Radisson Hotels in Britain have put up a billboard in London with with a picture of Big Ben under the headline, “Heavenly Peace in the City That Never Sleeps.” But today's NY Times basically tells the British capital to step off, noting that their trains do not run all night, most of their pubs close around midnight and even their Apple Store isn't open twenty-four hours. While they make a strong case that London has no business taking one of our city's most beloved nicknames, elsewhere in the paper they question whether London will soon take away our crown as the financial capital of the world.




I've been there and comparing it with NYC, I can tell you London definitely goes to sleep. That's what happens when you shut down public transportation during the night.
At least the old gal keeps us on our toes.
No comparison. NYC does not sleep.
Bah, this city sleeps. It just sleeps at different times from most everyone else. Ever walk around your neighborhood between 5 and 6 am? I'm always amazed at how dead Williamsburg and Greenpoint is. Incidentally, that's my favorite time of day here.
This city sleeps.
Kew Gardens in Queens fairly quiet during the night with the exception of a few cars here and there coming down the block.
I believe when they mention the city never sleeps it probably refers more so towards Manhattan than the other boroughs.
Leave your borough sleepy Manhattanites. The rest of the city never sleeps, mostly b/c they're coming into the city to clean up your mess. The four boroughs never sleep to keep NYC running.
Mihow, what you're saying is your neighborhood sleeps. Manhattan does not sleep. If you want proof of that, go to midtown within five blocks of Times Square. There are more people in the streets around there at 5 a.m. than you'll see on W'burg streets at high noon, and that's not counting in Times Square itself. Hell, I've seen downtowns in other cities that weren't as busy at any time of the day.
Well done, Times. Hope you got that fruitless fist shaking out of your system. Especially as it's misdirected seeing as it was Radisson Hotels, not London making the claim.
It's quite something to watch Londoners quickly swill down that last pint of two before around closing time and rushing off to catch the last tube.
NYC totally sleeps.
Now Berlin, that's a town that's got action 24/7. Bars, secret bars, clubs, late night clubs, late-late clubs, early AM clubs, etc.
This city does not sleep, I have seen people in Midtown at 4 and 5 AM. Ditto for Chelsea and Meatpacking.
And these are people coming out of the clubs and going home.
The we have the sanitation and city workers to clean up their mess at said time.
The city never sleeps!
I believe Brooklyn has been referred to as "NY’s Bedroom Borough," but there are areas there that are 25/7. How can a city make a claim? It's not a being.
Rik, now you're talking. I think New York should have AM clubs, late AM clubs, early PM clubs, late mid day clubs, late late mid day clubs, evening clubs, pre-AM clubs, normal club hour clubs and then pick up with your list of clubs. Just think of all the money that could be generated for the club keepers.
London wants to be the new "financial capital of the world" -just as the world runs out of money. Cheerio!
I'm a bartender in Williamsburg and often leave work in the 5-6am period of time.
I get just as many good mornings as I do good nights on my way home.
no sleep, ever.
This is sad. I just moved to London for the year this week and, as amazing as London is, I am actually pretty down about being here. Needless to say, I miss home. But yeah, London is a sleepy place. Great nightlife, but it generally slows down before I would even be going out in New York. Not to mention that most stores close at five and the mentioned transportation hours. I feel like taking a "Night Bus" is a 'thing' and not just a normal way of getting home at night. Adjustments must be made, I suppose.
When I first moved to London, I lived next to a newsagent boldly named "Early til Late". Closing Time? 8 PM.
And yes, getting home after a night out in London was incredibly frustrating.