If you want big city appeal in North America without the oppressive hustle bustle, Boston is the place to be. The city has all the culture and attractions you can handle but lacks that element of claustrophobia so many other urban areas curse visitors with. The landscape of Boston is spread out, manageable and the city has a lot of history and charm.
With the recent phenomenal success of Boston sports teams - witness the Celtics, Red Sox and Patriots - the over 4 million people who live in the metro area are even more hospitable than ever. Just be sure not to wear a New York Yankees cap or Los Angeles Lakers jersey if you walk around at night.
Here are the top 10 attractions to visit while in Beantown.
Faneuil Hall Marketplace
A location near the waterfront and Government Center city square makes Faneuil Hall a wonderful vantage point for new visitors to Boston. The historic hall has been a cradle of political demonstration and a marketplace since the 18th century. As such, it offers splendid architecture from the era and houses shops and food stalls in the form of three distinct markets: Quincy, North and South.
Continue reading Top 10 Boston Attractions »
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A megalopolis of supreme magnitude, Tokyo is a bona fide monster. One trip is seldom sufficient to appreciate the city for what it is. Not one homogeneous region but rather, a cluster of districts or special wards, known as “ku” in Japanese. In fact, the administrative hegemony of Tokyo covers a full 23 wards, 26 city districts (”shi”), 5 towns (”machi”) and 8 villages (”mura”). As such, to the Japanese and especially to urban planners, Tokyo is not so much a city but a metropolitan prefecture.
Continue reading A Guide to Tokyo’s Districts I »
Ian Harrison
Our look at demography gone mad resumes as we round out the top 25 most explosive urban areas in the world. In terms of population growth of course, not actual explosions. The great fun with trend observations, of which this is certainly one, is to speculate on what is going to shape our world over the next generation. What nations are on the rise? Where will the new economic powers come from? What new spheres of influence and social forces will emerge?
A quick glance at this list in a vacuum will lead to several inferences. India for one, is a country to watch. As continents, Africa and South America may have the most potential for change and growth over the next century. Conspicuous in their absence are urban areas in Europe and North America. With population growth not exactly a harbinger of stability, what will that spell for their collective fate? All worthy of consideration as we plunge ahead with our top 25.
13. Kampala, Uganda
With a population of 1.2 million, the capital city of Uganda will grow so long as conditions outside of the urban vicinity lag. Most residents still identify with tribal roots above other considerations, as the city reconciles with a role as one of the most important financial capitals on the continent.
Continue reading Top 25 Fastest Growing Cities II »
Ian Harrison
Our walkabout through the vastness of London continues unabated with alphabetic precision. The boroughs, plentiful as they are, represent the best possible approach to tackle this prominent world capital. Too many trips to London have been marred by haphazard, sloppy touring, with sprints between the major monuments. As tourists check the Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace off their list, they desecrate what should be a precious experience and with it, lose the soul of the city.
London, like New York City, Paris and Tokyo, is much more than a cavalcade of familiar sights. Indeed, the very heart of the metropolis is in her neighbourhoods. The boroughs are the thing. On that note, on with our nifty guide, which includes the best possible deals on London hotels. Tally-ho!
Hammersmith and Fulham
The bustling inner London borough of Hammersmith and Fulham is a hotbed of young, single and upwardly mobile professionals. The posh home to Chelsea and Fulham football, the borough boasts some of the best restaurants in the city. If history is your bag, the area has it in spades, with Fulham Palace and the famous Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.
Continue reading A Guide to London’s Boroughs II »
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Shanghai is easily the largest city in the country of China and is known as well as the eighth largest city in the entire world. A city so large can easily hide some of the most amazing, unusual, and unique attractions known to man. While the rest of the world is focused on Beijing this summer, you are encouraged to take a few moments to explore the beauty that is Shanghai. We’ve gathered our five favorite aspects of Shanghai and hope you enjoy exploring them as much as we have.
1. Jewish Shanghai
Continue reading Top 5 Unusual Attractions in Shanghai »
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It never fails. Cultural misconceptions and discombobulations while on vacation in a strange new land. Certain mores and customs just never quite make it past the borders and thus, puzzle visitors and incite gales of laughter. This is who we are as humans. We find hilarity in our differences and base most of our humour on the fact that other people are not like us.
So what better way to ingratiate yourself to locals than to mock them? In particular the signs that line their roads, museums, landmarks and parks and prove impossible to decipher and translate. Our fourth installment of weird and wacky signs around the world takes a stab at doing just that.
Park sign in Beijing, China
We thought China’s goal was to increase tourism in anticipation of the Summer Games in Beijing. Surely this type of rampant municipal paranoia can only have the converse effect. Imagine your dismay as you attempt to stroll casually through this park in Beijing and instead, come across a sign that harkens back to the iron rule of Mao. No taxis, motorcycles and rifles? Strange, needless even, but a reasonable request nonetheless. But for the love of God, no trombones?
Continue reading Weird and Wacky Signs Around the World Part IV »
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My first ride on a motorcycle scared the living daylights out of me. Now, I’m constantly begging my friends for a ride and dream of the day I get my own bike and ride off into the sunset. Ok, maybe not into the sunset, but definitely to the closest motorcycle rally in my hometown.
Each year thousands upon thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts gather in some of the country’s wildest party spots to mingle, and of course ride, with their fellow bikers. Looking to plan your next bike trip? Consider one of these fabulous festivals:
1. Laconia Motorcycle Week
Continue reading The Top 10 Motorcycle Rallies »
Jennifer Gregory
The Beijing National Stadium, which is also referred to as simply the National Stadium or as the Bird’s Nest because of how it was built, is visually stunning and certain to become a culturally significant building. As such, the amazing building will be front and center during the upcoming 29th Olympiad and will host many of the events taking place this summer.
The impressive stadium was specifically built for the Olympic Green in Beijing. In fact, both the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2008 Summer Olympics are scheduled to be held at the stadium. It will also be the site for track and field and soccer events during the games. Therefore, if you are planning to go to Beijing in order to see the Olympics in person, you will likely spend some time inside this large stadium. If not, you will certainly catch a glimpse of it as you watch from the television at home.
The Design of the Beijing National Stadium
Continue reading The National Stadium in Beijing »
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Bizarre foods have been a focus of many shock television shows in the past. Today, you can find some new faces shredding such odd treats as lizards, ants, beetles, and - if the right circumstances arise - an entire animal could be consumed during a meal or two. You might think that being bombarded with all of these strange and sometime disgusting television images would be enough to prepare you for what you will find in Beijing. But, more than likely, you will still find yourself feeling a little bit shocked by what on the menu in Beijing.
It may sound silly to classify a city with a metropolitan area of 20 million people as under the radar but in many respects, this is where Mexico City stands. Admit it or not, there is a bias in global tourism in favor of certain nations and while resort areas in Mexico thrive, the capital city could stand to welcome more admiration.
Mexico City is in supreme position to do so, with more available attractions than one can appreciate in a fortnight. Loads of terrific hotels as well. With that in mind, our look at the Top 15 resumes.
Continue reading Top 15 Mexico City Attractions Part II »
Ian Harrison
