Hong Kong-based newspaper Wen Wei Po ran an article today in its prime news section saying that the world's largest online men's magazine AskMen.com has made its 2009 selection for 29 of the world's best cities for men to live in. Chicago topped the list, Barcelona, known for its food and beaches, was ranked second, and San Francisco was number three on the list. Meanwhile, the Chinese city of Hong Kong also made the top ten, coming in at number eight.

After comparing cities using eight major categories of 2009 Livability, Sports and Entertainment, Culture, Fashion, Dating and Sex, Health, Power and Money, and The Good Life, a list of 29 cities was compiled from the results of the various editors of AskMen.com.

The scores of each city were based on factors including employment rate, income growth, the ratio of single men to women, the population of highly educated single women, beer prices, closing times of bars and clubs, the number of brand-name men's clothing stores, the cost of living, the rate of heart disease for men, as well as the amount of international arts and cultural activities that are held each year in the city.

AskMen.com points out that Hong Kong brings together East and West and is a vibrant cosmopolitan city where people of all races, nationalities and religions live and work together. In Hong Kong, says the report, men can make friends with people from all over the over the world. The city's public transport system is the best in the world and it is one of the safest cities on earth. The report goes on to say that there are plenty of world-class restaurants being overseen by celebrity chefs and that there are lots of beautiful women.

AskMen.com said that Hong Kong will be experiencing some major changes in 2009, potentially raising its global profile significantly. For instance, after development of the West Kowloon Cultural District is completed, it will include an art museum, a large-scale concert venue, harbor-side boardwalks, shops, restaurants and residential high-rises. Although the world has been hit by economic downturn, Asia's regional economy continues grow. As the financial center of Asia, Hong Kong is still a top destination for Western people.

In addition, Chicago became the best city for men to live in this year. Its pleasant and comfortable neighborhoods, beautiful lakeside landscapes, balanced development of arts and sports, low cost of living and practical lifestyle make it an ideal place for men who follow a comfortable and international lifestyle.

As well as holding a wide variety of international cultural and entertainment activities, Chicago is one of the best cities worldwide in terms of the variety of dishes on offer in its restaurants. This October, Chicago will bid for the 2016 Olympic Games, which will help further raise its international reputation.

This year's list has only 29 cities in the second round selection, whereas it included 50 to 60 cities in the past. James Bassil, editor-in-chief of AskMen.com said that despite the possible impact of the economic recession on cities like London, New York and Paris, they still remained on the list, ranking the fourth, sixth and tenth respectively. Other cities outside the top ten include Vancouver, Rome, Buenos Aires and Tokyo.

By People's Daily Online