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Normally the people dreams to visit something which doesn't exist in their own countries. For example, I ever dreamed about visiting places with mountain, snow, pines - and my next holidays will be in the Switzerland, in the next February - while a place where the beaches are the best attractive things would be somewhat boring for me, because if I want to go to the beach, I simply take my car and drive for about 70 minutes, with the advantage the weather is sunny and warm in most of the year. Someone living in Moscow, for example, may have an opposite travel dream.
Moreover, there are places which don't belong exactly to our dreams, but we would like to visit because of the curiosity of knowing a completely different culture. I'm brazilian with european ancestry, so I feel myself at home when travelling through european countries, especially in the latin countries such Italy, from where came my grand-grandparents, but visiting places such as Jakarta, Bangkok, Seoul and Hong Kong would be surely amazing. A completely different culture, way of living, and such experiences may enrich ourselves even as human beings, understand different values.
I only dream of going to these locations for extended periods of time. I don't care for the touristy aspects. I would MUCH rather be able to dig around, and get into the history of these places. NYC facinates me after reading the ForgottenNY blog. I need time. I just want to dig around. That's it. lol
London and Paris are pretty much on the same level of interest, but NYC has been torn down and built over so many times in such a short span of time, it lures me to it.
So, in the poll, I pick NY. But it is only by a slim margin. London would without doubt be next.
Yeah its incredible how fast they transformed NYC, NYC used to have so many murder, slums, prostitutes, heck times square used to be where drug dealers and prostitutes would go, now its full of tourists and Disney characters, the murder rate today in NYC is the lowest its been since 1962. That's really good and its still going down significantly. I am really proud of the mayor that has been in office! The mayors of NYC are really good they cracked down on Criminals, they transformed NYC into a booming economy, they made the city well known and a popular destination, they attracted tons of businesses.
New york city has to be the most overrated dirty city in the world. Not just that but the city seems to be riddled with self centred individuals, I'm sorry but NYC is just a dump. Though I admit I've never been to New York I get the impression that NYC is just a very generic "New World" metropolis the only good thing about NYC is that well I actually don't know.
As to the bolded: is London any different? As to New York City being a generic "new world" metropolis, most North American cities feel very different, London feels more similar* in many ways IMO. It's not as immediately beautiful as many cities but it has its own style.
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Originally Posted by P London
I'm a bit fed up with everyone downplaying London its a great city NYC is great but yeah it's dirty and dingy in places and not just the inner city area.
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Originally Posted by dunno what to put here
I do understand your frustration. Everyone raves about NYC and I think people tend to overlook other cities without giving them a chance or the benefit of a doubt. It all depends on what you want though - the tall buildings, the grime and grit of New York is appealing to a lot of people, but not to me, at all. In my opinion, the amount of highrises in New York is ridiculously excessive. That is not what I want from a city.
I like London in better some ways, too. Its center is more pleasant, though New York's is interesting in its own way. I don't mind some dirtyness in a city, either. Growing up near NYC, I didn't think NYC was that special, and thought London is nicer. But NYC has grown on me as I got older. NYC is not all high rises, and in fact the parts of the city I like most are less high-rise heavy. These photos definitely show the grittier, but it's definitely has its character:
I'm in London now and trying to sympathize with someone who calls it 'staid' and 'bland'.
... Nope no luck so far.
There's no doubt that New York has the biggest "aspiration appeal" to it from the perspective of the average non-english-speaking foreigner. It's the most hyped and marketed city in the world. As to whether it actually delivers on its promise that it is the greatest city in the world -- having traveled Europe now, I think it's a somewhat naive, insular and outdated view.
Don't answer this if you live in the US, UK or France...
I would say here it's probably New York City...sure many go to London, but it just seems people get more excited about New York City due to the American media and whatnot. When I tell people I've been to NYC they just sound really excited and go on about how much they want to visit. I think even from a young age it's the city I wanted to go to more than any other. Even most who express little interest in going to the US want to go there. London probably seems the least 'exciting' of the 3, with Paris having a magic of it's own...
Reading posts like this (even though it's all from the same poster in the past weekend), I think it's kind of a cute perspective that foreigners are still so optimistic about New York. It's reminiscent of better times in the city.
From the perspective of someone who knows the city well (at least more than what can be garnered from a 7 day visit), I would say New York sadly has seen the last of its best days behind it, and is quickly being overtaken by the likes of Hong Kong and London as more desirable destinations for the rich elite and for foreign travellers. Follow the money, as they say --- London has so much investment money flowing into it that it doesn't know what to do with it all. Can we really say the same about New York?
The best thing that NY has now is its image....and that may pull in people for many years ahead. It may also constantly reinvent itself as time goes by, but there is a general overarching negative trend to its relevance and attractiveness in the world, to its cultural and economic foundations, that are nigh on impossible to deny. It's only a matter of time before reality catches up to it. That said, it will still be the best big city in N america, even in the worst case scenario.
The best hope for it is that diBlasio's term in office as mayor isn't as much of a disaster as it was with Dinkins (the history of liberal/democratic mayors for this city is pretty terrible) and that the place doesn't deteriorate into an unliveable warzone like it was in the 1970s and 1980s. If it somehow survives this and manages to hold onto both its tax base and middle class, while reversing/stopping some of the plastic gentrification in Manhattan -- my big big bugbear about the place --, then it will still be in the running as a go-to destination.
Last edited by BennyBucks; 11-25-2013 at 02:33 AM..
As to the bolded: is London any different? As to New York City being a generic "new world" metropolis, most North American cities feel very different, London feels more similar* in many ways IMO. It's not as immediately beautiful as many cities but it has its own style.
Yes true many large cities contain self absorbed type people so I guess that point is pointless.
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I like London in better some ways, too. Its center is more pleasant, though New York's is interesting in its own way. I don't mind some dirtyness in a city, either. Growing up near NYC, I didn't think NYC was that special, and thought London is nicer. But NYC has grown on me as I got older. NYC is not all high rises, and in fact the parts of the city I like most are less high-rise heavy. These photos definitely show the grittier, but it's definitely has its character:
*London's similar enough perhaps someone living in London might want to choose another place to visit? But every big city is different.
You see I don't like grittiness to much I prefer clean streets to dirty ones and clean buildings to dingy ones I really think that NYC is overrated but that's not to say American cities are crap because they're not. I loved Boston and I really want to go to San Francisco.
I think the only part of NYC I'd really like is lower Manhattan and times square everything inbetween would be "meh"
I'm in London now and trying to sympathize with someone who calls it 'staid' and 'bland'.
... Nope no luck so far.
There's no doubt that New York has the biggest "aspiration appeal" to it from the perspective of the average non-english-speaking foreigner. It's the most hyped and marketed city in the world. As to whether it actually delivers on its promise that it is the greatest city in the world -- having traveled Europe now, I think it's a somewhat naive, insular and outdated view.
There are cities in Europe just as great and in some ways greater (history, culture, architecture, if you prefer the old stuff), but NYC just has a uniqueness to it that I rarely encounter. Paris, Hong Kong, Venice, Rio, Rome, Sydney, LA are some of the other really unique cities I would say.
There are cities in Europe just as great and in some ways greater (history, culture, architecture, if you prefer the old stuff), but NYC just has a uniqueness to it that I rarely encounter. Paris, Hong Kong, Venice, Rio, Rome, Sydney, LA are some of the other really unique cities I would say.
How can you call NYC, LA and Rome unique and not Edinburgh, San Francisco, Athens, and London? I don't get how LA is unique its just another american city that happens to be the centre of film and entertainment. It seems your views are warped somewhat even though your entitled to your opinion.
Weird how you say "other uniqueness". Rome, Athens, Venice, Rio and Paris are not on the same "unique scale" as NYC those cities would be most unique.
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