Is Western Europe declining?

[Martinus]

Ok, this is purely anecdotal, but these days whenever I travel to Western Europe (recently, Spain, the Netherlands, the UK) I am having an impression that things - such as streets, coffee shops, restaurants, etc. - are actually more dirty, dodgy and lower quality than in Warsaw. Now, I know it's all relative and there are parts of Warsaw that are much worse than that, but I guess I am used to seeing everything being exponentially better in Western Europe than it is in Warsaw.

So the question from the thread title - because I don't think Poland has actually caught up so fast.

[Josquius]

I guess around your home you know where all the good places are and where the dumps are so only see the good places.
When you're a tourist its hit and miss.

[Martinus]

I guess around your home you know where all the good places are and where the dumps are so only see the good places.
When you're a tourist its hit and miss.

Still, I'm usually judging by, say, chain restaurants. Right now I'm at a Starbucks in Amsterdam's Hilton and it looks like dump compared to each of the Warsaw ones I have been to.

[Tamas]

Hilton is a dump in general compared to the lifestyle you can probably buy with your income in Warsaw.

And the best KFC I was in was in Krakow, the worst in Budapest, and so-so in various western cities.

OMG POLAND IS RULERING THE WORLD.

[Richard Hakluyt]

There might be a difference in the status of chain restaurants from country to country. I wouldn't dream of using Starbucks or KFC except when on the road for example, maybe my Polish equivalent would. OTOH, in Preston I use a private place called the mystery tea house which has simple excellent food and a wide range of speciality teas, it is owned and run by Poles 

[Brazen]

I would never go to a UK McDonalds but I rather enjoyed one in Paris, where I had a (Mc) goats cheese salad and a beer.

By the way Mart, I'm in Brussels for work tonight just off Avenue Louise. Can you remember where's good to hang out on your own? Not Starbucks...

[Brazen]

In answer to the question, UK high streets began their recent decline about the same time Polish immigration reached epic levels, so maybe the quality of the environment is inversely proportional to the local Polish population

[Razgovory]

Maybe you should go to nicer places in Western Europe.

[Tamas]

BTW that might be too.

There are certain people over here, altough shallow ones and on sharp decline, for whom places like McDonalds and such are nice places, since they cost a fortune, ergo THEY ARE PRESTIGOUS
While in western europe they seem to be frequented by the youth and the downtrodden.

[garbon]

I suppose that's one way of measuring the decline of civilization - looking at the standard of care put into chain restaurants.

[Josquius]

There might be a difference in the status of chain restaurants from country to country. I wouldn't dream of using Starbucks or KFC except when on the road for example, maybe my Polish equivalent would. OTOH, in Preston I use a private place called the mystery tea house which has simple excellent food and a wide range of speciality teas, it is owned and run by Poles 

Yeah, one man's cheap crap is another man's exotic luxury.
Japanese McDonalds is pretty decent, in the UK its bad and from what I hear in the US its even worse.
Starbucks in Korea I hear is a huge luxury.
On the flipside conveyorbelt sushi is really cheap (<£1 a plate) low class food here. Back home it is rather pricey.
In Poland I'd guess western chains are somewhat more upmarket?

[alfred russel]

Martinus, sometimes legacy plays a role. For example, Hiltons in Eastern Europe are probably much newer than those in Western Europe. A lot of people comment on how awesome Chinese infrastructure seems compared to what is in the west (eg, airports), but then those are often recently built while our airports have grown to their current sizes during a century of additions.

[alfred russel]

Martinus, but in general, I think you have a point. I think it is because Poland has limited immigration, which is prevelant in Western European cities.

[Ed Anger]

Places look shabby during economic downturns.

[Eddie Teach]

So the question from the thread title

Yes.