Tony Brennan undertook a "life audit" at the end of his diplomatic posting in the Australian capital to decide where his family would start their next chapter.
"Canberra won," Mr Brennan, the former deputy British high commissioner to Australia, said.
Taking the cake were ticks for convenient commutes, considerate community, continuity, connectivity and comedy.
Over 22 years spent in the British foreign ministry, Mr Brennan served in Sudan, Czech Republic, Tanzania and France. But despite finishing his last assignment in Australia in December and having no secured employment he will not go home, return to another country or try somewhere new. At least for now.
"I think one of the nice things about Australia and Canberra is that people respect you for who you are, not what you are," he said.
"There are also some very funny people here while some of the places we've lived lack much a stand-up comedy circuit. Comedy is something I've done for quite a long time, I was lucky enough to have a show in the Canberra Comedy Festival."
Other winning factors for him and his wife Marketa were conveniently short commutes, the recent addition of international flights and continuing the life the family had made since giving birth to their three-year-old son Nicholas, who was born prematurely at 32-weeks at Canberra Hospital.
"I know he would not have survived if we were still in some other places we've lived in," Mr Brennan said.
Remaining in the city with the world's highest quality of living does not seem an uncommon post-diplomat path.
Of the twelve embassies and high commissions the Canberra Times contacted, half reported having past diplomats who continued to call Canberra home.
The New Zealand High Commissioner Chris Seed noted several people who stayed in Canberra or returned multiple times over the years, including himself.
"I think the fact people want to stay or keep coming back demonstrates professionally an interesting challenging assignment that is really important to New Zealand because of the many connections to Australia," Mr Seed said.
"But also on personal level, it's a friendly, welcoming and comfortable place, especially if you have a family."
The Canberra-to-Wellington flights launched last September were a bonus.
Thomas Dougherty, former deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy, was also quick to fall in love with the city.
His service in Canberra from 2013-2016 was the last of a dozen postings which included in Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.
Mr Dougherty since scored a job as executive director of the Australian-American Fulbright Commission in Canberra, but said he would have seriously considered staying without that opportunity.
"I'm a huge fan of Canberra," Mr Dougherty said.
"It is an amazingly liveable city with incredible interesting people and places. What makes Canberra unique among all capital cities I've been is having incredible people and places, but it is small and liveable enough that you have access to them all."
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