Yesterday I was asked to comment for an article about London being superior to New York and to give some reasons as to why it's better in London. I had a lot to say. Here are some of the things that didn't make it into the piece:
People in New York don't actually see each other in person. It takes weeks of scheduling and planning to meet for a coffee which at the last minute, will most likely be canceled. I have a friend who lives in my building ' one floor above ' and we e mail when we are both at home. Every so often we'll talk on the phone. But I haven't seen him in months.
Everyone says how exciting it is that New York is a 24 hour city but I've never understood the appeal. Do you really need to have a gym open at 3 AM? I like that in London, things shut down at 11pm. When I wake up in the middle of the night I never wonder what everyone else is doing. I know what they're doing: sleeping.
Complaining is how most New Yorkers communicate. Myself included. The only people in NY not complaining are the Brits but that's just because they haven't been there long enough. After a few years in New York, the neurosis kicks in and they start going to doctors, discussing ailments, hating themselves ' then they get back to London and the anxiety lifts.
Also, Londoners don't go to doctors as often as New Yorkers do so as a result, there is much less talk in general about sickness.
In London, you'd need to know someone for years before they would mention (which would take place in person) a medical procedure they've had. Whereas in New York, you can ask a stranger on the elevator how they're doing and they'll tell you they've just had a biopsy.
Actually, I kind of like that about New York...