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Very good question. I haven't been to all three...Actually I haven't been to any of the three cities, but I know a little bit of Mexico City and New York to tell you a comparison between the two. I think that NYC is more urban and crowded than the DF. More in a way that it's more vertical buildings going up and probably many places you can't even see the sky or the sun anymore.
The DF is still pretty developed but not a whole lot for a city it's size. I think there are more buildings than LA but maybe less than NYC. Also in Mexico City, or in all of Mexico for that matter, there are no buildings higher than 300 meters. This is only a matter of time before there will be, but this is mostly because Mexico, like China or Japan or California is in an area that has lots of Earthquakes. Also you have to consider that it's kind of complicated to put so many tall buildings on top of a city that is sinking, since Mexico City is in a dry lake bed. Also, another thing is a matter of having money and research and development, which I'm thinking NYC would have more of. As I've said before, a lot of that is changing. Reforma street has some big noticeable differences from 2003-2013, having more and taller buildings. I want to say the World Trade Center in Mexico City looks nice even though it's not huge or anything. Also some of the suburbs, and the Santa Fe buisiness district looks WOOW...and that neighborhood was literally a dump in the 90's
I would like to see what others have to say, especially the people who've been to all three cities. I would be thrilled to read their observations, thoughts, opinions, etc. Mexico City is more crowded than NYC, but I'm thinking that NYC has a much bigger crowed who is in a hurry than the DF. The DF is fast and stressful and lots of traffic, but I'm thinking NYC is worse though. I don't know about the nightlife of any of the cities.
I don't think you can compare all three if you never been, but can say this. If you take size into account NYC would be more crowded, 302 sq miles is a lot more smaller than 588. mexico city is half state and half city but is also huge , city proper by far sao paulo is the largest on both ends population and size. These three are huge and rank on the extreme level in every facet of the talk.
How would you compare them in terms of which feels most crowded/urban, most massive daytime and night-time crowds, most vibrant nightlife.etc.
Statistics on density are usually misleading. Because most areas (including NYC and Mexico City have large sparsely populated areas. DF is thrown by the areas near the volcano, and NYC by Staten Island which has the density of a minor American City.
Mexico City is more like Brooklyn, then Manhattan. Partly because the threat of earthquakes prevents MC from building up like Manhattan.
Possibly the most densely populated neighborhood in all of the Americas, and Europe is St. James Town in Toronto. It consists of 19 massive residential towers (14 to 32 stories) built on 57 acres in the 1960s. Officially, approximately 17,000 people live in the 19 apartment towers ; but the number is thought by residents to be 25,000. At 17K that would be 300 people per acre, and 25K would make it 440 people/acre.
Ppl acre in contrast:
180 Centro Habana
171 Manhattan Community Board 8
154 Manhattan Community Board 7
146 Manhattan Community Board 3
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