Features correspondent
The world’s top five happiest countries, all of which fall in northern Europe, have cities that delight residents with old town charm, cultural offerings and easy access to nature.
If,
as Tolstoy wrote in Anna Karenina, happy families are all alike, what about
happy countries?
The
World
Happiness Report, released in September 2013 by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions
Network,
measured the wellbeing of residents in more than 150 countries, based on six
key factors: GDP per capita, healthy
life expectancy, having someone to count on, perceived freedom to make life
choices, freedom from corruption, and generosity. The report
found that happier people earn more in their lifetime, are more productive and
are better citizens.
Interested
in finding some happiness yourself? The following cities are in the world’s top
five happiest countries, all of which are in northern Europe, including three
in Scandinavia. Out of a possible high score of 10, the countries below
received scores between 7.480 (Sweden) and 7.693 (Denmark). Canada missed the
fifth spot by just a few thousandths of a point, coming in at 7.477.
Aarhus,
Denmark
Denmark’s
second city is on the east coast of Jutland, the country’s mainland area, 150km
west of Copenhagen. Blessed with a large natural harbour, Aarhus has the
largest container terminal in the country and an industrial waterfront, but
also a recreational marina near the city centre where people can water ski and
sail. Thousands of students arrive every year to attend a number of universities
and colleges, keeping the oldest large city in Scandinavia one of the youngest
demographically, while Aarhus’ museums,
music festivals and outdoor theatres make the city culturally vibrant. Many of
the young and young at heart spend time in the Vadestedet, a pedestrian area in
the city centre along the Aarhus River filled with shops, outdoor cafes and
restaurants. The Latin Quarter is the city’s oldest
district, with narrow streets and medieval houses, while the Isberget (The Iceberg), the city’s newest residential
development, was built on the northern end of the harbour and designed so all
the apartments have stunning sea views.
Finding
an apartment is competitive, especially when students start their terms in
August and December, and many landlords ask for a deposit of several months’
rent. Areas around the city centre are perennially popular for their proximity
to stores, restaurants and nightlife. North of the centre, trendy Trøjborg
attracts artists, students and other creative types. A property in the
city centre costs 25,000 Danish krone per square metre, while a three-bedroom
flat in the centre rents for between 8,000 and 10,000 DKK per month. Outside
the centre, a property costs 22,000 DKK per square metre, and three-bedroom
flat starts at around 6,500 DKK.
Oslo,
Norway
The
quietest of the Scandinavian capitals, Oslo is also arguably the closest to
nature, sitting at the northern end of Oslofjord and backed by forests and
mountains. But the city is also big on culture, from its numerous music
festivals to the refurbished Ekeberg Park, a public sculpture
park that opened in September 2013 containing works by Louise Bourgeois as well
as Rodin and Renoir. Downtown is buzzing with new restaurants, bars, clubs and shops,
while the stunning Oslo Opera House is the type of
world-class architecture people travel to see. With the Norwegian economy being
pumped along by its oil industry and the strong Norwegian krone, Oslo is consistently ranked among the most expensive cities in the world.
A popular
district just west of the city centre is Frogner, which stretches from the harbourfront
to the Royal Palace
and Frogner Park,
home to the Vigeland Sculpture Park
and Museum, which attracts more than a million visitors every year
to see its more than
200 outdoor sculptures. The housing stock includes small apartment buildings
and townhouses, and the area has many restaurants, boutiques, galleries and
green spaces. Two locales on Frogner’s seafront are particularly desirable,
according to Lief Laugen, president and CEO of Krogsveen real estate. “Aker
Brygge is an old wharf completely rebuilt with hundreds of apartments and
restaurants, bars, cinemas and office buildings,” Laugen said. And Tjuvholmen is a new high-end development and
cultural quarter that is home to number of apartment buildings from top
Scandinavian architects, the Astrup
Fearnley Museum of Modern Art designed by Renzo Piano, a swimming beach, shops and offices.
On
the east side of town across the Akerselva river, hip Grünerløkka is also very
desirable. A former working class area, it is home to many students, creative
types and young families. The square metre price of a property in Frogner ranges
from 40,000 to 120,000 Norwegian krone, while in Grünerløkka the price ranges
from 35,000 to 80,000 NOK. Rent for three-bedroom apartment in the city centre
is around 15,000 to 20,000 NOK a month. Typically, the busiest times are in
December/January and July/August when students are starting school and
university.
The
Rhone River divides the city into the Rive Gauche, home to the Old Town, the University of Geneva and the Cathédrale St-Pierre, and the Rive
Droite with its many parks, international organisations and NGOs. In the
summer, beaches such as Baby Plage and Bains des Paquis on the banks of the lake provide
residents with opportunities for swimming and sunning. In winter, many flock to
ski resorts in the nearby Mont Blanc massif, such as Chamonix and Courmayeur.
The
Old Town is one of the most expensive places to live, but suburbs along the
lake, such as affluent, pricey Cologny, are also in high demand. South of the
city centre, Carouge is an arty district with a large outdoor market, a
thriving cultural scene and great restaurants. Many expats commute from nearby
French towns where housing is less expensive, such as Saint-Julien south of the
city and Ferney-Voltaire to the north. Many apartments and most houses are
rented unfurnished which adds to the expense, and non-Swiss citizens will
usually need a government permit to buy property.
“Property
in Geneva is very sought after, but in short supply in prime locations,” said
Peter Frigo, managing partner of Engel & Völkers Switzerland. “Prices have
fallen slightly, but are still some of the highest in the world, comparable to
St Moritz [in Switzerland] and the Hamptons [in New York].” In the city centre,
two-bedroom apartments start around 2.5 million Swiss francs, and a three-bedroom
apartment rents for between 3,000 and 4,500 CHF a month. A two-bedroom
property in Colony averages around 3.5 million CHF, and the average rental
price is 2,000 CHF a month.
Utrecht,
Netherlands
Utrecht,
just 40km south of Amsterdam, is a compact city filled with delightful cafes
and restaurants, thousands of students who attend the venerable Utrecht University, and many
artists and musicians. Along the Oudegracht, the central canal, cellar-level
bars and pubs line the towpath, which is a charming place to watch the boats
and birds go by. The Domtoren, or
cathedral tower, is the tallest in the country, and from the top visitors can
see the entire city below. Spring and summer bring the festival season,
including the national Nederlands Film Festival in September, and every
Saturday the Oudegracht blooms with the weekly flower market. “Utrecht has all the big city amenities
with a small town atmosphere and is much more relaxed than Amsterdam or
Rotterdam,” said Roald de Waard, a local estate agent. “It has an excellent
public transport system and a young and well-educated populace.”
Utrecht’s
centre, near the two main squares Janskerkhof and Neude, and close to the
Domplein, the cathedral square, is popular for its walkability and access to
nightlife and restaurants. “The best areas are in the eastern part of town,
such as expensive Wilhelminapark which has mansions and brownstones from the
1900s,” said de Waard. Also popular is neighbouring Oudwijk where the housing
stock is being modernised, as is lowrise Wittevrouwen in the northeast of the
city, with its family houses built in the 1920s and ‘30s. West of Centraal Station, Lombok
is ethnically diverse with a Turkish and Middle Eastern population, and
attracts a liberal crowd and young families. Further west, outside the city, a
modern district called Leidsche Rijn has been developed over the last decade with large business parks and more
than 10,000 homes, and it currently houses nearly 30,000 residents.
The
average two-bedroom apartment costs around 200,000 to 250,000 euros in and
around the city centre. Average rental prices for a two-bedroom in a good
neighbourhood are between 1,250 and 1,400 euros per month.
Malmo is also
Sweden’s first fair trade city, meaning workplaces serve fair trade tea
and coffee and stores promote ethical consumption. While the Old Town and its
squares are as charming as ever, new development, architecture, transport and
sustainability projects have attracted tech companies, university students and
immigrants from around the world. “It’s easy to get around, you can ride your
bike all over town and you always are close to the sea and countryside,” said
Daniel Saveman, an estate agent with Fastighetsbyrån. “It is also very close to
Copenhagen and the rest of Europe.”
Residents
of Gamla Väster on the west side of the Old Town between the central Stortorget square
and green Slottsparken successfully fought demolition and urban
renewal in the 1970s. Now the small houses and buildings are very valuable and
popular. On the other side of the park, reasonably priced and quiet
Slottsstaden is close to the Ribersborg beach. On the waterfront, the
rejuvenated neighbourhood of Västra Hamnen is home to Santiago Calatrava’s
landmark Turning Torso tower, the tallest in Sweden. Further west, Limhamm,
next to the Oresund Bridge, is a good place to look for a house near the water.
An average two-bedroom house in these desirable areas ranges from 1.4 to 1.8
million Swedish krona, while the average rent for a two-bedroom ranges from
5,000 to 8,000 SEK a month.