Quote: (07-13-2011 11:38 AM)Ajiaco Wrote:
We also have different ideas of what great cities are. I love New York and Paris, but they don't have the sort of energy that a giant, sprawling mess of a Latin American city has. And the Latin American City is simply not going to measure up to a First World capital in the culture and luxury departments.
Also, a major first world city is going to have diversity that third world cities simply lack as of now. It is a tradeoff...I would love a city like Bogota with a wide variety of ethnic women, world-class museums and concerts, and great restaurants with all kinds of food, but that still retained that gritty, run-down hustler vibe. New York in the seventies and eighties as opposed to the cleaned-up yupster mallscape that's there now. I would like the option of being suited down in the luxury suite, as well as the option to dance all night in the barrio in a wife beater. There would be the possibility of doing artsy things without having to deal with people staring at their screens all the time and having entitlement complexes.
OK, now I am just dreaming. Paris in the 20s is my real best city and I missed it entirely.
Great post I must say. Toronto in the 80's use to be gritty with fantastic nightlife and a certain grittiness to it. Now like many cities it has been cleaned up with sprawling condo's and Starbucks/Gap/Mcdonald's everywhere.
Budapest is a great city but sadly I was not bowled over by the women, although there are loads of sexy hungarian women.