NYC VS London. Which is the best place to live ?

LuckyLloyd · 13-02-2012 10:10AM

Yahew wrote: »

One of the interesting things I find about this debate is the way everybody treats both cities as if yez were rich, which Steve apart, yes probably aren't.

The number of Michelin starred restaurants in London, and the fact that it is on Europe's doorway ( no more than Dublin really), is irrelevant if after rent and the commute to the suburbs you are too poor, and too exhausted, too far from town, to go anywhere.

An average wage won't go far in either place, and living there on an average wage will likely involve an inversely proportional relationship between the size of your living space and the length of your commute.

You maybe trade that off with the professional opportunities available in large markets like New York or London and the idea that if you worked hard you could get out of the average wage bracket, and eventually get to a point where you can experience the delights either place has to offer people with large disposable income levels.

But that's fierce aspirational stuff. London or New York for most people would be a survival challenge, forcing you to constantly look for ways to function and have fun in the cheapest way possible. Maybe 'being there' is the be all and end all for some people poor or no.

For me, New York is an awesome place to visit, but I like returning to my affordable life where I get to live in a nice part of Dublin and live decently from an average wage - and where I can see myself maybe raising kids some day. Each to their own.

Bad Panda · 13-02-2012 10:22AM

af_thefragile wrote: »

I like London. Lots of things to do there...

Yeah there's fcuk all to do in New York! :P

c_man · 13-02-2012 10:24AM

Ah the old Sex and The City vs. Eastenders debate arises again.

steve9859 · 13-02-2012 10:49AM

c_man wrote: »

Ah the old Sex and The City vs. Eastenders debate arises again.

Well, Pat Butcher's dead so it's not a level playing field any more.....

RonMexico · 13-02-2012 10:57AM

I found New York to be a frenetic human zoo of a place. It wrecked my head. London is nicer but suffers from the same thing.

I'd rather live in San Francisco. Beats the other two by a mile.

BraziliaNZ · 13-02-2012 11:45AM

I don't earn a huge wage and live in London. I can get out of bed at 0745 walk 15 mins to tube and still be at work by 0830. I live in South London and work in the West End, so not everyone's commute is a nightmare.
I have more interactions with my neighbours here than I ever did in Dublin, and I know all of the regulars by name in my local pub, so it's not as unfriendly as people may think.
I've been to NY and from what I can gather rent is more expensive and the quality of life not as good. It seems more expensive too. So London for me.

sunflower27 · 13-02-2012 11:52AM

I lived in London 2.5 years and like all places it has its good and bad points. Wouldn't want to live there again though, so maybe that says it all.

Was only in New York once in 2008 and still think about it. I absolutely loved it. It has such an amazing vibe and I can't wait to go back

Wouldn't want to live there for too long though, but yeah, I'd give it a go

Fratton Fred · 13-02-2012 12:06PM

Yahew wrote: »

One of the interesting things I find about this debate is the way everybody treats both cities as if yez were rich, which Steve apart, yes probably aren't.

The number of Michelin starred restaurants in London, and the fact that it is on Europe's doorway ( no more than Dublin really), is irrelevant if after rent and the commute to the suburbs you are too poor, and too exhausted, too far from town, to go anywhere.

That could be said of Dublin though. Someone living in Ballsbridge would have a very different view of the city than someone living in Clondalkin.

The connectivity in London is a league above Dublin. You can drive to Paris in a few hours, or catch the train with ease.

With five airports you can fly to most of the world directly, rather than where ever Ryanair have managed to find a remote cheap airfield.

When you are used to Heathrow and Gatwick on your doorstep, Dublin does feel very restricted.

Personally I love working in London and have worked in both the City and Canary wharf. Being able to finish work and shoot across town to meet friends in a West End pub, or pop to a football match is brilliant and I envy my brother's lifestyle there.

That said, he pays £20k a year in school fees for his two kids and no way will he let them play outside. When they visit us, he is jealous of our lifestyle.

crapmanjoe · 13-02-2012 12:16PM

44leto wrote: »

I like them both, N-York has an edge in excitement BUT and its a huge but, it has a terrible climate, it goes from to warm, too, to cold and poxy humid, it is nicest in spring.

London really has everything and the tube connects it all and the people are great, I could easilly live there again,

Hang on. You are saying the climate and transport are better in London

simply nonsense

cena · 13-02-2012 12:19PM

I would pick NYC just so I could nearer to the family over there. Most of my family don't speak to ous

Yahew · 13-02-2012 12:22PM

crapmanjoe wrote: »

Hang on. You are saying the climate and transport are better in London simply nonsense

Compared to New York - which is the thread title - it probably is. London has an almost continental climate, cold in winter, hot enough in Summer. Though I find it too hot in the Summer.

I've only ever been to New York in September, when it is lovely, but it seems to be over hot, or over cold, and over humid most of the time.

Iwasfrozen · 13-02-2012 12:28PM

crapmanjoe wrote: »

Hang on. You are saying the climate and transport are better in London simply nonsense

How is it nonsense?

The climate of London is miles better then New York. Warmer in winter, cooler in summer and it rains a lot less. As for transport the Tube is the longest subway in the world.

Beefy78 · 13-02-2012 01:31PM

I was in New York a few weeks ago and it was cold. The sort of cold that we don't get here or in London. I've been lucky enough to visit New York a lot (not because I'm a high-flyer but purely because I fell in love with the place and therefore have taken any and every opportunity to go) and the climate is insane. The first time I went people were literally dropping dead in the streets with the temperatures hitting 45 degrees and that's before the humidity. But the winter is crazy cold. I can certainly see why some people might prefer London's 10 months of grey over New York's extreme climates

I'd move to New York tomorrow. Unfortunately that's not possible and unless I find a young American lady to marry I doubt I'll ever be able to live there. I do plan on moving to London before too long though. I grew up 35 miles from there in Essex, a lot of my friends are there and it's a town which has grown on me over time. I used to hate the crowds and the different areas of the City yet as I've got older its those things that now draws me back. I was in London this weekend and had a great time.

pabloh999 · 13-02-2012 10:29PM

Iwasfrozen wrote: »

As for transport the Tube is the longest subway in the world.

The biggest metro system in the world by length of routes and by number of stations is the New York City subway

source wikipedia

Plus - it runs 24 hours a day 7 days a week, does London?:D

If anyone is in any doubt check out this http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=105

Click on the sticky's - "ny panoramo pix" or "old pics nyc"

What they were building a hundred years ago was simply astonishing
Give yourself an hour and enjoy

Beefy78 · 14-02-2012 10:07AM

NY Subway is so much better than the London Underground.

summerskin · 14-02-2012 10:15AM

Lived in both for a few years. I love New York, and it's by far the better place to visit, but for me London was the better place to live. Just personal preference.

Beefy78 · 14-02-2012 10:19AM

summerskin wrote: »

Lived in both for a few years. I love New York, and it's by far the better place to visit, but for me London was the better place to live. Just personal preference.

What is it about London that makes it a better place to live?

kryogen · 14-02-2012 10:36AM

Neither of them got **** on Cavan tbh

ghostdancer · 14-02-2012 10:41AM

pabloh999 wrote: »

NYC.
Walking around the city is like nothing else, the taxis, the buildings, the people - all weirdly familar(from countless movies and tv shows) but always new and exciting at the same time.
The Manhattan skyline NEVER gets old.
Every single time you see that iconic sea of skyscrapers your heart will skip a beat.

Plus the boozers have 4am closing times every night of the week

i like the way you've ignored the vast majority of NYC which has none of that going for it.

summerskin · 14-02-2012 10:47AM

Beefy78 wrote: »

What is it about London that makes it a better place to live?

For me I just found it to have more of a buzz and more variety. I was lucky in that I lived right in the centre, about 10 minutes walk from the west end, though I did live in the Greenwich village area in NYC which is quite central. The variety of restaurants is amazing(i know it is in NYC too, but with London there are more areas to visit, you get different restuarants on Upper St in Islington than you do in Clapham for example), and the amount of sports that are on every weekend can't be beaten. The parks are great places to spend a sunny day, and as much as I like Central Park it just can't compete with Regent's Park on a sunny day.

I think the boroughs of London have more personalty than those in NYC and there is a bigger number of them, more like a hundred small towns surrounding a city, Camden is very different to Richmond, Whitechapel is nothing like Shepherd's Bush.

The tube, though much-maligned, for me is a better and much more comprehensive service than the subway, too.

I'd still always choose NYC as a weekend destination, especially in baseball season, but if I was pressed I'd say the quality of life is better in London and would choose to live there over NYC.

Just my opinion.

bb1234567 · 14-02-2012 11:29AM

Beefy78 wrote: »

What is it about London that makes it a better place to live?

I dont about him, But for me personally I think NY seems like more of a great tourist place to go just for a visit rather than a place to live. I know london too is a very popular tourist destination but it just seems more like a place youd actually live in rather than just visit. Well thats just me, I dont know why I think this I just do, maybe its just because NY seems much further away and more exotic and less well known by me than london.

Beefy78 · 14-02-2012 11:55AM

I don't disagree with either of you, by the way. I was just curious to see your reasonings. I've always wanted to live in New York, as I said above, but I suspect that the realities would be slightly different to the usual tourist experience.

That said, I do know people who live in New York and the experience obviously does vary dependent on where. One couple I know live in a very old building but just half a dozen blocks from Times Square so an amazing location but their place was tiny when I visited and there was a massive stain on the carpet which the guy who lived there explained was from where he'd had to use a broomstick to twat a rat the size of a cat (sounds like a poem..) over the head a few days earlier.

One girl I know works in Downtown Manhattan in a well paid job but lives in South-West Brooklyn in a flat that's nowhere near as nice as mine in Dublin. She's got an hour commute twice a day just like many people who work in London do. I did the commute from hers one morning and it wasn't much fun.

But then I also know one guy shares with three other lads in a flat 40 floors up on 8th Ave Manhattan. His flat is nothing special but it's pretty ncie and pretty modern. I went to his kitchen to pour myself a glass of water and his window has an amazing view of the Empire State Building. I often think that people in that position must not realise how lucky they are.

summerskin · 14-02-2012 12:07PM

Beefy78 wrote: »

I don't disagree with either of you, by the way. I was just curious to see your reasonings. I've always wanted to live in New York, as I said above, but I suspect that the realities would be slightly different to the usual tourist experience.

That said, I do know people who live in New York and the experience obviously does vary dependent on where. One couple I know live in a very old building but just half a dozen blocks from Times Square so an amazing location but their place was tiny when I visited and there was a massive stain on the carpet which the guy who lived there explained was from where he'd had to use a broomstick to twat a rat the size of a cat (sounds like a poem..) over the head a few days earlier.

One girl I know works in Downtown Manhattan in a well paid job but lives on the South Coast of Brooklyn in a flat that's nowhere near as nice as mine in Dublin. She's got an hour commute twice a day just like many people who work in London do. I did the commute from hers one morning and it wasn't much fun.

But then I also know one guy shares with three other lads in a flat 40 floors up on 8th Ave Manhattan. His flat is nothing special but it's pretty ncie and pretty modern. I went to his kitchen to pour myself a glass of water and his window has an amazing view of the Empire State Building. I often think that people in that position must not realise how lucky they are.

I have an hour commute each way from clare to galway everyday, and i can tell you one thing, it's a lot more pleasant than the 45 minute commute i had every day from warren st. to parsons green in london! In NYC i had a 5 minute walk to work, and the village is a great spot for stopping off for some breakfast on the way, some fantastic delis and cafes.

On the subject of accomodation, with both cities it depends on the area you live in. I had friends in London who lived in places like turnpike lane and seven sisters road who had to battle with rats occasionally, as where we never had a problem in regent's park area. Equally my friends in Crown Heights, Brooklyn had a similar problem but we never did in greenwich. The closer you live to the CBD you pay more, and usually for smaller accomodation, but it's more often than not much better looked after.

I'd visited NYC about 10 times before i lived there, and the reality of living there is very very different. It's a great place though, and i loved my time there.

If i was to move back now, which is not beyond the realm of possibilities, I'd probably look to live on Staten Island or maybe over the state line in Hoboken.

I'd recommend it to anyone, it's just that I preferred London.

cloud493 · 14-02-2012 12:09PM

I've lived in both places, and again I'l have to say London, if just for the fact having friends and family in Liverpool only a train ride away was a massive advantage. Its quite expensive, but you get used to it. New York is an awesome, awesome place, I love it. In fact I'd say its only the family situation that stops me preferring it over London.

Batsy · 14-02-2012 07:54PM

Beefy78 wrote: »

NY Subway is so much better than the London Underground.

Nah. The London Underground is better.

Here are some facts:

1) The London Underground is the oldest underground railway system in the world, opened in 1863.

2) The first section to be opened was what are now now the Circle and Hammersmith & City lines and part of the Metropolitan line.

3) In 1890 it became the first underground system in the world to operate electric trains.

4) It is the second-biggest underground railway in the world, after the Shanghai Metro, with 250 miles of track. The Shanghai Metro has 270 miles of track and 274 stations. The NYC Subway has 468 stations but is just 209 miles long.

5) London Underground has 270 stations.

6) The colourful London Underground map has been voted by the great British public as one of the great icons of Britain. The map was created in 1933 by Harry Beck, who originally sketched it out in a school exercise book before being converted into final artwork. Instead of a geographically accurate map, he produced a purely representational diagram with no surface detail except the stations and a stylised River Thames. He thought - rightly - that this would make it easier for the public to understand it. With its out-of-scale distances it was initially rejected by the Underground's publicity department as "too revolutionary", but a year later they changed their minds and a free pocket edition was published in 1933. As the London Underground developed, so Harry Beck continued to develop the map, but his graphic concept remains essentially unchanged 80 years on. Each Underground line is represented by a certain colour on the map. For example, Bakerloo is Corporate Brown, Central is red, Hammersmith & City is Underground Pink, District is Corporate Green, Circle is Corporate Yellow, East London is Underground Orange, Jubilee is Corporate Grey and Northern is Corporate Black.

grenache · 15-02-2012 09:45AM

amacachi wrote: »

You're from Limerick and live in Cork, somehow I think your statement is untrue.

Care to elaborate on that rather useless statement? How is where I am from/living relevant to the point I'm making?

Son Of A Vidic · 15-02-2012 09:58AM

Amazing how some who have never lived in these cities, can actually put forward an opinion.

So that aside and having lived in both cities for a combined total of 15 years. The winner without question has to be London.

ICANN · 15-02-2012 10:17AM

For the people who got to live in New York- how did ye manage to get visas?

Brianderunner · 15-02-2012 10:20AM

Live in London and its great, can't comment on NY but am dying to visit the place.

One thing that would edge it for me is the sport. London is the best city in the world for sport, no question. Give me Arsenal vs Spurs over Nicks vs Celtics anyday.

It's proximity to ireland too is a big plus.

summerskin · 15-02-2012 10:31AM

ICANN wrote: »

For the people who got to live in New York- how did ye manage to get visas?

Work sponsorship.

NYC VS London. Which is the best place to live ?

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