Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,544 posts, read 56,068,476 times
Reputation: 11862
Advertisements
How would you rank them?
I've only been to NYC, but hope to see the other 3 before I'm 30, but I get the distinct impression that New Yorkers are a bit friendlier/more open since 9/11. I visited in 2011, 10 years after 9/11, so I can't compare how they were before that, but I've heard that New Yorkers are the most friendly.
I've heard Tokyoites aren't too different to other Japanese, although Osaka people are supposed to be friendlier. Japanese seem reserved and friendly to me.
I've heard negative things about London and Paris. Parisians are supposed to be rude, snobbish.etc, while London is not a very personal city. Do you get that feeling in these cities? Was there a time when people in London had that small town hospitality or have they always been the way they are? Of course London in particularly probably feels like it's ground zero for the world - same with NYC - and it can be hard to gauge the city's character. In NY, for instance, the friendliest people seemed to be the West Indians, but I don't know if that would really count.
I know only London and Paris. I think Paris is more friendly than London, but it's my opinion; most of people I know prefer London instead. NYC is a city which I want to visit as soon as possible.
Tokyo is not the friendliest place, but the people are very honest and trustworthy. I once dropped the equivalent of $50US on the street in a residential neighbourhood in Tokyo. When I realized I had dropped it about fifteen minutes later, I went back and some old ladies who had been sitting on a bench and saw me drop it immediately returned it to me. I don't think that would happen in any of the other three cities.
New Yorkers can be very friendly. I don't know about London or Paris, but I do think Paris being considered one of the Big 4 might be a bit outdated. It certainly is one of the world's great cities, but I think it's been surpassed in prominence, importance, and clout (though certainly not beauty) by Shanghai and/or Beijing.
It is because you have a stereotyped view about Paris.
If you believe that Paris is only about tourism, foods and fashion, you misses more than 90% of its economy and its power.
1. New York
2. Tokyo (close behind)
3. Paris
4. London
Contrasting New York and London in more detail (the most similar pair among these four), one thing stands out. Racial integration is much more advanced in New York. That goes a long way to fostering a sense of community.
You want an even worse example than London - try Vancouver BC.
I think these 'how friendly' type threads about cities are a bit silly. The degree of friendliness you will encounter in a city will be affected by how friendly you are when visiting or living in it, and how well you are able to communicate with the city's inhabitants.
All four of these cities are friendly in my eyes and the 'more so, or less so' is impacted only by ability to communicate. For example, I speak no Japanese and the average Japanese person speaks little or no English. The Japanese people I met/spoke with in Tokyo were unfailingly polite, helpful and respectful and doubtless would have been friendlier had we been able to communicate in anything other than charades.
I speak a little tourist French, and have never come across the allegedly arrogant attitude of Parisians. They've always been as friendly as I would want them to be.
Apart from the occasional newspaper seller, hot dog stand owner, or overworked hotel receptionist, I've found New Yorkers to be a friendly bunch, provided you don't waste their time dithering over what kind of sandwich you want at lunchtime.
And Londoners are a cheerful mob... but I may be biased as I grew up nearby and lived there for four years.
I have a friend who will tell you all four of these cities are unfriendly. She is actually a lovely person, but has a grim countenance, is somewhat lacking in social graces, rarely smiles and never makes any attempt to say a few words in anything other than English.
New Yorkers are the most open and confident in expression and gesture, but can be brash, arrogant, impatient and phlegmatic, even vitriolic at times.
Londoners are the most civil, polite and helpful, but can be overly reserved, class conscious and distant. The socially frivolous or superficial may interpret this as arrogance or prejudice.
Tokyo-ites are the most courteous and formal, but can be very tentative regarding racial and cultural differences.
As for Parisians ... well, they may be come across to some as explicitly rude and unpleasant, but this is not so much of a problem for those who understand the nuances of the cultural mindset.
I've never been to Tokyo, but I've heard they are quite a polite and reserved society.
London was a lot more friendly than Paris in my experience.
New Yorkers aren't that bad if you can handle them being blunt to you.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
