London Vs. New York: Cities Vie For Coolness

"The unofficial battle for the title World Capital of Cool is about to resume. There are only two big beasts in the jungle: New York, once the undisputed champion, and London, seen by many as rapidly closing the gap. Debate about their respective merits raged earlier this year when London emerged as a threat to the Big Apple's financial dominance. It is about to start again as the cities go head to head in an autumn culture war."

"New York has struck an early blow after being voted the 'coolest city in the world' in research published today. An online survey of more than 2,500 people aged 18-35 was commissioned by STA Travel and CoolBrands, part of the Superbrands consultancy. New York was rated number one for 'coolness' with 14 per cent of the vote, followed by London on 10 per cent. It is a measure of how far the British capital's thriving bars, restaurants and shops have come in recent years that it beat perennial favourites Sydney, Barcelona, San Francisco, Rio de Janeiro, Bangkok, Paris, Tokyo and Berlin in the top 10."