Comparing Washington, DC, And London

Both Washington, DC, and London are one of most influential English speaking capital cities of the world, and yet they offer hugely different experiences to their residents and visitors. Comparing and contrasting the two metropolitans based on their history, their culture, and their residents show how different and similar the two are.

Both cities are abundant in the world and national history, though they developed on very different timelines. London, for example, has a history that dates back over two thousand years. It is thought that London in prehistoric times was merely a collection of scattered rural settlements. Spear heads and weapons from the Bronze and Iron Ages have been found around the Thames, and a recent archaeological dig
While Washington, DC, has the National Gallery of Art and several other Smithsonian galleries, London’s art scene and galleries have a definite edge in this category. From the Tate Modern to the British National Gallery, London’s art ranks among the world’s best. This difference and advantage have much to do with London and Britain’s historical depth compared to that of the United States. London has a much more vibrant past than Washington, DC, and consequently has a lot more material to pull from when arranging its collections. Both cities have thriving theater districts, but again, London wins this comparison, too, both in quantity and quality of theater choices. About other cultural places like restaurants, pubs, and bars, both cities are very comparable. Both have a wide selection of expensive, elegant restaurants as well as a similar amount of global and national chains. While London may be better known for its pubs and taste in beer, DC offers a different bar-going experience. With clubs and bars that tend to stay open later than their British counterparts, the DC nightlife tends to be less reserved
Both metropolitans share a prohibitive cost of living—both regarding housing and shopping. A downtown one-bedroom apartment in DC can easily cost $1,800 per month, and a similar “flat” in London may double that amount. These high costs create socioeconomic disparity among the residents. Although both cities’ residents are predominantly wealthy, both have a significantly large population of poor and homeless. Perhaps the most significant difference between the resident demographics is the racial makeup. Washington, DC, is a “minority majority” city, which means the majority of its citizens are races other than white. In 2016, according to the US Census, 47.7 percent of DC residents were classified as “African American,” and 36.4 percent were classified as “white.” London, by contrast, has very few minorities—in 2011, 59.8 percent of its population was “white,” while only 15.6 percent was “black.” The racial demographic differences between the cities are