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I've been to Tokyo and Istanbul. Also London, Berlin, and Chicago, don't I don't remember the first two that well and don't feel I have much to say about the last. Great cities, all of them. I agree that, in Tokyo, a lack of diversity is the main thing bringing it down. I like cities that are melting pots, and almost everyone is Japanese in Tokyo. Also, Tokyo is busy, busy, busy, much more crowded than New York, and, even though amenities and quantifiable QOL is great, it's known for being extremely stressful on its everyday citizens. That said, it's still definitely the most urban city I've ever been in--it made me, a native New Yorker, feel like a country rube. And for CONTINUOUS ACCESS TO GOOD FOOD there is NOWHERE, even New York, that matches Japan. You can buy a truly delicious lunch in the train station. Of course, liking Japanese food goes a long way there. I've heard it's tricky to be a vegetarian.
Istanbul has both of the problems of Tokyo--pile-up and ethnic uniformity (although it is a cross-section of the whole Turkish nation). Additionally, it's a lot less urban than Tokyo or New York, or even Chicago. It's heavily reliant on motor transit, and the traffic is just horrible. Sometimes walking is faster than the bus. There's also noticeable poverty, especially in the shacks near the Bosphorus on the Asian side. That being said, it was still one of the most magical places I've been in. The history is outrageous and there are still relics of it everywhere, amidst the crazy construction. You can easily get in to see, for instance, the Rumeli Hisari, which is this crazy fortress built by Mehmet the Conqueror when he was taking Constantinople in 1453. Then there are public spaces like Istiklal Street, Besiktas Square, and Ortakoy Square. Istanbul probably doesn't merit top 10 (I'm sure the fact that TimeOut publishes there got it the spot) because of its major urban problems, but I'm glad it's getting press because it's a completely unique and incredible city.
New York, Tokyo, and Istanbul are my favorite places in the world. In that order.
I apologize in advance for getting off topic. I've only been following this site for a few months but
what is clear is that it's a site populated by those who love cities (and are particularly quick to come
to the defense of US cities. There also seems to be some consenus that hosting a summer Olympics
is generally very positive. One American city, Chicago is currently in a fierce battle to host the 2016
Summer games. I hope we might come together to help this bid. Currently President Obama is
wavering on whether to go to Copenhagan for the final presentation in October. The King of Spain
and Spanish president will be supporting Madrid. Members of the Royal Family of Japan and the
Prime Minister of Japan will support Tokyo. The President of Brazil will support Rio. I have sent an e-mail to the White House urging Presidnet Obama to do so. I hope others will consider sending communications in whatever form with a similar message. I hope we can agree that the country
and particularly it's urban areas benefit from hosting an event on such a world stage.
Thanks for your consideration.
1. London, UK
2. New York City, USA
3. Tokyo, Japan
4. Paris, France
T5. Berlin, Germany
T5. Chicago, USA
7. Vienna, Austria
8. Sydney, Australia
9. Hong Kong, China
10. Toronto, Canada
Special notice to Buenos Aires, Argentina and San Francisco, USA
In my own opinion, this is how the list should look.
^^ And Tokyo's lack of diversity is a major reason why I don't feel it deserves a '10' in "food and drink" either -- not if the ability to obtain quality authentic food from countries all around the world (ala NYC) is important to you.
Not to be rude but you really have no idea what you are talking about. The national religion of Japan might as well be called food because they are just that passionate about it.
You can throw around terms like "authentic" all you want but it is completely meaningless. I've never had an "authentic" meal of anything in my entire life because EVERYONE fixes their food differently, even in the native country of that food. Go to 10 different homes in France, Italy, America, etc and ask for the same "authentic" meal and you'll be treated with 10 meals that all taste different.
The only thing that matters with food is the experience. If the food tastes good then IT IS GOOD, period. If my "unauthentic" food tastes better than your "authentic" version of the same meal I'll have the unauthentic version EVERY single time.
And what truly makes Japanese eating so great is that the increased quality and care is notable at all levels.
Not to be rude but you really have no idea what you are talking about. The national religion of Japan might as well be called food because they are just that passionate about it.
You can throw around terms like "authentic" all you want but it is completely meaningless. I've never had an "authentic" meal of anything in my entire life because EVERYONE fixes their food differently, even in the native country of that food. Go to 10 different homes in France, Italy, America, etc and ask for the same "authentic" meal and you'll be treated with 10 meals that all taste different.
The only thing that matters with food is the experience. If the food tastes good then IT IS GOOD, period. If my "unauthentic" food tastes better than your "authentic" version of the same meal I'll have the unauthentic version EVERY single time.
And what truly makes Japanese eating so great is that the increased quality and care is notable at all levels.
^ Being an ethnic person, I know exactly what I am talking about. I feel for you if you never had authentic food before nor can tell the difference between food rooted in a nation's culture from food elsewhere that tries to imitate that but comes short.
Authenticity makes a big difference as the Caribbean food you get in Miami or New York (for instance) is a lot truer to their Caribbean roots than the same in, say, Phoenix. Another example-- Mexican food in LA or Phoenix is, overall, more authentic than say the equivalent food here in Orlando. Sure, people add their personal style to things, but authentic foods all tend to revolve around a similar foundation and use widely accepted ingredients/seasoning...etc. Why? Because authentic foods are tied closely to a particular nation's culture.
Less authentic foods veer further and further away from that nation's culture, often using completely different ingredients/preparation than what people in the intended country would ever use. Hence, they taste dissimilar to what people would serve in the respective countries. If you tell me you can't tell the difference between authentic foods that have relatively minor differences from one another from non-authentic foods that are very, very different (i.e. different preparation, ingredients..etc) then there is nothing much else I can say to you.
Now I have never been to Tokyo so I can't be 100% sure there but I can give my impressions... Now, Oycrumbler made the claim that people from given nations are not necessary to make authentic food from said nations. On face value, that sounds beautiful, but that claim does not hold up to scrutiny in my experience. What I find instead is a strong correlation between having large numbers of people from the communities and the quality/authenticity of the food served from those communities. Now because I said a food is not authentic, that is not to say that the food "tastes bad (a plate may be non-authentic and still taste good)." When I see a city as homogeneous as Tokyo is, however, common sense tells me that many ethnic foods there are not very authentic (if available at all), irrespective of how good their alternatives may taste or how well they may be prepared.
I respect that authenticity may not important to you or some others, but to me, it is a big deal. This difference explains a lot about our relative stances on the issue. As for me -- When I can get arroz and guandules, mangu, arenque, or pasteles the way it is done in Dominican Republic in Tokyo, you let me know. Hey, you are from the south-- Do they even make southern/cajun/creole food in Tokyo, let alone authentic? Guess what? They do in NYC.
I know right.. Some people just prefer to live in boring places for some reason...
If boring is what Houston is; than I guess people prefer a more boring lifestyle. I mean, we all don't like to have fun....right?
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