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I mean, there are are cities way better than New York that never sleep: Bangkok, Tokyo, Las Vegas. So saying that "they never had a food source like this one, the city that never sleeps." isn't exactly accurate.

Is it true that New York is such a unique feeding ground, and if so, why?

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    Explanation: there is no Statue of Liberty in Bangkok, Tokyo, or Las Vegas, that can appear and scare the crap out of everyone.
    – Gallifreyan
    Mar 3, 2017 at 9:44
  • @Gallifreyan I read that in the voice of HK-47
    – Doctor Two
    Mar 3, 2017 at 10:06
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    “there are are cities way better than New York that never sleep: Bangkok, Tokyo, Las Vegas” — in the 1940s?
    – Paul D. Waite
    Mar 3, 2017 at 10:12
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    @Paul D. White true. But I always thought that they were more prone to travelling through time than other alien creatures-- which might not be true. But, let's think back to the first Weeping angels episode on the show: Blink. They were in London in 2007. London in 2007 is a comparatively better food source than New York in the 1940s, yet nothing as drastic as what happens in The Angels Take Manhattan happens.
    – strawberries
    Mar 10, 2017 at 18:09
  • @Gallifreyan what does Liberty have to do with this? Angels' food source is people, not big statues.
    – strawberries
    Mar 10, 2017 at 18:10

3 Answers 3

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From the 1920s to roughly the 1960s, New York was the most heavily populated city on the planet. There were more people living there in that time period than anywhere else, including Bangkok, Tokyo and especially Las Vegas, which is like nearer to 25th most populated US city, even today.

Add in the fact that it's full of Americans and you have a super duper "city that never sleeps" food combo the Angels couldn't have found anywhere else on Earth for over 30 years, probably even longer considering New York is still the most heavily populated US city, and still in the Top 10 most populated cities today.

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    What does the ethnicity of the people in the city have anything to do with why New York is a better food source? The rest of your answer makes sense but that sentence doesn't make any sense.
    – WitchsFISTS
    Mar 3, 2017 at 14:29
  • I think it's true to say that overall Americans, especially during that time period, had an unrivalled ambition to expand and explore and to progress. It made them more active at all hours of the day and therefore easier to pick off without being seen, if you're an Angel.
    – DisturbedNeo
    Mar 3, 2017 at 14:39
  • I think New York being "The city that never sleeps" really does play a role as to why the Angels chose to go there over somewhere like Tokyo. In New York, there are a lot of people that don't go to bed at night.
    – DisturbedNeo
    Mar 3, 2017 at 14:40
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    I don't think that's a true statement at all. I think it is true that New York was more populous and busy than any other city at the time, but to say that Americans had more ambition to expand. The Japanese had a huge expansion and industrial revolution in conjunction with America and Europe leading up to WWII. Russia had increases in industrial production during and after WWII. China's industrial revolution took place during the 1950s and 60s.
    – WitchsFISTS
    Mar 3, 2017 at 14:48
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    Because there were only four of them barely getting enough food to survive? Hardly a powerful army. Also, because they were supposed to be a one-off, throw-away villain but then Moffat became head writer so all common sense about Weeping Angels went out the window along with everything else?
    – DisturbedNeo
    Mar 10, 2017 at 18:25
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According to the script, you are mistaken, the Doctor does not say New York is unique

RIVER: It's like they've taken over every statue in the city.

DOCTOR: The Angels take Manhattan because they can, because they've never had a food source like this one. The city that never sleeps. (Slow heavy footsteps outside the window.)

http://www.chakoteya.net/DoctorWho/33-5.htm

He is saying the Angels have never had a food source like New York, not that New York is unique. The statement does not say they couldn't have chosen Tokyo, or any other city - but for the angels a highly populated bustling city is a new experience. it just so happens they chose New York

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  • If they've never had a food source like it, then it is unique. You also don't answer what makes New York better than other cities as a food source
    – WitchsFISTS
    Mar 3, 2017 at 14:27
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    @Gandalf'sFISTS — No, it just means that the Angels haven't been to a city like it. Similar cities existing don't mean that the Angels both know about them and are able to travel to them.
    – Quentin
    Mar 3, 2017 at 14:40
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    @Gandalf'sFISTS the op has made a mistake. There's no question to answer
    – Doctor Two
    Mar 3, 2017 at 15:38
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    If might help if you think of it as being "Unique in their Experience." That's not the same as being Unique. Your first Hamburger from McDonald's would be unique in your (subjective) experience, and a food source you've never had.. not unique in any objective sense, tho.
    – K-H-W
    Mar 3, 2017 at 18:21
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    @strawberries no they don't.
    – Doctor Two
    Mar 13, 2017 at 18:02
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Other answers have pointed out that New York City is one of the largest cities in the world (although no longer the largest), and that the Doctor simply says this is the largest food source the Angels have had - not that it is the largest they could have.

I want to address the statement in the question that

there are are cities way better than New York that never sleep: Bangkok, Tokyo, Las Vegas.

Whether those other cities are better is a subjective question. However, the phrase "The city that never sleeps" is most closely associated with New York City through the Frank Sinatra song New York, New York

I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps

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