# What is the first city that comes to mind when I say "Greatest City in Europe"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 24, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258 "2010-01-24T18:56:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/1 "2010-01-24T18:56:15Z")
Please respond before reading the spoilers. I was taking a geography class awhile back and the professor started off one lecture by saying we were going to talk about The Greatest City in Europe, and of course we all knew what that was. Right? Well, someone say it. Come on, you guys know which city I’m referring to. Someone just say it. Finally, realizing no one else was going to speak up, I said Paris. He looked at me like I just punched his mother in the mouth. And it wasn’t an act. He was genuinely surprised and seemed a little offended. NO! Of course I’m talking about London! I wasn’t going to argue with him, but I thought to myself, I’ve been to both, and my answer doesn’t change. For the record he was born an raised in the US, of Russian heritage, so he didn’t seem to have a stake in this. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/2 "2010-01-24T18:58:55Z")
I’d say London too. But then, I’m biased - I’m a Londoner. 😃 Actually, I hated Paris. But it’s obviously purely a matter of opinion; there’s no objective way you can declare that any of the cities is greater than the other - unless you mean in size or population, of course. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/3 "2010-01-24T18:59:51Z")
France! ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/4 "2010-01-24T19:08:28Z")
> [@scifisam2009](#): > > I’d say London too. But then, I’m biased - I’m a Londoner. 😃 Actually, I hated Paris. But it’s obviously purely a matter of opinion; there’s no objective way you can declare that any of the cities is greater than the other - unless you mean in size or population, of course. Those were spoilered . . . Edit: And I know there’s no objective way to declare this. That’s why I posted in the opinion forum. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/5 "2010-01-24T19:10:20Z")
The answer you’re looking for is London, but the correct answer is Dublin. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Pray\_for\_peace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pray\_for\_peace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pray_for_peace)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/6 "2010-01-24T19:14:34Z")
Paris (I didn’t read the spoilers yet). Second guess would be Rome. ETA: Were we supposed to spoiler our answers? Sorry. I see no one else did either. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/7 "2010-01-24T19:16:49Z")
My thought was London, but I’m British, so I’m biased. ---
**Author:** ![Oukile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@Oukile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oukile)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/8 "2010-01-24T19:17:11Z")
Cisco, you are a refined and educated person. You professor obviously never went in Europa. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/9 "2010-01-24T19:17:19Z")
Sorry but it’s hard to beat the pot and boobies of Amsterdam in my reckoning. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/10 "2010-01-24T19:18:12Z")
Even though I’ve never been there, if someone said “Greatest City in Europe?” I would immediately think of Paris. My next though would be, “London if you include Britain,” because I don’t automatically regard Great Britain as “Eurpoean.” ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/11 "2010-01-24T19:22:00Z")
My first thought was Paris, but that’s because I’ve always had a hard time thinking of the UK as European. I know it **is** , but it’s an **English** -speaking place, and in my head, that (along with the channel) separates it from the rest of Europe. ---
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/12 "2010-01-24T19:29:44Z")
> [@](#): > > Even though I’ve never been there, if someone said “Greatest City in Europe?” I would immediately think of Paris. My next though would be, “London if you include Britain,” because I don’t automatically regard Great Britain as “Eurpoean.” Considering the huge linguistic, cultural, economic, and political differences between Britain and the continent, I never consider Britain part of Europe. Plus you have to also consider the traditional antipathy of the British to the continent, as reflected by such items as the euro debate. Oddly enough I usually consider Ireland part of Europe despite similar factors. Don’t know why. Getting back to the original question, of course Paris is Europe’s foremost city. I’ve never been there, but it’s tradionally considered the center of European culture over the centuries. Also it’s been the political center of the country that’s usually been Europe’s most powerful country. One thing hurting Rome and Berlin in being Europe’s foremost city is they’ve only been their countries capitals for barely over a century–since they’ve only existed as united countries for that long. ---
**Author:** ![kenner116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecb155/32.png) [@kenner116](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenner116)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/13 "2010-01-24T19:32:46Z")
My first thought was Paris, but was almost simultaneously followed by London. I haven’t spent enough time in either city to make an educated choice, but I will pick Heathrow over De Gaulle, and the Underground over the Métropolitain. ---
**Author:** ![Desert\_Nomad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desert_nomad/32/177_2.png) [@Desert\_Nomad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desert_Nomad)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/14 "2010-01-24T19:34:39Z")
Paris - because I think of London as being in the UK, not Europe… plus it’s a better answer than Krosno, Poland. ---
**Author:** ![delphica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9a140/32.png) [@delphica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/delphica)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/15 "2010-01-24T19:35:14Z")
Paris, of course. In various eras, it’s been the seat of diplomacy, science, art, cuisine, and well, sex. ---
**Author:** ![nicole1912](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/9de0a6/32.png) [@nicole1912](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nicole1912)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/16 "2010-01-24T19:39:04Z")
Paris, followed very closely by London. (I have lived in both, I prefer Paris.) Rome would have been my third choice. Your teacher was just wrong 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/17 "2010-01-24T19:49:40Z")
Paris. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/18 "2010-01-24T19:50:55Z")
I’m siding with the prof. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/19 "2010-01-24T19:52:24Z")
I thought Berlin, Vienna, and Prague. ---
**Author:** ![BleizDu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@BleizDu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BleizDu)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258/20 "2010-01-24T19:57:46Z")
My first thought was Paris. Then I thought it was maybe a trick question, so I thought Berlin, London, Amsterdam. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-europe/526258.md?page=2)