London is the world capital of the 21st century... says New York

Iconic: Norman Foster's Gherkin

An influential American magazine has named London the global capital of the 21st century.

The new issue of New York magazine is a homage to London, claiming the financial, cultural and culinary benefits now tower over those of its home city.

In the most glowing American media coverage of Britain since Vanity Fair's 1996 Cool Britannia issue, the article declares: "If Paris was the capital of the 19th century and New York of the 20th, London is shaping up to be the capital of the 21st century.

"It is not Britain and the US that have a special relationship, it is London and New York ... increasingly it seems as though London has the upper hand."

American writers Eugenia Bell and Matt Weiland add: "To Londoners now, there's a sense that the future belongs to them. It can sometimes seem as if there's nobody over 30 in the streets and that a great experiment in mass immigration and assimilation is under way."

The architectural skyline, including Norman Foster's Gherkin and the Shard of Glass, and thriving arts scene, particularly West End theatre and the Frieze Art Fair, all receive special praise. A report commissioned by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg warned Wall Street that the Square Mile was ahead when it came to job creation. He visited Britain last month and concluded: "London is gaining on us in area after area."

The magazine says: "In short, New York is cardiganed Woody Allen and London is party-dressed Lily Allen."

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