Big Ben and the London Eye
‘…when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.’ Samuel Johnson
Something for Everyone
London is the best city in the world because it has something for everyone—man, woman, child, as well as all ethnicities, orientations, and tastes. As a world city it stands out from the rest because of its cultural diversity. It has maintained centre stage of the cultural crossroads for two thousand years.
Most world cities have an incredible energy, and some impress more than others in one or two areas, and yet, no other world city is capable of matching London on all levels.
Strength and Development
London is a city that has been tested many times and has become stronger each time: the sackings from Boudicca, Saxons, and Danes, the black death in mid-14th century, the great plague in the middle of the 1600s, the great fire of London in 1666, and the Blitz of WWII. The Great Smog of 1952 descended when pollution levels became unsustainable and was the grand-daddy of the ‘pea souper’ fogs London had become known for. And yet for all these attacks and blights the city has returned again and again, better each time like a phoenix out of ashes to remain the most incredible city in the world.
What is a Londoner?
London is home to a different breed of Briton—it has always been a melting pot of expats from every nation in the world. The original Londoners were Britons (Celts), but through the ages the ‘new’ people included Romans, Danes, Saxons, Normans, Jews, then from the Tudor period onwards an even greater variety of immigrants began arriving from all over Europe and the world. Americans proudly announce that their country is a melting pot, but London pre-dates the United States as a melting pot by several centuries.
Today the expat communities still thrive and most ethnicities catered for. As of 2008, 40% of London’s total population was from an ethnic minority group and there are more than 300 languages spoken in London.
A Climate that Encourages the Best of Everything
While the people make the city, the climate and the architecture make the people. London has a temperate climate, rarely very hot, rarely very cold, enough rain to keep the plants fresh and green, enough sun to enjoy beautiful days throughout the year. The people therefore are temperate as well–stylish and successful, unassuming and yet confident. Creativity flourishes—the East End has the largest concentration of artists anywhere in Europe, and world-wide fashion trends often begin on London’s streets. West End theatre, world-class ballet and opera and all the major movie premiers are found in London. Some of the very best educational institutions in the world can be found here, including University College London, Imperial College London and the London School of Economics.
Many museums and galleries in London are of international importance. The Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the British Museum, the British Library, the National Gallery, the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern to name the giants.
Once a city with a terrible reputation for it’s food, London now has over 34 Michelin starred restaurants, and offers fantastic restaurants from many ethnicities.
The shopping is varied and plentiful—vast department stores, delightful boutiques, traditional suppliers of all things British, and flagships of many famous brands and labels. Beyond the shops are the famous London markets all across the metropolis, held both weekly and seasonally.
London has thirteen League football clubs and four rugby union teams. One of London’s best-known annual sports competitions is the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Other well-known sporting events include the London Marathon, and the Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.
If you like celebrity, London is overrun with them, including the most famous celebrity of all, the Queen of England and her family. The Royal Family are one of the biggest tourist attractions in Britain and with their main residences in or near London the city has responsibility to maintain fabulous architecture and parks in order to remain at the standard expected of this royalty. The parks and gardens of London have such horticultural importance to civic planning that people have come from all over the world for many years to study their design.
An Important Role in World History
The history of London has had an influence on the rest of the world for many centuries, making London’s history one of the most important of the world cities to study. London also contains four world heritage sites—sites deemed by the world heritage centre to be of importance to the world. These include the Tower of London, Greenwich, the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew (the most impressive botanic gardens anywhere in the world), and the site comprising the Palace of Westminster, Westminster Abbey and St Margaret’s Church.
Architecture
London has such diverse architecture that no one single style defines the city—a concept reflected in its people. Notable buildings include everything from the Victorian Natural History Museum to the more recent Swiss Re building. There are plans for even more impressive buildings such as the 72-story Shard of Glass that will be one of the tallest buildings in Europe.
Transport
Transport in London is outstanding. The tube, the 24-hour busses and of course the reliable London black cabs are all exceptional. Cycling is becoming more popular each year, thanks to the support of a forward thinking mayor. Getting to London or visiting other cities from London as a base is easy with four international airports and two Eurostar terminals.
And lastly, but quite importantly, there are many jobs to be had in London. If you’re clean and presentable, you speak English, you have good people skills so you can work with customers and with your team (teamwork an important thing in Britain), you are happy to start lower on the ladder and work your way up and you are happy to commute in order to broaden your opportunities, then you’ll get a job.
No other city in the world can match the facts that make London the best world city.
Londonds got 10xs the depth of new york, its history alone beats nyc hands down
London all the way. New York is a baby city but no amount of skyscrapers can ever make up for a lack of history and heritage, you cant buy that shit it has to be earned its a time served thing. I have no doubt New York is an amazing city but london is a magical city. The only true world city. Paris is the worlds second greatest city then New York would probably come 3rd or 4th
My my, but how my initial posting has (un)surprisingly sparked such agitated desperation amongst the woefully declining Londoner agenda! Nurturing approximately 800 spoken languages within its municipal boundaries (compared to 300 in London), New York City is the One and Only, the Capital of the World, the Center of the Universe. End of story. New Yorkers couldn’t care less, however, unlike weak and frazzled Londoners. I’m originally from India myself, and trust me, all roads lead to NYC, not Rome, and certainly not to London. Sorry Brits, but the truth is bitter, isn’t it?
@ Deepak: I don’t understand how you can just label your opinion the truth. New York and London are both happening places, but have various differences. New York has dazzling skyscrapers while London has historic buildings among modern buildings such as the Gherkin. London does indeed feel almost surreal the first few times you visit, due to its rich history. New York doesn’t quite have that element to it, but is a lot more practical to live in.
Its a matter of opinion, not fact:bottom line.
the 300 languages spoken by londoners was a fact discovered by students at New York university when they were trying to prove that their city was the most diverse city in the world, In london schools there were 307 spoken in NY there were 295, the 800 figure is fantasy
London is simply the greatest town for students i’ve been to NY and London and the people in london were nicer where as in NY they would just stare and looked big headed. Nothing beats the sensation of riding in one of london’s black cabs to visit some of the fantastic night clubs!!! That’s my opinion anyway and london is for sure ranked as the best european city!!!!
As an American, I should I suppose support New York, but I wont. New York City looks great in movies/tv/posters with its grand sky scrapers, but judging a city by what you initially see when you drive from the airport is foolish. New York fundamentally lacks substance, it no doubt is awash with culture, but it lacks history and harmony of London and also it lacks the safety wise.
London is an incredibly impressive city, its transport system is superior to New York, the tube may have its faults but it is easy to navigate, efficient and safe, unlike New Yorks Metro.
London’s weather is also better, it is mild in the winter and the summer, where as New York features extremes. Too cold in the winter, and unbearably hot in the summer. Statistically the myth that London has bad weather is completely false, NYC gets 20% more rain per year than London. Also San Francisco, Sydney and Melbourne all have slightly more rain per year than London.
London is the centre of the UK, it is connected to the UK by high speed rail and Europe by Eurostar, and the rest of the world by the world busiest airport and 4 other airports.
London is also the financial capital of the world, a common error is thinking it is New York (I imagine the sky scrapers are to blame).
Crime in London is much lower than in New York, and statistically, per capita crime in London is the lowest of any city in the world.
Both are great cities, but London has the edge.
I think Deepak is jealous. Typical envy and inferiority complex. He really needs to grow up and get over himself.
Anyway, New York is just another city, a load of big buildings on a scrawny little island, a fake park stuck in the middle and a load of self centred arrogant unfriendly people, not to mention the disgusting materialistic culture that runs riot there. People who deem this dump to be the ‘centre of the universe’ should really do some REAL travelling – and by that, I mean outside continental N.America. Go to Europe and Asia. I love London and I live 30 miles away from it. Americans who stereotype it as something far from reality need to grow a brain and see it for what it really is – a WORLD city. The world is in London; whenever I get off the train there’s foreign languages all around me; it’s amazing and unique (whereas in New York I was surrounded mainly by fat Americans). Immigrants flock by the second – be it plane, train or boat.
Also, don’t forget the future lies in Asia – their cities are rising so fast it’s scary. Dubai – imagine what this place would be like in 10-20 years. Then there’s Shanghai. And then there’s Tokyo. Oh, and don’t forget India. Sorry, but NYC is a has-been. London’s fine and doesn’t need to prove anything; it is what it is – a world alpha megacity.
But the most important factor to me on what makes a city highly favourable is friendliness. Sydney and Auckland are way up there, along with London and many Asian cities. Oh, and this is just my OPINION; unlike Deepak who thinks anything he says is ‘truth’ – he’s clearly arrogant and that’s why his city isn’t favoured by me – the attitude there stinks just like the smells on the streets there. I’ve been to New York and would never go again because I found it very overrated and overhyped. It’s nothing special and no real different from any other city. Sorry.
Also Deepak, it’s funny how you called Londoners ‘weak and frazzled’ when, after 7/7, they picked themselves up and got on with their lives the very next day. Unlike New Yorkers who to this very day still cries about 9/11 like whiny little babies. New Yorkers cry when they get hit, Londoners pick themselves up and move on. I don’t know about you, but the former looks tougher to me. So spare us your ignorance. You’re not that tough, and your city isn’t really important anymore.
London is the most diverse city on Earth. You will find people from all over the world living here, whilst in NYC most people are from either North or South America. Deepak, who keeps claiming that nobody immigrates to London is clearly wrong.
London has huge communities of Indians, Pakistanis, Bangladeshis, Sri Lankans, Chinese, Filipinos, Nigerians, Kenyans, South Africans, Ghanaians, Jamaicans, French, Italians, Spaniards, Portuguese, Germans, Americans, Aussies, Brazilians. Name any single country or place on earth, and they surely have a huge community represented in London.
London has been rated for several years “Financial Capital of the World”. Ahead of New York City. More International Banks are located in London than in any other city in the world.
Standard of Living is also higher in London. You will see less poverty (if any) than in NYC, coming from someone who has experience from the Suburbs of both. Look at most quality of life surveys, and LON comes ahead of NYC.
London’s five airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton, City), are well spread out through the Metro area, and together, 130 million passengers pass through them every year. More than the airports of any other city worldwide (JFK + LaGuardia + Newark doesn’t even come close)
London has a huge mixture of charming, magnificent old buildings as well as amazing glitzy modern marvels. Norman Churches, Gothic Cathedrals, Asian Temples and Victorian/Edwardian/Tudor buildings so close to an increasing number of futuristic modern highlights.
Plus, of course, a Royal Palace (Buckingham), a huge Castle (Tower of London), Tower Bridge, the unique Glass-&-Steel Gherkin and a top-quality Ferris Wheel (London Eye).
New York’s skyline is far better (i love Skyscrapers and looking at citys’ Skylines), and IMO only Hong Kong & Chicago can compare to NY’s skyline, but London’s skyscraper scene is expanding at a fast rate, and soon enough, London will have constructed an awesome Skyline.
NY has 8.3 million people in 305 square miles. Plus an exaggerated metro area of supposedly 19 million. But this includes places hundreds of miles away in Pennsylvania etc., which isn’t really New York.
London has 7.6 million people in 600+ square miles. Let alone a Metropolitan area of 14 million+ (If London used a NYC-Style Metro area featuring places miles and miles away, the Southeast of England could easily get over 20 million people).
Lastly, and most importantly, Deepak says he is from India. He also claims that NYC has more Indians than any other Non-Indian city. But that is WRONG. New York has 68,233 Indian-Born residents, whilst London has 248,000 Indian-Born, plus the Indian Community of London as a whole is estimated to be between 500,000 & 1 million, which makes it by far the the largest community of Indians outside India.
Despite all the facts and figures, deciding which is the ‘best city in the world’ will always be purely objective. For me, London is the greatest city in the world because i’ve spent the best days of my life in London … rain or shine it always seems to kick me out of a bad mood. You don’t need to spend lots of money in London to have a good time; simply looking eastwards from blackfriars bridge at sunset should always do the trick. Despite what some may think, i find history an essential part of any city, and London is steeped in it. I also love London because of it’s incredible artistic/musical/cultural output, which makes me, as a Londoner, feel truly unique.
I am lucky enough to have seen many of the great cities the world has to offer, but despite the utter beauty of Paris, and the youthful energy (and good weather!) of Sydney, i will be forever attached to London, simply because in my eyes, it is the greatest city in the world.
I certainly agree London is the greatest city – the culture in the museums, theatre and galleries is second to none. I lived within 1 hours travelling most of my life but visit regularly and have still not touched the surface (44 years old now)- wonderful wonderful London, which is surprising as us English do not like blowing our own trumpet – I’ve loved most major cities in Europe and in the world like New York but London is the tops – just come and visit and you’ll feel the same. Gary.
I’ve visited both London and New York City and if I had my choice to live in either city, I’d choose London without a second thought. Culturally and historically, there really is no comparison between the two cities. If the two cities were martial artists, New York would be a first degree black belt, knowledgeable in all forms and techniques but London would be a Grand Master, whose entire life has been devoted to the perfection of the art. Both cities have become modernized and have changed with the times but London simply outclasses New York by virtue of it’s longer existence and the will of it’s citizens to preserve it’s essence.
Google hits:
1) New York – 4.7 billion.
2) Hong Kong – 2.3 billion.
3) London – 1.9 billion.
4) Paris – 1.7 billion.
New York has more hits than Hong Kong and London combined! Unbelievable! No wonder so many Chinese consider New York City the Center of the World.
It’s a bit silly to describe either New York or London as superior to each other. Both cities are great places to live.
But I understand and agree with Deepak. London is for better and mostly worse in Europe, it may have more history but as an immigrant you will always have a disadvantage. Some europeans and white americans may chose London over New York, but the rest of the world would always pick New York, probably also San Fransisco and Chicago over London.
It’s really funny how close-minded people behave. For all the idiots that doubt London is the greatest spot on earth. Try to imagine anything and I mean it anything and not find it in London….get me some history from NY