What's your favourite city in Europe? - Page 9

wjfox2004 · #**161** Posted **Oct 10, 2006, 3:50 PM**

But the "City of London" has a population of less than 9,000... hardly representative of the other 7.5m.

Anyway, London has always been a mixture of rich and poor.

nito · #**162** Posted **Oct 10, 2006, 4:21 PM**

Poverty is a poor measure, due the problems over definitions - some organisations state that if you haven't been abroad or own a microwave, then your 'poverty score' increases. The real crunch is the per capita GDP and the wealth equality spread of that.

In that regards, London is probably no better or worse than say Paris (and its surrounding areas), but both would probably be better than the likes of Madrid, Rome, Lisbon and Berlin which are generally far less wealthy to begin with and have probably just as much wealth inequality.

At the latest count, the average house in London cost £317,790 (Euro471,000 Dollar593,000), and living costs are exceptionally high - but there is a difference: the salaries are by far and away the largest in Europe - hence why London absorbs so many intellectuals, financiers, and those who want to make crap loads of money on the global stage than any other city in Europe. Thats what seperates it from Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid and Milan and its showing no signs of giving up its magnetic pull.

jef · #**163** Posted **Oct 10, 2006, 4:28 PM**

1. London
2. Paris
3. Amsterdam

BenL · #**164** Posted **Oct 10, 2006, 5:20 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by joey10101

London is beautiful, but it still needs to address issues regarding its people. Its not just about the magnificent buildings that make a great city, but its people.

London currently has a 17% poverty rate, while the U.S. has only a 12% poverty rate according to the CIA World Factbook.

Also, according to their demographic chart for the City of London it appears as if the majority of its inhabitants are white or Anglos.

London profile:

Ethnic groups:
white (of which English 83.6%, Scottish 8.6%, Welsh 4.9%, Northern Irish 2.9%) 92.1%, black 2%, Indian 1.8%, Pakistani 1.3%, mixed 1.2%, other 1.6%
Population below poverty line:
17%

I wonder where those statistics are from Joey as London is quite possibly the most multicultural city in the world (with New York its only real competitor) with over a million people born outside the UK and there are over 300 different languages spoken with many ethnic communities such as the Afro-Carribean one of Brixton - but never ghettos in the realm of LA. We have the second biggest festival in the world (after Rio) - complementing Afro-Carribean culture - multiculturalism is celebrated.

Quote:

In the 2001 census, 71% of these seven and a half million people classed their ethnic group as white (classified as British White (60%), Irish White (3%) or "Other White" (8.5%)), 10% as Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or "Other Asian" (mostly Sri Lankan, Arabic and other South Asian ethnicities), 11% as Black (5.5% as Black African, 5% as Black Caribbean, 1% as "Other Black"), 3% as mixed race (1% White and Black Caribbean), 1% as Chinese and 2% as Other (mostly Filipino, Japanese, and Vietnamese). 21.8% of inhabitants were born outside the European Union.

Wikipedia.

Like any major city, there are areas of relative poverty - frankly that's capitalism for you. Yet the poorer east end of London is getting real investment now with the Olympics and various other projects - with the plan being to shift the focus of London east.

South · #**165** Posted **Oct 10, 2006, 5:59 PM**

Joey, I'll help clear this issue up

You're selecting data from the 'City of London' which should not be confused with the 'London - city proper'.

In this respect, the 'City of London' is just a small district within London. This map shows how much of London this district takes up:

As of the last census (2001), London had:
Population: 7,172,100
60% - White British
3% - White Irish
8.5% - Other White.
11% - Black African/Caribbean
10% - Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi.
21.8% born outside the European Union.

jef · #**166** Posted **Oct 10, 2006, 7:14 PM**

nito · #**167** Posted **Oct 10, 2006, 8:11 PM**

Technically the City of London must be the wealthiest city around with a GDP per capita of something like £10,000,000+...

BenL · #**168** Posted **Oct 10, 2006, 8:39 PM**

Well "Inner London" - has a GDP per capita of £45,540.

Inner London

nito · #**169** Posted **Oct 10, 2006, 10:33 PM**

Yeah but come on - a GDP per capita of $10,000,000 (Correction - $

)

joey10101 · #**170** Posted **Oct 11, 2006, 3:40 PM**

Ok, fellow Brits, here is the source of the demographical and statistical information for London proper, that I used to come up with the current poverty rate and population makeup for the whole city of London.

www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html

If you have a different source, then I would like to see those statistics if you don't mind. I really feel these days that we are forgetting about the poor, especially in so-called 1st world countries. I think one of the qualities that makes a country or a city great is how well it is able to combat poverty through the years. It also seems more and more that it is becoming more difficult for the "average"(U.S.) or "common"(U.K.) guy to be upwardly mobile in society.

South · #**171** Posted **Oct 11, 2006, 4:58 PM**

^ The 'CIA World Factbook' gives facts about countries, not individual cities.

The facts you posted are for the UK as a whole, not just London.

I get my facts & figures from the official Government statistics site: www.statistics.gov.uk

RWin · #**172** Posted **Oct 11, 2006, 9:15 PM**

I like Leeds. I was there this summer and would like to go back. Don't know why I didn't take any pictures. I found this site though with aerial photos from all over the UK and some from Germany:

http://www.webbaviation.co.uk/Portfolio.htm

Leeds (from the site above):

nito · #**173** Posted **Oct 12, 2006, 3:59 PM**

Yeah I love Leeds - its possibly my favourite northern British city. It feels more like a mini-London what with the immense hub of financial services.

My best aerial of Leeds, looking over the Central Station - absolutely love walking along under the station amongst the historic arches and then going top-side for the art-deco entrance hall and modern interpretation of the train shed.

Which reminds me - i've yet to actually post my images from my last trip there - including lots of development pics and the plots of some future sweet looking skyscrapers.....Citerion literally will be blades of glass.

Artarxerxes · #**174** Posted **Oct 16, 2006, 5:29 PM**

Roma caput mundi, then Paris la Ville Lumière.

Yankeebiscuitfan · #**175** Posted **Oct 25, 2006, 9:51 PM**

Being from Amsterdam originally, you would say Amsterdam... But no (good second place).

Rothenburg ob der Tauber (Germany, Northern Bavaria) is my favorite.
Medieval city, defensive wall surrounding the old inner city.

A fairy tale.

CUCa · #**176** Posted **Oct 31, 2006, 8:51 PM**

roma roma roma

jan966 · #**177** Posted **Nov 1, 2006, 7:27 PM**

For me it is Warsaw. In about 10 years it will be the best for milions.

Waterways · #**178** Posted **Nov 3, 2006, 5:23 PM**

Liverpool:

The developments that are being built are awsome. In 5 or 10 years time The Mersey will be Europes finest waterfront - well it is now.

The Wirral, opposite Liverpool city centre:

GRap · #**179** Posted **Nov 3, 2006, 7:53 PM**

Monaco

otnemarcaS · #**180** Posted **Nov 4, 2006, 5:27 AM**

Agree with Jan966, just gotta love Warsaw. Great fun city.
Krakow is also like a mini-Prague. Also a great city.