On Demand
New York Beats London
Monday, August 11, 2008
In the ongoing rivalry between New York City and London, a new report suggests that NYC beats out London on safety and affordability. Rosemary Scanlon, Associate Professor at NYU, and Nik Sindle, London producer for the Takeaway, join us to discuss the new findings.
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London doesn't have the museums about Jewish heritage that we do in NYC.
I think I would welcome the Queen and Parliament though after the way our Presidency is going.
By the way, why is there a problem with calling the Atlantic the "pond"? That is from the Regency at least and is affectionate.
What's the big deal?
Love Cornwall and the beautiful English rose gardens and the countryside cottages. Gorgeous!
All I know is public transport in London is much better than in here. Their major museums are all free. But it is expensive living there.
this is incredible.. we in New York are not earning pounds nor euros. This conversation is useless till somebody compares buying powers
How does London or the UK deal with the issue of outsourcing? You have US jobs that have been transferred to cheaper countries. Since London is more expensive, how are they dealing with outsourcing?
Does London have Mac Computers?
Once you go mac, you never go back.
Guideline for spending on living quarters -- rent or mortgage -- in the US is 25% to 33% of after tax monthly income.
Same in London?
All the little things in London are more expensive too. I lived there for 4 months. Rice and bread at restaurants are often 3-4 pounds extra, almost never gratis (which is terrible expensive in dollars). The Tube is zoned, which can be very expensive. Cigarettes are about the price of crack, which helps break the habit, perhaps. The only thing that doesn't always cost more in terms of what people earn is beer.
Stop saying FREE medical care! It is not free, just paid by taxes on all in society. It is what we should do here, but stop saying FREE MEDICAL CARE!
I lived in London for eight months in the eighties, and it was pure misery. I benefitted from free health care but found the hospitals dirty and negligent.
The subway is filthy and always late. You come out of the subway with dirt under your fingernails even if you thought you hadn't touched anything!
And the drinking! I have never seen people get so drunk so fast, on the stroke of 5pm, they all herd on over to the pubs. That seems to be their only national pastime: drinking oneself silly after work. There's a pub on every corner.
Quite a frightening place, really. I moved straight over to Paris.
Following up on the current conversation about safety, I saw more fights in London in 4 months than I've seen in NYC in 5 years. Although, I was severely assaulted and wounded in NYC. That said, there is a culture in England where to make eye contact with another man means a fight. That doesn't exist here. We kill each other more often, but they get out their buttoned-up sexual aggression with man on man violence.
Jolly ol chap, let's go round to the pub for a pint. (London)
Let's get smashed at Happy Hour (NYC)
I lived in London in the late 1990s. During an 18 month period, I had my handbag stolen, was mugged and caught a burglar climbing into my home at 4 a.m. I have lived in NY for 13 of the last 15 years -- only one crime encounter...
I liked that one comment from the caller who said that European cities have that tension that NY had in the 1970s. I would agree. I've seen assaults, fare beating, and all sorts of crime, in Paris in particular, but in many European cities, including London, something which I NEVER see in NY anymore. It really is like going into NY's past.
Re purchasing power comment earlier -- I'm in the UK at least once or twice a year. A hardcover book that is $25 here is 18.99 pounds there. Pretty much everything has the same kind of price gap. There are three things that have been cheaper there: cleaning ladies, theatre tickets and local transport. Since the MTA has adopted unlimited use weekly metrocards, that London edge has evaporated. The price of theater tix has climbed rapidly, so that is going. But the cleaning ladies are still cheaper.
I love London -- I spent much of my childhood there. I love NY. I would hate to have to choose between them. I wish it were possible to combine the best features of both... But it's certainly cheaper living here and earning dollars than in London and earning pounds (unless you happen to be a hedge fund manager...)
I agree about the pub transport in London, better run, faster and much more curteous workers. They do have a to be a little more accomodating as it's a little harder to figure out where to go. Also it has new york beat in civility. They aren't super friendly (what big city is?), but you don't hear people screaming at each other as they do in NY. I think it's a lovely city and in fact as a half Brit I am thinking of getting a citizenship so I can go over there for a bit.
Woman # 10
I like your point. It is true somewhat.
Re: comment #9
I think it's OK to call it free health care. It's just like saying we have free public education for everyone (as well as free police and fire services and the ubiquitous "freeway").
The point with the word "free" is that you don't receive a bill in the mail for using the service.
A striking difference between central london and manhattan is the high-rise factor. When you are walking on the streets of manhattan , you are at the bottom of dark canyons, the sky barely visible. In London, the buildings are largely low-rise and, to my way of thinking, the sense of crowding and street noise etc. is not so intrusive in London ( or for that matter,in any major european city).
In London, the Underground stations have electronic message boards so it is easy to know when the next train is coming whereas in New York, the only way we have is to lean over the tracks and look for the distant headlights.
Here's a piece on hypocrisy for a bedtime story:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/06/09/080609fa_fact_saunders
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