Top 3 Cities in the World According to Data Analysis
Three Point Thursday #10 (Special) Las Ciudades
Here’s a three pointer, to open your mind
Read the online version here
The mission of “Three Point Thursday” & about the author here
Greetings Earthlings
Here’s a special edition in honor of this being the 10th release of Three Point Thursday—an article highlighting the three top cities in the world.
Based off of what you wonder?
In a rigorous selection process, every aspect of life in each city was considered; there’s not much my team and I didn’t factor in when mulling over the candidates.
These aspects included: Size, location, GDP, safety, attractions, housing/architecture, food, perks, etc.
The places evaluated included: New York, Miami, Los Angeles, Toronto, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo, London, Dublin, Amsterdam, Madrid, Paris, Rome, Berlin, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Cairo, Istanbul, Dubai, New Delhi, and Sydney.
The bulk of the data we used for this analysis came from credible sources, such as Fox News and CNN.
Let’s dive in.
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
#3 City in the World
“We’re shipping ‘em up to Boston, ayyyeee ooohhh.”—Dropkick Murphy’s
The City of Champions.
Boston being on this list doesn’t need much explanation.
Tom Brady being the face of this city for 20 years has produced perhaps the cockiest and most obnoxious sports fans ever. Since 2000, they’ve paraded 12 professional sports titles on the duck boats.
This crazy fan base is also evident at TD Garden where Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are poised to lead the Celtics to the championship, like Pierce, Allen, and Garnett did in 2008.
On the diamond, the Red Sox win a World Series roughly every 5 years (‘04, ‘08, ’13, ’18) and there’s not a venue on the planet that can compete with the allure of Fenway park.
But Boston is not just about sports.
There’s iconic attractions like Faneuil hall, Beacon Hill, and Boston Harbor. And the importance of the city in our countries history cannot be overstated.
Not to mention that Boston home to some of the most prestigious universities in the world, including Harvard and MIT.
City Rating: 8.7/10
Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
#2 City in the World
“When I die, I am going out as an underdog who never lost hope.”—Joyner Lucas, Worcester native
“She wanna fuck with the Wooooooooo”—Pop Smoke
The Woo.
This may come as a surprise to many. But again, you can reference the experts linked in the first paragraph.
Commonly referred to as ‘The Heart of the Commonwealth’ Worcester is a small city of around 200,000 inhabitants, located in central Massachusetts.
It is ahead of it’s state-mate Boston on the list for a a multitude of reasons:
Larger geographic area
Red Sox would be nothing without the Woo Sox
Foley Stadium
Lincoln Street Denny’s
Worcester Sting AAU program
SPM used to exist
Burncoat Park
Mercantile bar
And when you consider the University scene: Holy Cross, Worcester State, WPI, and Assumption…it’s hard to make the case that Boston has institutions that can compete.
An Unforgettable Day in Worcester
The T & G City Basketball Tournament is a yearly tradition at North High.
When I was a sophomore in 2017, we were playing one of our rivals, Doherty High, in the semi-finals. It was a big game and the gym was packed.
I was sitting on the bench with the clock was winding down, as we had already secured the win.
I forget exactly what was happening in the game, but suddenly the crowd on one side of the bleachers started flooding onto the court.
People were frantically running in all directions, completely interrupting the game.
My mind was racing. “What the hell is going on? Wait…where is nanny?” My nana never missed a game for her grandchildren. She loved sports.
Anyways, my teammates and I then noticed some cops sprinting towards a particular section of the bleachers.
Because the entire section had now cleared out, we could finally see what was happening: an all out brawl. I forget how many kids were involved, but they really thought they were in a UFC match.
I’m not sure what came out of it legally, but I don’t think anyone who wasn’t in the fight was hurt, and my nana was untouched by the commotion.
A classic that always makes me laugh. People so angry at each other—and so stupid—that they start slugging it out in the bleachers in a crowded gym during a live a game.
One of the best parts about Worcester is that you meet a new hilarious character all the time. And they are almost guaranteed to have an absurd nickname.
Homo Sapiens
Some people don’t have the ability to connect with people from other cultures. It seems like it’s because they were rarely exposed to other cultures when they were young.
The problem is, when you say this, people think you’re you’re trying to insult them from a moral standpoint. I can understand why, with virtue signaling being so prevalent—“No one cares about diversity more than me! Look at me! I’m a hero!” type B.S.
But in fact, saying something like this is not to suggest that.
There are practical reasons for doing your best to understand other cultures (apart from it just being the sensible thing to do as a human being).
Learning how people who are different culturally and speak different languages view life can only ever be an advantage for you. It allows you to see your own biases, own beliefs, and own culture much clearer. This leads to a better understanding of the world overall.
And immersing yourself in the ways of other cultures is not disrespecting your own. It’s just curiosity.
Being open to really trying to understand people from all parts of the world makes life so much richer. And I am thankful that through growing up in Worcester this fact was always clear.
The Real Driver
Although it’s crucial and necessary to have positive role models (my dad), it’s just as useful to have negative role models—people you know you definitely don’t want to be like.
Worcester has no shortage of negative role models. (probably true of anywhere, I’m just saying in my experience I’ve met many extremely bad examples).
Often these bad examples are comical figures. But I’ve found that sometimes, the more you think about something funny, the sadder it gets.
I’m not saying it’s good that there’s people who are screwed up, and honestly everyone is, just in different ways and to differing extents. The point is that it’s a tremendously powerful motivator to not want to be like someone.
Fear is the more stronger driver of action.
You don’t exercise so you can get a new personal record, you do it because you don’t want end up like that obese person waddling out of Wendy’s. You don’t learn as much as you can about wealth creation and the world of finance so you can be like the Wolf of Wall Street, you do it so you don’t become that ghost of a person working a dead end job who hates their life.
It’s often easier to define who you’re not than who you are. Not to do lists are often more effective than to-do lists.
Investment in the City
Anyone from Worcester remembers what Kelly Square used to look like. No bueno.
Now however, it’s a completely revitalized area, thanks to the Worcester Red Sox new stadium, Worcester Public Market, and other new businesses being built right there.
Kelly square has become a legitimate attraction and fun place to be, and has roads that aren’t a death trap.
And that is not all for the city of seven hills.
Right down the street, Crompton Park has two new beautiful courts. North and South high recently built new state of the art campuses, and Doherty high currently has a new one under construction.
In conclusion, Worcester is the 2nd biggest city in New England and thus the 2nd greatest city in the world.
For Paris of the 80s, the answer is downtown.
City Rating: 9.3/10
Barcelona, Spain
The #1 City in the World
“Even the moon was embarrassed by the beauty of Barcelona.”—Andrew Barger
As I mentioned last article, I studied abroad in Barcelona during the summer.
There’s no way anyone could convince me it’s not the greatest place on Earth.
Amazingly, my sources also confirm this.
The city has everything—beautiful beaches, delicious food, stunning architecture, electric nightclubs & bars, and a wild combination of languages and cultures.
In my time studying there, I stayed in an apartment called TSH (The Student Hotel). It had a rooftop deck with a pool. Going up there was like being thrown into an international party of sorts. While everyone spoke English often, people would still speak their native tongue with whoever shared it. It was exciting and honestly hilarious to be hearing Spanish, Arabic, Dutch, Italian, German, etc. and different accents of English, all at once in the same area (English and Spanish will not be my only languages).
The nightclubs would still be packed at 5 A.M. They’d put on an insane playlist Spanish and English music. Tequila + reggaeton music = absurdity.
One of the craziest experiences I had in Barcelona was the the night of the San Juan festivities, a celebration of the summer solstice. I’ve never seen so many people on a beach before. It was hard to even move at points. Madness in the best way.
Another part of Spain that struck me was the different styles of clothes. Almost every man was wearing a collared shirt all the time. Almost every woman was wearing a dress all the time. It was, *British accent* quite elegant in my estimation.
What’s also bloody proper about Europe is how incredibly old many buildings and statues are. It has a powerful effect on you. When you’re looking at something literally 1,000+ years old, it commands respect. All you can do is marvel at it, and wonder how humans could have made something so beautiful so long ago.
Ser fluido en español sin duda hizo mi tiempo allí mucho más rico. Yo sé que algún día volveré a este hermoso lugar—the #1 city in the world.
The coolest places I went in Barcelona and recommend if you ever go:
La Sagrada Familia
Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya
Castell de Montjuic
Nightclubs Opium, Downtown, and Razzmatazz
La Playa de La Barceloneta
Plaza de Catalunya
Monument a Colom
Plaza de España
Passeig de Gracia
In conclusion, VIVA BARCELONA!
City Rating: 9.9/10
San Diego, California, U.S.A.
Honorable Mention
“There’s something about San Diego that is quite different than Los Angeles.”—Donald Logue
San Diego makes it on the list for one big reason: it’s a place full of love.
It’s also a place full of guns, tanks, aircraft carriers, and fighter jets. It’s one of the most militarily concentrated places in the world.
The first time I went to San Diego was with my family when I was 7 years old. I loved it so much that I even made a song about it when I returned home. It was called “I wish I could go back to San Diego.”
I remember seeing a gorilla at the San Diego Zoo.
But my best memory from this city is when my dad got me some spy glasses. They’re extra wide glasses with mirrors on the side. You could see anything behind you. The KGB used to use something similar.
My older brother Pat lives there now, and I’ve been fortunate enough to go back a couple times since, granting the wish of 7 year old me.
My favorite places in the city I’ve seen and recommend if you ever go:
Pacific Beach
La Jolla
San Diego Zoo
Padres Baseball game
Gaslamp Quarter
City Rating: 9.0/10
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