Taking a quick glance at Mercer 2011 Quality of Living Survey first thing I noted is that top 3 cities in their world rankings are Vienna, Zurich and Auckland followed by Munich (4th) and Dusseldorf and Vancouver tied for 5th place.
In the Americas, the only U.S city to make it in top 30 is Honolulu at number 29. Four other cities in Americas Top 5 are in Canada.
With upheavals in the Middle East, student protests in Chile and general discontent in Greece, Mercer chose personal safety as its special topic for 2011.
Amongst 221 cities surveyed, Mercer report finds Baghdad coming last both for quality of life and personal safety.
Food might have been one of the reasons that Vienna won top spot.
Places like Bistro Glacis (pictured above) which Discover Austria describes as "a wee bit hard to find, located atop the old city walls of Vienna. With its romantic garden, it is a popular watering hole for a widely diverse crowd."
They serve local fare like Panfried blackpudding, served with steamed cabbage and
boiled potatoes.
Check their Standard Menu for more details.
Vienna is also one of these rare cities with wineries at its door steps.
(* Photo of Bistro Glacis garden from restaurant's photo gallery)