The World's Happiest Cities, by Zack O'Malley Greenburg


Ever since Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers appeared in the 1933 film Flying Down to Rio, the world has been fascinated with Rio de Janeiro. Popular perception of the city is infused with images of starry-eyed youngsters dancing into the dusk, backed by imposing mountains and dark sea.

That view has propelled Rio to the top of our list of the world's happiest cities. Famous for its annual Carnaval festival (starting Feb. 13 next year), the second-largest metropolis in South America finished first among 50 cities in a recent survey conducted by policy advisor Simon Anholt and market researcher GfK Custom Research North America.





"Brazil is associated with all these qualities of good humor and good living and Carnaval," says Anholt. "Carnaval is very important--it's the classic image that people have of Rio, and it's an image of happiness.

Behind the Numbers

The data Anholt provided for our list is part of the 2009 Anholt-GfK Roper City Brands Index, released in June. The research was compiled through online interviews with 10,000 respondents in 20 countries.

Happiness is difficult to quantify, and Anholt acknowledges that his data is less an indicator of where local populations are happiest than a reflection of respondents' thinking about where they could imagine themselves happy.

"This is a survey of perception, not a survey of reality," he says. "People write me all the time and say 'that's not true.' It probably isn't true, but it's what people think. The gap between perception and reality is what interests city governments."

The French historian Fernand Braudel wrote that " Happiness, whether in business or private life, leaves very little trace in history." But a perception of happiness leaves a strong trace on the balance sheets of cities that depend on conventions, tourism and an influx of talent.








Text originally published at Forbes.com. Photos by the blog's editor.

HISTORICAL RIO SURPRISE WALKING TOUR


The beaches, samba, Corcovado, Sugarloaf are very beautiful indeed, but Rio de Janeiro — a more than four centuries old city and former Brazilian capital city — has more to offer. Ivo Korytowski, an author, photographer, translator and blogger invites you for a long walking tour (around four hours), almost an urban “trekking”, through historical Rio. You’ll see old churches, a Roman style colonial aqueduct, old alleyways and staircases, an 18th century fortress built to protect the city from French invasions and more... much more. The whole tour is a surprise. For more information please e-mail me (except from June, 15th to July, 13th 2009): ivokory@gmail.com

Véronique, Brésil 2009


During last Carnival, I took a group of around 30 French - who like the samba and participated in the samba schools parade - in my Historical Rio Surprise Walking Tour: it’s a surprise because I don’t tell beforehand where we’ll go. One of the French, Véronique, found (in French, of course) la balade que nous avions faite avec vous dans Rio, très belle et interessante balade d'ailleurs (the tour that we’ve made with you in Rio very beautiful and interesting). She took nice pictures. Some of the pictures are shown in this post. To see a slides projection of all pictures taken by Véronique in Brazil (including Bahia and the Samba Parade), please click here.









RIO, MARVELOUS CITY


As a child, I used to think: "How lucky to be born in the most beautiful city in the world". As I became an adult, I became curious to know other cities around the world, but after so many trips (in the 1980’s), I’m still faithful to my first love: Rio de Janeiro.
You have just to go out to the streets to see great and little marvels. Here are some photos from this Marvelous City.


Leme and Copacabana Beaches


Copacabana Palace Hotel


Copacabana Beach


Rio de Janeiro skyline at dusk


Christ Statue's reflex on the Lagoon


Leblon and Ipanema Beach


Ipanema Beach seen from Arpoador

Sugarloaf and Botafogo Beach


Rio de Janeiro Botanical Garden

AERIAL PHOTOS BY NILO LIMA


These breathtaking photos where taken by the photographer Nilo Lima flying by helicopter. In his site, Nilo says: “For more than 10 years, photographing while flying has been my passion. I love the clouds, the flight sensation, Rio´s colours and the click from my Nikon.” For more photos by Nilo, visit his Portuguese language site Das Alturas.










SUGARLOAF/ZUCKERHUT/PAIN DE SUCRE/PÃO DE AÇÚCAR


The cable-car arriving at the station.

The Sugar Loaf cable car, an idea of Brazilian engineer Augusto Ferreira Ramos inaugurated on 27 October 1912, had its ninetieth anniversary in 2002. The first installed in Brazil and the third in the world, it is a major icon of Rio tourism and has become a trademark of the city. From the inauguration to the above-mentioned anniversary it transported 31 million tourists. In December, January, February and July – high season – daily attendance goes to three thousand people (for more information see the Riotur site).



Up we go...


Up...


View from Urca Hill


The Sugarloaf


Second leg of the trip: from Urca Hill to Sugarloaf


Sugarloaf with the cable-car station


View from the Sugarloaf


A tourist & view of Copacabana Beach


View from Sugarloaf: can you see the Corcovado over there?


View from Sugarloaf


Night

RIO DE JANEIRO AROUND THE YEAR (365 photo from Rio de Janeiro, the Marvelous City)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
RODRIGO DE FREITAS LAGOON (aerial photo by JLuiz)
OLD RIO (VIEW FROM MORRO DA CONCEIÇÃO)
COPACABANA BEACH AT NIGHT
RIO DE JANEIRO SEEN FROM ABOVE (GOOGLE EARTH) Notice the Lagoon (Lagoa), Ipanema Beach (under the Lagoon), Copacabana Beach (right of Ipanema Beach) and Maracanã Stadium
THE RODRIGO DE FREITAS LAGOON
MERRY CHRISTMAS!
THE RODRIGO DE FREITAS LAGOON
THE RODRIGO DE FREITAS LAGOON
CORCOVADO SEEN FROM THE LAGOON
COMLURB, the municipal trash and garbage company
COPACABANA PALACE HOTEL
COPACABANA BEACH (on a rainy and windy day)
RUINS
REFLEXES
SANTA LUZIA CHURCH
MODERN BUILDING
OLD BUILDING ON MORRO DA CONCEIÇÃO
SANTA RITA CHURCH SURROUNDED BY BUILDINGS
SÃO JOÃO BATISTA CHURCH IN BOTAFOGO
BOATS IN URCA (notice the Corcovado behind)
BOATS IN URCA
VIEW FROM URCA (notice the Corcovado at the center)
HOUSE IN URCA
HOUSE IN URCA
SUGARLOAF SEEN FROM PRAIA DA URCA
CORCOVADO SEEN FROM URCA
IPÊ TREE IN URCA
COCA-COLA
BOTANICAL GARDEN & CORCOVADO
BOTANICAL GARDEN
BOTANICAL GARDEN
BOTANICAL GARDEN
BOTANICAL GARDEN
BOTANICAL GARDEN
BOTANICAL GARDEN
BOTANICAL GARDEN
CENTRO ESPÍRITA HUMILDES DE JESUS - SPIRITUALIST CENTER HUMBLES OF JESUS
DOOR
SUBURBAN HOUSE & CAR (on the sidewalk!)
STREET ART
SUGARLOAF SEEN FROM FISCAL ISLAND (ILHA FISCAL)
VIEW FROM INSIDE THE PALACE ON FISCAL ISLAND (ILHA FISCAL) - notice the Rio-Niterói bridge
VIEW FROM FISCAL ISLAND (ILHA FISCAL) - notice the Corcovado far away
FISCAL ISLAND (ILHA FISCAL)

The miniature palace on Fiscal Island is famous for having hosted the last ball of Brazil's crumbling empire. The ball was held on 9th November 1889 and the Brazilian Republic was proclaimed a few days later. Fiscal Island is located in Guanabara Bay close to Ilha das Cobras Island. Visits by appointment. (information obtained on Copacabana Palace Hotel site)
FISCAL ISLAND (ILHA FISCAL)
FISCAL ISLAND (ILHA FISCAL)
FISCAL ISLAND (ILHA FISCAL)
FISCAL ISLAND (ILHA FISCAL)
JARDIM BOTÂNICO QUARTER: OLD HOUSE
JARDIM BOTÂNICO QUARTER: OLD HOUSE
JARDIM BOTÂNICO QUARTER: VILA DOS ARTISTAS
JARDIM BOTÂNICO QUARTER: RUA LOPES QUINTAS
CHATTING
FASHION
SHOP WINDOW
CAT
SÃO JOÃO BATISTA CEMETERY (DETAIL)
SÃO JOÃO BATISTA CEMETERY (DETAIL)
SÃO JOÃO BATISTA CEMETERY (DETAIL)
CORCOVADO SEEN FROM SÃO JOÃO BATISTA CEMETERY
TAXI
SUBURBAN HOUSES
SUBURBAN HOUSE
SUBURBAN RIO
SUBURBAN RIO
SUBURBAN RIO
MONUMENT TO ESTÁCIO DE SÁ, FOUNDER OF RIO, AND THE SUGARLOAF BEHIND
SUGARLOAF

RIO DE JANEIRO, CITY OF SPLENDOUR - 1936 DOCUMENTARY

VIEW FROM ARPOADOR
GAY PRIDE PARADE
GAY PRIDE PARADE
GAY PRIDE PARADE
SAND SCULPTURE & SUGARLOAF
COW PARADE RIO (for more information about Cow Parade click here)
COW PARADE RIO
COW PARADE RIO
COW PARADE RIO
COW PARADE RIO
COW PARADE RIO
COW PARADE RIO
COW PARADE RIO
BARRA DE GUARATIBA: HOUSES