One Of The Friendliest Cities In The World Is Rich With Stunning Coastal Views And A Thriving Art Scene

City slickers, pay attention! If you like your metropolises with a big smile on their faces then here's just the thing: A study into the friendliest cities on the globe. Scratch that. Three totally separate studies into the friendliest cities on the globe. And there's one urban center that stands out from the bunch because it scores high on every single one of them. Sydney — sun-kissed, salt-washed Sydney — we're looking at you.

Who would have thought that sugar-sand beaches, perfect urban surf breaks, and more than 2,600 hours of beaming sunshine each year would add up to one of the most welcoming towns on the globe, eh? Truth is, big data and fancy statistical studies are hardly required to show that the capital of New South Wales is a bucket-list-buster for city-loving travelers. It's regularly ranked among the world's best destinations, and draws an estimated total of 36.7 million visitors per year. That many people can't be wrong, right? Right.

Nevertheless, Insider Monkey recently placed Sydney at an enviable No. 9 on their list of the world's friendliest cities, in a ranking based on opinion data sourced from multiple Reddit threads. Meanwhile, Preply elevated the town another seven places to No. 2 overall on their collated list of the most welcoming towns for non-natives, using metrics based on acceptance of diversity and the return rate of travelers. Finally, the folks over at Daily Passport complete the trifecta — awarding Sydney top spot in their league of amicable metropolises after collating data from a variety of leading editorial sources and other rankings. There's a whole lot of love for this Aussie mainstay out there, it seems.

Dip in and out of the travel guides and you'll notice that there's one thing that comes up time and time again when extolling the virtues of Sydney: beaches. There's a whopping 100 of them, running from the urban bays of the Inner Harbor to the wave-lashed shores that face eastwards out to the Tasman Sea. And they're a cinch to reach. Jump off the plane at Sydney International Airport and you can be on the coast in less than 20 minutes. Or hitch a ferry from the CBD straight to the beach suburbs — the boats also take 20 minutes and leave more than six times per hour.

Sydney even claims what's arguably the most iconic stretch of sand in the country — scratch that, the whole world. Cue Bondi. Vintage surf mecca and R&R hub, it's a place to ride sandbar breaks and splash around in iconic saltwater swimming pools built on the edge of the coast. Behind it, there's also a vibrant beach suburb where chic coffee houses mingle with artisan bakeries. You could spend weeks kicking it in Bondi and never need to leave.

But Bondi is just one corner of the Sydney coastline. The city extends southwards along the 3.7-mile Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk, which links up cliff-shadowed coves with happening neighborhoods laden with drinkeries. On the other side of the harbor mouth is what's known as the Northern Beaches. They start at pine-ringed Manly and go for more than 18 miles along rugged headlands where it's possible to spot dolphins and kick back at surfer hangouts like Curl Curl.

The Preply study into the world's friendliest cities awarded Sydney a competitive 65.87 for "Community Respect" and a "Happiness" ranking that beat both San Francisco and Paris, one of the world's most iconic vacation destinations. But it turns out they aren't the only numbers complimentary to the NSW capital. After surveying more than 18,000 locals, Time Out also ranked the town among the top five cultural hubs in the world.

That should hardly come as a surprise. Sydney is bursting at the sandy seams with culture, art, and — perhaps most famously of all — audacious architecture. Danish-designed Sydney Opera House, we're looking at you — perhaps from a daredevil bridge climb for the best views. Asked about the overall cultural scene in the metropolis in 2025, Time Out Sydney's arts & culture editor, Alannah Sue, said: "From world-class exhibitions and sparkly mainstage extravaganzas to grassroots artist collectives and drag queens strutting their stuff on bartops, Sydney's diverse tapestry of arts and culture is a huge part of what makes our city so special."

Indeed, it can be hard to know where to begin, exactly. Will it be the prestigious Art Gallery of NSW, a free-to-enter space filled with collections of Australian and global works from the 15th century onward? Should you check out the 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, which is fully dedicated to the creative works of the Asian communities of Australia? Should you hit up Newtown, the boho hood where alt music gigs take place in brewpubs? Or should you simply head to the trendy art and food area of Chippendale for some gallery hopping and gourmet bites? Choices, choices.