Which city would you rather live in if money (or a visa) were no object: NYC or Tokyo?
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Tokyo absolutely. It isn't my favourite city in Japan because of the ridiculous amount of people in lines at every venue, but I think it is the best big city in the world for the relatively cheap rent and high income compared to other world cities, especially regarding NYC's astronomical living costs (obviously doesn't come into account for this though). Safety, convenience, cleanliness, and other factors are much better in Tokyo. Each district is pretty varying and the diversity and food choices are underrated I feel; there are more options and ethnic neighbourhoods than a lot of people give it credit for. Obviously not as much as NYC or London or whatever, but still enough to not be a monoculture. There is a place for everyone there, you can even take the train directly to the beach, or hiking places in the mountains without a soul in sight.
New York has better food options and diversity by far and is "prettier" in my opinion. Also, because it wasn't flattened during the war, it has a lot more historical architecture, famous places, bigger cultural events, etc. It also has a better waterfront and museums I would say. A lot more development is going on in NYC in a large amount of areas, Tokyo only has a few areas with large projects (Shibuya, Yaesu, and Toranomon). With a much easier to learn language and more open -to-foreign influences, I can see NYC being easier to adapt and integrate to long-term for immigrants. However, NYC has a more dirty, dangerous, and "wild" vibe to it, with some areas being pretty..unpleasant with dirtiness, interesting characters, rats, and homelessness that doesn't really exist anywhere in Japan.
With that said, I would say Tokyo absolutely, but New York is still one of the best cities in the world. It's more of personal preference. One is more "calm" and pleasant, and one is more "exciting".
Is it enough for me to structurally change things in NYC? I think one of NYC's issues is that it sends a huge amount of money to the feds, but gets a very small amount of it back in federal spending (this also happens to a lesser extent with state taxes and spending) and that ratio is far worse for NYC than the vast majority of the US. If you're talking about me having enough money to reverse some of that, then NYC. Japan's tax system is much more evenly applied and there's a fixed flat province (like our states) level income tax that is the same across all provinces that the province can use however it sees fit.
Is it enough for me to structurally change things in NYC? I think one of NYC's issues is that it sends a huge amount of money to the feds, but gets a very small amount of it back in federal spending (this also happens to a lesser extent with state taxes and spending) and that ratio is far worse for NYC than the vast majority of the US. If you're talking about me having enough money to reverse some of that, then NYC. Japan's tax system is much more evenly applied and there's a fixed flat province (like our states) level income tax that is the same across all provinces that the province can use however it sees fit.
Yeah when I think about how inconsistent NYC is, I think NYS and the Federal Govt shaft in how much it gets in aid and assistance. Not the best city, but they make it work.
If NYC actually received what it gives I wonder what we would see.
NYC. I prefer not to live somewhere with a monolithic culture, and while the cleanliness and lack of crime/aggression is appealing, I think the culture of conformity, corporatization and *ahem* celibacy would get old after awhile in Tokyo.
Yeah when I think about how inconsistent NYC is, I think NYS and the Federal Govt shaft in how much it gets in aid and assistance. Not the best city, but they make it work.
If NYC actually received what it gives I wonder what we would see.
Me, too. London, Tokyo, and Paris all very directly get to see the fruits of their economic productivity a lot more directly. It's wild what NYC gets in comparison.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Natural510
NYC. I prefer not to live somewhere with a monolithic culture, and while the cleanliness and lack of crime/aggression is appealing, I think the culture of conformity, corporatization and *ahem* celibacy would get old after awhile in Tokyo.
NYC is certainly much more diverse, but I think something to realize is that Tokyo is very populous and dense, and so despite percentage-wise there being a large amount of conformity, the absolute numbers for different subcultures as well as non-Japanese residents is actually really large compared to the vast majority of the planet (half a million foreign residents in just the city limits of Tokyo and not including tourists, visitors or non-Japanese with citizenship which is the size). You also most certainly do not need to be celibate in Tokyo--you can have an absolute ****fest if that really was what you wanted.
Both are world class cities and I enjoy both. Living in Tokyo for me would be something I would definitely like to try. I’ve been to Tokyo many times, so I know the culture, but there would still be some major adjustments needed to get accustomed to living there.
Oy normally the answer is NYC no brainer. But I dunno, I'd be perfectly happy in Tokyo as well if money is no concern. And in fact, given the current circumstances and the fact my family is ready and anxious to move to Asia soon, I'd probably pull the trigger on Tokyo right now. The only thing I would add is if this is a question about permanent, rest of my life, where I couldn't ever move to the other further down the line, then I'll take NYC. I must live in NYC at times in the future. I'd be ok if I never live in Tokyo.
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