To celebrate Monocle’s 2015 Quality of Life Survey, editor in chief Tyler Brûlé and AkzoNobel hosted a midsummer party at our London headquarters. The event provided an opportunity to honour this year’s winners and celebrate the best cities to call home.

Featuring our ninth annual Quality of Life Survey, Monocle’s July/August double issue is out now. From the twisting streets of Tokyo to the green spaces of Vienna, the long sunlight hours of Sydney to the citywide food festival of Helsinki, roll up to read about the world’s 25 most liveable cities, alongside our usual tour of the best in design, urbanism, business, fashion and more.

New York can easily live up to its movie-star good looks but it can be a city that surprises, too. Monocle has had a bureau in New York since its launch in 2007 and this has made us passionate about this city and its ambitions. The Monocle Travel Guide to New York, published by Gestalten, is a celebration of all that we love about the city. Available now at [The Monocle Shop.](/shop/books-and-music/travel-guides/)

Monocle has launched a new series of travel guides for people who want to get the most out of their stay and feel like locals rather than tourists. To celebrate the publication of our London guide, Monocle Films brings you a cinematic portrait of the city. From great examples of urban design and lofty gardens to culinary discoveries and the best music venues, our film journeys to our favourite places in the city we call home. The Monocle Travel Guide to London, published by Gestalten, is available now at [The Monocle Shop.](/shop/books-and-music/travel-guides/)

Featuring our fast-paced annual Transport Survey, our latest issue is out now. From pioneering high-speed-rail connections to open-plan airports, kooky new cars and cute ways to commute, we round up the most innovative ways to traverse the globe, plus our usual perfectly formed edit of culture, design, business and global affairs.

Monocle is launching a new series of travel guide books that you can buy in our shops (including online). We start with London and New York and in the coming weeks these will be joined by Hong Kong and Tokyo. Each 148-page guide gives you our take on the city and the things that make us excited about it – from local retail to fun cafés, good runs to neighbourhood walks. Quirky, opinionated and revealing, they are the guide books you need to pack. [Available to order now at The Monocle Shop.](/shop/books-and-music/travel-guides/)

Over a sunny weekend in Lisbon, delegates and speakers came together for Monocle's inaugural Quality of Life Conference. From the importance of healthy, robust media to how to run a metropolis, architects, mayors, entrepreneurs and key thinkers gave a fresh perspective on the world around us. This is our film that shows just a few of the highlights. And pencil the conference in your diaries for 2016 – we will be announcing details in the coming weeks.

Featuring part one of our sharply focused 2015 Design Directory, our latest issue is out now. From the Southeast Asian architects making waves to the interiors trends reshaping our homes there's plenty on offer for the aesthetically minded, in addition to our usual polished round-up of culture, business and global affairs. [Available online.](https://monocle.com/shop/magazine/other/issue-83/)

The first part of our 2015 Style Directory is ready for you to try on for size in our latest issue. Visit the finest factories, meet some daring new designers and perhaps pull on a new pair of socks – as well as admiring all the usual immaculately groomed Monocle content. [Available online.](https://monocle.com/shop/magazine/other/issue-83/)

From spicing up your lettercraft to adding class to your condiment cupboard, plus timeless additions to your kitchen, wardrobe and workspace, here are this month’s most covetable commodities from issue 81 of Monocle.