Momo Kapor, one of the most famous Serbian writers, said:
Belgrade is a low-budget New York.
As soon as I read this quote, I wondered why he said that and is it really true.
I live in Belgrade, and I recently visited New York. Therefore, from my experience, I can compare these two cities.
The facts I have found as the similarities between these two cities are:
Both of the cities are located at the confluence of two rivers. Belgrade at the confluence of the Sava River in the Danube and New York at the confluence of the river Hudson and East River.
Both of the cities look dirty and messy.
It's always crowded and there are always people on the streets.
Metro is messy and old.
Multiculturalism is highly represented.
Belgrade as well as New York is one of the most interesting cities for tourists in both countries.
There are many parks rich in grassy areas where people spend time on weekends. Usually these are families with small children, people walking around pets, etc.
Nightlife is great in both of the cities. All music genres are represented.
Belgrade, like New York, you can either love or hate.
In both cities there are dangerous neighborhoods that are not safe to walk at night, and often even during the day.
As a conclusion to the similarities between these cities, I would like to say that the energies I felt in these cities are very similar. For both cities I would say that they are jungles. When you step on the side and look around you see that something is always happening. But when you ask yourself what has been done and what are the results you will not be able to answer. That is a special charm in these cities.
Why is Belgrade a low-budget New York?
You will conclude this yourself on the basis of photographs. New York and Belgrade architecture can not be compared. New York looks much richer than Belgrade.
Photos of Belgrade
Photos of New York
All photos are mine, taken with an iPhone 7 plus.
I hope you enjoyed.