Choosing a city of residence is not an easy task because each city is characterized by its own strengths and weaknesses. In this essay, I am going to compare two large cities one might consider as potential places of residence: Mexico City and Dallas. These cities have been selected for the comparison and contrast analysis because they offer two different life patterns for potential residents.
From the standpoint of the cost of living, Mexico City is relatively cheap with the average price for a monthly rent of furnished accommodations varying from approximately $700 to $1000. From the standpoint of cultural events, Mexico City is a “never-ending carnival”: the glorious atmosphere of Son Jarocho Music Festival as well as the extravagant performances of the Day of the Dead account for the unbelievable atmosphere created in the city. Finally, from the ecological point of view, Mexico City is an “urban forest” in the sense that its rich natural resources are often sacrificed with the view of urbanistic development.
From the cost of living perspective, Dallas is the most expensive city in Texas with the average price for a monthly rent of furnished accommodations reaching almost $2000 dollars. In terms of culture, Dallas is less attractive than the bright and colorful Mexico City. Some cultural animation is brought by such festivals as Lamar Street Festival, Big Texas Beer Fest, and Wildflower Festival. Yet, in contrast to Mexico City’s festivals, Dallas’s festivals are the Boston Film Festival in contrast to Oscar. From the ecological perspective, Dallas is “the least of the evils”: not as polluted as industrial Chicago yet not as clean as sunny San Diego.
It follows then that the choice towards this or the other city depends largely on one’s needs and interests. From my own perspective, I should make my mind in favor of Mexico City because of its cost and cultural advantages. Most importantly, Mexico City has a very strong and peculiar identity as opposed to Dallas that has many analogs throughout the USA.
It can be thus seen that the life patterns that Mexico City and Dallas offer, differ radically. I prefer Mexico City because of its unique cultural identity. In my opinion, this identity is of critical importance.
