London Is The Capital Of The World

[Boris]

What do you all think?

http://travel.independent.co.uk/news_and_a...icle3275945.ece

http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/ar...the_261814a.xls

[HtownWxBoy]

What do you all think?

http://travel.independent.co.uk/news_and_a...icle3275945.ece

http://www.independent.co.uk/multimedia/ar...the_261814a.xls

I've been to London once, and I really loved the city. The diversity was amazing... it's very urban... lots of history (though everything being old did get to me by the end of my trip... I was happy to get back to Houston where everything is modern and more colorful)... very fashionable and trendy... great shopping.... all in all an amazing city. Would I put it above New York City?.... eh, I don't know. I am biased towards NYC, so I can't really say. Both are amazing cities.

[Ross]

I lived in London for 4 years, and it's still on top of my list of greatest dities in the world. Houston is home, but I love going to London.

[editor]

When I'm in London I totally buy the "capital of the world" line. But then after I leave I tend to come to my senses in a few days and wonder what I was thinking. I think it's fair to say it's certainly the capital of Europe (shhh! Don't tell Paris!) the way that New York is the figurative capital of North America.

In fact, I'd say New York is closer to being the capital of the world than London. Sure the Western European economies look to London for leadership, and in Britain's colonial era that could have felt like a global mandate. But when I travel through Asia I always see cities trying to immitate New York, not London. Both Tokyo and Hong Kong have huge malls called Times Square. Tokyo has a copy of the Statue of Liberty, not Big Ben. Clubs in southeast Asia have New York nights fairly regularly, and London-themed nights only rarely.

Even though I don't really like New York, I think London may be buying into its own hype.

[MidtownCoog]

It just depends what you are looking for. I've been guilty of buying into it on extended stays there. I worked with transplants over there who were totally consumed by it.

One thing is clear, if LDN > NYC then DCA is > BRU.

[H-Town Man]

Number of points London gets for having two Olympics before 1950: 2

Number of points New York gets for having the United Nations: 0

London's margin of victory over New York: 2

Location of the newspaper that did the list: London

[Heights2Bastrop]

Never been to London, nor have I ever had any desire to go there. Been to New York once in

[editor]

It just depends what you are looking for. I've been guilty of buying into it on extended stays there. I worked with transplants over there who were totally consumed by it.

One thing is clear, if LDN > NYC then DCA is > BRU.

Goes without saying. Brussels is only a capital of paperwork and bureaucracy. Culturally it peaked in the 1600's and hasn't advanced in 400 years.

[ssullivan]

I was in London again last week, and miss it. I could totally see myself living there one day.

[wernicke]

I much prefer London to New York.

As an aside, I'd like to add that the Underground is a true modern marvel (and MUCH cleaner than NY subways).

[MidtownCoog]

Are you kidding? The tube is nasty and dirty! Nothing like having a pit in your face on a Saturday ride to Knightsbridge.

Or how about a Friday night when all the punks are slamming their Vokda at Embankment?

Like I said, it is easy to get all caught up in it.

[Subdude]

London is a great city, but somehow I can't quite fall in love with the place. Yes the tube can be crowded and smelly, but not all the time, and it does make it amazingly easy to get around. I agree with Coog that it sometimes seems a bit too aware of being cool. I want to visit again soon.

[wernicke]

Are you kidding? The tube is nasty and dirty! Nothing like having a pit in your face on a Saturday ride to Knightsbridge.

Or how about a Friday night when all the punks are slamming their Vokda at Embankment?

Like I said, it is easy to get all caught up in it.

You are saying the NY subway is cleaner and has less low-life's relative to the Underground?