Another vote for Oslo. Great city. The European city I was most disappointed in: London. Incredibly dirty and most of it looked like I could have been in an Arab country. The mighty fall hard.

It has little to do with sprawl.

What do you think all those thousands of street lights are lighting up?

Another vote for Oslo. Great city. The European city I was most disappointed in: London. Incredibly dirty and most of it looked like I could have been in an Arab country. The mighty fall hard.

I think I know what you intended with the remark about London looking like an Arab country. However, AbuDhabi and Dubai are a couple of the most modern cities in the world with world class architecture and tremendous infrastructure. Riyahd, and Jeddah are also mostly very modern with some fabulous buildings and areas. Even Beiruit downtown is modern and clean with a vibrant lifestyle. Tel Aviv has some great areas too. I think you meant your remark as a slam, but it really isn't.

I think I know what you intended with the remark about London looking like an Arab country. However, AbuDhabi and Dubai are a couple of the most modern cities in the world with world class architecture and tremendous infrastructure. Riyahd, and Jeddah are also mostly very modern with some fabulous buildings and areas. Even Beiruit downtown is modern and clean with a vibrant lifestyle. Tel Aviv has some great areas too. I think you meant your remark as a slam, but it really isn't.

I meant everywhere I went I saw the immigration invasion from Africa and the Middle East. It had nothing to do with the architecture, I'm well aware of the modern cities you described. Sorry I didn't make it more clear.

With precious little daylight and high humidity levels it gets cold and damp for most of the winter. While it is true that it doesn't usually get all the snow of say somewhere in Austria, it certainly can't be compared to Mediterranean weather. With average daytime temps of around 40F and avg nighttimes of around 30 from about Nov to Feb or March and with little radiation from sun warmth, it gets plenty chilly. October through January winds are around 20+ mph. All together not great outdoor weather. But if you are there you dress for it. Like I say, it doesn't deter me when I need to go there, but it isn't a place to vacation for the weather in the winter.

I still love it there though.

It has notoriously ****ty weather, but it's a great place and the weather is not too bad, it's just rarely pleasant. I remember on one visit I went from sweating profusely to feeling cold in the matter of a couple of days and didn't see the sun once.

I think I know what you intended with the remark about London looking like an Arab country. However, AbuDhabi and Dubai are a couple of the most modern cities in the world with world class architecture and tremendous infrastructure. Riyahd, and Jeddah are also mostly very modern with some fabulous buildings and areas. Even Beiruit downtown is modern and clean with a vibrant lifestyle. Tel Aviv has some great areas too. I think you meant your remark as a slam, but it really isn't.

Looking like Beirut is a saying for when something could use a little TLC..

Looking like Beirut is a saying for when something could use a little TLC..

Don't know if you've been to the city center in awhile (or ever been to Beirut at all) but there has been incredible investment in returning it to the city that was (prior to the civil war) the Paris of the Middle East. Actually, downtown Beirut has most of the things you declare as essential for an urban core. It is some of the outlying areas where some of the buildings show remnants of the war and haven't been replaced. Probably because it has been cheaper and easier to build new and there is no tax penalty for having a vacant building.

If you haven't been, some day you should go to Beirut and experience the city, the cuisine, the friendliness of the people and the vibrant night life. It would surprise all of those who are comfortable in their Arabic stereotypes. People need to travel and find out for themselves what the rest of the world is like. It might make them a little less judgemental about things and a little more honest about their own little world.

It's a saying, that's all. Everyone knows Beirut used to be nice, and I'm sure it's been rebuilt by now. But most Americans were just shocked at what the war did to what used to be a popular vacation spot.

Just because it says spartan above all my posts, you don't have to spar with me on everything. Lol

I have visited a lot of major cities around the world and on a sunny day there is none better than Vancouver.

A 1000 acre park (Stanley Park) within walking distance of downtown.

A 15+ mile waterfront walkway around the city.

It's possible to sail in the morning and ski in the afternoon all within 5 miles of downtown.

It has a multitude of ethnic restaurants.

Fantastic public transportation system with interconnecting buses (trolley), skytrain and seabus.

Vancouver is North America's secret gem.

I have visited a lot of major cities around the world and on a sunny day there is none better than Vancouver.

A 1000 acre park (Stanley Park) within walking distance of downtown.

A 15+ mile waterfront walkway around the city.

It's possible to sail in the morning and ski in the afternoon all within 5 miles of downtown.

It has a multitude of ethnic restaurants.

Fantastic public transportation system with interconnecting buses (trolley), skytrain and seabus.

Vancouver is North America's secret gem.

Totally agree!

I have visited a lot of major cities around the world and on a sunny day there is none better than Vancouver.

So, 20 days out of the year, eh?

So, 20 days out of the year, eh?

That seems more like Seattle? Heck, I even go to VC to play golf. Summer days are beautiful there.

Quite possibly the most pretentious thread ever.

+1 for Vancouver. Definitely the #1 big city in the world.

Quite possibly the most pretentious thread ever.

[Insert witty response here.]

Stockholm gets a nomination from me, if I haven't already suggested it in this thread. What a city.

I really liked Montreal. It was very urban at its core, a lot of pedestrians, tons of bicycles. I found the people to be very friendly for the most part, except for one douche at the front desk of the hotel. Old Town and the Latin Quarter were fun to walk around and spend time in. I was utterly shocked at the number of smokers there though.. everyone smoked... while eating, while walking, while riding bikes. I guess it is just part of their French influence.

+1 for Vancouver. Definitely the #1 big city in the world.

Not even close. On a world stage it is not even a 'big' city.

Just some quick facts about London.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London



London is a leading global city (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_city), with strengths in the arts, commerce, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, professional services, research and development, tourism and transport all contributing to its prominence.[11] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-12) It is the world's largest financial centre alongside New York (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_York_City),[12] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-Global_Financial_Centres_7-13)[13] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-forbes.com-14)[14] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-Mastercard-15) has the largest city GDP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_cities_by_GDP) in Europe[15] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-Global_city_GDP_rankings_2008-2025-16) and is home to the headquarters of more than 100 of Europe's 500 largest companies.[16] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-17) It is the most visited city in the world.[17] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-mostvisits-18) London's five international airports make its airspace the busiest of any urban centre worldwide[18] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-london_008-19) and London Heathrow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_Heathrow_Airport) is the world's busiest airport by number of international passengers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_busiest_airports_by_international_passen ger_traffic).[19] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-london_007-20) London's 43 universities form the largest concentration of higher education institutions in Europe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe).[20] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-london2-21) In 2012 London will become the first city to host the Summer Olympics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Summer_Olympics) three times.[21] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London#cite_note-IOC-22)


It has also been continually inhabited for 2000 years.

Not even close. On a world stage it is not even a 'big' city.

Just some quick facts about London.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London

Is that in response to my comment about London? If so, there's no question that London is a big, big, city. I wasn't saying otherwise. What I was saying is that the culture of London has changed in a major way. That's indisputable. Just a fact. The British PM even went so far the other day as to say multiculturalism has been a failure. It took away the unique culture of England. It seems okay to protect every other race and culture - and take pride in it - except for Anglo's. We're supposed to apologize for being of white European descent and accept destruction of the white European culture. But Japan can preserve theirs, Israel theirs, Saudi Arabia theirs - but not white Europeans - in America and the mother continent itself. That was where my perspective was coming from. There should never be any apologies for taking pride in whatever culture we come from - including white Europeans. That's not racist at all - it's consistent.

Is that in response to my comment about London? If so, there's no question that London is a big, big, city. I wasn't saying otherwise. What I was saying is that the culture of London has changed in a major way. That's indisputable. Just a fact. The British PM even went so far the other day as to say multiculturalism has been a failure. It took away the unique culture of England. It seems okay to protect every other race and culture - and take pride in it - except for Anglo's. We're supposed to apologize for being of white European descent and accept destruction of the white European culture. But Japan can preserve theirs, Israel theirs, Saudi Arabia theirs - but not white Europeans - in America and the mother continent itself. That was where my perspective was coming from. There should never be any apologies for taking pride in whatever culture we come from - including white Europeans. That's not racist at all - it's consistent.

:congrats:

They're definitely preserving their culture and not others in Germany and Russia, lol.

Is that in response to my comment about London?

I was responding to Hot Rod's assertion that Vancouver was the number 1 big city in the world. I love London and I am not a big multi-cultural fan by any stretch of the imagination. BTW - Quebec requires all signs to be in French and if English or any other language is used it must be smaller. It also requires that all businesses in Quebec be able to conduct business with all customers in French. I wish the rest of the world would get on-board with that.

http://www.bakernet.com/NR/rdonlyres/C3AD0394-AEC9-4FAF-99CD-63B66DC39593/29669/OverviewofQuebecFrenchLanguageRequirements.pdf

Ummm, you want everyone to speak French?

Ummm, you want everyone to speak French?

That's what I was wondering too, Larry. Guess I better brush up on my high school French. LOL

I think he means reinforcing the local language. You have to put things into context, of what is something Kerry would say... English-only! haha.

Most of Europe is trilingual at least. The only places in the world that reinforce their language with laws are French-speaking places.

I think he means reinforcing the local language. You have to put things into context, of what is something Kerry would say... English-only! haha.

Most of Europe is trilingual at least. The only places in the world that reinforce their language with laws are French-speaking places.

That is what I meant Spartan. I thought I corrected the wording but I must have not hit "post" after making the correction. Do you know why most people in Europe speak multiple languages? Don't be surprised if Germany and the UK follow suit very soon.

Thanks for the clarification/explanation Spartan/Kerry...that's what I thought but when placed right after "conduct all business...in French" line, not so sure...LOL