I accept that you're probably mostly right about this, but I want to understand it. What ways do the investments of Trump and other westerners benefit locals in the way that Abramovich and whoever don't?Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd
I accept that you're probably mostly right about this, but I want to understand it. What ways do the investments of Trump and other westerners benefit locals in the way that Abramovich and whoever don't?
Trump, like most billionaire tycoons, invests in things to make money. In order to make money from his investments he needs to add value to what is already there, and in order to do that he needs to employ more people, spend on the local infrastructure and so on. As such the post Trump world somewhere like Turnberry is better (give or take) than what was there before, for pretty much everyone concerned.
When a Malaysian billionaire buys a row of houses, knocks it down and turns it into luxury executive flats, he's not improving anything. He's effectively asset-stripping the city and turning it away from being a normally functioning market. And I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt there - many of them do this not even to sell on for profit, but just because they need their money to be tied up in it.
Chicago > all.
Fantastic city, as already said, it's NY without all the crap of NY.
San Francisco being up there is a crime though, that place was utter shite, couldn't stand the place. Perhaps I didn't get the 'vibe' of there but it generally didn't offer much outside 2-3days of being there. When I was travelling it was the one place I couldn't wait to leave.
Test.
Yes, Vancouver isn't very French at all.
Pretty sure Vancouver is the furthest away place from French Canada.
It's in British Columbia. I interviewed for a job at UBC there.
I really like the city. I think if I had to live anywhere in North America, that'd be it.
Does the Malaysian not need labour and infrastructure to demolish, design, supply, and build the need luxury executive flats? Interested to hear why you chose the "flats" example also, as flats generally provide more housing which is what London is crying out for (and as such would go against your point).
They need (cheap, transient, dare I say Polish) labour but the housing point is redundant because they're sticking up luxury housing, not housing that people can live in on a normal salary. Ask Sama for more details.
The headline numbers probably add up to London being a more 'prosperous' city than before, but it's a much less pleasant one.
That's basically how I'd describe San Francisco, with the addition that block-for-block San Francisco is as or more beautiful than any other city in the world.
Well, it's not Beijing that's for sure.
"block-for-block"
I can see the similarities, although I prefer Sydney to San Fran. Nicer beaches and better weather beat odd buildings and even odder people. Many years ago I rode the funny transport thing (don't know if it was the BART - the one that turns from a train into a overground type bus thing) all the way to the end of the line to a place called Judah I think it was. What an odd place. There was literally tumbleweed in the street and I had a walk in, walk out experience in a coffee shop there. It's probably totally normal there now.
Muir Woods probably beats the Blue Mountains/Katoomba and maybe San Francisco wins the battle of the bridges, mind. Lacking a Manly, but then there's Monterrey Bay and it's mega aquarium. Tough choices.
Twin Peaks as well. I know a couple of people who live in 'The Bay Area', should probably have visited them more often.
I've been to Penrith. Not sure how, but I have. I'm giving this to San Fran as a result, although I preferred Melbourne anyway like a pervert.
Why would you go to Penrith?
Judging from this thread, I really should visit my relatives in Australia in some point. I properly hate flying though, so I'm not sure when that's going to happen.
As for the most beautiful city "block-for-block" that I've been to, it's probably Copenhagen. If it wasn't so incredibly expensive I'd be up there more often. Great-looking, surprisingly friendly people everywhere too, and even the weather seems to be always nice when I go there.
In the US (I've only been to the East Coast, mind) it's probably Boston. I could definitely see myself living there, as opposed to New York. It's cleaner, less hectic, and the public transport doesn't suck as much as in New York, even though it's still shit compared to glorious Central Europe.
I really can't remember. I've definitely been though as I had sausage and chips in the Penrith Panthers club restaurant. Think it might have been a lunchtime stop on the way to Katoomba although I've no idea if the geography of that adds up.Why would you go to Penrith?
Yeah, that scans.
I think you should come back and poke around a little more.
Really?
Generally thought it was rather overhyped, cold as fuck and a miserable place. Golden Gate Park was very nice that being said and the Bridge area was pretty fun, but the back ends of Market St (sp?) towards to Civic centre were just run down and over-run with homeless, in what was a real dingy neighbourhood.
It was also ridiculously expensive.
Test.
Jim has been spot on about London. The city is absolutely fucked.
The labour being used really is a fucking joke too. On one job I worked on, the builders there had been shipped in from Italy and fucking lived in the house whilst it was a building site, the kitchen hadn't even had its wall built yet. Three to a room, made beds out of fucking palettes. Grim.
I paid Ł650 a month for a tiny single bed (I had to remove my chair to be able to open my wardrobe) in a flat share, whilst earning Ł12k. Elephant and Castle isn't even a fancy area, it's just surrounded by dickhead cityboy places and unfortunately now for the area it's its own turn to go through the 'Luxury Apartments' redevelopment, so prices are probably about to double.
Vegas
Sydney
San Francisco
Melbourne
New York
LA
Miami
That's how I'd rank the major cities I visited this summer. Vegas is cheating a bit though, as I imagine the fun would wear off quite quickly if you were there for more than a few weeks. I'd live in Sydney in a heartbeat, it was brilliant.
The biggest negative about Sydney is the lack of proximity to anywhere else. I miss being able to jaunt over to Europe on weekends. Even the big Asian cities are 8+ hours away by plane.
It's weird to think that there are people who actually live and work in Vegas.
Prostitutes and coke dealers, mainly.
Las Vegas is the worst place I've ever been, and I've been to Sparkbrook.
Miami is shit to visit as there is fuck all to see but it is actually a decent place to live in, apart from being a bit expensive.
'San Fran' is the most foreign phrase in existence
One night we went into bars that had "drinks offers" and three places in a row tried to rip us off when it came to pay the bill. It soured the experience, really.
I was there for ultra festival and we ended up in some lobster bar. The owner sounded like he'd smoked 50 a day for decades and the dodgy Mexican waiter took us downstairs for a spliff. Top place full of vain idiots.
Where was that? Sounds like Ocean Dr. which is probably the worst place in the whole city.
Spot on.
Today I went kayaking in Oleta Park (in Miami.) Got to see dolphins, manta rays, some weird bird and some big ass spiders. Way better than $15 'cocktails.'
Sounds like you ended up in the Tenderloin. I love the Tenderloin having spent more time there but it's definitely not the place for tourists. What I love about San Francisco is that it's got almost everything: a properly big downtown, more grimy and 'edgy' areas, Chinatown, hippies and free love, beautiful residential areas, several top parks, good museums, two quality waterfronts, two quality bridges (and the Golden Gate honestly deserves its hype), and by virtue of its geography probably more good views than any city I've been to. It would be like if Paris had a half dozen Montmartres instead of just one.
'Gee, Hank, listen to this We're buildin' this city, ok, and Buddy over here had a great idea. It's gon' be like Paris France, but instead of buildin' one Montmartre, we're gon' have SIX.'
'Woohoo! Yeah, boy! Yee-hah! Uhhhh-huh!'
*fires cheeseburger into the air*
'God bless America!'
I like Liverpool the best, no word of a lie.
For a place to be interesting to me, it has to have interesting people. I don't care for nice views or posh restaurants at all, but people who are fun to chat to over a pint are great. Liverpool's full of 'em. Plus it's like 15 minutes away.
I'm a twit
What the fuck?
It made me laugh.
It was just so unexpected.
I suppose I should have you remembered you were American, and put ATTEMPT AT HUMOUR COMING in a preliminary post.
Why say that? I work in London..it's good.
I've booked my flights for New York, end of next November. I can't wait it's somewhere I've always wanted to go. Even if I will look like a massive tourist American hIstory doesn't really interest me but it looks like there is a hell of a lot to see and do.
11 months in advance? How much are tickets going for, like $2?
Would rather live in Raleigh and it's not even close.
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