Madrid vs. Washington DC (broker, theatre, calculator)
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My Takes:
1. Urbanity: Madrid
2. Climate: DC (for me)
3. Nature: Madrid
4. History: Madrid
5. Uniqueness: DC
6. Food: Madrid
7. Shopping: Madrid
8. Entertainment: DC
9. Transit: Madrid
10. Safety: Madrid
11. Sports: DC
12. Culture: DC
13. Affordability: Madrid
14. Living: Madrid
15. Visiting: Depends (if I'm in Europe, probably DC is more unique, in America, Madrid is)
I lived in Baltimore in 2001/02 so I went to DC quite often. My wife is from Madrid so I go there 3/4 times per year.
Compare On:
1. Urbanity: Madrid
2. Climate: Madrid
3. Nature: Madrid (although Cheasepeake Bay is very nice)
4. History: Madrid
5. Uniqueness: Madrid
6. Food: Madrid, by far
7. Shopping: Madrid
8. Entertainment: Madrid, by far
9. Transit: Madrid, by far
10. Safety: Madrid, by far
11. Sports (Spectator): Madrid
12. Culture (Museums/Theatre): Madrid. DC's museums are also great.
13. Affordability: Madrid
14. Living: Madrid, by far
15. Visiting: Madrid
It would be fairer to compare Madrid with other cities in its range (world cities), like NYC, Mexico City, London, Paris, etc...
I lived in Baltimore in 2001/02 so I went to DC quite often. My wife is from Madrid so I go there 3/4 times per year.
Compare On:
1. Urbanity: Madrid
2. Climate: Madrid
3. Nature: Madrid (although Cheasepeake Bay is very nice)
4. History: Madrid
5. Uniqueness: Madrid
6. Food: Madrid, by far
7. Shopping: Madrid
8. Entertainment: Madrid, by far
9. Transit: Madrid, by far
10. Safety: Madrid, by far
11. Sports (Spectator): Madrid
12. Culture (Museums/Theatre): Madrid. DC's museums are also great.
13. Affordability: Madrid
14. Living: Madrid, by far
15. Visiting: Madrid
It would be fairer to compare Madrid with other cities in its range (world cities), like NYC, Mexico City, London, Paris, etc...
Why would you put Madrid on the same level as NYC, London and Paris?
Why would you put Madrid on the same level as NYC, London and Paris?
Is it even that big?
I think Madrid city limits is about 2.5-3M and Metro is at like 7 now, but I’m not certain.
I don’t know if it would be quite at the range of those in terms of stature though (it was compared with Mexico City, and I think those two compare interestingly though to me Mexico City is as a whole more unique/dynamic).
I think DC, Saint Petersburg, Randstad (Amsterdam-Rotterdam) Buenos Aires, and though very different, maybe somewhere like Singapore or Sydney, make interesting tiered comparisons to Madrid.
I think the metrics as a whole are quite comparable, but with certain dynamic not necessarily size controlled elements (transit, livability, safety, mountainous surrounding, food/nightlife) that do give Madrid the edge.
Why would you put Madrid on the same level as NYC, London and Paris?
Is it even that big?
It is not about the sheer size (while Madrid's metro area is about 7 million, NYC is about 21, London about 12 and Paris about 10), but about the dynamism and what it offers to visitors and dwellers. It is also about the feeling of being in one of place where things happen.
This dynamism and way of life you cannot find in DC but you surely can in places like Madrid, London or NYC. At least it is my perception after going to all those cities multiple times.
Washington DC is one of the richest metro areas in the world. It has the highest median household income in the United States. So, I would expect that the standard of living in DC, Maryland and Virginia is going to be higher than the Madrid area.
Pretty much all major European cities are beautiful and vibrant, however.
Washington DC is one of the richest metro areas in the world. It has the highest median household income in the United States. So, I would expect that the standard of living in DC, Maryland and Virginia is going to be higher than the Madrid area.
Pretty much all major European cities are beautiful and vibrant, however.
Livability (Standard of Living) Metrics would tend to go beyond that though, I think.
I'm not sure that there's any perfect longevity calculator, but Madrid, in spite of not having as high an earnings potential, seems to offer it's populace a remarkable quality of life. I mean, my wife and I are teachers at 40K each a year for a Median Household Income of 80K. No kids, yet. Honestly though, I would venture there are people with less money than us that might have a higher overall standard of living, and similarly, people earning double or triple what we do with a diminished standard. I think that's just the complicated way in which the world works.
That said, while DC doesn't have the street life of a Madrid by any stretch, it is certainly much more a global power broker than Madrid is IMO, and that reflects in at least a few of it's amenities as well.
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