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Of the big four: London, New York, Paris and Tokyo - the latter two remain thoroughly French and Japanese cities respectively. Instead of being the most international and 'least British/American' cities in their country, they embody what is basically the essence of their national identity.
For some, there is nothing more Japanese than the frenetic pace of life on the packed streets of Shinjinku or Ginza, other than perhaps quaint Shinto temples among cherry blossom groves in Kyoto. While Paris is just one facet of 'Frenchness' France displays to the world, of course Parisian culture is seen as the height of Frenchness. I suppose London with it's RP accents is seen the same way by some, but no longer is cockney rhyming slang heard that much in Mile End or the Tower Hamlets, instead you're likely to hear Bengali. It is chicken tikka masala which is more common than eel pie.
Eh, I'd disagree with that as a New Yorker. London feels literally like the world piled onto a city in the UK, but New York is American while being anti-American and foreign (yes, it really is that contradictory). To be successful in New York, you usually need some sort of assimilatory factor, but that's not really the case in London. I'm moving to London in October, so I'll see for myself how much my perceptions from previous trips ring true as a resident rather than a visitor, but it seems that London is even more cosmopolitan. I will agree about Paris and Tokyo, where outsider sentiment is very apparent. In terms of this thread, though, I find Paris monotonous. It might be pretty, but there's no real neighborhood feel. Even the Metro stops all look the same (not as much the case in London; Tube stops still have their own quirks). The variety in architecture, food, and institutions makes London a winner for me. Not to say Paris is bad, it's just not as good.
But in much way, people who visit Paris, see almost nothing of the city and only imagine and see it with stereotypes.
There is no worse blind that the one who don't want to see.
Instead of searching the reality, tourists try to see everything that would renforce their stereotypes, even if it is not anymore the reality of Paris city life (many never existed).
There are a huge gap between the tourists and the inhabitants in Paris.
But in much way, people who visit Paris, see almost nothing of the city and only imagine and see it with stereotypes.
There is no worse blind that the one who don't want to see.
Instead of searching the reality, tourists try to see everything that would renforce their stereotypes, even if it is not anymore the reality of Paris city life (many never existed).
There are a huge gap between the tourists and the inhabitants in Paris.
Or London, or Munich, or Berlin, or Amsterdam, or New York, or, or, or.
More in Paris, because the international representation of Paris doesn't show it as a real city where non touristy businesses are the large majority of the activity but as an amusement park for adults.
Even if New York, London or Berlin have a lot of tourist, back there tourists know that before being a touristy places, those are working cities.
Paris is not different, but media don't show it.
Do you know why some Japanese tourists get crazy in Paris and not in London or NYC ?
We cannot say that locals, cleaness or crimes are really better in these places.
It is because in the Japanese media (an in most media) NYC or London are represented as real cities, not fairytale place amusement park (where people spend all there time in cafe and only buy luxury item).
Unfortunately for media what's matter is not the reality but the stereotypes.
By exemple why using accordeon song of the early 1920's as background music for Paris in one of largest hip hop scene in the world ?
Why not some contemporary music ?
When most tourists visits Paris, they come with these stereotypes in mind and they try to see these stereotype.
Obviously tourists in London or New York or Berlin stick also to famous places but they know that there is a real city behind, not in Paris.
They tend to close their minds about the unknown thing. Paris as a working city.
Quote:
Originally Posted by chielgirl
Rather generalizing about tourists, aren't you?
Not all tourists are like that but wide part are.
I cannot say that I am rude with tourists (except at rush hours when they walk too slowly) but I am more helpful with the tourists who want to see Paris as it is really than the blind one.
I think the future london skyscrapers are the most beautiful and interesting; gherkin, shard, pinnacle, cheese grater, walkie talkie.. Even canary wharf tower has a simple elegance. London culturally is the New York of europe; so multicultural with food from all over the world and u can get cutting edge english food in london; that is as good as any food in the world. English food has come alo.ng way. Paris is a beautiful baroque centre and was an artistic city.. London reflects its past industrial might. They both are romantic cities in different ways. I think the destruction of london in ww2 has created an interesting mix of old and new though there is the scurge of 60s bruitalism in london; many of the architecturally worthless concrete 60s blocks are coming down and being replaced with more worthy cutting edge architecture. La defence in paris has a certain elegance being divided in the middle at the end of a long promenade. But canary wharf in london has a new york like glamour even though the skyscrapers are quit average. Over all london has a pulse that paris cant match for me
I agree with geoking66. As diverse as New York is, it feels like everyone there is Americanized until you're in the touristy areas of Manhattan. I think the declining economy, location, high cost of university, no guarantee of health coverage until you find work or are in deep poverty, and tough, confusing immigration have made new York less appealing to move to for people outside the US who aren't from wealthy backgrounds (hence Toronto is supposedly more of a diverse city in North America now). London is expensive, but the cost of university for international students is lower than in the US, it's easier for Europeans to move to, it's in a better location geographically for a wider variety of people to move to, and people don't have to worry about not having health coverage. London also has a more adventurous street layout, where as NYC is mostly a boring grid and in areas seems a bit too car-oriented. That said, I've heard British have a reputation for more drinking and becoming violent when drunk, and their worse-than-China surveillance on citizens scares me. I've never been to Paris, but I don't know if I could handle all the tourists visiting it all the time. The amount swarming Manhattan are bad enough.
London is nothing like paris and I wish americans would stop saying that. Im starting to get really offended europeans are foreigners so stop grouping us up and saying we are the same.
Paris is a dump (believe me, I've been living there for 58 years as of today), London less so (but still not my cup of tea).
I don't like those northern european cities. Period.
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