Paris vs London vs New York City (renting, house prices)
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The Average weekly intact of alcohol is now 11.5 units, and is declining accoding to the ONS. We are not all alcoholics.
As for the rest of your post 'ljustdon'tcare' it's down to personal preference. As for our 24 hour culture here in the UK, everything from Bars, Clubs, Restaurants, Cinemas, Casinos and even Supermarkets are open 24/7 now. I can even shop in y local Tesco 24/7 if I should so wish. In terms of the tube it shuts 4 hours a night for maintenance, leading to a better service and cleaner system in my opinion. Whiulst it closes nightbuises operate throughout the night right across London, as do London's famous black cabs. Personally I find London very much as 24/7 as NYC.
Both London and Paris are equally as diverse as New York, and the days when skyscrapers were unique to NYC are long gone, whilst the skyline is nice, we all have skyscrapers now, something that wasn't the case only a few decades ago.
Interesting. The main Tesco in my wife's town (which I just visited as recently as Christmas) closed at midnight. Nothing in the town, ranging from restaurants, to clubs, to pubs, to supermarkets, etc, is open 24/7. Again, personal opinion, I find NYC (and the US in general) much more 24/7.
Yet again, personal opinion, I find NYC the most diverse of the three in more ways than one. Like I stated, I don't think having skyscrapers or a skyline make a city. All I'm saying is that in the skyscraper department, NYC has some real classics and beauties that the other two lack. Not that it matters, like I stated in my above posts.
Interesting. The main Tesco in my wife's town (which I just visited as recently as Christmas) closed at midnight. Nothing in the town, ranging from restaurants, to clubs, to pubs, to supermarkets, etc, is open 24/7. Again, personal opinion, I find NYC (and the US in general) much more 24/7.
We are talking about London and not your wifes town, if you want meet to find you 24/7 bars, clubs, restaurants, supermarkets, deli's, cafes's etc in London I will gladly do so. As for Tesco, all major Tesco stores open 24 hours a day, whilst Asda (owned by Walmart also opens late).
Quote:
Originally Posted by ijustdontcare
Yet again, personal opinion, I find NYC the most diverse of the three in more ways than one. Like I stated, I don't think having skyscrapers or a skyline make a city. All I'm saying is that in the skyscraper department, NYC has some real classics and beauties that the other two lack. Not that it matters, like I stated in my above posts.
Like you said, friend....personal opinions
I don't think you could possible find a more diverse city than London in the entire world with every language and nationality represented. NYC use to pride itself on it's diversity, but cities like London and Paris have caught up and are equally diverse today.
In terms of skyscrapers yes NYC has a few unique art deco skyscrapers, but people no longer look in awe at skyscrapers. The latest addition to the London skyline is the 1,012 ft Shard, and there are a lot more going up in the city and in other parts of London. At one time such buildings were unique to NYC, now even in London people walk past giant skyscrapers every day and don't give them a second glance.
Obviously you have your opinion and I have mine, and I am certainly not knocking NYC or Paris, both of which are wonderful cities, on a par with London. However I do feel that other cities have now caught up with NYC in relation to a lot of things that use to make NYC very unique such as the diversity, 24/7 culture and indeed skyscrapers.
We are talking about London and not your wifes town, if you want meet to find you 24/7 bars, clubs, restaurants, supermarkets, deli's, cafes's etc in London I will gladly do so. As for Tesco, all major Tesco stores open 24 hours a day, whilst Asda (owned by Walmart also opens late).
I don't think you could possible find a more diverse city than London, in the world. In terms of skyscrapers yes NYC has a few unique art deco skyscrapers, but people no longer look in awe at skyscrapers. The latest addition to the London skyline is the 1300 foot shard, and there are a lot more going up in the city and canary wharf. At one time such buildings were unique to NYC, now even in London people walk past giant skyscrapers every day and don't give them a second glance.
Obviously you have your opinion and I have mine, and I am certainly not knocking NYC or Paris, both of which are wonderful cities, on a par with London.
The reason I brought up my wife's town (and the UK in general) is simply because you stated that, "As for our 24 hour culture here in the UK, everything from Bars, Clubs, Restaurants, Cinemas, Casinos and even Supermarkets are open 24/7 now. I can even shop in y local Tesco 24/7 if I should so wish." You seemed to be talking about the UK's 24/7 culture in general (and not just London) with that comment, or at least so in my interpretation of it.
Personal opinion. I don't think you could possibly find a more diverse city than NYC, in the world. NYC is the most linguistically diverse city on earth with an estimated 800 languages spoken there. Also, I find the populace (again, in accordance with the whole US in general) to be more diverse as well. You, on the other hand, may not, and that's fine.
I've made my point about skyscrapers. I don't think they're what make a city what it is. If you do, then that's your own opinion. Nonetheless, NYC has many unique, classic, and historic skyscrapers that are iconic of the city and known throughout the world. On a side note, it is worthy of a mention that NYC is currently undergoing a massive skyscraper boom as well, with projects such as 15 penn plaza, the girasole, hudson yards projects, WTC complex (to name only a few), etc. currently either under construction, or in the planning stages.
Like we've said time and time again, personal opinion. I have my opinion, and you have yours. At this point, we're just beating a dead horse. So I bid you adieu.
The reason I brought up my wife's town (and the UK in general) is simply because you stated that, "As for our 24 hour culture here in the UK, everything from Bars, Clubs, Restaurants, Cinemas, Casinos and even Supermarkets are open 24/7 now. I can even shop in y local Tesco 24/7 if I should so wish." You seemed to be talking about the UK's 24/7 culture in general (and not just London) with that comment, or at least so in my interpretation of it.
London is the most 24/7 place in the UK, and whilst 24/7 culture can now be found in many British cities, it is especially true of London.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ijustdontcare
Personal opinion. I don't think you could possibly find a more diverse city than NYC, in the world. NYC is the most linguistically diverse city on earth with an estimated 800 languages spoken there. Also, I find the populace (again, in accordance with the whole US in general) to be more diverse as well. You, on the other hand, may not, and that's fine.
London is massively diverse, and just as many languages are spoken in London as NYC. London has a history of immigration stretching over a thousand years. I think London is equally as diverse as NYC.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ijustdontcare
I've made my point about skyscrapers. I don't think they're what make a city what it is. If you do, then that's your own opinion. Nonetheless, NYC has many unique, classic, and historic skyscrapers that are iconic of the city and known throughout the world.
Like we've said time and time again, personal opinion. I have my opinion, and you have yours. At this point, we're just beating a dead horse. So I bid you adieu.
Whilst I don't think Skyscrapers make a city, they were unique to NYC and American cities for a long time. They are now far more common place in many cities around the world, including both London and Paris.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ijustdontcare
Have a wonderful day
It's nearly 9pm here, I have a bottle of wine, although I am certainly not an alcoholic and will be watching those units - LOL.
Anchorman: Legend of Ron Burgundy is on one of the tv stations at 9, so I will bid you a good night and a stay classy San Diego
That's an article for NYC. London is quite diverse, but just a smidge less diverse than NYC. It seems pretty evident from the census data.
Over 300 languages are spoken by London school children and i'll even give you a reference so that you can read even more about London's diversity if you so wish:
Baker, P. and Eversley, J. (eds) (2000) Multilingual Capital, London: Battlebridge.
I live in London and have been to NY many times and i do feel that, for better or worse (depending on your point of view) London is more diverse. I'd say that NY has a lot of second and third generation, well established immigrant communities but due to an ever increasing difficulty for many nationalities to move to the US, it doesn't feel like a cultural melting pot in the same way that London does. The UK after all is a viable option for EU nationals without the need for a visa, not to mention the links with former 'colonies' of the Empire and the Commonwealth nations.
Over 300 languages are spoken by London school children and i'll even give you a reference so that you can read even more about London's diversity if you so wish:
Baker, P. and Eversley, J. (eds) (2000) Multilingual Capital, London: Battlebridge.
I live in London and have been to NY many times and i do feel that, for better or worse (depending on your point of view) London is more diverse. I'd say that NY has a lot of second and third generation, well established immigrant communities but due to an ever increasing difficulty for many nationalities to move to the US, it doesn't feel like a cultural melting pot in the same way that London does. The UK after all is a viable option for EU nationals without the need for a visa, not to mention the links with former 'colonies' of the Empire and the Commonwealth nations.
The Guardian (hardly surprising) did a whole series of pieces on multi-cultural London.
London is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse cities in the world. It has a history of immigration since it was founded over 2000 years ago. The city has communities from every conceivable corner of the world and a massive diversity of languages and religions.
As the last poster rightly pointed out, London was the mother city of Empire (covering over 1/3rd of the world) and then of Commonwealth, and people came from all over the world to settle here.
Britain is also part of the European Union, which allows for the free movement and settlement of people across the member states. We now therefore have a new added dimension in terms of immigaration from Europe and particuarly from the newer East European EU States.
The large French community in South Kensington (London) are currently trying to decide who to vote for in the forthcoming French Elections.
In terms of London's changing skyline, particusarly in relation to London's Financial Area 'The City' or 'Square Mile', this video shows some of the new projects currently underway.
The Shard which has now topped out and is nearing completion.
Interesting thread, I've been reading with interest – I'll give my musings, as a Londoner, now based in Paris, who has visited NYC only once.
Firstly I'll bow out of the whole City v City thing. Each one is unique and each one has their advantages and disadvantages: I don't think you can say one is inherently just better than another.
As an Englishman, I'm obviously going to have a natural bias towards London. The greenery, the wonderful Victorian and Edwardian housing stock, the free museums and attractions are only a small part of it. More important I feel the anarchic, laissez-faire and meritocratic culture: unique in Europe and more similar to the New World. Ask any ambitious young Pole, Italian, Spaniard or even a French person, and it's London that offers (still, despite the recession and age of austerity) the best chance to succeed in any number of careers, from finance to film making. The nightlife is great (if a little early-finishing), the pub culture unique, and the price of the drinks compare much more favourably than NYC or Paris. The food is also superb: I whince when I hear foreigners criticise England for its awful cuisine – a result of rationing and war more than an inherent inability to taste. The range of cheap ethnic food in London is staggering, and the reinvented British fare to be found in the gastropubs innovative and exciting in a way that Parisian bistros are not.
However, London has big problems. The price of housing and transport is criminal: unlike in Paris, many people are forced to cycle not because they want the exercise, but because they literally cannot afford to take the bus every day. The infrastructure is groaning under the excessive population: the city simply was not built for 10 million – with its narrow twisting lanes and small terraced houses endlessly subdivided in pokey flats – compare with Paris's grand boulevards and six story apartment blocks, not to mention NYC's grid system and forest of skyscrapers. The housing stock is run down and often atrociously maintained, even in expensive areas. There is a huge disparity between the wealthy few – living like kings in vast Chelsea or Kensington townhouses – and the impoverished and uneducated underclass on the crumbling council estates of Tottenham and Brixton. The government's response to the riots last summer was shameful: rather than try to address the gaping inequality and root causes, it jailed teenagers and ran all-night kangaroo courts to assuage the yelling right-wing tabloids' demands for summary justice. The Olympics will be an entertaining diversion: but with the economy stagnating and a government that looks only after the rich, I feel we're headed for an almightily autumn hangover.
Paris, my adopted home, is similar to London in many ways. It's global and multicultural, once the capital of a huge empire, now a city of immigration. It has a hugely developed economy, with jobs in everything from banking to fashion to high art and entertainment – if only they are less accessible to the global workforce because of the need to speak French. But what I like about Paris in comparison to London is that you can do anything you can do in London (theatre, eating out, galleries and parks), but it is an all together more human city. It's small enough to walk home after the metro's closed. People know their neighbours. The survival of traditional neighbourhood bakeries and greengrocers on every corner is wonderful. Paris is often criticised in the English-speaking press for being stagnant and stale, a former global city that has lost its edge. I completely disagree with this analysis: the clubs and gigs of Belleville or the Rue Oberkampf have just as much cool as Shoreditch or Dalston – except less pretence perhaps. The galleries, markets and nightclubs are cutting edge. Borough Market and the foodie scene? Every single street. The French don't need even need a word for foodie because everyone is automatically one – isn't just a rediscovered fad like in London and NYC. I could go on and on... the beauty of the Bois de Bologne or Vincennes over the scruffy expanse of grass in Hyde Park, the cleanliness (and quietness) of the metro over the tube...
I can't really make as expansive a comment on New York as I've never lived there and only spent 4 days (mostly in Manhattan) there as a tourist. However it did indeed live up (for me) to its reputation as the city of all cities: indeed, London felt parochial in comparison. It seemed even more multicultural, even more vast, and even more stressful and hectic for its residents. I found New Yorkers to be just as rude as everyone always says, which pleased me, and the subway and buses seemed shabby and poorly maintained even compared with the tube. However, I was surprised at the cleanliness of it – no graffiti everywhere like in Paris – and general affluence, even in the poorer areas I visited like Harlem or Brooklyn (although admittedly I never ventured to the Bronx or Queens). The food was a bit disappointing to be honest, a bit bland and the portions were definitely for American stomachs, but again I never ventured to Queens – which I understand the best ethnic fare is nowadays. I loved Central Park and the High Line – and the ethnic neighbourhoods like Chinatown and Spanish Harlem were a thousand times better than what you'd find in Europe.
However, I came away with a feeling that NYC is a good place to visit, but another place altogether to live. I was shocked when I was told of the rents. It doesn't seem that cycling is that popular. The rushed pace of life and the long hours culture wouldn't suit me also. I also didn't like the holier-than-thou attitude to smoking: OK, I know it's unhealthy, and it's now banned inside in London and Paris too, but is it really necessary to cough loudly when I'm having a sly one out on the street?
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