Seattle Is Number 1 Hygge City In America
By Christine Clarridge - original article
Why do people keep moving to Seattle? Is it our beautiful views, plentiful economic opportunities � or the option to be stuck in endless, hellish traffic?
Perhaps, but it could also be our extraordinary �hygge� score.
So what�s hygge? Pronounced hue-gah, it�s a Danish word that describes a quality of coziness and conviviality � and it�s very in at the moment.
Sperling�s Best Places released its list of the the top hygge cities in the U.S. on Wednesday. The ranking factors are the number of cold or inclement days; the amount of people who enjoy hygge pastimes, such as reading books, knitting and playing board games; the availability of venues for drinking coffee, tea, beer and wine; and the percentage of homes with a fireplace.?
It turns out, according to Sperling, that we in Seattle are the hygge-ist of the hygge, taking home top honors with a first-place ranking.
Before we get to the list of America�s other most and least hygge cities, here�s a clip of Bert Sperling explaining the concept.
Sperling�s top five hygge cities:
1. Seattle
2. Portland
3. Minneapolis
4. Salt Lake City
5. Denver
And the least hygge cities:
50. Los Angeles
49. Riverside
48. Miami
47. San Antonio
46. Tucson
Anyone who would like to learn more about the easy nature of true hygge is invited to learn more at the Northwest Danish Association in Suite 101 at 1833 North 105th Street in Seattle.
Right before the holidays, the association put on a hygge exhibit that featured chocolate, tea cups and candles among other things, according to the association�s president, Edith Christensen.
The association also hosts hygge-type events throughout the year, including a get together at The Dane cafe on the first Friday of each month, a Valentine�s Day dinner in February and a beer festival in November when the new Danish beers are introduced.
Christensen said the new interest in hygge could be due to �too much bad news in the world.�
�I think people want something like hygge,� she said, �because they are tired of the stresses and the down things that you read about so much. They are looking for something comforting.�