There was an article in the Financial Times recently called "Liveable v lovable." It tries to answer the elusive question of what makes a city great, but my favorite part is right at the end where the author lists his best and worst cities:
"New York: The only city that gives me a thrill every single time I walk through it. Fast, furious, brash, cosmopolitan yet completely self-absorbed, it is the perfect big city." That is exactly how I feel about New York, and why I love it.
Also on his list is London, which makes me think he knows what he's talking about! He didn't quite nail my feelings about London the way he did about New York, though.
so, what did he say about London?
ReplyDeleteand what would you say???
Mom
What he says about London (which is why I give you links to the articles):
ReplyDelete"London seems to have the ability to reinvent itself. It has been a magnet for immigrants for centuries and remains a place where the poor can make something of themselves and the wealthy can enjoy their money. Its infrastructure is crumbling, its property overpriced and its weather dull but London’s cultural life is astonishing and most of its museums are free."
I would agree with a lot of what he says. He's right that it reinvents itself, that it's a haven for immigrants, and that the culture is amazing.
There was an article in the Economist a couple months back lamenting the condition of London's sewer system; I have no personal experience, so I'll have to take the words of others as truth on that front. But the roads - what little I've been on them - seem fine aside from the terrible congestion, and the public transit surpasses that of any city in this country by leaps and bounds.
Oh, and the history! There is just so much that has happened since London has been around, and you can see it everywhere you look!
I'd put London a touch below New York on the bustle-o-meter, but I get that same thrill when I wander the streets. Maybe its the novelty factor over there: being in a foreign country, hearing all the different accents, exploring a new place, etc.
All I have to do is write his name - Edwin Heathcote - and you'll know the author of the article is a Londoner by birth, so much of the unique attraction of the city in the eyes of outsiders is probably lost on him.