Could Shanghai Show Up Beijing?

by Josh Lew on

Beijing was in the world spotlight earlier this year when it hosted the Olympics. In 2010, it will be Shanghai‘s turn when it houses the World Expo. Despite not enjoying the media attention of the Olympics or FIFA World Cup, World Expos, a.k.a. World’s Fairs, have been held for over 100 years and hold a certain degree of cultural clout. Contingents of many nations come to showcase their industry and culture to the world. Chicago and London were both famous hosts of early World’s Fairs. Zaragoza, Spain had the 2008 version, which wrapped up last month after a 60 day run.

Shanghai is set for a bit more spotlight than Zaragoza, though. The ’10 World Expo will run for six months (May-October) and is expected to draw the largest number of visitors of any such event in history. They’ll have to beat 50 million attendees, the number set by Montreal in 1967.

But it isn’t about the numbers, really. Beijing got its chance in the spotlight with the Olympics. But Shanghai is China’s largest, most modern and wealthiest city. It is well on its way to regaining some of the glory it had as East Asia’s cultural heart in the 1920s. Many people consider Shanghai the only truly modern metropolis in the PRC. Its buildings, culture and economic power back up that hypothesis; as do features like a glut of modern architecture and one of the world’s largest subways. While the cameras won’t be trained on Shanghai for the entire 6 months, the city will have a chance to show that it is, in many ways, the face of modern China.

Best cities for a pub crawl?

by Abha Malpani on

On holiday, it’s not uncommon to consume large quantities of toxic beverages. An attempt to check out the city’s nightlife = an all-nighter pub crawl.

Some cities are just geared to allow for the most memorable crawls (assuming you remember stuff post getting plastered, which of course, isn’t the objective). Here are the Lonely Planet blog’s idea of a what entails a good pub crawl, here are mine:

  • A number of bars in the same area, so you can walk the whole way (or even crawl if necessary!).
  • No dress code. You have to be allowed to enter the places without stuck-up bouncers. Preferably, there shouldn’t be bouncers at all and you should be able to enter with flip-flops.
  • Cheap. Getting drunk, not remembering anything, AND not having any money left — not a good combination.
  • The places should be filled with locals rather than tourists.
  • Friendly bar tenders. Rude bar tenders with a chip on their shoulder for anyone out having fun while they are working, can ruin your night.
  • Bars with games, happy hours, and music. A little bit of research and you can find a cluster of bars with special drink offers and games to win them alongside music and/or jam sessions.

Basis these criteria, my favorite cities for a pub crawl — that believe it or not, fulfill at least 5 of the 6 points above, are:

  • Valencia, Spain
  • Madrid, Spain
  • Wollongong, Australia
  • Phi Phi Island, Thailand

What are your favorite cities for a pub crawl?

The World’s Sexiest Cities (That Are Still Secret … Shhh)

by Willy Volk on

I’m going to try to sneak this post in right here, real nonchalant-like. Why? Because the details are still secret.

MSN recently put together a list of the sexiest “secret” cities around. Apparently, they compiled the list so that you could “get a head start on your fellow travellers.” Cool, huh? And thoughtful? By the way, by “sexy” they mean bursting with culture — not filled with strip clubs. Anyway, the cities are:

Yeah, I know: Scottsdale. Whatever. The other seven sound pretty sexy, though.

Feel free to share this tip with your friends — but only the sexy ones. We’re trying to keep this a secret for as long as we can. We don’t want these sexy treasures filling up with the non-sexy. Eww.

Other sexiness:

America’s Rainiest Cities

by Willy Volk on

Recently, my wife and I were discussing places we’d like to live, and Seattle popped up. During our discussion, she worried that Seattle might be too gloomy, too overcast, and too rainy for us. I guess I’ll have to share with her this list, which ranks the rainiest cities in the US. Seattle doesn’t even crack the Top 10.

  1. Mobile, Alabama
  2. Pensacola, Florida
  3. New Orleans, Louisiana
  4. West Palm Beach, Florida
  5. Lafayette, Louisiana
  6. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  7. Miami, Florida
  8. Port Arthur, Texas
  9. Tallahassee, Florida
  10. Lake Charles, Louisiana

Amusingly, I live outside the fourth rainiest city (which is currently in its fifth week of water restrictions, thanks to a drought). Maybe it’s time to pack up and move to Seattle, after all.

Other rainy-day thoughts:

The Smartest (and Least Smart) Cities in the U.S.

by Willy Volk on

By analyzing Census data on educational achievement, Bizjournals developed a methodology wherein it ranked adults in nearly 16,000 cities, towns, villages, boroughs and unincorporated areas throughout the U.S. In the end, the methodology provided insight into the distribution of gray matter in America. Which big city proved to be brainiest? Seattle came out tops, with San Francisco and Austin followed close behind.

In terms of mid-sized communities, Arlington, Virginia, took first place. Ann Arbor, Michigan beat out the pack in the small cities category.

Of course, any time you rank the strongest, you necessarily have to rank the weakest. Which cities came in at the bottom?

For large communities, Miami edged out the competition. For medium communities, Santa Ana, California emerged the victor. For small communities, East Los Angeles took the top spot.

It’s important to note that whether a city is considered more or less smart should not affect your enjoyment of the place. Just because the city, as a whole, has less educational achievement doesn’t mean it’s dangerous, or boring, or not worthy of a visit. I just returned from Miami, for example, and I had an absolute blast! Moreover, Santa Ana has a rich history and lots of things to do.

If a community offers activities that you’re interested in, go for it! Don’t worry about statistics!

Get smarter:
* The Smart Traveler’s Passport
* World’s Most Expensive Cities
* The World’s Most Polite and Rude Cities