London and NYC, love hearts and stats...

As if made just for this blog, the people at  expedia.co.uk have been gathering sources from all over the shop and have come up with a list comparing the two wonderful metropolises, suggesting you might 'heart' one of them more...humm, is it possible?

My NYC blog ebook is very close to being published, and will be free to all my blog readers, so join up to the blog- or drop me your email, meanwhile I thought it was worth examining the list...

• NYC has more people per sq mile and London being bigger than NYC, is able to spread more people out.

When you live on Manhattan Island it's clear you live on a little Island, and there will be pretty much no street that you're on alone any time of the day.

Then the obvious -

• NYC enjoys warmer temperatures in the Summer, but much colder winters, and wetter months.

• Public transport is cheaper in the Big Apple including Taxi's. NYC so much more affordable than London in this respect, and you can go much further on less money.

• Shopping if you're so inclined, is not surprisingly widely available in both cities, and with the pound not so strong, it's not so much a bargain anymore for UK shoppers. Besides there's so much more to do in both cities culturally, artistically and to eat and drink than shopping..just flick through this blog.

• London clearly has more green spaces and parks, easily taken for granted till you live in NY and see the kids playgrounds one called 'Diana Ross Park' inside Central Park near 84th West playing with a concrete floor, very unimaginative and a bit depressing in winter...
• Still I disagree with the list, it misses out my fave park in London- Primrose Hill, wonderful views and fab atmosphere chilling out in the summer sunshine, with Camden Lock Market just down the hill

In my opinion in NYC the best park by far, and I'm talking Manhattan here, is Central Park, no contest. See my posts. So many different areas to explore, a zoo, a theater, a boathouse lake with a restaurant and bar, any season and this place is amazing and accessible- they even sweep the paths in the snow. Then there's the absolutely amazing wildlife- raccoons, hawks, turtles, not to mention over a quarter of all the bird species found in the United States have been seen in Central Park and the squirrels have fearless attitude, one jumped down to press my open handed glove, searching me for food.

• As for pictures... I think skylines of both cities are much more snapped up, because they're ubiquitous. Especially in NYC because as a tourist or a resident, lets face it, you're going to be inside a tall building at some point in your day, and the view will probably be amazing...

Let me know which city you 'heart' more and why, or why you love them both and refuse to choose, comments below...

Hailing a New York Taxi

So..
It sounds simple doesn't it.. I'm sure it is for the less self conscious New Yorker.
But I needed to meet my beau downtown (look I'm using the lingo ;)) for dinner last night. Despite my wanting to use the Subway- I've been a public transport girl all my life. I was told that I needed to get a taxi if I was to make it on time. So I gave in.

The thing is I was a little bit worried to be standing on the sidewalk/pavement sticking my hand out as if stopping a bus, when no bus was coming...
Anyway I got my thermals on bundled up and took a deep breath as I went out to hail my first ever New York Taxi alone.
Two passed me... not one, two... yes, they had their 'I'm available ' light on, no they didn't have the side one's on saying 'off duty'.
I started to feel a like a right twat, standing there while available cabs just drove on, trying to keep my head down hoping no-one was watching.. and I couldn't understand it...
Why would they drive past a fare? Maybe because it was dark? It seemed so much easier in London..
Thankfully soon after a yellow cab stopped to drop a neighbour off, and I just ran up to take advantage of the serendipity of it all.. perhaps I am too British and polite about it all, not standing in the road enough, politely putting up my hand, only when I see a light on top??All I know is I don't wanna be doing that again soon... it was embarrassing!!