4th living

A recent quality of life survey of 420 global cities ranked Auckland 4th best in the world (tied with Vancouver).  The survey, conducted by Mercer, rated cities based on several different factors.  Honolulu was the top US city coming in at 29.   

Now I happen to think that Auckland is a pretty good place to live.  As far as cities go it's relatively safe, clean, culturally diverse, and on and on and on.  I've noticed though that many native Aucklanders frequently bash their city and talk about how awful it is.  It's a well known fact that many New Zealanders living south of the Auckland region hold a general disdain for the city.  However, in a recent NZ survey ranking the 12 major city centres in the country (comprising 56% of the population), Aucklanders ranked themselves 11th out of the 12.  There are a few possible explanations for this:

1. The Mercer survey grossly overestimated the quality of life in Auckland. 

2. The Mercer survey was correct but there are 11 better places in NZ to live which should be in a higher position on the survey. (Wellington for example came in 3rd place in the NZ survey but didn't even make the top 10 in the Mercer survey.)

3. Aucklanders greatly under-appreciate the quality of life in their city.  

There's certainly other explanations than these 3 but observing and conversing with native Aucklanders leads me to believe that #3 on my list is probably a big part of the issue.  Not that Aucklanders are alone in under-appreciating the city they live in.  I think it's somewhat normal for people to not appreciate the place they live, especially if they've always lived there.  I've heard similar comments by people from St. Louis, MO and Grand Rapids, MI; both of which were places I greatly enjoyed living.  I wonder though if there may be some different cultural values in play that cause New Zealanders, Aucklanders included, to verbally tear down the country's only truly metropolitan area?  Whatever the case, in response to the survey results some local celebrities and musicians got together and produced the video below which is filled  with some classic, good old, self deprecating, Kiwi humour.