NYC Is "Most Exciting City In The World," No. 5 Overall: Survey

NEW YORK CITY — A survey recently found that New York City is the "most exciting city in the world" – and that overall, it's the No. 5 best city worldwide.

Entertainment company Time Out on Wednesday revealed its fourth annual "Time Out Index," which ranked the top cities worldwide based on the opinions of 27,000 survey respondents and on the views of the company's "global network of local editors and city experts," according to a news release.

The survey found that 85 percent of New Yorkers believe it's easy to discover new and surprising things in their city, and local editors said the city's diversity, resiliency and progressiveness have served it well throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

Specifically, the Time Out rankings referenced New York City's Open Restaurants initiative, which transformed pavements into "vibrant community hubs," and its Key to NYC program, which "promotes vaccine uptake."

"Thanks in large part to that iconic can-do attitude, (New York City) found creative solutions to changing health precautions – and now the streets are buzzing once again," Time Out's New York City editors wrote.

The city was also named the "most resilient" of all North American cities, and the editors wrote that "a certain brash resilience" defines New Yorkers.

The index aims to "shine a light on what makes a city great right now" in spite of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the news release.

Cities were ranked based on eating and drinking and culture and nightlife. "More emphasis than ever" was put on community spirit and environmental initiatives.

Editors posed questions around activism and community projects, sustainability and the importance of green spaces – in addition to the typical questions around "how easy it is to do things like express themselves, make new friends and even hook up with people, in addition to relaxing and discovering new things."

San Francisco earned the No. 1 spot, followed by Amsterdam, Manchester, and Copenhagen, in that order.

"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 socializing – were largely off the table," Time Out Editor-in-Chief Caroline McGinn said in a statement. "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."

The full list of the world's 37 best cities can be found here.