Our decision to not spend our time on our grand tour ticking off top ten tourist sights, saw us happily, and often aimlessly, exploring off-the-beaten-track neighbourhoods – 100% guilt-free.
We spent a lot of hours ambling around backstreets, taking in the atmosphere of places and seeing how people live their lives, continually delighting in the extraordinary contrasts and nuanced differences in the ebb and flow and rhythm of life of communities around the world.
The world is not the same. People lively differently to each other from country to country, city to village, street to street, and from house to house. Rush through a place in a few days and you probably won’t notice but settle in for a while, and you’ll appreciate the subtle differences that make everyday neighbourhoods such fascinating places to explore. These are my favourites:
1. Tokyo – for the neon lights of its village-like neighbourhoods successfully masquerading as big city suburbs; for the atmospheric alleyways of yakitori eateries in
Omoide Yokocho (Memory Lane) in Shinjuku; for the gritty lanes lined with teensy late night bars in the
Golden Gai; and for the quaint ‘shitamachi’ quarter with its antique wooden houses and little old ladies in aprons watering plants in leafy
Asakusa.
2. Marrakech – for the fact that we can still get wonderfully lost in the
old medina’s dusty lanes, even after countless visits; for the frenetic market street of
Rue Bab Doukkala that was our home for two weeks; and for the main square, the
Djemaa al Fna, with its smoky food stalls, storytellers, and snake-charmers, that is the locals’ nightly amusement park.
3. Venice – for the ease with which it’s possible to still get off the beaten track in areas like the Dorsoduro,
Cannaregio and Castello in one of the world’s most touristy cities; for the exquisite
architectural details and artistic beauty that are everywhere, even in places you don’t expect them to be; for the
local markets where the Venetians shop (including the city’s
chefs and restaurant owners) for fresh produce every morning; and because it’s possible to live in an everyday neighbourhood even on an extraordinary waterway such as the
Grand Canal. Locals have bought seafood, sipped a
spritz, met their friends and gone home before most tourists have finished their hotel breakfast.
4. Istanbul – for the mass of humanity that streams down the main street of
Beyoğlu, Iskiklal Cadessi, Istanbul’s entertainment, shopping and cultural centre; for the hundreds of pedestrian lanes that lead off it, lined with shops, markets, restaurants, cafés, bars, pubs, clubs, music venues, theatres, and galleries; and for the
backstreets that come alive after dark when backgammon boards are packed away, Turkish coffees are replaced with beers, the tables outside the bars fill with friends, and the narghile guy starts to
really earn his living.
5. Buenos Aires – for the
vibrant street art that enlivens drab walls and gives neighbourhoods like Palermo Soho and Palermo Hollywood their edgy vibe; for the abundance of
parks and gardens across the city that get the locals outside and on the grass, picnicking, sunbathing and snoozing the moment the sun comes out; for the
fascinating markets across the city in cobblestoned quarters neighbourhoods like Palermo Soho and San Telmo; and for the civilized local lifestyle that involves plenty of lingering in cafés and bars, late dinners, and long nights out.
6. Rio de Janeiro – for the laidback beachside suburbs like
Ipanema, where locals spend their life on the sand, sipping coconuts and working on their tans; for the classic
botecos, the everyday neighbourhood bars, for their tasty, affordable food, friendly staff and
low key live music; and for the small, spontaneous
street festivals (though they’re no Carnival) that spring up unexpectedly. In Rio, there is always
something going on, you just have to find it.
7. Mexico City – because the city’s main plaza,
the Zocalo, where there is always something happening, hasn’t given way to tourists in the way that so many other main squares around the world have; for the
street food stalls, smelling of corn tortillas, that are liberally sprinkled throughout the city; for
Plaza Garibaldi, home to the city’s mariachis, that makes for one of the best night’s out; and because everywhere is off-the-beaten-track in a way in one of the world’s most underrated metropolises.
8. Berlin – for its laidback bohemian East Berlin ’burbs like
Prenzlauer Berg with their vintage clothes stores and retro furniture stores; for the neighbood’s countless, Speakeasy-style,
late night bars and clubs with their easygoing locals propping up the bars; and for Prenzlauer Berg’s lively
Sunday fleamarket in the Mauerpark with its vinyl record stands, Soviet memorabilia, and, in the warmer months, karaoke concerts.
9. Paris – for its arty, bohemian ‘village’ of
Montmartre, one of the city’s most widely misrepresented and misunderstood quarters; for the
multicultural neighbourhoods just over the hill, with their exotic Middle Eastern and North African vibe; and for the ordinary Parisians who continue to
enjoy their city in simple ways – reading books, going for strolls, picnics on the Seine – despite it being overran with tourists.
10. New York City – for the colourful characters, arty eccentrics, and committed activists who keep the gritty neighbourhoods of the
East Village and the Lower East Side real; for the urban oases that are the neighbourhood’s secret
community gardens and the passionate locals who tend to them; and for the
immigrant history of the Lower East Side that has made this area one of the city’s most compelling.
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19 comments
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Risamay
February 19, 2011 at 2:08 pm (UTC 10) Link to this comment
What a list. What a collection of trips!
Lara Dunston
February 19, 2011 at 10:18 pm (UTC 10) Link to this comment
Thanks! It’s essentially been one long trip – and it’s been amazing. Thanks for dropping by!
Jessica
February 20, 2011 at 4:01 pm (UTC 10) Link to this comment
Great compilation of the best of the best. You hit on a lot of my favorites, from the quiet canals in Cannaregio to Memory Lane in Tokyo, as well as the East Village and Montmartre. I’ll keep this bookmarked for my next trips.
laradunston
February 20, 2011 at 9:10 pm (UTC 10) Link to this comment
Hi Jessica – thanks! Don’t hesitate to get back to us if you ever need more specific tips. Always happy to help!
Risamay
February 20, 2011 at 4:02 pm (UTC 10) Link to this comment
Via one of my favorite Paris and travel blogs – Prêt à Voyager – I read three interviews (tnooz, traveling-savage, travelblather) that you gave about GranTourismo, how the project came about, how you secured funding for the year, etc. Kudos, the interviews were fantastic. You and your husband are very generous with your time and sharing detailed information that is a great help to your fellow travel-loving writers and photographers.
I have a day job and dream of making a living from my photos, while traveling, of course, but am very hesitant to pitch ideas and “take the leap” from part-time passion to full-time freelancer. I’m mortified of failure, but feel that – somehow, someday – I need to really give “it” a go.
You are a true inspiration. If I manage to achieve a soupçon of your success, I will be thrilled. Cheers.
laradunston
February 20, 2011 at 9:14 pm (UTC 10) Link to this comment
Hi Risamay – merci for the kind words!
We always advise people not to give up their day jobs in the beginning. We both did other things for years while we wrote part-time, then one of us made the shift to full-time travel writing first (Terence), then, once we had a year’s worth of commissions lined up, I made the shift.
Maintain your steady income stream while you slowly start to pitch, then you have nothing to fear and nothing to lose. Then once you’ve established yourself, take the risk. Trust us, it’s worth it. Best of luck!
Risamay
February 20, 2011 at 11:25 pm (UTC 10) Link to this comment
Thanks. And will do! My current plan definitely errs on the side of caution and is longer term … I’m 36 and have a happy, steady (and travel-related) day job and am angling (and saving) to travel for a year at 40. In the meantime, I continue to travel once or twice each year on shorter trips (don’t get me started on how brief American paid-leave packages are, even when “generous”).
Ben Alcock
February 21, 2011 at 5:36 pm (UTC 10) Link to this comment
Such a lovely post.
Totally my kind of experience…give me an afternoon lost in Montmartre over happy snaps at the Eiffel Tower any day.
A personal fave of mine is Hong Kong’s Mong Kok. It’s always “on” and an incredible, frantic assault on all the senses. I love the way you can be in the scented lobby of a sparkling, 21st-century high-tech hotel one minute, and in a pungent “wet market” amongst fish heads and bladders the next.
Brilliant.
Terence Carter
February 21, 2011 at 5:47 pm (UTC 10) Link to this comment
Hey Ben, Hong Kong is a place we wished we could have included on the trip. We need to go back there!
T
mvmaithai
February 22, 2011 at 6:57 pm (UTC 10) Link to this comment
Fascinating indeed. I’m surprised you didn’t include a city from Spain. Your posts on that country intrigued me.
I have enjoyed your postings from around the world; I’ve learned a lot traveling along with you. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to participate in the monthly competitions. Even though I didn’t win, it has made me a better writer (my opinion, of course).
Lara Dunston
March 6, 2011 at 5:26 am (UTC 10) Link to this comment
Thank you! I almost included Barcelona’s neighbourhoods and the Gracia where we stayed, but something had to give…
Thank you for your kind words also. I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed the competitions and sorry you didn’t win, but who knows, the judges scores aren’t all in yet for the last competition, for which we expect to make an announcement tomorrow. We will continue to host competitions occasionally. More on that soon…
Irina Sazonova
February 26, 2011 at 1:08 am (UTC 10) Link to this comment
Ah, gotta love the neighborhoods. Love Berlin especially.
Lara Dunston
March 6, 2011 at 5:32 am (UTC 10) Link to this comment
Yeah, we loved Berlin and Prenzlauer Berg – wonderful ‘hood!
Katherina
March 3, 2011 at 2:55 pm (UTC 10) Link to this comment
I loved Palermo Soho, even though I stayed only for a weekend. It’s on my list of places to live (not visit – live!). I liked it’s mixture between classical argentinian and somewhat bohemian european style, the street art, the people, the cafes, the bars… everything.
Montmartre is very beautiful, too. But I wouldn’t really recommend it by night, as some parts of if aren’t that safe.
And what to say about East Village… it was my most recent adventure back in January, and loved it!
Thanks for the recap, I enjoyed traveling through these neighborhoods with your post!
Lara Dunston
March 6, 2011 at 5:41 am (UTC 10) Link to this comment
Agree! We love Palermo Soho (and Hollywood – and good old Palermo too) – we’ve going for years and we’re torn between the Palermos and San Telmo.
The area we stayed in at Montmartre was safe, though you should take care around the strip clubs and the seedier part of Pigalle late at night for sure. The East Village also has its dangerous bits too of course, around the eastern edge of Alphabet City, but it’s our most favourite part of New York City.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post! Thanks for dropping by!
Bobbi Lee Hitchon
October 28, 2011 at 9:29 am (UTC 10) Link to this comment
Absolutely in love with Venice, Berlin and Paris, only been to NYC besides that. There is something so special about Venice though. It’s like once you get lost in the city streets, and you will, you get lost in time. Loved it there. Can’t wait to go back and explore some more.
Lara Dunston
October 28, 2011 at 4:23 pm (UTC 10) Link to this comment
Hi Bobbi – totally agree re Venice – just a magical place. Thanks for visiting!
Julie McNamee
January 20, 2012 at 6:52 pm (UTC 10) Link to this comment
Mmmm – not sure I agree that Montmartre is misrepresented. I still see it as a tourist rip-off area with lots of bad art and I’ve been going there for years. I love your blog, though and hope I get to see all the places you’ve visited.
Lara Dunston
January 20, 2012 at 7:52 pm (UTC 10) Link to this comment
Hi Julie – thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated.
Re Montmartre, you’re probably thinking of that narrow area from Metro Anvers up the hill to Sacre Coeur and those tourist-heavy lanes nearby centred on and around Rue Rustique with the dreadful ‘art’ market on Place de Tertre. Also, during the day, Pl. Saint-Pere and Rue d’Orsel see quite a lot of tourists. As does Rue Lepic (from Metro Blanche near the Moulin Rouge) because they’re all going to see the cafe that the movie Amelie made famous.
But there’s a whole lot more to Montmartre than that. We had a Parisian friend who we used to stay with years ago who lived on the other side of the hill on Rue Joseph de Maistre, close to Metro Guy Moquet – that area *never* sees tourists. Nor does the area beyond the basilica, around Rue Caulaincourt and Custine, which is quite posh – white upper-middle class French – and then the area around the hill toward Barbes, which is very working class and multicultural, home to many North Africans.
In fact, on our last trip we were in a rental apartment on Rue des Abbesses for two weeks and after dark we’d rarely see tourists, even at restaurants on and around Rue des Abbesses – if they were foreign, they were most probably expats, speaking French and having dinner with their Parisian friends.
There’s some serious art there too. We did this wonderful walk with Context (see here: http://grantourismotravels.com/2010/04/22/an-amble-around-arty-montmartre/) with a local artist and she took us to her own studio as well as pointed out other art studios, so there is a real art scene there too. She says the same thing about Montmartre, which is also her home: http://grantourismotravels.com/2010/04/25/local-knowledge-marie-theres-from-montmartre/
Hopefully the next trip, you’ll discover these areas too