New York, I love you, even though you bring me down and/or freak me out sometimes. While having romantic relations with a city is generally not advised, I think even the most fervent human-on-city naysayer makes an exception for the dashing, chiseled skyline of the Gotham metropolis. After leaving this 20th century Gentleman 18 months ago for a more rugged, nitty gritty European “Bad Boy” (also prone to never sleeping) by the name of “Berlin,” I finally returned to New York this Spring to see if I still have feelings for my old flame.

When comparing my old and new infatuates, two of world’s most coveted and glorified metropolitan capitals, I used the criteria of food, shopping, after dark, urban culture, art & design and escapism to answer the question: Berlin Vs. NYC, which is better? May the best city win!

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Goldbar• Brooklyn Bridge Park• Whole Foods• Union Square• American Ballet Theatre• Pinkberry• Hudson Terrace• Central Park• Empire State Building• Rockefeller Center• 1OAK• Flaming Lips• The Metropolitan Museum of Art• Off-Broadway• Governor's Island• Manhattanhenge• Rag & Bone• Brooklyn Flea• the Jane Hotel• The High Line• Oak• Opening Ceremony• Brooklyn Bowl• Ace Hotel• Union pool• Prospect Park• Boom Boom Room• The Hudson Hotel• City Winery• Yeah Yeah Yeahs• Top of the Standard• Rockaway Beach• peacock alley• Lit Lounge• Pastis• The Killers• Creatures of Comfort• Diablo Royale• American Ballet Theater• Randall's Island Park• Le Bain• The Strand• Museum of Modern Art• 230 Fifth• Long Island City• Gansevoort Park• Bookmarc• Frieze Art Fair• Barcade• The Kimberly Hotel• in god we trust• NY Public Library• The Levee• Jimmy at the James Hotel• BROADWAY BEAUTY PAGEANT• NYPL• dolce vita• Salon de Ning• The Dream Downtown• Dan Savage• Gansevoort Park Rooftop• Socrates Sculpture Park• Orchard Beach• The Sunburnt Cow• Citi field• Beacon's Closet• Riverside Park• blind tiger• Housing Works Thrift Shop• Radegast Hall & Biergarten• Erica Weiner• The Water Club• Frieze Art Fair NYC• Barclays Center• Tegan and Sara• Top of the Rock• Upstairs at The Kimberly• The Wayland• Theater for the New City• KIOSK• American Ballet Theatre City Center Opening Night Gala• Bushwick Five Points• 5Pointz• Pouring Ribbons• Press Lounge• PUNK: Chaos to Couture• Berlin vs. New York• Berliner• Berlin vs. NYC: Battle of the Cities• New York Muffins• Mogador• Le Pain Quotidienn• Amy Ruth's• Sylvia's• Sylvia's Restaurant• Yaffa Cafe• Gobu• Takahachi• Ink48