In New York, people don't really care if their photo is taken, as it's expected and the city is considered like a 'street theatre' where the sidewalk is the stage. However, in Paris, people are not as willing to have their photo taken, creating a contrasting attitude towards street photography between the two cities. The speaker also shares a personal reflection on how he sees Paris as a beautiful facade with less depth, while New York is compared to a grumpy old man, but with deeper layers beneath the surface.