What UK cities are most like London?

[SID SNOTT.]

I would say Glasgow.

Glasgow has 5 universities within its conurbation as well as countless colleges do it caters well for its vibrant and young student population with some of the best nightlife and shopping in the Uk bar none.

Glasgow is a vibrant multicultural city with all the resources that London has to hand on a smaller scale, but it's no way a small place.

Glasgow has the largest Transport network in the UK outside of london (overground buses, underground trains, extensive suburban and urban rail networks, ferrys) and probably has the most efficient mass transit network in the UK.

Glasgow is the only other UK city with a full underground system outside of London, the underground system is obviously smaller than London's underground network, though it is on of the oldest and original underground rail systems in the World, it was refurbished in 1980 with new trains etc and is set to be refurbished once again, there is also talk of extending the system and opening new stations as Glasgow is growing in population and economic significance after more than 50 years of terminal decline..

Glasgow was the first millionaire city outside of London in the UK (city proper with 1 million inhabitants), it kept its second city status until the mid 1950s when Birmingham took over the mantle as Glasgow city proper's population fell, Glasgow used to be one of the biggest cities in the world in the 19th century, and was mentioned in the same breath as London, Paris & Berlin until after ww2 when it went into economic and social decline.

Glasgow is growing once again, and there is around 2.3 million in her greater urban conurbation

Contrary to popular beleif and hearsay, Glasgow is not a monocultural city, it is a truly vibrant multicultural city with inhabitants from every country and culture on Earth, and has had such communities since the 19th century, having said this, Glasgow still reatians its Scottishness and British roots unlike many large English cities where the original culture and language and way of life has been all but lost in many areas.

Glasgow has an unfair reputation for drugs and urban violence , though they fail to tell people it is much safer and civilised than all comparable big English cities.

Glasgow has a world class live music scene and has spawned many bands.

Glasgow has a feel of a North American city and its centre is built on a grid system like many US cities, the New York Brownstone tenements are similar to the Glasgow sandstone tenements, these are mainly beautiful and are all over Glasgow and surrounding suburbs, and something almost unique to this city.


Glasgow has better architecture + more vibrancy than most other big Uk cities. This is why it is the Uk's 3rd most visited city by tourists after London & Edinburgh.

Glasgow is the London of Scotland in relation to its influence on Scotland comparable to Londons influence on England as well as percentage of population and cultural and economic significance, Glasgow also has UK and Global significance and appeal.

Glasgow is recognised Globally as the most succesfull post industrial city and conurbation on the planet, it has turned itself from total economic and industrial collapse that brought massive social and economic problems, to being cleaned up and marketed as a city of architechture, music, culture and voted the freindliest city on Earth, urban planners across the world look to Glasgow as a model for urban and social regenaration.


Alternatively there is Edinburgh with a cosmopolitan feel and vibrant atmosphere or Manchester,Newcastle or Cardiff.