

5. New York, USA

6. Montreal, Canada

If only all cities had: The ambition to plough ahead with a wealth of innovative green projects, like plans to ban single-use plastics and transform downtown boulevards into urban forests. —JP Karwacki, Time Out Montreal

7. Prague, Czech Republic

8. Tel Aviv, Israel

We’re leading the way in: For the second year in a row, we were voted the ‘funnest’ in the world, and were also most likely to be described as ‘good for people like me’. We came second in the ‘food and drink’ category, behind only Shanghai. —Dan Savery Raz

9. Porto, Portugal

10. Tokyo, Japan

It looks like Copenhagen, Amsterdam, and Tokyo have been shuffled around on this list compared to the EIU’s Safe Cities Index, which had Copenhagen on top for the world’s safest city.

[sources:cnn&timeout]