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Paris vs. New York City

New York City is full of French people. I don’t know if it’s because I’m more sensitive to the language but someone confirmed the other day that the hotel lobbies they are staying in, are FULL OF FRENCH FOLK!

What is it about NYC that attracts the French?

I think NYC is just like Paris, but American-style.

paris-macaron-versus-cupcake-new-york-city-nyc

See: Paris versus NYC

There are:

  1. Macarons to be had (Laduree opened)
  2. The NYC macaron = the cupcake (TONS of cupcakes everywhere)
  3. Interesting things to eat (although the cheese selection isn’t as good as in France)
  4. Lots of tourists milling around
  5. The sights and sounds — it’s really busy and hectic and the skyscrapers are majestic
  6. Lots of museums and monuments to see (I still think the Louvre is the best museum, EVER)
  7. Stinks like Paris — smells like pee in the subways
  8. Great French restaurants and a lot of top French chefs live/work here
  9. Great shopping venues — for high end or low!
  10. Older-style buildings can be seen, it’s not as new or as shiny as other cities

What’s not to love?

Photograph-Travel-NYC-New-York-City-USA-Pershing-Square

Paris is like the older brother and New York City the younger sister.

I feel as though Paris is established, beautiful, chic and full of history, but there’s no place like NYC with skyscrapers, lights, sights, sounds and general boisterous ambience.

Travel-Photograph-Paris-France-View

If I had to pick, I’d choose to live in over Paris, but to fly occasionally to France to stuff my face with cheese.

Update: I’d rather live in Paris after having lived in NYC for 6 months. I realized prefer peace and quiet, with GREAT food over NYC hustle and bustle of squeaking taxicabs and noise.

My top 5 favourite cities:

  • Paris — Love the cheese selection & general beauty of the country & sights
  • New York City — I like the hustle and bustle (bit noisy), food is OK but the shopping.. WOW!!
  • Hong Kong — Amazing vibe to the whole city, some of the best food in the world
  • London — Fairly organized (not perfect), and lots of things to see
  • Sweden — just SO pretty, a nice place to go and spend a short period of time to de-stress

What are your favourite cities?

 

15 Comments

  • TeacHer

    I went to Paris and Prague in the same trip, and while I LOVED Paris, I have to say, Prague is my favorite international city. 

    NYC is my favorite city of all time 🙂

  • MelD

    Adored Vienna (icy cold February so not because of the weather – the history, the ambiente, the museums and culture…). Enjoyed Paris once I got to see it properly (wasn’t impressed first times!), incl. architecture and museums and parks. I’d like to go back and see more of Brussels. Munich is ok but I don’t go for the snob types or the tourists, I do like the parks, though. Milan didn’t impress me much. London is too big but I don’t know it that well, so need to go back under my own steam to see what appeals to me and some of the great museums! I’m biaised about Swiss cities – never found one I didn’t like. 

  • LifeInTransition

    Never been to Paris, and I’ve only been to NYC for a wedding and a funeral so I didn’t see much.  Those two places are definitely on my travel list

    • Mochi & Macarons

      I wholly suggest getting to them ASAP 🙂

      Paris was very lovely in the spring/summer

      Berthillon ice cream
      Macarons from Pierre Herme
      Lovely museums and landscape…

      Just be careful of oak mites. My first visit I was covered in their bites!!

  • Mochi & Macarons

    Surprisingly I didn’t like Vienna as much as I thought I would.

    What attracted you to that city?? Maybe I need to revisit.

  • B. (Below Her Means)

    I love NYC. This means I need to get to Paris!

  • SWR

    Not in order…Seattle.Chicago.Dublin.Munich.London.

    • Mochi & Macarons

      What is in those cities that makes you want to go back?

      Chicago I can see, I found it lovely. Cold, but nice!

      • SWR

        Weather clearly isn’t a factor for me, now that I’m looking at my list 🙂

        Seattle is the city I’d love to live in if I ever got the chance.  Chicago, Dublin, Munich, and London have so much history and beautiful architecture that I really enjoy.  And the people are fantastic; I’ve found each of these to be the friendliest cities that I have visited.  

  • laura @ no more spending

    We noticed that too, there seemed to be a lot of French people visiting NY…..I’ve not been to Hong Kong, perhaps I need to!
    My top 5:New YorkLisbonParisLondon
    Washington

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