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Yes I know, I've been from LA to Boston, through the Bos-Wash corridor.etc. I've been to several major cities in the US and 14 countries, so I have something to compare to when I talk about NY's big city uniqueness.
In terms of big city uniqueness, New York City felt the most like London and Paris of the cities I've traveled in.
I haven't been to major Asian cities like Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong or Shanghai. So, I will hold off judgment with respect to those until I visit them. I plan to sometime in the next few years once my infant children are a little older. They can get unruly on those long plane rides. :-)
In terms of big city uniqueness, New York City felt the most like London and Paris of the cities I've traveled in.
I haven't been to major Asian cities like Tokyo, Seoul, Hong Kong or Shanghai. So, I will hold off judgment with respect to those until I visit them. I plan to sometime in the next few years once my infant children are a little older. They can get unruly on those long plane rides. :-)
Well I've not been to Chicago or Philly, but I assume it'd be most like those of any city in the world. In the US, there were snatches of DC that felt like it (sans the skyscrapers) and funnily enough the American downtown of New Orleans. I imagine San Francisco and Toronto might vaguely be similar too.
I didn't find London at all like NY - well perhaps a bit the city with the skyscrapers, but the lack of towering skyscrapers, the meandering rather than grid street layout, the more organically placed park (rather than the distinct rigid order of Central Park), and the many squares that seem to break up London moreso.
I've not been to Tokyo, Seoul or Shanghai either, but Imagine Tokyo probably has some similarities in terms of being a relatively high-rise cities with the same crowds and perhaps even more neon. Same with Shanghai and Seoul.
Hong Kong has the same intense crowds and urbanity - it's probably even more hyper-urban in some ways than NYC, more crowded and more claustrophobic, with very narrow streets and so many signs and lights. It's like Chinatown on steroids. Still, at street level, I find HK actually a bit lacking in character at times. It seems a bit too materialistic...while NYC is of course a bastion of capitalism too, there's a bit more of that self-assured stateliness of the European capitals. Hong Kong has no real large public square or piazzas, nothing like the Public Library, Metropolitan Museum of Art or Union Square. I found NYC's streets surprisingly narrow but there's still a sense of spaciousness that HK lacks at street level.
Well I've not been to Chicago or Philly, but I assume it'd be most like those of any city in the world. In the US, there were snatches of DC that felt like it (sans the skyscrapers) and funnily enough the American downtown of New Orleans. I imagine San Francisco and Toronto might vaguely be similar too.
I didn't find London at all like NY - well perhaps a bit the city with the skyscrapers, but the lack of towering skyscrapers, the meandering rather than grid street layout, the more organically placed park (rather than the distinct rigid order of Central Park), and the many squares that seem to break up London moreso.
NYC is an American city and shares a lot in common with Chicago and Philly (architecture for some types of buildings for example) but the scale is completely different. The subways, central city shopping areas are less important to the city. Chicago becomes rather leafy, and much less dense soon after downtown — dense for American standards, but not even as packed in as typical outer borough NYC neighborhoods. London feels like it has much more of a busy big city feel continuing miles past say, going out from Trafalagar Square). City streets are much less crowded in Philly or Chicago. In that sense, among others (English speaking, big financial center) NYC feels more similar to London than Chicago or Philly.
NYC is an American city and shares a lot in common with Chicago and Philly (architecture for some types of buildings for example) but the scale is completely different. The subways, central city shopping areas are less important to the city. Chicago becomes rather leafy, and much less dense soon after downtown — dense for American standards, but not even as packed in as typical outer borough NYC neighborhoods. London feels like it has much more of a busy big city feel continuing miles past say, going out from Trafalagar Square). City streets are much less crowded in Philly or Chicago. In that sense, among others (English speaking, big financial center) NYC feels more similar to London than Chicago or Philly.
Interesting. I think skylines can be deceiving. From photos, Chicago's skyline looks almost as big as New York's, but anyone who has been to both, or glances at a map of Manhattan, realises the skyscrapers seem to go on forever. Only the biggest cities seem to have the feel of skyscrapers (for business, not just apartments) going on forever. I suspect Shanghai, Tokyo and to an extent Sao Paulo are the few that can boast that. Dubai might be an exception but it's pretty artificial.
I am curious to see how 'big city' Chicago really feels - both to NYC and world cities. Some have mentioned that the CBD of Sydney actually feels Manhattan-esque (though the comparison is used for any city with skyscrapers) and I can see it (on a much smaller scale though). The urban canyons and the relative narrowness of the streets. But naturally, New York's urbanity extends well outside Manhattan - Brooklyn feels more urban throughout than most American major cities. London's population density doesn't seem to lessen much as one goes out of the CBD as is typical of an Australian or American city. It's more European/Asian in that sense. NYC is unusual in the US because it's like that too.
Well I've not been to Chicago or Philly, but I assume it'd be most like those of any city in the world. In the US, there were snatches of DC that felt like it (sans the skyscrapers) and funnily enough the American downtown of New Orleans. I imagine San Francisco and Toronto might vaguely be similar too.
Basically, all the other large cities in America have parts of the package. However, New York City is the only city that is the complete package.
That's why New York City is more like London and Paris in terms of scale, magnitude and urban uniqueness.
Basically, all the other large cities in America have parts of the package. However, New York City is the only city that is the complete package.
That's why New York City is more like London and Paris in terms of scale, magnitude and urban uniqueness.
What is the package? The package that is NYC? Well by definition only NY has that lol.
I think what makes NYC like London and Paris is it's sheer famousness: the number of famous museums, landmarks, boulevards, parks.etc. What sets NYC apart is it's not a capital, so it doesn't have those government or national related monuments like Houses of Parliament, or the Champs Elyse or something. Those are mostly in DC. It's strictly more a place to make money and be entertained vs in London and Paris which are venerable centres of institutions and learning.
I would say Tokyo would also round out with the 'big four' in that feeling of size + importance.
But naturally, New York's urbanity extends well outside Manhattan - Brooklyn feels more urban throughout than most American major cities. London's population density doesn't seem to lessen much as one goes out of the CBD as is typical of an Australian or American city. It's more European/Asian in that sense. NYC is unusual in the US because it's like that too.
here's a residential density visualization of both of them:
NYC declines with distance much more than London, which is rather flat. On the other hand, the density shape of Paris with distance is probably closer to NYC than London at least for the first 20-25 miles or so.
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