# What is the first city that comes to mind when I say "Greatest City in the World"? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 25, 2010, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302 "2010-01-25T01:49:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Bartman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@Bartman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bartman)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/41 "2010-01-25T16:37:57Z")
NYC followed by London on the thinnest of margins. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/42 "2010-01-25T17:03:13Z")
> [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > apart from history/longevity, what other areas doesn’t it match up in? Politics? (It isn’t a capital city) International visitors? (Both London and Paris are way ahead of NYC) ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/43 "2010-01-25T17:11:17Z")
Atlantis ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/44 "2010-01-25T17:13:09Z")
I haven’t lived in any big cities, or even thought about living in big cities. Well, I lived in Sacramento for a couple of years, and it’s big-ish, but I doubt it’s on anyone’s list of Great Cities. So I’m going to have to go with [Ankh-Morpork](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankh-Morpork). ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/45 "2010-01-25T17:18:17Z")
I don’t want to steer this into an argument because it’s completely subjective and anybody can answer whatever they want without even having to justify it, but I just want to question a few points that already came up . . . > [@Rumor\_Watkins](#): > > apart from history/longevity, what other areas doesn’t it match up in? And with regards to history/longevity . . . New York was founded in the early 1600s. How much of what you _really_ love about London is more than 400 years old? Some, sure, but be honest; probably not a whole lot. > [@SanVito](#): > > International visitors? (Both London and Paris are way ahead of NYC) You’re not forgetting that New York is the location of the United Nations headquarters and the home of the World Trade Center, are you? ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/46 "2010-01-25T17:20:36Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > And with regards to history/longevity . . . New York was founded in the early 1600s. How much of what you _really_ love about London is more than 400 years old? Some, sure, but be honest; probably not a whole lot. How much of what you love about New York is more than 100 years old? It didn’t become a megalopolis overnight any more than London did. > [@](#): > > You’re not forgetting that New York is the location of the United Nations headquarters and the home of the World Trade Center, are you? “World Trade Center” is just a name. It’s a bunch of office buildings. If you mean the World Trade Organization, that’s headquartered in Geneva. If you mean the World Bank, that’s in DC. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/47 "2010-01-25T17:22:46Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > Atlantis You must have not been there lately, things have really gone downhill. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/48 "2010-01-25T17:30:17Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > Politics? (It isn’t a capital city) > International visitors? (Both London and Paris are way ahead of NYC) Politics–it’s the home of the U.N. That’s gotta be worth something. (Bueller?) International visitors–I wouldn’t call this a major factor. I’m in no way disputing that NY has great PR, but it’s not a PR “machine.” Consider how much of it comes from people who live there, have lived there, etc. I don’t often hear people crowing about how much they love living in London. And I also wouldn’t discount the “history” of NYC. London’s history is definitely a huge factor in it’s importance. NY’s history may be shorter, but it is no less significant in terms of its impact on the current state of the world. (Which is totally arguable, of course.) I’m not dicking on London. I’d place it second on my list. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/49 "2010-01-25T17:31:22Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > I don’t want to steer this into an argument because it’s completely subjective and anybody can answer whatever they want without even having to justify it Actually, I completely agree with you, I don’t think there really is a ‘World’s Greatest City’ as no city has the bestest of everything. I think there’s probably a top five depending on how you want to rank culture, diversity, politics, finance, size, history, popularity with visitors, influence over global events blah blah blah. London and New York are **both** right up there. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/50 "2010-01-25T17:31:34Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > You must have not been there lately, things have really gone downhill. Yeah, really. Standards of living have sunk to new depths. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/51 "2010-01-25T17:37:39Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > I’m in no way disputing that NY has great PR, but it’s not a PR “machine.” Consider how much of it comes from people who live there, have lived there, etc. I don’t often hear people crowing about how much they love living in London. That’s because Britons tend not to crow about anything. Americans do. If Atlanta was our most important city there would be all kinds of talk from its denizens about how it’s the greatest place on earth. > [@](#): > > And I also wouldn’t discount the “history” of NYC. London’s history is definitely a huge factor in it’s importance. NY’s history may be shorter, but it is no less significant in terms of its impact on the current state of the world. (Which is totally arguable, of course.) The history of New York City is the history of the latter two thirds of the 20th century. The history of London is the history of the latter two thirds of the second _millennium_. ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/52 "2010-01-25T19:11:20Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > How much of what you love about New York is more than 100 years old? It didn’t become a megalopolis overnight any more than London did. It wasn’t a rhetorical question. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/53 "2010-01-25T19:37:01Z")
Oh. Well, half the city was burned down in 1666, and the other half was blown to bits by the Germans between 1939 and 1943, but there are still plenty of things more than 400 years old worth looking at - Tottenham High Cross, the Coronation Stone, Windsor Castle, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral (although the present version dates from 1700 or so), the Palace of Westminster (the building which houses the House of Commons and the House of Lords), Greenwich (where the G in GMT comes from), the Tower of London… London has five UNESCO World Heritage Sites. New York has just one (the Statue of Liberty). ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/54 "2010-01-25T20:18:08Z")
Florence. San Francisco. I’d say Paris and New York for things to see and do, but the ratio of assholes to pleasant people in both disqualifies both of them. ---
**Author:** ![Driver8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b5a626/32.png) [@Driver8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Driver8)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/55 "2010-01-25T21:40:49Z")
New York City. I’ve never been, so I can’t comment on whether it is in fact the greatest city in the world. But it is the city that I first think of when I hear the phrase “greatest city in the world”. I’ve heard this phrase on numerous occasions, and always related to New York. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/56 "2010-01-25T21:53:44Z")
The thing about London is that it’s past its prime. Sure, it’s a wonderful city, but can anyone say that the present day is its golden age? That big ferris wheel is a poor replacement for the Crystal Palace. Whereas New York… true, I hear it’s going through a bit of a slump, but even if it’s no longer at its peak, it was at that peak much more recently than London was. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/57 "2010-01-25T22:23:18Z")
New York, Tokyo, Mexico City, Istanbul, St. Petersburg, and London come to mind. Not far behind are Paris, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Singapore, and even Toronto, which isn’t as boring as many assume it to be. ---
**Author:** ![HubZilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ccd318/32.png) [@HubZilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HubZilla)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/58 "2010-01-25T22:40:38Z")
Detroit, Gary, Camden, and East St. Louis ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/59 "2010-01-25T22:44:09Z")
Hollywood. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2010, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302/60 "2010-01-25T22:51:07Z")
> [@Yllaria](#): > > So I’m going to have to go with [Ankh-Morpork](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ankh-Morpork). How about Lankhmar and Diaspar?. Reality: First place is Hong Kong. Next is London. Never been to NYC [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-the-first-city-that-comes-to-mind-when-i-say-greatest-city-in-the-world/526302.md?page=4)