The new New York?

Comparing and contrasting two mega cities

"The true New Yorker secretly believes that anyone living anywhere else must somehow, in a sense, be kidding." -John Updike

New York Magazine asks in its March issue whether London is getting the upperhand on its cousin across the Pond. The main article, written by a talented Eugenia Bell & Matt Weiland, insightfully points out:

"It is not Britain and the United States that have a special relationship, it is London and New York—and it is that of wayward siblings, blood brothers who can’t stop wrestling for the top prize. They seem engaged in a constant battle for financial, cultural, and social supremacy, and the conjunction of their experiences (their oddly complementary mayors, the way the ritual dates 9/11 and 7/7 are inscribed in the memories of their residents, the speed with which the working class of each city is being priced out) only intensifies the competition."

This table is adapted from The Wall Street Journal story (March 20, 2007 edition) that highlights major points from the NY mag article.

NYC ... London
Financial Center: Yes ... Yes
2012 Olympics: No ... Yes
Food: Yes ... Getting There
Theatre: Yes ... Yes
Literature: Yes ... "drunken and superficial"
Real Estate: Sky-high ... Sky-high
Terrorist Target: Yes (9/11) ... Yes (7/7

The debate, says the Journal, "reflects both cities' self-absorption. The city most likely to emerge as capital of the 21st century? Bejing." GEO