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Can you please help me rewrite this sentence into another easily understandable phrase?

"This city admits no near equal".

The sentence comes from a travel video I've been watching, in which the representer was in New York city. While being at the Grand Central Depot, he said through an old guide book whose author was Appleton:

"It's been replaced by a lofty temple, a building of such elegance, sophistication and grandeur that the Big Apple says 'I don't care where you've been before, this city admits no near equal'".

I've took a try for a while but it seems the whole sentence can hardly be translated exactly into my native words (Vietnamese) by anyhow. To be honest, I really wanted to ask "what does this sentence mean", but it seems silly.

Also, I'm wondering if I used it correctly: "easily understandable" or "easily understood"? Is there other single word which delivers the same meaning?

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    I think more context is required for translation.
    – snoram
    Feb 22 '16 at 8:48
  • I'm sorry about that. The sentence comes from a travel video I've been watching, in which the representer was in New York city. While being at the Grand Central Depot, he said through an old guide book whose author was Appleton: "It's been replaced by a lofty temple, a building of such elegance, sophistication and grandeur that the Big Apple says 'I don't care where you've been before, this city admits no near equal'". Does it help much?
    – gnoulv
    Feb 22 '16 at 9:22
  • It placed in my very first question above, in my question post actually.
    – gnoulv
    Feb 22 '16 at 9:28
  • @Peter I'm sorry I've just noticed that. Please check again my edited post above.
    – gnoulv
    Feb 22 '16 at 9:33
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Equivalent phrases for

I don't care where you've been before, this city admits (to) no near equals.

are

I don't care where you've been before, this city is by far the best.
I don't care where you've been before, this city is head and shoulders above the rest.
I don't care where you've been before, this city is without peer.

The use of no near equal means the New York City is by far a better city.

Grand Central Station is an impressive station indeed here Your use of easily understandable is correct.

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To admit {something} can mean literally "to allow {something} to enter".

A ticket to the movies or to an amusement park might say "ADMIT ONE".

A judge can "admit evidence", that is, allow evidence to be entered as part of the official record.

The meaning "to allow in" can be used figuratively.

The city will not allow the notion to enter the mind (its mind or our minds), that another city is its equal.

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  • Yes, it would've certainly been away more understandable if he'd used "allow" instead. Thank you for suggestion. By the way, may I just ask one more question, what does the following sentence mean? "No money has changed hands this evening". It's from the video, too, when the representer ended a dinner he was having with his companion. I thought it literally means "I'll get the bill this time", does it so?
    – gnoulv
    Feb 22 '16 at 17:57
  • No money has changed hands means literally that money has not gone from one person's hands to the hands of another person. No one has given or received any money.
    – Tᴚoɯɐuo
    Feb 22 '16 at 18:10

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