The list of the most expensive cities in the United States is now out, and unsurprisingly, New York has taken the top spot, with a cost of living that's double its closest follower. Of course, the financial crisis has put a bit of pressure on real estate prices and the cost of goods all over the country, but there are still some places that just cost a fortune.

New York: a two-bedroom luxury apartment (unfurnished) now costs a mere $4,300, off $200 from last year. And, there are other signs that the most expensive city is becoming less expensive, including the shuttering of Café des Artistes and the opening of our first J.C. Penney (ugh).

Los Angeles: this is where you go if you can afford only half the cost of living in New York. Unlike the most expensive city in the country, it makes sense to have a car out there, but get a nice one: you'll be spending a lot of time in it. LA has some of the longest commutes in the country.

Washington, D.C.: in this part of the country, take advantage of a 3.8 percent unemployment rate for the metro area. That's a hell of a lot better than the nationwide 9.8 percent (expected to break 10 percent early next year).

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Europe – the same corner of Europe, actually – claims the first three spots in Mercer Consulting's annual Quality of Living Survey. Vienna, Austria and Zurich and Geneva in Switzerland lead the list, followed by Vancouver, Canada and Auckland, New Zealand in a tie for fourth.

Little has changed for the top half of the top 10. Last year, Zurich nabbed the top spot, and Vienna and Geneva shared the #2 spot. Vancouver is unchanged year-over-year, and Auckland's #5 finish last year is roughly the same as its tie for fourth in 2009.

Not only are the top places to live ostensibly enjoyable, you're more likely to be there for a while. Life expectancies in these cities start at 79 years. It's better than living a nice long life in a dump, I guess.

The United States doesn't appear until the bottom of the top 30, with Honolulu and San Francisco. From Asia, only Singapore picks up a spot in the world's 30 best places to live. South America and Africa are not represented at all. It's strange, I half-expected to see Mogadishu on this list.

Of the 215 places listed, Baghdad has the distinction of finishing last. Sometimes, common sense prevails.

Hotel Renew bills itself as Honolulu's first luxury designer boutique hotel. Designed by Jiun Ho, the small hotel is located near Waikiki Beach and offers just 72 rooms. The rooms use Shoji screens, natural rock, wave patterns in the bedding and carpet and the customized spa-inspired robes and lifestyle amenities to create an air of tranquility. Each room includes an 80" projection television or 32" LCD HDTV, CD/DVD player, iPod compatibility, and WiFi access. The hotel is also dog-friendly ( up to 20 pounds with a security deposit of $50 and a fee of $25 per night) and smoke free.

Hotel Renew is also home to Lounge Renew which offers breakfast and coffee in the morning, healthy treats and smoothies in the middle of the day and signature cocktails and libations in the evening. Rooms start at $175 per night. Reviews on Trip Advisor look great, this hotel is rated top in their reviews of Honolulu hotels.

For the next couple of weeks we will be checking out some homes in the most expensive zip codes in the United States, up today, 96816 . This zip code is the only one we will feature outside of the continental 48 states, it is located in Honolulu, Hawaii. This particular area with plenty of waterfront property has a median price of $2,090,000 and an appreciation rate of 250% since 1990.

Hawaii is an expensive place to live but views like the ones from this home are part of the reason people are willing to spend the money. Today's home is in the Kahala neighborhood which we have covered before in estate of the days because it is a particularly lovely place to live. This home is a 2004 restoration and remodel of a past celebrity-owned residence. The home has prized Koa wood trim and Ohia flooring and a dramatic rock fireplace. The most alluring part of this home are the glass walls facing the dramatic ocean vistas. The home has only two bedrooms but over 4,000 square feet of space including one of the most fantastic views from a bathtub I have ever seen. This home is listed at $10.8 million.

A few months ago I mentioned the fact that a home built on Henry J. Kaiser's land in Honolulu was up for sale but we didn't take a look at it. Let's do that now, since with this cold weather, I could use a dose of island breezes. The home is located in the Portlock neighborhood and has views of Maunalua Bay and Diamond Head. It wasn't around in Kaiser's time, the new home was built in 2005. It has four bedrooms suites on two levels. The home is surrounded by reflecting pools and courtyards for enjoying the relaxed pace of island life. The living room opens to a large lanai with plenty of room for lounging and the dining room borders a reflecting pond and an infinity-edge pool with a spa. The master wing opens to a garden with a spa and there is a private lap pool as well as a gym and massage rooms. It is listed at $20 million. After the jump, a home that brings the outside in.

This beautiful property in Honolulu, Hawaii dispenses with restraint in favor of over-the-top luxury. The home is Mediterranean on the outside and pure Liberace-style fantasy inside with marble everywhere, heavy crystal chandeliers and extravagantly heavy draperies around the huge windows that face the sea. The home was sold for $9.4 million back in 2001 (the asking price then was $12 million) and was built in 1996 by TV producer Al Masini. The home has more than 9,000 square-feet of indoor living space, another nearly 6,000 square feet of roofed outdoor space and a pool with lava rock waterfall. This time the three-bedroom home is listed at $15 million.

This listing refers to Kahala Avenue as Honolulu's most prestigious street and they aren't kidding. We've recently seen another estate on this street which boasts easy access to white sandy beaches, sparkling blue Pacific waters, a nearby resort and a golf course. The estate is on 1.44 acres. The home was built in 1985 and remodeled several years ago. There is a main house with two master suites, four guest bedrooms and three staff bedrooms. Other features include a home gym, office, wine cellar, swimming pool, wading pool and a hot tub. There is also an oceanfront lanai with a bar. The guest houses are each four bedrooms and have their own garages. The compound includes koi ponds, waterfalls and beautiful landscaping. It is listed at $38.8 million. After the jump, the stairway to heaven.

Is Donald Trump planning another Hawaii resort? According to an article in the Honolulu Advertiser, a Florida development firm has purchased beachfront property at the Ko Olina Resort & Marina in order to create a luxury condominium hotel that they want to brand with the Trump name. Crescent Heights is planning a 16-story co-tel with 400 to 500 units on eight acres. They are in preliminary talks with Trump to use his name. The project is expected to be finished in 2008. This is the second project we have heard about at Ko Olina on Oahu in Hawaii. There is also a new luxury high-rise condominium complex that will have an eight-story Beach Tower and a 15-story Ocean Tower.