If you’ve ever uttered the phrase "This city sucks!" like some kind of angsty character in an 80s coming-of-age movie, then you might be on to something. According to the Reputation Institute’s latest survey, Sydney is now considered the "most reputable city in the world" for 2015. So, if you live in Sydney, good for you. Life is great. However, if you’re hoping to see an American city on this list, you’re all set for disappointment:
The Institute reportedly surveyed 19,000 people from countries including France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, and Russia, according to Mashable. Survey authors then used these responses to assess the "politics, environment, friendliness of citizens, economy, and safety" of each potentially reputable city.
Though an American city doesn’t appear in the top 20 "most reputable" cities on the globe, San Francisco does land on the list with a rating strong enough for 24th place. New York, oddly enough, made a strong showing in specific response areas such as "economy, appealing environment, and effective administration," though it sadly suffers from something called a negative emotional halo.
"New York is a very interesting case because it should be much higher," the Institute’s Fernando Prado tells Mashable. "Its economy is number two out of all the cities; it's number six for environment. It should be in the top 10, but it is not. From people abroad, we have noticed that admiration and trust is much lower. We call this a negative emotional halo."
