Why London is beating American cities

[Qubert]

It's been way too quiet and peaceful on here....It's time for a Joel Kotkin article!

https://unherd.com/2024/04/why-londo...ericas-cities/

[Comrade]

Beating American cities in what?

[homebucket]

Tl;dr?

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by Comrade

Beating American cities in what?

The use of wallpaper?

I have yet to read the article, BTW.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by sopas ej

The use of wallpaper?

I have yet to read the article, BTW.

I heard the food sucks in London. That’s enough for me to not want to visit.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by homebucket

I heard the food sucks in London. That’s enough for me to not want to visit.

Hehe you mean like this?



I haven't been to London since the mid-1990s, and I don't totally doubt that their available cuisine has improved since then, but when I was there, I ate Indian food most of the time. I ate at a few pubs, but I felt even their pub food wasn't as good as the pub food in California. I asked for a salad and got a tiny bowl of cut up tomatoes and some lettuce, and both looked like they were in the fridge for too long. Haha!

[JManc]

Originally Posted by homebucket

I heard the food sucks in London. That’s enough for me to not want to visit.

"Native" British food is straight up nasty but fortunately the Brits think so as well because there is no shortage of amazing ethnic foods. Every time I'm there, I make a beeline to local Indian and Turkish joints. The Bay Area does have comparable South Asian food though. Fremont is a Mecca of fantastic Indian.

[llamaorama]

Originally Posted by Comrade

Beating American cities in what?

Economic malaise? Most abandoned russian oligarch mansions per capita? Fastest negative change in number of jobs in finance and banking?

[Easy]

Originally Posted by llamaorama

Economic malaise? Most abandoned russian oligarch mansions per capita? Fastest negative change in number of jobs in finance and banking?

Transit returning to normal, pedestrian activity, home building,...London 2024 looks much more like London 2019 - or better- than any American city full stop.

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by Easy

Transit returning to normal, pedestrian activity, home building,...London 2024 looks much more like London 2019 - or better- than any American city full stop.

full stop? oh wul alrighty then. carry on nigel.

[veep]

In the realm of tech, one recent study suggested that London beats New York and San Francisco.

[Steely Dan]

I so dearly hope muppet comes back and posts 8,000 fucking pics of random London shit.

As for the article, it seems as though kotkin has added senility to his more usual repertoire of abject idiocy.

[streetscaper]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

I so dearly hope muppet comes back and posts 8,000 fucking pics of random London shit.

As for the article, it seems as though kotkin has added senility to his more usual repertoire of abject idiocy.

[sopas ej]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

I so dearly hope muppet comes back and posts 8,000 fucking pics of random London shit.

As for the article, it seems as though kotkin has added senility to his more usual repertoire of abject idiocy.

Dementia is no laughing matter.

[xzmattzx]

I'll give it credit, London is beating all American cities in hosting international NFL games.

[muppet]

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

I so dearly hope muppet comes back and posts 8,000 fucking pics of random London shit.

As for the article, it seems as though kotkin has added senility to his more usual repertoire of abject idiocy.

Oh cooo-ey!!! Did you miss me? Did you??

Just for you xx

[Yuri]

Originally Posted by muppet

Oh cooo-ey!!! Did you miss me? Did you??

Just for you xx

Good Lord. Any thread that shows places outside the US doing good things become a nightmare. Anything that doesn't show the US on the top as the most perfect society is angrily dismissed.

And of course, the only two or three forumers outside North America are constantly harassed. No wonder daily traffic is like ten people or so.

[woodrow]

Originally Posted by Yuri

Good Lord. Any thread that shows places outside the US doing good things become a nightmare. Anything that doesn't show the US on the top as the most perfect society is angrily dismissed.

And of course, the only two or three forumers outside North America are constantly harassed. No wonder daily traffic is like ten people or so.

I don't see the thread as being angrily dismissive. Muppet was gently poked, and then he had a number of forumers ask questions based on his knowledge. Any real dismissiveness was directed towards Kotkin, who is a tool. And of course the thread did get sidetracked by a discussion about how tame Gen-Z appears to be.

The Elizabeth Line is amazing and, again anecdotally, has had an impact. Co-workiers of mine have told me it has significantly improved their commute. I love it. Not my primary line but it is great.

I do chuckle when I listen to Londoners bitch about tube service and the national trains. I mean, I get it, almost every day there is a problem somewhere, but the number of people TFL and the national real services move is astounding. I am constantly telling people that they have no idea how good it is, vis a vis America. Of course, the comparison is actually European nations, especially France. I prefer the Tube to the Metro though. Also, talk to me after this summer when I will no doubt be bitching about how hot it is on Northen Line.

[UrbanImpact]

Originally Posted by Yuri

Good Lord. Any thread that shows places outside the US doing good things become a nightmare. Anything that doesn't show the US on the top as the most perfect society is angrily dismissed.

And of course, the only two or three forumers outside North America are constantly harassed. No wonder daily traffic is like ten people or so.

Disagreeing with you is not harassment, there is no need to exaggerate. All forums are down in traffic, skyscraper or not, and putting down the whole community will certainly not make you friends here my fellow Brazilian.

[jmecklenborg]

Originally Posted by Yuri

Good Lord. Any thread that shows places outside the US doing good things become a nightmare. Anything that doesn't show the US on the top as the most perfect society is angrily dismissed.

On any urbanist website, the anti-US stuff comes from the country's generally poor public transportation, intercity passenger rail, and shortage of walkable city neighborhoods. Those national characteristics are the unintended consequence of a variety of decisions made 100-200 years ago that truthfully cannot be fixed without causing unintentional consequences in other realms.

The fact is that U.S. cities are very, very weak political entities with almost no power to tax themselves for anything other than police and fire service. The cities had no power to build their own expressway networks and they have no power to tax themselves sufficiently to build their own subway systems. And if you were to acquaint yourself with some of the clowns who are elected to city councils, you wouldn't trust them with the cash to build these things, since they're typically completely outrageous people. Three of my city's nine councilman from the last term are currently in prison for taking comically small bribes on a variety of comically inconsequential votes.