Have you ever read the book ‘A Tale of Two Cities?’ I haven’t. Yet with Super Bowl on the horizon, that’s essentially what it comes down to, a tale of two major cities.

We all know the age-old story of two sports rivals, but I want to know which city is better, ‘Bean Town’ or ‘The City that Never Sleeps?’ Can Boston overpower New York?, or vice-versa? Coming from a different part of the country, I must admit I’m confused because I constantly notice this never-ending ultimatum on campus that if you like Boston, you can’t like N.Y. And it goes to say if you like N.Y., you automatically despise Boston.

I’m looking to get past this superficial antagonism and get to the heart of each city, in hopes of determining which one superior and which is inferior.

With the presidential candidates taking their smiling faces and baby-kissing tactics all over the country, politics is arguably the most relevant issue today in America, so let’s start there.

Boston and N.Y both ranked in the top 25 among the most liberal cities in America, with Boston placing slightly lower, according to votingresearch.com. So I think it’s safe to say both cities have their fair share of liberal minds, which means I won’t be moving to either one anytime soon. I’ll pick the lesser of the two evils and go with Boston on this one.

Safety is an important issue, and that’s an understatement. Since FBI crime statistics for last year aren’t released until October, let’s look at 2006. Boston had 75 reported murders, while NYC had 596. Taking their populations into consideration, Boston had 13.3 murders per 100,000 people and N.Y. had 7.3. I don’t know about you, but I like my life. NYC wins this round hands down.

And what about food? Well, there’s New England clam chowder on the one hand and that famous N.Y. pizza on the other. To settle this one fairly, let’s hear the opinion of someone living geographically in the middle of the two, a person who’s also visited both cities.

‘That’s a tough one. I like New York pizza more because you can get clam chowder everywhere, but you can’t get New York pizza anywhere but New York,’ said Kendall Benewitz, a freshman communication and rhetorical studies major from Weston, Conn.

Score one for Gotham.

Now that I’ve pointed out contrasting proponents for each city, I want to know the best part of both places, the one thing that gives each its unique identity.

‘I like the atmosphere in Boston, but there’s a lot more to do in New York. Overall, I like New York City better,’ said Benewitz.

After all is said and done, the time for picking the best city has come. And the verdict is…

Did you honestly think I was going to pick one and risk getting jumped in the quad? No thanks. This particular tale of two cities has no definitive end. Enjoy the Super Bowl. I know I will.

Al Ortiz is a junior writing major. His columns appear every Friday. He can be reached at asortiz@syr.edu.

Published on January 31, 2008 at 12:00 pm