Before I arrived here in Italy, I flew from Austin to London and spent an amazing week there. Despite London being of quite the opposite nature and setting as what I’m accustomed to (a product of Texas and California through and through), there is an energy about that city that I decidedly love.
London is a city with character. Not warm and fuzzy and sunshiney like what I typically go for, but there is a very definable character to London town, and these very definable, almost easily-stereotyped and corresponding qualities about a city are what make up my list of favorite cities in the world.
Austin, for example, is most definitely one of them. If there were 10 photos of 10 random places in 10 different cities, I would know which one Austin is, regardless of how concrete or how vague the photo was. If you asked me the reason for this, I would say it’s because you can feel it, but for those of you who don’t believe in feeling (aherm, hippie haters), another way of saying this would be that Austin has such a highly unique personality, to the extent that its numerous elements– the people, the buildings, the streets, the art, the stores and restaurants, etc. — all have a common thread between them, and that is what defines the city. It is that feel, or that look, or that unidentifiable thing that you remember about the city.
Cities that lack this trait are the ones that do not interest me. Sorry, Houston.
Anyway, if you’ve ever spent some time in London, I bet you could pick out its photo from a pile as well. It’s that kind of city. Look-
Check this out for the full set.
