Time Out survey: Chicago is tops when it comes to overall fun

The Time Out City Index today revealed that when it comes to “enjoying city life,” Chicago is the tops in the world.

More than 20,000 people in 18 Time Out cities around the world were polled and asked to rank cities on six key categories including dynamism (how vibrant/exiting life there feels); food and drink (dining well without breaking the bank); community (whether neighborhoods were highly rated); affordability (can residents get by just fine); inspiration (whether the city feels like a pleasant or difficult place to live); and sociability (whether the city felt welcoming or isolating).

According to the official results, Chicago proved to be the top-rated city for restaurants (88%) and bars (73%), great neighborhoods to explore and affordability, and 26% can afford to live the lifestyle they want.

Other index results:

Second-place Melbourne “beats all other cities when it comes to quality of life (58% find it an easy place to live and three quarters love living there);” No. 3-ranked Lisbon “is the world’s most sociable and least lonely city, the best place to make friends and find love.” Fourth-place New York was ranked the “most dynamic, exciting and most energizing city (55% vs. 53% for Chicago, 38% for L.A., 26% for Miami), though 91% said it’s not an easy place to live.”

The cities included in the poll were: London, Paris, Barcelona, Madrid, Lisbon; New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami; São Paulo, Mexico City, Dubai, Sydney, Melbourne, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.