Laura ReynoldsLondon Vs. New York: Which City Is Better?
London and New York. The Big Smoke and the Big Apple. Two of the biggest, most vibrant cities in the world — but which is better? We've already pitted their transport systems against each other in a international battle of the mass transit system (find out the results here). Now we're supersizing the competition, pitting the entire cities against each other to determine a winner based on several criteria.
Department stores: Harrods vs. Bloomingdale's
Two world-famous department stores, meccas for fashionistas and shopaholics alike. Bloomingdale's has three stores in NYC, but we're focusing on the flagship, Bloomingdale's 59th Street. Harrods has longevity on its side, being 27 years older than Bloomingdales, but with that comes a reputation for stuffiness — just check out that dress code. Bloomingdales, meanwhile, has no dress code, and a more modern interior to boot. Oh, but we do love that Egyptian escalator, in all its gaudiness.
Bloomingdale's flagship store, has 11 floors to Harrods' eight, but really, those eight are more than enough for us — we're always ready for a lie down after even a brief turn around Harrods. We don't think we could handle a full 11 — too much of a good thing, Bloomies, too much.
Oh, and history — Harrods was home to England's first escalator, its staff on hand to ply shoppers with brandy for their nerves when they reached the top.
Bloomingdales, described by one reviewer as "the Harrods of NYC", claws back some points for its on-screen appearances. Films such as Serendipity have been filmed inside the store. Meanwhile, we can't think of a single thing that's been filmed inside Harrods — we don't imagine they allow that kind of thing.
The winner is: LONDON. We're giving this one to Harrods for its history, architecture and sense of occasion — and that stuffiness that we all love to hate.
Taxis: Black cabs vs. yellow taxis
Two iconic modes of transport, but let's talk numbers: London has around 21,000 black cabs, while New York has around 13,500 yellow taxis pootling up and down its disconcertingly straight streets. Our cabbies have all had to take The Knowledge, a notoriously tricky test of knowing all of London's streets and landmarks by heart, which often takes several years to complete. By comparison, New York taxi drivers just have to take a six-hour driving course and pass an exam at the end of it.
The winner is: LONDON. Our taxi drivers are like our annoying little sibling — we're allowed to moan about them ("Nah mate, I ain't goin' sarf of the river"), but we'll jump down the throat of any non-Londoner who criticises them.
Hotels: The Ritz vs. the Waldorf Astoria
New York's Waldorf Astoria has hosted Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Dalai Lama, Cary Grant and Princess Grace of Monaco, to name just a few of its famous guests. The Ritz can go one further, offering a whole heap of well-known names who have not just stayed there but, er, checked out permanently from one of its rooms.
As with many things Stateside, the Waldorf-Astoria is a super-size hotel, home to 1413 rooms over 47 floors (and was the tallest hotel in the world until 1963). The Ritz is less than a 10th of this size, with 111 rooms and 23 suites, but its reputation has by far outgrown it, "ritz" becoming a byword for glitz and glamour. Afternoon tea at The Ritz is a pretty well-established (if aspirational for many) tradition too.
The Ritz dates back to 1906, and while the Astoria's history is a bit more muddled, its current building didn't open until 1931. It's currently closed for 2-3 years to undergo major renovations. While The Ritz has to contend with the roaring traffic of Piccadilly, it's not too ugly when you take a step back and look at the building properly, those curved arches and individual lightbulbs offering a bit of character. The Waldorf-Astoria, meanwhile, is just another high-rise on that anonymous skyline.
The winner is: LONDON. For worldwide reputation alone, The Ritz wins.
Green spaces: Hyde Park vs. Central Park
Central Park, probably the world's most famous park, is more than double the size of Hyde Park, at 3.41km2 to Hyde Park's 1.42km2 (that's without including Kensington Gardens). It also has its own zoo — and yes, two of London's parks also have zoos, but Hyde Park isn't one of them.
Hyde Park has The Serpentine and the Long Water; Central Park has The Lake... oh, and The Pond, and Turtle Pond, and a model boating lake, and, in fact, a whole flipping (decommissioned) reservoir which holds a billion gallons of water. Ok, so New York wins the water round — what else?
Hyde Park has the Serpentine Sackler Gallery; Central Park has The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Hyde Park has the Peter Pan Statue; Central Park has Alice in Wonderland and Hans Christian Andersen.
Aha! Hyde Park has a palace (alright pedants, technically it's in Kensington Gardens, but we're getting desperate here). But wait, what's that? Oh. Central Park has a castle. An actual castle. Sorry London, there's no way we can claw this one back.
The winner is: NEW YORK. If we were clubbing all the Royal Parks in together as one, London would win. In the name of fairness, we won't do that, so Central Park takes this round.
The stations: St Pancras vs. Grand Central
Grand Central Station and St Pancras. Two beautiful behemoths in the train world. Grand Central Station's official name is Grand Central Terminus — but have you heard how many people say 'St Pancreas'? Safe to say they're each dealing with their own identity issues.
We've picked St Pancras as a comparison point because it's probably London's closest architectural equivalent to Grand Central. St Pancras opened in 1868, with the first Grand Central Depot following three years later — although the current Grand Central didn't open until 1913.
Grand Central has an impressive 44 platforms (for context, that's almost three times as many as Clapham Junction) to St Pancras's 15. That's too many, as far as we're concerned — just imagine the chaos of a last-minute rush hour platform alteration.
Grand Central has some pretty impressive trivia about it; rumours abound of a secret platform used to convey former presidents direct to the Waldorf Astoria hotel. Ah, but have the Spice Girls ever filmed a music video in Grand Central? Did Harry Potter fly his car past it? Can you get a train to Paris from Grand Central? We think not. Point to London.
The winner is: LONDON.
The arenas: Wembley vs. Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden is a multi-purpose events. At time of writing, upcoming events include New York Rangers ice hockey matches, a New York Knicks basketball match, the Westminster Dog Show, and Billy Joel in concert. Effectively, New York's one venue does what Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena do combined.
Madison Square Garden sits in a pretty central location. Penn Station — the busiest passenger transport hub in North America — sits beneath it, and the Empire State Building and Macy's are just a couple of blocks away. Wembley, meanwhile is a 9 minute train ride out of Marylebone, or 12 minutes on the Met line from Baker Street.
Architecturally, we think Madison Square Garden is a bit of a monstrosity, and alright, Wembley Arena's no oil painting either, but at least Wembley Stadium has that sweeping arch — visible from The Shard on a clear day — to redeem it.
Winner: NEW YORK: Madison Square's just got a bit more showbiz glitz about it than Wembley, hasn't it? Plus it packs in twice the fun in just one venue — and it's central to boot.
The art: Tate Modern vs. MOMA
Firstly, the architecture. MOMA (Museum of Modern Art)'s situated in a sleek glass building on 53rd street, all very fitting for a modern art museum, but it's all a bit... characterless. Compare that to that brickwork former power station on the bank of the Thames, and we know which we prefer. Plus, who could argue with those views over St Paul's?
If you can peel your eyes off your surroundings, what can you see inside? Tate Modern's headline works include pieces by Warhol, Picasso and Dalí, squaring up against MOMA's van Gogh, Cézanne and Matisse. All impressive and valuable works, but it all comes down to personal preference.
Entry costs at MOMA are a bit contentious after they were raised when the museum reopened in 2012. Currently, it's $25 for an adult (roughly £18.50) — but that includes entry to all current exhibitions. Tate Modern, on the other hand, offers free entry but charges separately for some exhibitions (others are free).
Winner: LONDON. The numbers speak for themselves; 5.8 million people visited Tate Modern in 2016, compared to 2.8 million at MOMA.
The museums: Natural History Museum vs. American Museum of Natural History
Locationwise, they've both got a lot going for them. New York's offering is in Manhattan, right next to Central Park, while our own museum is in Albertopolis, South Kensington's cultural quarter, just a short walk from Hyde Park.
Entry to the American Museum of Natural History will set you back $23 (around £17 — or $33/£24.50 to see all special shows and exhibitions). Our museum is free entry, although there is a charge for special exhibitions.
We'll admit, London slipped up somewhat by letting Dippy go, but at the end of the day, he was a fake. America, meanwhile, has one of the greatest dinosaur fossil collections in the world — and whales, an earth and space tour, several mammals hall, and a planetarium. It's like Bloomingdales all over again, far too much to see in one day — and presumably you'll have to pay that entrance fee all over again if you want to split it over several days.
Both museum buildings are beautiful, but London's has some finer details; the Hintze Hall alone has 78 carved monkeys dotted around it, and the sculptures in the West Wing all represent living species, while those in the East Wing are all extinct species. Plus, Sir David Attenborough has collaborated with the Natural History Museum on several projects, and Kate Middleton is a patron
Winner: NEW YORK. Attenborough almost swung it for London, but check out those dinosaurs. New York deserves this win for its impressive collection.
The restaurants: Gong vs. Rainbow Room
We were trying to think of the most iconic New York restaurant, and came up with Rainbow Room, the restaurant with a revolving dancefloor on the 65th floor of the Rockefeller Center that's been open since 1934, feeding the likes of Joan Rivers, Jimmy Carter and Joan Crawford. The restaurant is now open for private events only, but its fancy bar, Bar Sixty Five, is still open to the public.
We reckon London's equivalent is Gong, situated in the Shangri-La on level 52 of The Shard and claiming to be the highest hotel bar in Western Europe, except... well, how many Londoners have actually heard of it?
Sure, Gong's got views over London, but Bar Sixty Five looks out on the Empire State Building — the problem with a viewpoint inside the most iconic building on the skyline is that you can't see that building, so no Shard views from Gong.
Winner: NEW YORK. It's higher, it's better-known and it has better views. Well played, Rainbow Room.
And the winner is...
...London, but perhaps we're biased. London pipped New York to the post for department stores, taxis, train stations, art galleries and hotels. New York took the point for green spaces, arenas, museums and restaurants, leaving a final score of 5-4 to London. We could argue the toss all day using several different criteria to be honest, as both are fantastic — and very different - cities. If anyone wants to fly us out to New York, we'd be happy to do some more field research and report back.
FAQs
Which is a better city London or New York? ›
Although London is less crowded than NYC and offers more green space, better weather, and more attractions than NYC, the 24-hour convenience of NYC, its high quality restaurants, and the fact that it's less expensive gives the city a slight advantage.
Is New York better than England? ›...
New York State Vs England – How Do They Compare?
| New York | England | |
|---|---|---|
| Area | 54,555 sq mi (141,300 km2) | 50,301 sq mi (130,279 km2) |
| Population | 19,795,791 | 54,786,300 |
| GDP (nominal) | $1.44 trillion USD | $2.340 trillion USD |
Home to the headquarters of the United Nations, New York is an important center for international diplomacy, an established safe haven for global investors, and is sometimes described as the capital of the world.
Is London and New York similar? ›New York and London are similar in many respects. They are both cosmopolitan cities, they're both expensive and they're both important centers of fashion. That being said, the extent of their differences is vast. For one, London is much cleaner than New York.
What is the number 1 city in the world? ›1. London. As the “capital of capitals”—still waist-deep in an opaque pandemic slurry—negotiates the uncharted, perilous terrain of a post-Brexit world, London continues to reign the planet's best cities for the sixth year running. Its position at the top, however, has never been more tenuous.
Is New York or London richer? ›NYC is the richest city on the planet with 59 billionaires and a staggering 345,600 millionaires: US captures half of the Top 10 list while longtime wealth leader London ranks fourth.
Which is safer London or New York? ›Looking at 2017, the homicide rate per 100,000 population stood at 1.2 in London and 3.4 in New York. While the difference between the two cities has definitely narrowed - the trend is far from fixed. And even older figures are also quite revealing. In 2007, New York witnessed 496 homicides.
Is London a good place to live? ›London is one of the safest cities to live in
London is home to the highest number of police officers in the country and is ranked as the 4th safest city in the UK to live in alone or with family. There are also plenty of pet-friendly properties for your companion animals.
The temperatures of London are much milder than those of NYC. NYC is both warmer in the summer and colder in the winter - London is just London all the time. London's temperatures average winter lowers around 40 degrees F (or 5 Celsius) and summer highs get up to around 70 degrees F (21 Celsius).
Why New York is the best city? ›Its best bars, its best restaurants and its always exciting atmosphere with tons of things to do are unmatched. When hard times hit, there's nowhere we'd rather be. That's why NYC is also the most resilient city in the world.
Why New York City is the best city? ›
Today, New York City is a center for the best financial, legal, technological, medical and scientific minds in the world. It's home to some of the finest educational institutions in the country, such as Columbia University and New York University.
Is New York the best city? ›NYC loses top spot on 'world's best' list that names San Francisco a better place to live. San Francisco has been crowned the world's best city by entertainment guide "Time Out" on its annual list.
Is London a clean city? ›...
Cleanest Cities in the World.
| City | London |
|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 9 |
| Clean City Score | 74.94 |
| Env. Perf. Score | 79.89 |
| Mercer Score | 40 |
The UK capital city is comparable in population to New York City, totaling around 8.9 million compared to NYC's 8.4 million. As for size, however, the Greater London Area covers around 607 square miles, which is about twice as big as NYC's 302.6 square mile area.
Is London an important city? ›London is the capital city of the United Kingdom. It is the U.K.'s largest metropolis and its economic, transportation, and cultural centre. London is also among the oldest of the world's great cities, with its history spanning nearly two millennia.
What is the 2nd best city in the world? ›Chicago named 2nd best city in the world.
What are the top 3 best cities in the world? ›...
The World's 20 Best Cities In 2022
- Edinburgh, Scotland. ...
- Chicago. ...
- Medellín, Colombia. ...
- Glasgow, Scotland. ...
- Amsterdam, The Netherlands. ...
- Prague, Czech Republic. ...
- Marrakesh, Morocco. ...
- Berlin, Germany.
1. Vienna, Austria. A previous winner as the world's most liveable city in 2018 and 2019, historic and gorgeous Vienna has returned to number one after a brief hiatus out of the top ten thanks to its Covid-related restrictions during the pandemic.
What is richest city in the world? ›New York – the wealthiest city on earth
It is also home to the world's two largest stock exchanges by market cap (the Dow Jones and NASDAQ). Perhaps most notably, total private wealth held by the city's residents exceeds USD 3 trillion — higher than the total private wealth held in most major G20 countries.
| City | Country | GDP |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | Japan | $1.52 trillion |
| New York City | United States | $1.21 trillion |
| Los Angeles | United States | $789.7 billion |
| Seoul | South Korea | $779.3 billion |
What is the richest area in London? ›
1- Mayfair
As well as the many wealthy Georgian homes, Mayfair is also home to the world-famous tailor district of Savile Row. New Bond Street is Mayfair's premier shopping district, housing some of the most luxurious shops and outlets.
London is the sixth most expensive location to live in the world, largely attributed to high rental accommodation costs in areas popular with expatriates, which are almost a third higher in than in Geneva, and twice as high as in Paris, a new study has found.
Is London cheaper than America? ›Overall, the cost of living in the U.K. is 0.49% lower than in the United States. Rent overall is about 22.55% lower in the U.K. You would need $4,700 per month to finance a modest lifestyle in London, compared to $5,822 for the equivalent lifestyle in New York City.
Is the UK safer than America? ›But despite the recent spike, the BBC notes that London remains safe compared to American cities. In 2017, London's murder rate per 100,000 people was 1.2. New York City's rate was nearly three times higher, at 3.4.
Why London is best city in world? ›Diversity
With over 270 nationalities represented and 300 languages spoken, it's easy to see why London is the capital of the world. As a recent New York Times article put, “Modern London is the metropolis that globalization created, and London is the banker to the planet”.
London is vibrant culture. London is pure magic. One of the world's most visited cities, London has something for everyone: from history and culture to fine food and exceedingly good times. 2000 years of history has made the 'Big Smoke' deeply cosmopolitan and exotic.
Why should I move to London? ›If you like culture, London has so much to offer. The city's numerous museums, art galleries, gig venues, concert halls and theatres present an abundance of world-leading opportunities to find inspiration and enjoyment every day of the week.
Is London best city in the world? ›The World's Best Cities ranking is the most comprehensive city ranking on the planet, based on entirely original methodology that uses the opinions of the people who matter most: visitors and residents. London topped our ranking and there is a lot to unpack in the city's performance.
Does London get a lot of snow? ›The city can sometimes experience extremes. Snowfall is an infrequent occurrence in winter, falling on an average of 16 days per year, though infrequently heavy.
What is the coldest month in London? ›The coldest month is usually January when temperatures can sink to around 33 F (1 C). Snow is pretty rare in London but if it does fall it's typically in January or February.
Is New York a good city to live? ›
With 8.4 million residents, NYC is the most populous city in America and things are bound to happen. However, relative to its size, New York City is considered one of the top 5 safest large cities in America.
What are the benefits of living in New York? ›- Job Opportunities. For people searching for a job in America, one of the best cities to do that is NYC. ...
- Different Food Options. ...
- Social Lifestyle. ...
- Safe Environment. ...
- Historical and Art Exposure. ...
- Great Transportation Network. ...
- High Salaries. ...
- Diversity.
Pros and Cons of Living in NYC (Worth It?) - YouTube
Why New York is so popular? ›New York City is famous for many reasons like amazing culture, beautiful architecture, appetizing food and drink, festivals and gorgeous beaches.
What makes NYC so special? ›Our skyline is such a big deal, it has its own museum. We may be biased, but nothing compares to you, New York City skyline. Widely recognized around the world, the cityscape is our trademark. Watching iconic skyscrapers like the Empire State Building glisten at sunset can bring a tear to even a jaded New Yorker's eye.
Is NYC safe right now? ›Almost all cities have some level of dangerous crime. To answer the question if New York City is safe for travel and for visiting right now, the answer is a big “yes.” New York City is one of the safest cities you can travel to and we're going to show you why.
What cities are better than NYC? ›...
5 Best Cities for 20-Somethings Other Than New York
- Austin, Houston, and Dallas, Texas. ...
- Washington, D.C. ...
- San Francisco and San Anselmo, California. ...
- Boston, Massachusetts. ...
- Denver, Colorado.
- Astoria (Queens)
- Park Slope (Brooklyn) ...
- Lower East Side (Manhattan) ...
- Greenwich Village (Manhattan) ...
- East Village (Manhattan) ...
- Bushwick (Brooklyn) ...
- Inwood (Manhattan) ...
- Fordham and University Heights (Bronx) Perfect for those looking for an affordable and quieter side of New York. ...
Career Opportunities
New York City is known as the city of dreams for a reason. From startups to the Stock Exchange, whatever your career aspirations may be, you can accomplish them in this city – and you'll meet plenty of people along the way to help you get there. Many New Yorkers are actually nice people!
Having visited Paris on numerous occasions for business and pleasure, and lived and worked there for some time, I can quite categorically say that London is far safer than Paris. I may be biased being a Londoner but London doesn't have the same street crime that Paris enjoys.
What is the cleanest city on Earth? ›
- Copenhagen has been voted the cleanest city in the world multiple years in a row.
- Luxembourg is known for its high quality of living.
- Zurich has been voted as one of the greenest cities in the world.
- Helsinki is one of the best cities for public transport.
Honolulu, Hawaii ranks first as the cleanest city in the U.S. Despite being the most fossil fuel-dependent state in the U.S., due to its reliance on tourism and the military, Hawaii is currently working to achieve 100% clean energy by 2045.
Is LA better than NYC? ›Overall, LA is about 24% less expensive than NYC. The cost of living in LA is lower than in NYC thanks to far lower housing prices. On average, housing in LA is 34% cheaper than in New York City. Additionally, prices for groceries, as well as restaurant prices, are lower in Los Angeles than in NYC.
Is London the largest city in the world? ›Tokyo is widely considered the world's largest city (by urban area and metropolitan area).
Why is London so big? ›In addition to the port, London also grew because of the founding of the Bank of England. One of the first bank and most successful in the world. In the years from 1750 to 1900 the population increased from 600'000 to 4'500'000 people, due to the Industrial Revolution in this time.
Which city is best in London? ›- Camden. Located just to the north of the capital's only international station, St Pancras, Camden is well-established as one of North London's liveliest neighborhoods. ...
- North Greenwich. ...
- Shoreditch and Hoxton. ...
- Putney. ...
- Marylebone. ...
- Brixton. ...
- Dulwich. ...
- Bermondsey.
- Buckingham Palace.
- Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament.
- Natural History Museum.
- Covent Garden.
- Oxford Street.
- Borough Market.
- Take a river bus from Westminster to Tower Bridge.
- Tower Bridge.
It's a centre of excellence for education
Studying in London will put you at the heart of one of the places best equipped to handle your educational needs. There is a stunning amount of libraries, local businesses and support networks which could all aid you in your studies.
But you may not realise London is more than double the size of New York City. New York is 783.8 square kilometres - but London is 1,572! So while there are approximately 6,070 people living per square kilometre in London, there are 10,430 in the Big Apple.
What's bigger London or New York? ›The UK capital city is comparable in population to New York City, totaling around 8.9 million compared to NYC's 8.4 million. As for size, however, the Greater London Area covers around 607 square miles, which is about twice as big as NYC's 302.6 square mile area.
Which is more diverse London or New York? ›
London may come in second place behind New York City for percentage of immigrant population. But it is easily the most diverse city in all of Europe, as well as one of the most multicultural cities in the world.
Is London a good place to live? ›London is one of the safest cities to live in
London is home to the highest number of police officers in the country and is ranked as the 4th safest city in the UK to live in alone or with family. There are also plenty of pet-friendly properties for your companion animals.
What is a good salary in London, UK? A net monthly salary between £2,800 and £3,000 is considered a decent salary. This corresponds to the gross annual salary above £45,000. Everyone getting between £3,300 and £4,000 gross per month is a good earner.
Is London very expensive? ›London is the sixth most expensive location to live in the world, largely attributed to high rental accommodation costs in areas popular with expatriates, which are almost a third higher in than in Geneva, and twice as high as in Paris, a new study has found.
Is London cheaper than America? ›Overall, the cost of living in the U.K. is 0.49% lower than in the United States. Rent overall is about 22.55% lower in the U.K. You would need $4,700 per month to finance a modest lifestyle in London, compared to $5,822 for the equivalent lifestyle in New York City.
Is LA better than NYC? ›Overall, LA is about 24% less expensive than NYC. The cost of living in LA is lower than in NYC thanks to far lower housing prices. On average, housing in LA is 34% cheaper than in New York City. Additionally, prices for groceries, as well as restaurant prices, are lower in Los Angeles than in NYC.
Is London the largest city in the world? ›Tokyo is widely considered the world's largest city (by urban area and metropolitan area).
What is the biggest city in the world by area 2022? ›Largest megacities worldwide 2022, by land area
In 2022, New York led the ranking of the largest built-up urban areas worldwide, with the land area of 12,093 square kilometers. Boston-Providence and Tokyo-Yokohama were the second and third largest megacities globally in that year.
By Gören's measure, the world's most culturally diverse country is the African nation of Chad, which counts more than 100 ethnic groups among its 8.6 million residents.
What is the world's most diverse country? ›| Rank | Country | Probability of diversity |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uganda | 93.02% |
| 2 | Liberia | 90.84% |
| 3 | Madagascar | 87.91% |
| 4 | Congo (Dem. Rep.) | 87.47% |
How many different languages are spoken in London? ›
Over 250 languages are spoken in London, making the capital the most linguistically diverse city in the world. In a survey of 850,000 children in London schools the question about first language spoken at home was asked.
Why London is best city in world? ›Diversity
With over 270 nationalities represented and 300 languages spoken, it's easy to see why London is the capital of the world. As a recent New York Times article put, “Modern London is the metropolis that globalization created, and London is the banker to the planet”.
- Overall rating: 95.1/100.
- Stability: 95.
- Healthcare: 83.3.
- Culture & environment: 98.6.
- Education: 100.
- Infrastructure: 100. Vienna, Austria, ranked first as the best place to live in the world. It held the position in 2018 and 2019 but slipped to 12th place in 2021.
London is vibrant culture. London is pure magic. One of the world's most visited cities, London has something for everyone: from history and culture to fine food and exceedingly good times. 2000 years of history has made the 'Big Smoke' deeply cosmopolitan and exotic.