New York
New York City has something for everyone. It is North America's most cosmopolitan destination, and boasts of an artistic and cultural history that reigns supreme among American cities. It is fast paced, loud, and certainly never boring. Its sights and sounds are a glorious combination of everything imaginable. From Bohemian Greenwich Village to the elegant Upper East Side, the diversity here is sure to astound you.
Historic Battery Park is an educational mecca. Little Italy and Chinatown have marvelously maintained their immigrant population and heritage. Today they offer a cultural richness that is truly a gift to the city. Soho (South of Houston St.) and Tribeca (Triangle Below Canal St.) exist on the cutting edge of fashion and style, and are proof of an industrial area's potential for chic. Gramercy Park will make you feel as if you have somehow made your way to London. The Flatiron District has become famous for its technology boom, or Silicon Alley. Chelsea is a hip, European-feeling area that is home to many of New York's photography studios and galleries. These are just some of the city's gems, each offering a unique flavor and pace. Visitors could spend days in any one of them, but for the ultimate New York experience, make your trip a mélange of them all. To truly see the city could take a lifetime, but sampling from the bits and pieces of New York's variety is a treat for any tourist.
Orientation is key to navigating this city. Terms like uptown and downtown are literal descriptions referring to north and south. If you are south of your destination, locals will tell you to go uptown, and vice versa. The terms also refer vaguely to areas of the city. Uptown describes anywhere above lower Manhattan (north of about 34th St.), and downtown usually means lower Manhattan (34th St. and below) through Chelsea, which begins near 22nd St. You will also hear east side, and west side, referring to the areas above 59th St. that are on either side of Central Park.
Quebec City
Once you get north of Mexico, Quebec City is the only walled city in the world. This distinct characteristic is one of the unique facets that make Quebec City a magnificent place to visit. The atmosphere, official language, and culture of the town is French, and this becomes evident as you find out that 95% of the population of the city speaks in the native French tongue. Who are we to speculate, but it is most likely that this homogeneity is the reason why there are many fewer conflicts in Quebec City than in other, more diverse Canadian cities. Other regions such as Montreal constantly struggle over the French-English rivalry that has haunted the cities for decades, and is only getting worse. Meanwhile, the Anglophones (English-speaking Canadians) who migrate to Quebec City, adopt the French language and live in harmony with the rest of the citizens. The streets are safe and the locals are friendly, and the majority of the 648,000 citizens speak enough English to communicate with you effectively.
You should spend most of your time in the Vieux-Quebec district, which is the old walled portion of the city. Some of the best historical sights, restaurants and stores are here, and the surrounding architecture is glorious. The first colony in this region was built at Cape Diamond near the St. Lawrence River. This scenic area was home to traders, seamen, and merchants until the mid-1700?s, when a fire destroyed nearly everything. Thereafter, this portion of the city was rebuilt into a warehouse and wharf area, as the locals moved into much safer homes beyond the high cliffs of Quebec City. Over two hundred years later, the original Vieux-Quebec area is being rebuilt, with new cafes, entertainment, and shops to entice visitors. The ancient walled city is spectacular, and its location, overlooking the St. Lawrence River, is absolutely perfect. The air is fresh and the rustic granite houses beam with nostalgia, creating a lovely ambiance in picturesque Quebec City.
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