The greatest city in the world is still only the second best. Power rankings firm Resonance Consultancy just released its 2026 World’s Best Cities Report, and while London took the top spot for the 11th consecutive year, New York City moved into the No. 2 spot this year.

Even before Zohran Mamdani was elected as New York’s first Muslim mayor, his critics frequently cited London as a sort of cautionary tale, suggesting that New York under Mamdani could go “the way of London.” That’s because London already has a liberal, Muslim mayor - Sadiq Khan. But is that where the similarities end?