London is ahead of the curve
“There’s been more iconic imagery made here, so there’s more confidence in the idea of modernity. In New York it’s about updating the skyline. Here it’s all about having a new one.”
—David Adjaye, architect
Which city is more neurotic?
“New York is a much more positive place. The most common first words of any British child are, ‘All right, I’ve kept my peace long enough—this town is a total shit-hole.’ We have long found Americans’ pride in their surroundings confusing. Whether you are right or not is irrelevant; you should really be repressing those feelings. It never did us any harm.”
—John Oliver, correspondent, The Daily Show
Which city has the best subway?
“New York’s is much more extensive and intensive. It’s a rush-hour system, built to withstand huge numbers of people flocking to it first thing in the morning. London’s rush hour is nothing compared to New York’s.”
—Bob Kiley, former head of the MTA and London Transit
How does London’s nightlife compare?
“It’s just seedier. You want the real grimy shit? London is where it’s at.”
—Mark Ecko, fashion designer
When in London, what do you do first?
“I go to the Ivy and get liver. It’s the closest thing to my mother’s liver. Not her actual liver, but her food.”
—Helena Christensen, model
“People come up to you on the street and say, ‘Welcome to New York.’ You’d wait a long time in London before anyone would say that.”
—Bill Nighy, actor
“A lot of creative talent used to jump over London and head straight to New York. But it was easier to get into the States then. You could show up as a young Swedish graphic designer and sneak into New York. Now Washington’s immigration policy has made America a closed shop, and New York has a talent deficit.”
—Tyler Brûlé, journalist
“On Broadway, English actors are held up on a pedestal in a lovely way that works to one’s advantage. In London, it’s more like, ‘Okay, come on, prove it to us.’”
—Kate Winslet, actress
“Friends from London will say, ‘Oh, we’re coming to New York next week, can we get together?’ and I’m astonished because I often can’t. It’s very hard to be impulsive in New York, in a place you’d think would be perfect for being impulsive.”
—Nicole Aragi, literary agent
“In London, people are so on the back foot—everything is sort of raised eyebrow, ‘Oh, really? Hmm.’ Whereas here, it’s both feet forward and more, ‘Wow, that sounds interesting, tell me more.’ I lived in London for ten years and always felt a bit of an outsider. In New York, I fit in straightaway.”
—Alan Cumming, actor
“London’s tougher to live in. Even if two Londoners live very centrally, they can still be 90 minutes apart. By the time you get out of work and get over to your friend’s house, it’s time to turn around again.”
—Jonah Bloom, editor of Ad Age
“London tends to be more decadent. It’s got boom-box and glorious street fashion, but it also has chic old Knightsbridge ladies.”
—Hamish Bowles, fashion editor
“What should New York buyers look for in London galleries? Something quintessentially London—that’s me!”
—Tracey Emin, artist
“In London, women still wear the veil. It’s an Islamic challenge, an attack on multiculturalism and cosmopolitanism, and people are giving ground to it. You don’t see that in New York. I hope we never do.”
—Christopher Hitchens, journalist
“I was just hanging out doing some nitrous oxide, and I realized that there were about fifteen guys dancing with each other around me. That’s totally normal in London, and in New York, it’s really just not.”
—Warren Fischer, Fischerspooner