(2008-05-28) Graham City Messages

Paul Graham on the "messages" sent by different cities (Urban) in terms of what its inhabitants have Ambition for. New York tells you, above all: you should make more money. There are other messages too, of course. You should be hipper. You should be better looking. But the clearest message is that you should be richer... Cambridge Ma as a result feels like a town whose main industry is ideas, while New York's is finance and Silicon Valley's is Start Up-s.

Very similar to z2006-05-28-GrahamGrowingSiliconValley.

Fred Wilson responds NYC is about the never ending chase of "what's next" whether it be art, music, media, money, shopping, food, nightlife, etc, etc. Hmm, is that just being "hipper"?

• Shripriya Mahesh says it better. These people are dancers, artists, museum curators, actors, yoga instructors, photographers, architects... and that's just in my building!! And none of these people are focused on making more money - they are focused on making an impact on their field - on being the best dancer/artist/curator/actor/yoga instructor/photographer/architect that they can be.

Charlie O Donnell questions the academic "idea" framing well.