Who’s YOUR City? Blog

I love this city. It is filled with silence on one hand and full of life on the other…city of lights…awww… http://www.jkl.fi/cityoflight

Sent by Sofia from Jyväskylä

I was born in Barbastro, Huesca, studied architecture in Barcelona, worked as a student in Belgrade and since 1996 live in Bilbao so I really believe I am linked to the “B” cities. During this 13 years Bilbao has changed a lot, from an industrial, grey place in the North of Spain to the Guggenheim city. I love Bilbao, very quiet city, not so rainy in those days, close to the sea but also to the mountains, good food…

Sent by Cruz from Bilbao

Easy city. Water on 3 sides. Who cares what you make? What you drive? What you wear? Nobody here. Unpretentious. Great neighborhoods with personality. Grassroots spirit. Easy to meet people. Sunshine every day.

Sent by Wendy from St. Petersburg, FL

I live in Oslo because it is the only city in world where you can be just as close to the forest as to the sea within a radius of 10 km and still be able to indulge yourself in a buzzy nightlife with restaurants and bars, combined with a clean and nice environment! It is the best city to live:)

Sent by Ingrid from Oslo

Rosario es la mejor ciudad para vivir de toda la Argentina… Rosary is the best city to live of the whole Argentina…

Sent by Maxi from Rosario

Except for a couple of neighborhoods bordering downtown and three or four blocks near the beach (20 miles out from downtown), everything in Jacksonville is drab, ugly office-park suburban sprawl. Distances are such that more people drive more miles than even in other Sun Belt cities, let alone the rest of the world. Almost everyplace looks the same. Crime is not the worst in the United States, but not great either. The closest thing to a research university here is the University of North Florida, which is basically a local school. People are not at all well educated; generally very working-class and politically to the Right of Attilla the Hun (unless they are black). The only positives: 1) a few beautiful old neighborhoods near the St. Johns River near downtown2) cheap real estate (though not by Rust Belt standards- you can get a house in a decent inner-suburban area for under 0K, but just barely)- and of course the weather is a positive for some.

I live here because my work is very specialized and so its not easy to switch jobs.

Sent by Settling from Jacksonville, FL

Madrid is a dynamic city that is transforming itself rapidly. New parks are appearing where freeways used to be and renowned architects are reshaping and building important parts of the city. Madrid also has one of the largest museum districts in the world (El Prado, Thyssen and Reina Sofia) and it is the most multicultural city in Spain, with hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Latin America, Eastern Europe, China and other parts of the world.

Madrid’s inhabitants includes many of the elements that characterize the creative class: musicians from various parts of Spain, Latin America and Africa; it is the home of the majority of video game developers; thousands of educators who work at several top universities; scientists at public and private research centers; one of the largest gay districts in Europe; and a growing fashion industry.

In recent years, Madrid has duplicated its metro (subway) lines, creating one of the largest systems in the world. In addition, there are now numerous bike trails and plans for more.

You can now catch high speed trains to Sevilla, Malaga, Barcelona and other parts of Spain.

Not all is rosy, but every year, it gets better and better. I look forward to the new park that is being built along the Manzanares River (the M-30 freeway was transformed into an underground highway).

Sent by Angel from Madrid

Perth is physically a beautiful city. The outdoor landscape is gorgeous, it’s clean, the beaches are stunning and the river is magnetic. It’s not very hilly but there are some lovely rural areas close to the city. The lifestyle is laid back. There is plenty to do but you have to seek it out. My main criticism is that it lacks the energy and vibe of other cities; in winter, it’s closed. It’s alive in summer. In winter, everyone stays home. It’s called the ‘nanny state’ as the shops close at 6 pm, no drinking in the streets or after midnight, and there are loads of rules. The people tend to be judgemental of anyone enjoying themselves over the age of 30. There are limited outlets for older people who want to have fun. It’s great for bringing up a family or spending your adolescence at the beach. For employment, other than mining and resources, it is a long hard road to your ambition. There are limited avenues for publishing work; getting any freelance business up and running is a major achievement. The creative fields are generally underpaid.

Sent by Robin from Perth, Western Australia

Do you know that Vilnius Lithuania is the geographical center of Europe? In 1989, scientists of National Geographic Institute of France gave the description of the European geographic centre and, applying the scientific method of gravitation centres, appointed that this centre is,located in the North from Vilnius (26 km), near Purnuskes village. Weather is good this day in Vilnius. Tomorrow is expected a next good autumn day. We also have a lot of interesting things in Lithuania. When you are in southern Amerika or Europe or Asia, it is very hot in the summer, many of your people are coming to us. Many people come to Vilnius, Lithuania. You are very welcome here. I wish you happiness and success! Best Regards!

Sent by Vladimir from Vilnius, Lithuania

The more I travel to the great cities of the world the more I realize there is nothing quite like Halifax, Nova Scotia. Our homegrown arts, film, music scene springs up like unkempt wildflowers. We’re a city of hippies, government, bankers. A city of history and modernity. A city of beautiful architecture and bland sprawl. A city of plans and chaos. A city of sailors, students, and scoundrels. We’re not the biggest. We’re not even the best. But there’s nowhere I’ve seen that is quite like this place.

Sent by Paul from Halifax