San Francisco has been named one of “The World’s Happiest Cities” in an article posted on Forbes.com. San Francisco, which ranks seventh out of ten listed cities, is the only city in North America to be included in what the magazine calls “urban centers closely associated with unmitigated joy.”

«It is no surprise that San Francisco has been named one of the happiest cities in the world,” said Joe D’Alessandro, president and CEO of the San Francisco Convention & Visitors Bureau. “San Francisco’s scenic beauty, combined with its ideal year-round climate, diverse neighborhoods, and most importantly, it’s ‘only in San Francisco’ attitude and lifestyle make it an ideal city for both visitors and residents.”

The data provided for this list is part of the 2009 Anholt-GfK Roper City Brands Index, released in June 2009. The research was compiled through online interviews with 10,000 respondents in 20 countries.

“San Francisco makes the list because it’s perceived by foreigners as the ‘most fun’ of America’s major cities,” claims Simon Anholt, policy advisor and market researcher for GfK Custom Research North America. “It’s associated with gay pride.