NationStates Jolt Archive

Kind of simple - which city do you prefer, and why?

Thats a tough one. The more central, richer parts of london I prefer. However i prefer the poorer parts of paris to the poorer parts of london.

Both are magnificent cities, but if there were a gun to my head I would probably say paris.

London - it has more to offer, more variety, more choice. Paris is very French, whereas London sort of belongs to the world.

Both are magnificent cities, but if there were a gun to my head I would probably say paris.
What if a Londoner had a gun against your head? :rolleyes:

I would have said Paris a few years back, but now its got SO much crime I dont know...

I'd prolly chose London, for showing the best of what Britain can do.

I've met several folks from both cities. The Parisians I've met have, with a single exception, been SOBs. The Londoners have been mostly nice.

I'll take London.

London; aside from the lack of a widespread language barrier, I found the city more attractive and interesting. The architecture of London is also nicer; central Paris seemed to be nothing but blocks of repetitive (albeit beautiful) Hausmann apartments interspersed with almost repetitively ornate monuments...it just seemed too standardized compared to the variety present in London.

I also feel that London is more of a world city; there seemed to be everything and anything all from around the world juxtaposed over a layer of rich local history. In fact, when I went there two weeks ago the hotel I stayed in was located in a Middle Eastern neighborhood and was only a few blocks from Hyde Park. The cultural experiences were really interesting and exciting.

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ PARIS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ LONDON ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

London.

Too many French people in Paris. ;)

But seriously, I like the fact that London is at least 10X as multicultural as Paris - something that really adds to the atmosphere of the city.

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ PARIS ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

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^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ LONDON ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
*Nods* Yeah, when I went to London I got shot four times and someone squirted green goo on me...

Warsaw!

Paris. Although I would prefer the more rural sections of France.

*Nods* Yeah, when I went to London I got shot four times and someone squirted green goo on me...

It's those damn cab drivers, I swear. The one night I don't walk to Leicester Square, I come home covered in green goo and shot not just four but five times!

Warsaw!
That wasn't exactly an option.

It's those damn cab drivers, I swear. The one night I don't walk to Leicester Square, I come home covered in green goo and shot not just four but five times!
I'm guessing you weren't shot in vital areas.

That wasn't exactly an option.
I know. Thats why I said Warsaw.

I'm guessing you weren't shot in vital areas.

The green goo stopped the bullets. However, it did severely burn 3/5 of my body...

The green goo stopped the bullets. However, it did severely burn 3/5 of my body...
no-one in the real world (ie, outside america) uses fractions. say 75%

Having spent a few days in each i would say London, Paris is a beautiful city, but its doesnt seem to have the same atmosphere as London, the French are stuck up and the English are nicer...only just.

London, because its not in France ;)

no-one in the real world (ie, outside america) uses fractions. say 75%

Actually, that would be 60%. :p

Actually, that would be 60%. :p
whatever. this thread is not about mathematics.

I've been to both for extended periods of time, and whether in the richer or poorer areas of town, I'd rather be in London.

Paris, and more to the point, Parisians, can suck my ass clean. They are without a doubt the rudest, nastiest people I've ever met in my life.

London is a bit broken down in places, but it's a very old city. The people, on the other hand, are great.

Paris. It's one of the few cities in the world that have ever really felt like home to me.

EDIT: I feel like I should add that when I was in Paris, just about everyone was kind and polite to me. Sure there were a few people that were rude, but every city has its share of those people.

Having been to both a few times (actually London many a time) I have to say London. 1) Because its only a 30 minute drive a way :P 2) Londoners are so much more friendlier than Parisians. They help you out and its so easy to strike up random conversations on the Tube while in Paris the people seem to snobbish like they are better than everyone else around them. 3)London also has a variety of cultures and entertainment. Its great to experience to all the cultures of the world in one place.

Londons too southern and Paris is too French. I vote neither :p

Why does this poll have no Myrth option?

Having been to both a few times (actually London many a time) I have to say London. 1) Because its only a 30 minute drive a way :P 2) Londoners are so much more friendlier than Parisians. They help you out and its so easy to strike up random conversations on the Tube while in Paris the people seem to snobbish like they are better than everyone else around them. 3)London also has a variety of cultures and entertainment. Its great to experience to all the cultures of the world in one place.

You have the best dim sum place in the world. And I can get Belgian and Dutch beers on tap without having to go to mainland Europe.

Amsterdam!

I can't really vote seriously in this, because I haven't been to either city. I was in Heathrow Airport for about an hour, but I technically never entered England (the guy refused to stamp my passport!). And France I can only dream of. I'm too poor to travel.

London, The UK is the best country in Europe and the only country I have ever liked as much as Japan.

Paris Hilton, right?:D

London, because it's possibly the coolest place to be on Earth right now, and the variety of things and people is what makes it so interesting. Plus, with Paris, you get the French and their airs of cultural superiority to everyone else, whereas in London you can be what you want and who you are, and everybody will love you for it. Looking at the replies to this thread, it's pretty obvious that people have common feelings towards Parisians. I just enjoyed seeing the looks on their faces when we beat them to the olympics, with us being probably the most inefficient nation of Earth..

Amsterdam Seconded! Used to live 20 minutes away. I was too young to remember it, but I wish I still lived there.

Living in southern England as I do, and in Portsmouth where nothing is more than a half hour cycle away (literally - island cities where everything is squashed in do have advantages) I can safely say neither, since London is far too big, and too crowded for my tastes, and Paris... well, I gave up French in year 9, which probably doesn't help, and well... let's be honest, you can't get a decent fish and chips for love nor money :D:p

However, if forced to choose I'd say London (and have voted accordingly, naturally) because at least I can find my way around there, and it's easier to get to :D

London.

Brits are more friendly Towards Americans than the French and are good allies.

For my honeymoon it's a toss up between London, Poland, or Costa Rica.

Granada, with no doubt!

Edited: I mean the city, not the island!

Amsterdam Seconded! Used to live 20 minutes away. I was too young to remember it, but I wish I still lived there.

Isn't it great? I was only there for a few days, but that was enough to fall in love. One day I'll go back...

London.

1) Because I'm British, and I suspect the Queen would wish me to vote for her city, and our cultural is highly deferential and what-have-you.

2) And because Paris seems too formulaic for me, the city was redesigned about what was a simple idea, there is a uniformity to the architecture and the layout which you don't get in London. Each part of London is unique.

Just got back from a weekend break in London this afternoon, and it is great. Great weather, great shops, great places to visit, great places to eat...all good really....

:D

I prefer Paris, mostly since I met somebody special there. So, yes, I'm a biased asshole.

Amsterdam!

I can't really vote seriously in this, because I haven't been to either city. I was in Heathrow Airport for about an hour, but I technically never entered England (the guy refused to stamp my passport!).

Well, what would you expect! They don't let Terrorist Cakes onto planes, you know?

2) And because Paris seems too formulaic for me, the city was redesigned about what was a simple idea, there is a uniformity to the architecture and the layout which you don't get in London. Each part of London is unique.

Yeah, the repetitive blocks of Hausmann apartments all from the same time period and style really were kind of dull. In London, every little side street hid its own unique attributes and historical quirks that made them great to explore. The architectural variety was another plus.

London, because overall I prefer being in England than in France.

Sorry France.

London. It's just a weird piece of Boston where they drive on the wrong side of the road and still have a Queen. Everything else is still there: the Starbucks, the McDonalds, the Irish... ;)

Paris London? Paris London? Paris London? Paris London?

Culturally and birth wise I'm English from London (Shooters Hill), techniocallly I am a French Citizen (according to my passport). If you want a cultural and high brow night out go to Paris. If you want fun, go to London :p

However, if forced to choose I'd say London (and have voted accordingly, naturally) because at least I can find my way around there, and it's easier to get to :D

It depends on your means of transport. If you have a boat, then Paris is probably easier to get to then London from Pompey. (No stupid Thames Barrier in the way). However by train you can get to Waterloo pretty quickly (just to confuse the Belgians.)

Only been to Paris once, and not at liberty (fratnernity, equality) to wander round on a whim, but I've done the "touristy" and the "chillout" and the "just generally having a good time, but glad I don't have to commute through it" thing in London on many occasions, so I'm a bit biased.

Also, mon francais est tres mal, so I'd be a bit at a loss if I did (against all laws of nature) actually become lost there.

Mind you, when I was in Berlin for a few months (with very little practical German, and none of that formally taught) I found I could wander the city quite happily, without (or oblivious to) feeling racial tensions in the poorer areas (well, it was fairly soon after reunification, so there were rich locals and poor locals and rich immigrants and poor immigrants).

And the most uncomfortable I have ever felt is approaching (I chickened out and left, before reaching) the cordonned off route of a May Day parade in London, one year, with anti-capitalist demonstrators being rather vocal and physical...


Anyhoo... Without the protestors, I know where I am in London. Berlin I would like to reacquanit myself with, Paris would be a challenge, but I need to practice my high-school French a bit first, I suspect.

let's be honest, you can't get a decent fish and chips for love nor money



That's because there is no such thing as a "decent fish and chips"

That's because there is no such thing as a "decent fish and chips"

Too true. There are excellent fish and chips and bad fish and chips. Decent fish and chips implies a level of mediocrity to which fish and chips simply never fall prey. There are decent pizzas and decent curries, but never decent fish and chips. (At a push a bad fish butty can be made decent with the right condiments, but this only applies to butties.)

Paris, of course. London is kind of claustrophobic.

i prefer london but iam turning 18 in paris :) its gunna but my golden birthday(i was born on the 18th)

(btw iam an amrican..last year i turned 17 in peru..any ideas for the 19th b-day?)

na-na-na-nineteen? Vietnam of course...

Ive been to London but not Paris.

I doubt that I would like Paris. I didn't like London.

They are both probably fine if you like being in huge cities.

I just do not.

i prefer london but iam turning 18 in paris :) its gunna but my golden birthday(i was born on the 18th)

(btw iam an amrican..last year i turned 17 in peru..any ideas for the 19th b-day?)

The Sea of Tranquility

paris, cuz it's in a different country therefore inherently more interesting. for a while anyway. even if it does stink. and i hate london.

London. It's just a weird piece of Boston where they drive on the wrong side of the road and still have a Queen. Everything else is still there: the Starbucks, the McDonalds, the Irish... ;)

Don't forget KFC...

Can't decide... I liked both quite a bit!

Don't forget KFC...

I'm trying to. I had it ONCE about a year and a half ago, for the first time since 1986. I can still feel the blood constrictions in my arteries... :D

na-na-na-nineteen? Vietnam of course...

Yer showing your age a bit on that one! I'm pretty sure no 19 year old knows who Paul Hardcastle is these days... (heck, even back then, maybe!)

Barcelona

London is absolutely crap. It's extremely boring (except maybe for tourists as they may be interested in the historical stuff), the people are unfriendly (except one girl I spoke to on a train who told me about her rabbit and got excited that there are trams in Manchester... aww she was cute) and stuff is a rip-off.

But I prefer London cus I can't speak French and consider it common courtesy to learn at least the basics of another country's language before going there.

Paris, because it's French.

London, because I know that language

I have a real problem with London. It's got an unpleasant up tight atmosphere in a way that Paris will never have plus the food is better in Paris, you can smoke everywhere and French women are fantastic!

no-one in the real world (ie, outside america) uses fractions. say 75%

Did the US beat you up and take your lunch money at some point or something? You never miss a chance to say "I hates teh USA!!1!"

Anyway, I'd definately say Paris. I've loved it every time I've been there, and since I'm going back to France for four months soon, hopefully I'll get to visit Paris again.

I do pest control in London so London = work = no fun

Never been to Paris so it's all bad!

I do like the multi-cultural side of London though - I work all over the city and West-end mainly and it's cool talking to ppl from round the world. Driving in London is a bit of a chore though. Pay £8 to sit in a traffic jam - where's the fun in that, grr bloody congestion charge.....

London=my life. It was so interesting with all the places and history. Esp. the Tower of London. I want to go back so badly.

Paris=never been, dont have an extreme desire, seems rather snobby.

Winner= London :)

I've never been to either city. But from what I've read, Paris is largely visual. Once you've seen the architecture, it's pretty much over. The food from what I hear, isn't that good and the people are arrogant and unpleasant.

London is as much about the people as it is the history and architecture and there are so many people from so many different places - it is a truly cosmopolitan city; the people of Paris only wish they were as cosmopolitan.