Boston Vs. New York City
I find boston a much better city to live in because it just is a bit simpler and stuff then new york.
However to visit i like going to New York City, i do think it is a bit over rated however, but that is my take on it
Now I am in London and it is Like Chicago, Boston, and New York put into one!
compare any cities and thoughts!!!!!!!!!!
Comparing Cities around the world
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The_Hutter
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Túrin Turambar
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Not much of a world traveler here. The only really "foreign" city I've been to is Hong Kong and I loved it but I know I couldn't live there unless I happened to be fabulously wealthy. I'm a country mouse and need those wide open spaces.
I like my local city, Vancouver. The setting is extraordinarily beautiful and there are lots of open spaces and not too many people.
I loved San Francisco, but suspect it was the company more than anything.
I
New York. An amazing place. I also --- strange to say --- liked Newark, NJ.
I guess of big cities I love Montreal the best. It's like going to an exotic country far away only not leaving home. If you aren't in love with the place after two days, you're a lost cause.
I like my local city, Vancouver. The setting is extraordinarily beautiful and there are lots of open spaces and not too many people.
I loved San Francisco, but suspect it was the company more than anything.
I
New York. An amazing place. I also --- strange to say --- liked Newark, NJ.I guess of big cities I love Montreal the best. It's like going to an exotic country far away only not leaving home. If you aren't in love with the place after two days, you're a lost cause.
Dig deeper.
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baby tuckoo
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Interesting... I just visited three downtowns of US - NY, Washington and Pittsburgh, and each had a wonderful character of its own.
New York is New York. No city like it - if you are feeling low it can lift your spirits up to the skies.
Washington DC is regal and authoritative. It is very clear that this is not a place for having fun, and letting yourself loose. It is a place to be conscious of certain things about US.
Pittsburgh is an interesting amalgamation - the different buildings, the two rivers and the tiny size make it a place to hang out and smile.
Lets cross the Atlantic to Europe.
Frankfurt is akin to NY with attempts (often failed) to make it more cultural and historic. The same attempts make it an interesting place to walk around in.
Washington reminded me of Paris. The same feeling of coming out of a dark metro to behold a lovely monument. Except that DC has far less surprises than Paris. Turn a street in Paris, and you don't know what beautiful building/sculpture/garden will behold you. Paris, like NY has the power to lift your spirits and the power to make you hate the place.
Lets go further east to India now.
Delhi is a city which has the history, the regal feel and the authority of both Paris and Washington. Its also a city which people love and hate in equal measures and intensity. But Delhi can also leave you disillusioned, very soon.
Mumbai is like New York. Commerce and money is the mantra of this place. Large, crowded and a real metropolitan it has a buzz, a life and a callousness of its own.
Bangalore is a new city. It smells and looks new, as do its people. It also has all the problems of a town growing into a city.
Enough for now....
New York is New York. No city like it - if you are feeling low it can lift your spirits up to the skies.
Washington DC is regal and authoritative. It is very clear that this is not a place for having fun, and letting yourself loose. It is a place to be conscious of certain things about US.
Pittsburgh is an interesting amalgamation - the different buildings, the two rivers and the tiny size make it a place to hang out and smile.
Lets cross the Atlantic to Europe.
Frankfurt is akin to NY with attempts (often failed) to make it more cultural and historic. The same attempts make it an interesting place to walk around in.
Washington reminded me of Paris. The same feeling of coming out of a dark metro to behold a lovely monument. Except that DC has far less surprises than Paris. Turn a street in Paris, and you don't know what beautiful building/sculpture/garden will behold you. Paris, like NY has the power to lift your spirits and the power to make you hate the place.
Lets go further east to India now.
Delhi is a city which has the history, the regal feel and the authority of both Paris and Washington. Its also a city which people love and hate in equal measures and intensity. But Delhi can also leave you disillusioned, very soon.
Mumbai is like New York. Commerce and money is the mantra of this place. Large, crowded and a real metropolitan it has a buzz, a life and a callousness of its own.
Bangalore is a new city. It smells and looks new, as do its people. It also has all the problems of a town growing into a city.
Enough for now....
'You just said "your getting shorter": you've obviously been drinking too much ent-draught and not enough Prim's.' - Jude
Hmmm, I mostly don't like cities, and just tolerate them when necessary. I wouldn't choose to live in one, but they're okay to visit.
I have been to...
Baltimore, DC, Pittsburgh, Philly, NYC, Boston, Toronto, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, Rome, Munich, Cologne and the Paris airport.
The only one I've spent any significant time in is Baltimore - lived there for a year, work there now. It is not a nice city - the whole place is falling apart and dying and just really depressing. It has nice areas, I suppose, but I mostly don't go there. The Inner Harbor is really touristy, but does boast an awesome aquarium (the only better one in the world is in CA somewhere).
I've visited DC often; my sister went to college there. I like the Metro; very convenient - I hate the streets. NEVER drive there without a map; you will need it. Seeing "Welcome to Anacostia" is a baaaad thing. Free museums are a good thing. Fireworks on the Mall are overrated. Finding a parking space anywhere downtown during cherry blossoms is a nightmare.
NYC has Broadway, which is strangely one of the few places in the world where you can attend a Broadway show. You can also walk from the train station to the bus station (well, in daylight), so that's cool. But if I'm going to visit New York state, I'd rather not visit the city. The Finger Lakes region is lovely....
Boston has the T, which is the cheapest public transport I've ever seen (except in Italy, where you only pay for it if you really want to). I feel Boston should have more to recommend it, but I've only visited a few times and I'm drawing a blank... aha! The LotR exhibit came there. That was cool
Detroit is Detroit. I'm not really sure what to say about it. My aunt lived there; my parents met there. I rode in some sort of fancy car there when I was young - maybe it was just a Porsche, but I'm easily impressed. [It had a back seat, so it couldn't have been that fancy...]
Pittsburgh has the!worst!streets!ever! Even with a map and good directions you will get hopelessly lost for an hour. Why? Three Rivers and only so many bridges crossing them. It is all steep hills there, and of course the city is very old (meaning, the people who live there are old). My least favorite city to navigate (well, along with DC), but the people there are nice. Too much poison ivy, though.
Philadelphia has the Franklin Institute (I liked that museum a lot when I was a kid) and various other attractions. Despite it being relatively nearby, I haven't visited all that many times. I have cousins who live there, and it was the closest city to my college. And there's going to be a Moot there in February
Memphis is very hot in the summer time. That is all I remember from my one day there. It does have the Mississippi River, which is neat... (Nashville is also hot in the summer, but I have a cousin there. And they have music stuff.)
Chicago is very big and very tall. It also has no old buildings (because of the fire). I don't know anything about its public transportation; I've only been there twice. The airport is very big. And I have an aunt and uncle who live there.
Toronto seemed a nice place, but I haven't seen much of it. The LotR musical was there, and until May, they will be the only city in the world who can boast that.
Rome is awesome. The buses are free. Well, they're not supposed to be, but I never figured out how to pay for them. There are random ruins everywhere. One is a cat sanctuary. There are churches everywhere. There is the garish Wedding Cake govt building. Giant imposing baroque statuary is scattered about the city. They have gelato. Really, what's not to like about Rome? Well, okay, you have to pay for the bathrooms. That is a minus, I suppose. And they speak Italian, while I do not - again, not so wonderful. But nowhere else in the world can you attend Easter Vigil mass in St. Peter's Basilica with the pope
Munich was nice - it seemed small, and easy to walk about, and it was great to be there after having been on a plane for most of the past 2 days (Nashville -> DC -> Frankfurt -> Munich). I didn't see much there, but open air markets are always fun.
Cologne was a great city. Good public transportation, even when inundated with about 750,000 extra people all trying to go the same place I was. Well, okay, that did mess things up, but I can walk. Very pretty cathedral, right next to the main train station. And Hobby lives there 
.
The fun thing about European cities (or at least, the three I've been to) is that it is so easy to escape to the countryside from them
I have been to...
Baltimore, DC, Pittsburgh, Philly, NYC, Boston, Toronto, Chicago, Detroit, Memphis, Rome, Munich, Cologne and the Paris airport.
The only one I've spent any significant time in is Baltimore - lived there for a year, work there now. It is not a nice city - the whole place is falling apart and dying and just really depressing. It has nice areas, I suppose, but I mostly don't go there. The Inner Harbor is really touristy, but does boast an awesome aquarium (the only better one in the world is in CA somewhere).
I've visited DC often; my sister went to college there. I like the Metro; very convenient - I hate the streets. NEVER drive there without a map; you will need it. Seeing "Welcome to Anacostia" is a baaaad thing. Free museums are a good thing. Fireworks on the Mall are overrated. Finding a parking space anywhere downtown during cherry blossoms is a nightmare.
NYC has Broadway, which is strangely one of the few places in the world where you can attend a Broadway show
. You can also walk from the train station to the bus station (well, in daylight), so that's cool. But if I'm going to visit New York state, I'd rather not visit the city. The Finger Lakes region is lovely....Boston has the T, which is the cheapest public transport I've ever seen (except in Italy, where you only pay for it if you really want to). I feel Boston should have more to recommend it, but I've only visited a few times and I'm drawing a blank... aha! The LotR exhibit came there. That was cool
Detroit is Detroit. I'm not really sure what to say about it. My aunt lived there; my parents met there. I rode in some sort of fancy car there when I was young - maybe it was just a Porsche, but I'm easily impressed
. [It had a back seat, so it couldn't have been that fancy...]Pittsburgh has the!worst!streets!ever! Even with a map and good directions you will get hopelessly lost for an hour. Why? Three Rivers and only so many bridges crossing them. It is all steep hills there, and of course the city is very old (meaning, the people who live there are old). My least favorite city to navigate (well, along with DC), but the people there are nice. Too much poison ivy, though.
Philadelphia has the Franklin Institute (I liked that museum a lot when I was a kid) and various other attractions. Despite it being relatively nearby, I haven't visited all that many times. I have cousins who live there, and it was the closest city to my college. And there's going to be a Moot there in February
Memphis is very hot in the summer time. That is all I remember from my one day there. It does have the Mississippi River, which is neat... (Nashville is also hot in the summer, but I have a cousin there. And they have music stuff.)
Chicago is very big and very tall. It also has no old buildings (because of the fire). I don't know anything about its public transportation; I've only been there twice. The airport is very big. And I have an aunt and uncle who live there.
Toronto seemed a nice place, but I haven't seen much of it. The LotR musical was there, and until May, they will be the only city in the world who can boast that
.Rome is awesome. The buses are free. Well, they're not supposed to be, but I never figured out how to pay for them. There are random ruins everywhere. One is a cat sanctuary. There are churches everywhere. There is the garish Wedding Cake govt building. Giant imposing baroque statuary is scattered about the city. They have gelato. Really, what's not to like about Rome? Well, okay, you have to pay for the bathrooms. That is a minus, I suppose. And they speak Italian, while I do not - again, not so wonderful. But nowhere else in the world can you attend Easter Vigil mass in St. Peter's Basilica with the pope
Munich was nice - it seemed small, and easy to walk about, and it was great to be there after having been on a plane for most of the past 2 days (Nashville -> DC -> Frankfurt -> Munich). I didn't see much there, but open air markets are always fun.
Cologne was a great city. Good public transportation, even when inundated with about 750,000 extra people all trying to go the same place I was
. Well, okay, that did mess things up, but I can walk. Very pretty cathedral, right next to the main train station. And Hobby lives there . The fun thing about European cities (or at least, the three I've been to) is that it is so easy to escape to the countryside from them
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Sassafras
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New York City.
It's got the Yankees, the Met, Carnegie Hall, NYC Ballet, Central Park, The Cloisters and it's the best people-watching city in the world.
London runs a close second.
Coming in a distant third is San Francisco.
Bulawayo (before Mugabe got a strangle hold on the country)
Trailing the pack is, Los Angeles. Meh.
These are all cities I've lived in for several years, btw. I'm not including cities only visited.
It's got the Yankees, the Met, Carnegie Hall, NYC Ballet, Central Park, The Cloisters and it's the best people-watching city in the world.
London runs a close second.
Coming in a distant third is San Francisco.
Bulawayo (before Mugabe got a strangle hold on the country)
Trailing the pack is, Los Angeles. Meh.
These are all cities I've lived in for several years, btw. I'm not including cities only visited.
Ever mindful of the maxim that brevity is the soul of wit, axordil sums up the Sil:
"Too many Fingolfins, not enough Sams."
Yes.
Cities I have lived in--
Washington, DC was a great city to grow up in many, many years ago. The history that surrounds you there is astounding.
Amesbury, Mass. is a little town commuting distance from Boston. Hilly, quaint and very small town (again many, many years ago). I cannot remember quite why I ended up there but there I lived for about a year, taking the bus into Boston to work.
Clovis, New Mexico is a military, high desert town which sits in close proximity to some beautiful New Mexico mesa.
Springfield, Missouri was the most family friendly place I've ever lived (20 years ago). There was a public park within walking distance of every neighborhood. I had a huge garden in a vacant lot across the street, and did a lot of canning.
Daytona Beach, Florida. The beach was delightful, the insects were too big and I recall the sound of frogs beneath car tires on a dark rainy night.
California - Sacramento Valley/Foothills my home sweet home. Pacific coast flyway makes for happy bird watchers. Not exactly the glittering jewel that San Franciscoo is, but not bad for a state capitol.
Washington, DC was a great city to grow up in many, many years ago. The history that surrounds you there is astounding.
Amesbury, Mass. is a little town commuting distance from Boston. Hilly, quaint and very small town (again many, many years ago). I cannot remember quite why I ended up there but there I lived for about a year, taking the bus into Boston to work.
Clovis, New Mexico is a military, high desert town which sits in close proximity to some beautiful New Mexico mesa.
Springfield, Missouri was the most family friendly place I've ever lived (20 years ago). There was a public park within walking distance of every neighborhood. I had a huge garden in a vacant lot across the street, and did a lot of canning.
Daytona Beach, Florida. The beach was delightful, the insects were too big and I recall the sound of frogs beneath car tires on a dark rainy night.
California - Sacramento Valley/Foothills my home sweet home. Pacific coast flyway makes for happy bird watchers. Not exactly the glittering jewel that San Franciscoo is, but not bad for a state capitol.
You lived in Bulawayo, Sass? Now why did I always imagine you to have lived in Harare?
Saw some pictures of Bulawayo and Harare the other day. Pictures from 20 years or so ago. Wow - looked like Pretoria.
As for me - I've lived in Pretoria for a sizable chunk of my life. Pretoria sprawls and houses over three million people. It has other cities like Centurion and Midrand that it has grown into, so it is part of a huge metropolis, since Midrand touches Johannesburg, which brings millions more to the party.
Pretoria is friendly. Pretoria has everything but feels like a town. It is hilly and green. Parks and gardens, space, rolling hills. Friendly, earthly people.
Johannesburg is rushed, too concious of its status as South Africa's "worldly" city. It is dangerous and cold, fast-paced and mean, at least compared to Pretoria. It is more vibrant too, but I like sleepy more than I like edgy. Johannesburg wear its poor on its sleeves - at every other intersection beggars descend on your car, hawkers try to peddle their wares.
Pretoria is being swallowed by the country's terribly pressing poverty. Crime is rampant, especially housebreaking. Johannesburg is more of a hijacking city. A friend's mother went to a major shopping mall in a good part of Pretoria a month ago, drove out in the dark, and a beggar, a street child really, walked up to her car and stood next to the door and started masturbating while leering at her. Pretoria is being swallowed by the country's terribly pressing poverty.
Now I live in Bakersfield. Forget the rep that comedians and talk shows give Bakersfield. The living is good down here. I walk by the river in peace and quiet, I drive where I need to be in 10 minutes - and I'm still amazed that I once sat in traffic snarls where I travel 400 yards in 20 minutes, back when I lived in a big city. I can find what I need, and for more exotic things, like a power supply for my aging electronic keyboard, there is online ordering. Bakersfield has its growing pains and problems. Which city doesn't? The living's good down here.
Saw some pictures of Bulawayo and Harare the other day. Pictures from 20 years or so ago. Wow - looked like Pretoria.
As for me - I've lived in Pretoria for a sizable chunk of my life. Pretoria sprawls and houses over three million people. It has other cities like Centurion and Midrand that it has grown into, so it is part of a huge metropolis, since Midrand touches Johannesburg, which brings millions more to the party.
Pretoria is friendly. Pretoria has everything but feels like a town. It is hilly and green. Parks and gardens, space, rolling hills. Friendly, earthly people.
Johannesburg is rushed, too concious of its status as South Africa's "worldly" city. It is dangerous and cold, fast-paced and mean, at least compared to Pretoria. It is more vibrant too, but I like sleepy more than I like edgy. Johannesburg wear its poor on its sleeves - at every other intersection beggars descend on your car, hawkers try to peddle their wares.
Pretoria is being swallowed by the country's terribly pressing poverty. Crime is rampant, especially housebreaking. Johannesburg is more of a hijacking city. A friend's mother went to a major shopping mall in a good part of Pretoria a month ago, drove out in the dark, and a beggar, a street child really, walked up to her car and stood next to the door and started masturbating while leering at her. Pretoria is being swallowed by the country's terribly pressing poverty.
Now I live in Bakersfield. Forget the rep that comedians and talk shows give Bakersfield. The living is good down here. I walk by the river in peace and quiet, I drive where I need to be in 10 minutes - and I'm still amazed that I once sat in traffic snarls where I travel 400 yards in 20 minutes, back when I lived in a big city. I can find what I need, and for more exotic things, like a power supply for my aging electronic keyboard, there is online ordering. Bakersfield has its growing pains and problems. Which city doesn't? The living's good down here.
I’ve only lived in one city my whole life, and somehow I just don’t think Charlotte NC is going to top anybody's list of places to see. Unless you’re a big Nascar fan. Or you really like banks.
As for cities I’ve visited:
New York tops the list of favorites. New York is simply one of those places where you can do anything you can think of, at any time of the day or night. Although, the last time I was there (which was nearly 20 years ago) I spent most of my time rummaging through used clothes stores and bootleg record stores in Greenwich Village. I got a full length Navy Pea coat for thirteen dollars and a bootleg Zeppelin album from their ‘77 tour.
San Francisco is now near the top of my list. I’ve only been there once, and the people I was with had a lot to with it, but I thought it was one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever been in. The people were nice (well, except for the damned busker), the food was excellent, it was clean, not overpriced (at least the places I went to), plenty to see and do, all in all a great city.
Chicago - went there once when I was in architecture school. Chicago is really the birthplace of American architecture, and is just a great city for architecture, but that’s really all I know about it.
I’ve been to Philadelphia and DC, they each have their charms but I'm not crazy about either of them.
I’m almost ashamed to say that I have never been to either Charleston SC or Savannah GA, neither of which are large cities but both of which are considered to be two of the best small towns in the country. I’ll get there one of these days.
For Europe, I have to put in a plug for my mother’s home country of Austria. Vienna is one of the great cities of the world, imo. Historically it was a border town between western Europe and the Ottoman empire, and it has a great variety of architectural styles due to its location on the trade routes between the east and west. It’s chock full of museums and cathedrals and palaces, there are wonderful little cafes everywhere you go, great food, they even have their own vineyards. The city is spectacularly clean and the people are very friendly.
Salzburg is another of Austria’s gems. It’s not a big city, but it is one of the most beautiful cities in the entire world. It’s jam packed with culture - you get the feeling the entire city is one big museum. And, it has the Augustiner Monastery, which makes the best beer in the whole world! Really, it does.
I’ve only briefly visited a few other European cities, and most of those when I was too young to remember, but I did have one unfortunate adventure in Rome. I was only there for two days, and I will say that I am glad I went, just to be able to see the ruins, but otherwise it was not an enjoyable experience. Rome was without a doubt the dirtiest city I have ever been in. My brother took up smoking again when we were there just to have something to mask the taste of the air, it was that bad. The whole place just looked like it was falling apart - not because of the ruins mind you, but even those seemed to be horribly neglected. Plus, the people were rude and everything was expensive. Granted, we made some mistakes of our own - we went on a day (I think it was Wednesday) that everything in the city is closed. Plus, we went in October and apparently all of Europe takes a vacation during October. But still, it was not good. I won’t be going back.
As for cities I’ve visited:
New York tops the list of favorites. New York is simply one of those places where you can do anything you can think of, at any time of the day or night. Although, the last time I was there (which was nearly 20 years ago) I spent most of my time rummaging through used clothes stores and bootleg record stores in Greenwich Village. I got a full length Navy Pea coat for thirteen dollars and a bootleg Zeppelin album from their ‘77 tour.
San Francisco is now near the top of my list. I’ve only been there once, and the people I was with had a lot to with it, but I thought it was one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever been in. The people were nice (well, except for the damned busker), the food was excellent, it was clean, not overpriced (at least the places I went to), plenty to see and do, all in all a great city.
Chicago - went there once when I was in architecture school. Chicago is really the birthplace of American architecture, and is just a great city for architecture, but that’s really all I know about it.
I’ve been to Philadelphia and DC, they each have their charms but I'm not crazy about either of them.
I’m almost ashamed to say that I have never been to either Charleston SC or Savannah GA, neither of which are large cities but both of which are considered to be two of the best small towns in the country. I’ll get there one of these days.
For Europe, I have to put in a plug for my mother’s home country of Austria. Vienna is one of the great cities of the world, imo. Historically it was a border town between western Europe and the Ottoman empire, and it has a great variety of architectural styles due to its location on the trade routes between the east and west. It’s chock full of museums and cathedrals and palaces, there are wonderful little cafes everywhere you go, great food, they even have their own vineyards. The city is spectacularly clean and the people are very friendly.
Salzburg is another of Austria’s gems. It’s not a big city, but it is one of the most beautiful cities in the entire world. It’s jam packed with culture - you get the feeling the entire city is one big museum. And, it has the Augustiner Monastery, which makes the best beer in the whole world! Really, it does.
I’ve only briefly visited a few other European cities, and most of those when I was too young to remember, but I did have one unfortunate adventure in Rome. I was only there for two days, and I will say that I am glad I went, just to be able to see the ruins, but otherwise it was not an enjoyable experience. Rome was without a doubt the dirtiest city I have ever been in. My brother took up smoking again when we were there just to have something to mask the taste of the air, it was that bad. The whole place just looked like it was falling apart - not because of the ruins mind you, but even those seemed to be horribly neglected. Plus, the people were rude and everything was expensive. Granted, we made some mistakes of our own - we went on a day (I think it was Wednesday) that everything in the city is closed. Plus, we went in October and apparently all of Europe takes a vacation during October. But still, it was not good. I won’t be going back.
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Primula Baggins
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Dirty? 
I saw it when I was ten and I'll never forget. I had to wear a dress and tie a scarf over my hair.
I don't remember any dirt. I remember being unable to believe the incredible textures and colors of the stone, and of the huge carved wooden canopy at the center. Everything so beautiful, so richly done, elaborated beyond any elaboration my ten-year-old mind had ever imagined (I didn't see Florence until the following week).
In retrospect I admit I can see what made Luther so angry; now it's a treasure of human civilization, but it must have looked different to a monk who knew peasants were starving to death while this was being built.
I saw it when I was ten and I'll never forget. I had to wear a dress and tie a scarf over my hair.
I don't remember any dirt. I remember being unable to believe the incredible textures and colors of the stone, and of the huge carved wooden canopy at the center. Everything so beautiful, so richly done, elaborated beyond any elaboration my ten-year-old mind had ever imagined (I didn't see Florence until the following week).
In retrospect I admit I can see what made Luther so angry; now it's a treasure of human civilization, but it must have looked different to a monk who knew peasants were starving to death while this was being built.
“There, peeping among the cloud-wrack above a dark tor high up in the mountains, Sam saw a white star twinkle for a while. The beauty of it smote his heart, as he looked up out of the forsaken land, and hope returned to him. For like a shaft, clear and cold, the thought pierced him that in the end the Shadow was only a small and passing thing: there was light and high beauty for ever beyond its reach.”
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
London is awesome and majestic. 
Sooooo much to see and do! All that history. And our art galleries are FREE! I loves my capital city. A friend from Boston who visited London last year with her mum and her best friend described London as 'a city of dreams'. Oh, and London has such beautiful parks.
But maybe we don't love London quite so much on New Years Eve, eh, Hutter? Lovely Spanish restaurant. Lousy crowd control. 
No fireworks no see. 
Good company though.
Rome is FABULOUS. I think it's the most beautiful city I've ever been to. There's something magical and intoxicating about Rome, and I just LOVE Italian Baroque architecture. The sight of those church domes floating in golden summer light. Those gorgeous fountains everywhere! Yes, the traffic is insane. Who cares? They were complaining about Rome being too noisy back in the second century. I just love that. Rome is dirty? 
I didn't notice. London can be dirty too, and London still rules. Rome is fab.
Florence is Renaissance Heaven.
My sister adores Paris. I don't know Paris that well, although the Musee d'Orsay is . I would also love to visit Barcelona and Prague.
Salzburg is exquisite. I've not been to Vienna.
I've only been to two US cities:
New York City is the most vibrant and dynamic city I've ever been to. I love NYC. It's exhilarating, and it has great bookstores and great restaurants.
Boston is much more sedate than NYC. I liked Boston a lot. Elegant, cultural city. I fell completely in love with the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Wow!!! I also like Aquitaine's. Had a fabulous meal there!
Sooooo much to see and do! All that history. And our art galleries are FREE! I loves my capital city. A friend from Boston who visited London last year with her mum and her best friend described London as 'a city of dreams'. Oh, and London has such beautiful parks. But maybe we don't love London quite so much on New Years Eve, eh, Hutter?
Lovely Spanish restaurant. Lousy crowd control. No fireworks no see. Good company though. Rome is FABULOUS. I think it's the most beautiful city I've ever been to. There's something magical and intoxicating about Rome, and I just LOVE Italian Baroque architecture. The sight of those church domes floating in golden summer light. Those gorgeous fountains everywhere! Yes, the traffic is insane. Who cares? They were complaining about Rome being too noisy back in the second century.
I just love that. Rome is dirty? I didn't notice. London can be dirty too, and London still rules. Rome is fab. Florence is Renaissance Heaven.
My sister adores Paris. I don't know Paris that well, although the Musee d'Orsay is
. I would also love to visit Barcelona and Prague.Salzburg is exquisite.
I've not been to Vienna. I've only been to two US cities:
New York City is the most vibrant and dynamic city I've ever been to. I love NYC. It's exhilarating, and it has great bookstores and great restaurants.
Boston is much more sedate than NYC.
I liked Boston a lot. Elegant, cultural city. I fell completely in love with the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Wow!!! I also like Aquitaine's. Had a fabulous meal there!"Frodo undertook his quest out of love - to save the world he knew from disaster at his own expense, if he could ... "
Letter no. 246, The Collected Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
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Letter no. 246, The Collected Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien
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Rudyard Kipling once said of Chicago “Its air is dirt”. That was my impression of Rome. I’ll spare you the gory details of what lead to that conclusion. It does not make for good dinner conversation. But, speaking of dinner, the chef who walked out onto the sidewalk and dumped a bucket of slop on the street right next to our table while we were eating didn’t make a very good impression on me. And, I don’t know about St Peter’s, they wouldn’t let me in because I was wearing shorts. Did the tour guide bother to tell me I couldn’t wear shorts, despite the fact that we waited on the bus for an hour in front of my hotel, and he knew it was my hotel and I could have easily gone inside and changed? No. Grrr...
Part of the problem, I suppose, is that I went to Rome from Austria which, as I said, is an immaculately clean place. I remember while visiting my mom’s home town of Linz my grandmother saw me throw a cigarette butt on the ground and she nearly had a heart attack. Made me pick it up and put it in the trash (good for her!). She carried a pocket ashtray for her cigarette butts. The place was just spotless. And the people were friendly and always helpful. Several times I tried to ask a question of someone who didn’t speak English. Instead of saying “No spreche English” and walking away (which is what happened every time we tried to ask questions in Rome) they would go and find someone who spoke English. It was just such a pleasant place to be.
Who knows. Maybe we just got lucky in Austria and unlucky in Rome. But that was my experience. You would think, given the architectural significance of Rome, that I would be more forgiving of its failings, but they left such a strong impression on me that I have no desire to go back.
Part of the problem, I suppose, is that I went to Rome from Austria which, as I said, is an immaculately clean place. I remember while visiting my mom’s home town of Linz my grandmother saw me throw a cigarette butt on the ground and she nearly had a heart attack. Made me pick it up and put it in the trash (good for her!). She carried a pocket ashtray for her cigarette butts. The place was just spotless. And the people were friendly and always helpful. Several times I tried to ask a question of someone who didn’t speak English. Instead of saying “No spreche English” and walking away (which is what happened every time we tried to ask questions in Rome) they would go and find someone who spoke English. It was just such a pleasant place to be.
Who knows. Maybe we just got lucky in Austria and unlucky in Rome. But that was my experience. You would think, given the architectural significance of Rome, that I would be more forgiving of its failings, but they left such a strong impression on me that I have no desire to go back.
Maybe part of the problem was that in Austria, you were visiting family, while in Rome, you were on a guided tour. Anything that involves tour guides and tour buses is bound to be frustrating - by definition
My tour guide in Rome was my sister. She was spending a semester in Paris, and over spring break she traveled around Europe on her own. I met her in Rome. So, she'd been in Italy for a few days before I got there (I think she came from Austria as well), and could tell us how things worked. She spoke French fluently, but didn't know any Italian either. We picked up enough to order food and ask for directions while we were there. We knew about the dress codes for entering churches in advance; I admit it is a nuisance, but we did get to where we wanted to go. Of course, not everyone can say they've sprinted down the aisles of Saint Peters... I really don't recall it being dirty, but I was there in 2003. Maybe things change. My sister had been to Venice and Florence before she got to Rome, and I know that she found one of them very dirty, the air difficult to breathe...I think it was Florence. But there, she escaped to the hills and had a picnic lunch, so it was all good. The favorite part of her trip, actually, I think....
As for the friendliness of the people....she met some very friendly people on her travels. A single girl traveling by herself is bound to attract attention (my sister is very pretty), but still. In Venice, a young man took it upon himself to give her a tour of the place when he saw her looking at a map. I mean...and all-afternoon tour. He invited her back to his mother's house for dinner, but she declined (she felt bad about that, but, well, you can't be stupid). In Assisi, she hadn't booked accomodation, so she ended up sleeping on a bench or something (the hostels are outside the city walls, and close at midnight, so if you don't find them by then, you have to go to a real hotel). Someone found her there and took her to a monastery for a free room because he didn't want her to be out. In general, I found the Italians to be very friendly, and I was visiting shortly after the Americans went to war with Iraq. So, being an American in France or Italy wasn't exactly...popular! But they were still nice about it.
I only spent 6 days in Italy (4 in Rome), so I can't really say anything definitive about it, except that overall, the experience was very positive.
My tour guide in Rome was my sister. She was spending a semester in Paris, and over spring break she traveled around Europe on her own. I met her in Rome. So, she'd been in Italy for a few days before I got there (I think she came from Austria as well), and could tell us how things worked. She spoke French fluently, but didn't know any Italian either. We picked up enough to order food and ask for directions while we were there. We knew about the dress codes for entering churches in advance; I admit it is a nuisance, but we did get to where we wanted to go. Of course, not everyone can say they've sprinted down the aisles of Saint Peters... I really don't recall it being dirty, but I was there in 2003. Maybe things change. My sister had been to Venice and Florence before she got to Rome, and I know that she found one of them very dirty, the air difficult to breathe...I think it was Florence. But there, she escaped to the hills and had a picnic lunch, so it was all good. The favorite part of her trip, actually, I think....
As for the friendliness of the people....she met some very friendly people on her travels. A single girl traveling by herself is bound to attract attention (my sister is very pretty
), but still. In Venice, a young man took it upon himself to give her a tour of the place when he saw her looking at a map. I mean...and all-afternoon tour. He invited her back to his mother's house for dinner, but she declined (she felt bad about that, but, well, you can't be stupid). In Assisi, she hadn't booked accomodation, so she ended up sleeping on a bench or something (the hostels are outside the city walls, and close at midnight, so if you don't find them by then, you have to go to a real hotel). Someone found her there and took her to a monastery for a free room because he didn't want her to be out. In general, I found the Italians to be very friendly, and I was visiting shortly after the Americans went to war with Iraq. So, being an American in France or Italy wasn't exactly...popular! But they were still nice about it. I only spent 6 days in Italy (4 in Rome), so I can't really say anything definitive about it, except that overall, the experience was very positive.
Yes, having friends and relatives there to show you around certainly makes a huge difference. But we were on our own much of the time, both in Austria and Rome, and only did the guided tour for the Vatican. And I will grant you that my German is much better than my Italian, but that’s not saying much.
It’s funny you mention your sister being attractive. I had heard that attractive women get treated better in Rome then everyone else. I wouldn’t have believed that if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. We asked a shop keeper for directions to a restaurant we were looking for and he practically snarled at us, insisting that he didn’t speak a word of English. After we walked away I looked back and saw an attractive American girl walk up and ask the same guy for directions - he suddenly spoke English very well!
The one thing that I did like about Rome - we did not have a place to stay when we got there (it was kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision to go), but they have runners at the train station who work for the hotels, and within ten minutes after stepping off the train we had a room. Very efficient.
Probably the best experience I have ever had with the kindness of strangers was in New York. I was sixteen years old, on a trip with a church group. A few of us went out one day and decided it would be a good idea to walk from Central Park to the World Trade Center. After about an hour we were hopelessly lost. We were just standing there on the sidewalk trying to figure out where to go when a woman walked up and asked if we needed any help. We told her where we were staying and she proceeded to give us detailed instructions on how to get back, and then she actually gave us bus tokens to get there! Wonderful!
It’s funny you mention your sister being attractive. I had heard that attractive women get treated better in Rome then everyone else. I wouldn’t have believed that if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes. We asked a shop keeper for directions to a restaurant we were looking for and he practically snarled at us, insisting that he didn’t speak a word of English. After we walked away I looked back and saw an attractive American girl walk up and ask the same guy for directions - he suddenly spoke English very well!
The one thing that I did like about Rome - we did not have a place to stay when we got there (it was kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision to go), but they have runners at the train station who work for the hotels, and within ten minutes after stepping off the train we had a room. Very efficient.
Probably the best experience I have ever had with the kindness of strangers was in New York. I was sixteen years old, on a trip with a church group. A few of us went out one day and decided it would be a good idea to walk from Central Park to the World Trade Center. After about an hour we were hopelessly lost. We were just standing there on the sidewalk trying to figure out where to go when a woman walked up and asked if we needed any help. We told her where we were staying and she proceeded to give us detailed instructions on how to get back, and then she actually gave us bus tokens to get there! Wonderful!
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The_Hutter
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:13 pm
- Location: Fort Kent, ME
city
people town or what not are welcome in this treads
umm i begun the cartoon treads because i love them
`lol
umm i begun the cartoon treads because i love them
`lol
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The_Hutter
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Wed Oct 25, 2006 1:13 pm
- Location: Fort Kent, ME
Prague is of a stunning beauty. So beautiful that I understand why revolution happened there: this whole beauty makes intelligent.
I loved Florence, but I doubt I could go there again and love it again.
Rome is ..... well.... beyond words.... but very noisy. i was nineteen and blonde when I went there, always treated wonderfully nice.
I adored Montréal - so alive, but did not like Québec a lot - felt like Disneyland to me. Too clean, too artificial.
I was born in Frankfurt am Main and my associations with this city are all marvellous.
I will go Berlin in april - for the forth time. Every time was a miracle of discovery.
But the city of cities for me is my one and only hometown. It's small. (400.000 inhabitants) In international comparisons, it's the second best city in the world... We have a huge lake so in summer it's like the sea-side. There are mountains all around. You can go skiing within an hour of driving (well not this year, bloody summer-winter) Foreigners are about 50% of the population, if you count binationals. Despite being small, it holds a university, one of the biggest nuclear research centers, the Red Cross, the UN, and about two dozens of other international organisations. Opera, theater, symphonic orchestra, museums.... hundreds of years of history.. I can go sailing within two minutes of walking. There is only one city in the world like this one, the smallest of the great cities in the world.
It's Geneva.
I loved Florence, but I doubt I could go there again and love it again.
Rome is ..... well.... beyond words.... but very noisy. i was nineteen and blonde when I went there, always treated wonderfully nice.
I adored Montréal - so alive, but did not like Québec a lot - felt like Disneyland to me. Too clean, too artificial.
I was born in Frankfurt am Main and my associations with this city are all marvellous.
I will go Berlin in april - for the forth time. Every time was a miracle of discovery.
But the city of cities for me is my one and only hometown. It's small. (400.000 inhabitants) In international comparisons, it's the second best city in the world... We have a huge lake so in summer it's like the sea-side. There are mountains all around. You can go skiing within an hour of driving (well not this year, bloody summer-winter) Foreigners are about 50% of the population, if you count binationals. Despite being small, it holds a university, one of the biggest nuclear research centers, the Red Cross, the UN, and about two dozens of other international organisations. Opera, theater, symphonic orchestra, museums.... hundreds of years of history.. I can go sailing within two minutes of walking. There is only one city in the world like this one, the smallest of the great cities in the world.
It's Geneva.
"nolite te bastardes carborundorum".