I looked at some of my old lists of favorite cities and I feel like my opinion has changed quite a bit since posting those other blogs. In the old lists I did a top 5 favorite city but it was based on country so I had places grouped together by American cities, British cities, and Irish cities. This time I want to do a top 10 of my favorite places from all over the world. I haven't traveled as much as I would like to yet but I've been to a couple different countries and within those countries I've seen quite a few cities. Without further ado here is my updated list for 2013.
10.)
Las Vegas,
Nevada - I've been there about 6 or 7 times, mostly while I was living in California and it is one of the few American cities in my opinion that truly lives up to its name (Sin City). I'd gladly go back another 6 times.
9.)
Grenoble, France - It was 2010 when I went to this French city by TGV (high speed train) and it still holds a very special place in my mind. The fort on the top of the mountain where you can get great views of the city and see as far away as Mont Blanc made the entire three week trip worth it alone.
8.)
Amsterdam, Netherlands - The first time I went to this Dutch city in 2010 I left with a not so positive view of the city. It was a very rushed affair and I saw a lot in a very short time. This last time that I went back in 2012 I left with a much better opinion. It's a very interesting city with a million things to do, I could easily go back and spend a week exploring it in the future.
7.)
Belfast, Northern Ireland - When I first got to Ireland in 2006 I wanted to visit Belfast, but I didn't actually go until 2012 for the first time. To explain why it's so high on my list I simply need to say I've been back another 5 times since February 2012. It has a great nightlife, and the city centre is beautiful especially the City Hall building. Every time I go back I find hidden gems there like Queen Mary park the last time which has an aesthetically pleasing waterfall.
6.)
Montreal, Canada - I went to Montreal a few times as child with my parents but it wasn't until 2004 when I went back with friends that I realised all the city had to offer. It is one of my favorite North American cities and if it was in the United States I probably would have considered moving there. It has the perfect blend of European and American styles in everything down to the languages spoken there.
5.)
Boston, Massachusetts - Boston will always be special to me because it's where I went from being a child into the first stages of adulthood. I was 17 when I moved there for University and 22 by the time I left. It's a lot like Montreal in the sense that it too has a very European flavor to it. In 4 and a half years there I think I saw just about every inch of the city, sometimes taking the train to the very end and getting off in Revere just because I could.
4.)
Paris, France - I've visited Paris three times and every trip there was slightly different from the others. My favorite was the most recent one in 2010 when I managed to catch the best weather of the year. It was sunny for the entire 4 days there, and seeing Paris in the sunlight made it look amazing. The buildings the monuments, even the river Seine seemed to sparkle magnificently. It's a place I'd highly recommend to anyone.
3.)
Toronto, Canada - My love affair with Toronto goes back to when me and my family first drove up there in the late 90's to visit relatives. I've been back many times since then and it's definitely one of my favorite cities. I have said it many times and people usually scoff at this comment but It's Canada's answer to New York and London. It has absolutely everything you could want in a city and friendly locals on top of it. It was voted the most cosmopolitan in the world a few times in the last decade as well and that is one of the most noticeable things when you first arrive there.
2.)
Cork city, Ireland - Perhaps the biggest surprise to most people on this list, but if you know me well you know how I feel about Cork. If Boston was the beginning of my transformation into an adult it was in Cork where the process was completed and I became the person I am today. It's a small city of only about 120,000 people but it has the flair of a big city and it will always feel like home to me.
1.)
London, England - The centre of the universe, the best city in the world to me. London has it all hands down. I told my mother that I was going to move to London before my 10th birthday and I haven't moved there yet but I have visited it about 8 times so far and there is still so much more left to see and do there. I will be there again at the end of May for a few days and I'm already excited about that.
Apologies to these other cities that were very close to making my list... Leeds, Dublin, Austin, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Lille, New York
Perhaps they will make the next version of the list.
