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Culturally Speaking #12: The London/New York Edition

By Sarah Stodola

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In light of my recent trip to London - the first such trip of my lifetime - and my return to the city of my residence, New York, I have compiled a simple and slightly cursory list of comparisons between the two great metropolises.  As New York and London seem to be in a league of their own in so many respects, such a comparison is highly appropriate, and also it's fun to see if my city is going to come out with a better image or not. So...

-Both have cute boys, but New York has prettier girls (and this is honestly not written in an attempt to make myself look good, since I am a girl living in New York and all).

-New York has better views.

-London has more enlightened conversation, and is a little less gossipy and lot less ironic.

-In London, Soho has gay clubs and Chelsea has yuppies. In New York, Chelsea has gay clubs and Soho has yuppies.

-Both still boast the odd cobblestone street.

-There are more interracial couples in London (thanks for noticing, Amanda).

-The teeth thing is true, although perhaps exaggerated a bit.

-London is much more difficult to navigate on foot. But its subways are cleaner and run more frequently, except that unlike New York's, they stop running in the middle of the night.

-Central Park is better than Hyde Park.

-Pubs should never, ever, be forced to close down at 11pm.

-In New York you go out drinking and you come home without smelling of smoke. In London, you go out drinking and come home remembering what you used to smell like after coming home before the smoking ban went into effect.

-Hillary Clinton's book is hugely popular in London, too.

-Early closing time aside, your basic London pub is infinitely more charming than your basic American pub, which is usually just an imitation Irish pub anyway.

-Even with the current exchange rate placing Americans at a substantial disadvantage, beer is still cheaper in London.

-Tate Modern is to MoMA as National Gallery is to Met as Tate Britain is to Whitney.  In a direct contest, the winners are Tate Modern, Met, and a draw.

-Even though the Thames is nowhere near as scenic/romantic as the Seine, it kills New York's rivers.

-Both cities have far too many Starbucks.

-No contest with the buses. Red double-deckers take the cake.

-In both cities you can somehow just tell that you are in a financial center.

-Londoners know American history.  New Yorkers know that England has a history.

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And also, in non-London news...the Google 2003 Zeitgeist - all kinds of stats on Google searches over the past year.  Some of the results are quite illuminating.

Click here for the last Culturally Speaking.

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Sarah Stodola is the Managing Editor of Me Three.  She can be contacted at [email protected].

© 2003 Me Three