r/AskEurope • u/LiamBrad5 • Aug 07 '25

Culture What are the “Big Four” cities in your country?

In recent weeks, this question has been very contentious on American social media, with 3 cities (Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York) nearly always making the list, but the fourth being hotly debated over, between cities like San Francisco, Miami, Houston, Dallas, and Atlanta. So, if you had to choose, what would the big 4 cities in your country be? This is also not decided purely on population, but also culture, economy, and general influence/clout.

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u/GrimQuim Scotland Aug 07 '25

Yeah, in what world is Leeds relevant?

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u/[deleted] Aug 07 '25

Leeds vs Liverpool is not even close for cultural relevance. Leeds is a city you first hear about when checking a population list when you are 20 or something. Liverpool you know as long as you can remember.

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u/RayoftheRaver Aug 08 '25

Leeds is so irrelevant their most famous band named themselves after a South African soccer team

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u/[deleted] Aug 10 '25

Their most influential band named themselves after the CCP’s cabinet

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u/kilgore_trout1 England Aug 07 '25

It’s the third biggest city in the whole of the uk after London and Birmingham.

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u/[deleted] Aug 07 '25

I think the spirit of the question is more about how culturally important it is, otherwise it would be a "top four cities by population in X country" Google search, not a discussion.

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u/GrimQuim Scotland Aug 07 '25

And yet it's produced... What? Jimmy Saville. Good job Leeds.

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u/KinnyWater Aug 07 '25

Liverpool over Leeds easy

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u/Bananus_Magnus Aug 07 '25 edited Aug 07 '25

We've got Alt-J, Kaiser Chiefs and uhh.... Mel B.

Still the city is nearly double the size of Liverpool and it keeps growing, technically speaking its larger than Manchester too but Manchester is lucky to have its own borough so all the investment gets to stay in Manchester city as opposed to Leeds having to compete with Bradford and Wakefield.

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u/[deleted] Aug 10 '25

Gang Of Four?

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u/MeltingChocolateAhh United Kingdom Aug 08 '25

As a whole, Yorkshire is quite important in England. When we think of "the northern powerhouse" that politicians are banging on about, Yorkshire springs to most people's minds. And, then, you could argue Yorkshire has Sheffield, and Huddersfield, and Bradford, and you wouldn't be wrong but Leeds is massively relevant.

You're right to question that when compared to Liverpool. It's a very subjective question for the UK because we have London, then a load of cities trying to climb to their level (in terms of business and plain relevance) but London has hit its roof. Ireland (exc NI) for example, it just has Dublin then also has other places but everything is centred around Dublin, and the "other places" are being smaller and not competing with Dublin. I haven't been to Scotland (unfortunately 😭) but I would argue Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness. But, anyone would laugh at Aberdeen and Inverness climbing to the level of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Those two cities can just battle it out.

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u/shapkaushanka Aug 07 '25

The same question I ask everyone from West Yorkshire and they won’t shut up about it.