City Of The Day

[Deleted]

Jun 14, 2012 2:45:32 GMT -5 FreakyFlyBry said:

With the 1904 World's Fair, the Olympics were actually also held in St. Louis that year.

Another good fact I should have included. St. Louis seemed to be much more of an "important" city back in the old days.

Jun 14, 2012 2:45:32 GMT -5 FreakyFlyBry said:

I'm sure there are some areas outside the city itself but within the metro area that are REALLY dangerous, I've heard East St. Louis especially is quite scary.

Yeah, across the river in East St. Louis is pretty infamous for being one of America's worst towns. Anyone passing through on Interstate 70 is strongly advised to not get off the freeway in that area.

Jun 14, 2012 2:45:32 GMT -5 FreakyFlyBry said:

Would love to see one of their sports teams in action as well. Kinda surprised they don't have an NBA team too!

I would have wanted to see the Rams back in in the day when they were "the greatest show on turf." It is surprising that St. Louis doesn't have an NBA team, since Kansas City doesn't have one either.

[Deleted]

June 15th, 2012 - Berlin, Germany











A couple views of Berlin Hauptbahnhof, or Central Station:





Cool view of a residential area of Berlin:



The television tower known as Berliner Fernsehturm:



A classic view of the Berlin Wall, as viewed from West Germany in 1986:



A piece of the Berlin Wall now serving a much different purpose. There are many of these seen throughout Berlin:



7 Facts About Berlin:

1) With over 3.5 million residents, Berlin is the most populated city in Germany. The only cities in Europe with larger populations are Istanbul, Moscow, London and St. Petersburg.

2) Berlin is one of few major cities in the world to have an openly gay mayor. Mayor Klaus Wowereit coined the phrase "I'm gay, and that's a good thing" in Germany.

3) There are an estimated 1,700 bridges in the city!

4) Berlin was the stage for the last major European battle of World War II, fittingly titled the Battle of Berlin. The Soviets defeated the Germans, and Berlin was destroyed even more than it already had been.

5) The city is perhaps most famous for the Berlin Wall, which divided the city from 1961-1989. The wall became an iconic symbol of the "Iron Curtain" that divided Western Europe from the Eastern Bloc for so many years.

6) People from over 184 countries are currently living in Berlin.

7) Germany is the largest rail hub in Europe, thanks to Berlin Hauptbahnhof, a giant train station and shopping area.

[FreakyFlyBry]

Berlin would definitely be a very fascinating city to visit, especially because of all the history there. Just the feeling of walking by the Brandenburg Gate would be surreal! Easily one of those European capitals that just has to be seen, I'm sure of it.

It's amazing how just a generation ago, it was heavily armed and divided by the wall, and now it's wide open... things changed VERY fast there in 1989, and really was the catalyst of a lot more change in Europe.

They'll be getting a new airport in 2013 as well, which will definitely facilitate air travel there (of course, it's quite easy to get to anyway!)

[Deleted]

July 16th, 2012 - Iqaluit, Nunavut, Canada













Yes, it is indeed a Subway restaurant:



A bus stop in Iqaluit:



The bus:





A storm in January 2011:



The road to nowhere:



Where it leads:



The Aurora Borealis as seen from Iqaluit:




6 Facts About Iqaluit:

1) Iqaluit is the capital and largest community of Canada's most uncharted Territory, Nunavut. The 2011 population was a modest 6,699, but it is one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada.

2) The city was originally founded as an American airbase in 1942, and was known as Frobisher Bay (named after the nearby body of water). It wasn't until 1987 that it was officially renamed Nunavut, which is Inuktitut for "place of many fish."

3) It is the only capital in Canada to not be connected to other cities via highway.

4) As you would expect, Iqaluit is very cold. For four months out of the year (December-March), the average daily high temperatures are below 0F (-18C). The average low during the coldest month of February is a bone-chilling -26F (-32C). The all-time low for the city is -50F (-46C). Wind chills as low as -66C have been reported here.

5) Nunavut became an official Territory on April 1, 1999, and Iqaluit had been pre-selected to be its capital.

6) July is the warmest month, with highs in the lower 50s (around 12C). However, beware of mosquitoes during this month as they can be relentless.


I would like to thank this web page because without it I would not have many good photos of the city to post. I realize they are almost a decade old, but there aren't many photos of this largely unknown city.

[FreakyFlyBry]

And I thought it was cold here... but Iqaluit really re-defines cold!

If I were to ever go there, I'd surely go in the summer, for the same reason as a lot of other northern cities. I'd imagine it's a very traditional Inuit town given their population is mostly Inuit, so there'd be somewhat of a culture shock!

Had no idea there was a Subway even in a place as remote as Nunavut!

[mikeespinho]

A lot of interesting cities you have chosen for "The city of the day" until now. I haven't visited any of these cities. Even Berlin, but this is definitely a place where I would like to go in the future.

Thankfully I haven't been at such a cold place like Iqaluit, because I prefere more the summer and I often thought that the Austrian winter is cold enough for me.

[Deleted]

Jun 16, 2012 3:18:03 GMT -5 FreakyFlyBry said:

And I thought it was cold here... but Iqaluit really re-defines cold!

If I were to ever go there, I'd surely go in the summer, for the same reason as a lot of other northern cities. I'd imagine it's a very traditional Inuit town given their population is mostly Inuit, so there'd be somewhat of a culture shock!

Had no idea there was a Subway even in a place as remote as Nunavut!

Yeah, their temperatures are crazy. Very rarely does it dip below 0F where I live, even at night. The thought it of it staying below 0 for weeks or even months on end is crazy, and the added fact that there is no real daylight for much of the winter makes it even more other-worldly.

The fact that the population is mostly Inuit made me even more surprised they had a Subway.

Jun 16, 2012 4:53:15 GMT -5 mikeespinho said:

A lot of interesting cities you have chosen for "The city of the day" until now. I haven't visited any of these cities. Even Berlin, but this is definitely a place where I would like to go in the future.

Thankfully I haven't been at such a cold place like Iqaluit, because I prefere more the summer and I often thought that the Austrian winter is cold enough for me.

Thanks for checking it out! I haven't been to any of them either, but I would like definitely like to visit some of them. Do you think you will go to Berlin anytime soon?

And yeah, the winter in Iqaluit is crazy. I don't think people can ever get used to that kind of cold.

[mikeespinho]

Jun 16, 2012 15:30:57 GMT -5 @bestintheworld said:

Thanks for checking it out! I haven't been to any of them either, but I would like definitely like to visit some of them. Do you think you will go to Berlin anytime soon?

And yeah, the winter in Iqaluit is crazy. I don't think people can ever get used to that kind of cold.

It's possible to get there this summer and maybe I would visit Dresden and Leipzig too.

[FreakyFlyBry]

Jun 17, 2012 3:26:42 GMT -5 mikeespinho said:

Jun 16, 2012 15:30:57 GMT -5 @bestintheworld said:

Thanks for checking it out! I haven't been to any of them either, but I would like definitely like to visit some of them. Do you think you will go to Berlin anytime soon?

And yeah, the winter in Iqaluit is crazy. I don't think people can ever get used to that kind of cold.

It's possible to get there this summer and maybe I would visit Dresden and Leipzig too.

You're very fortunate that, living in Austria, you're close to so many other historic European countries. Makes me jealous! And especially since you can visit so many without border controls! I remember back in 2006 visiting France and Germany and everything just changed going across the Rhine, it felt so different, and to have so many historic countries in such a small area really is something people from large countries like Canada and the USA envy! I guess that's one reason why we often refer to our provinces and states individually; that, and since both are federal countries, that the individual units can often have differing laws from each other.

Now, KP, what will be the next featured city?

[Deleted]

July17th, 2012 - Dubai, United Arab Emirates













Burj Khalifa, the tallest manmade structure in the world:





The Deira Clocktower:



The Dubai 7-Star Hotel:



A room inside the hotel:



Dubai's indoor ski resort, Ski Dubai:



A defining picture of how Islamic and Western cultures cross in Dubai:



A picture that has been circulating recently. Dubai is considering a crackdown on "immodest dress":



One of the many parks:




7 Facts About Dubai:

1) Dubai is the name of one of the seven emirates, as well as a city inside that emirate. The metro area is home to nearly 4 million people, close to 85% of which are expatriates. UAE Nationals are a minority in Dubai, with Indians and Pakistanis making up the bulk of the population.

2) Dubai is home to the world's largest mall, fittingly titled Dubai Mall.

3) Unless you are a true fan of sweltering hot weather, visiting the city anywhere from April-October isn't a good idea. Average highs during the warmest month of August are a steamy 106F (41C). Summer days with lower temperatures can often be very humid, which is even more dangerous. The winter season sees tourist-friendly weather with average highs around 25C (70s F).

4) Some ideas as to how Dubai has grown:

• The population has doubled since 1995.
  
• In 1991, there was only one skyscraper in Dubai. Today there are about 400!
  
• In 1968, there were reportedly only 13 cars in the whole city. Today, double decker roads are used for the severe traffic.
  

5) Despite the cultural diversity of the city, Islam still plays a big role here. It is important for tourists to remember what part of the world they are in.

6) There are no street addresses in Dubai.

7) The city had the first talk radio station in the Middle East.

[FreakyFlyBry]

With all the boom that's been going on there, Dubai would definitely be an interesting city to visit. Easily one of the top destinations in the Middle East.

It feels really tourist-oriented, especially with the indoor ski hill (you wouldn't find that anywhere else in a climate so hot!) And the pictures show it can definitely come alive at night!

Despite being in a Muslim country, Dubai definitely wouldn't feel like it, given its immigrant population! And the pictures definitely reflect that, with the riverboats (Venice), windmill (Amsterdam) and illuminated billboards (New York), for example.

[Deleted]

Jun 17, 2012 3:48:43 GMT -5 FreakyFlyBry said:

You're very fortunate that, living in Austria, you're close to so many other historic European countries. Makes me jealous! And especially since you can visit so many without border controls! I remember back in 2006 visiting France and Germany and everything just changed going across the Rhine, it felt so different, and to have so many historic countries in such a small area really is something people from large countries like Canada and the USA envy! I guess that's one reason why we often refer to our provinces and states individually; that, and since both are federal countries, that the individual units can often have differing laws from each other.

I know exactly what you mean. It's amazing how many cultures you can explore in such a short time when in Europe.

However, I don't think we should take for granted how much diversity we have in our nations from state to state and region to region. Montreal, Vancouver and Iqaluit may all be in Canada, but they are different worlds from what I saw putting them in this thread. Likewise, the desert southwest, Florida and New England are all very different from each other.

Jun 17, 2012 4:16:05 GMT -5 FreakyFlyBry said:

With all the boom that's been going on there, Dubai would definitely be an interesting city to visit. Easily one of the top destinations in the Middle East.

It feels really tourist-oriented, especially with the indoor ski hill (you wouldn't find that anywhere else in a climate so hot!) And the pictures show it can definitely come alive at night!

Despite being in a Muslim country, Dubai definitely wouldn't feel like it, given its immigrant population! And the pictures definitely reflect that, with the riverboats (Venice), windmill (Amsterdam) and illuminated billboards (New York), for example.

Dubai has got to be the most tourist-oriented city in the Middle East, and it's amazing how fast it has all happened.

With over 50% of the population being Indian, I'm betting that culturally it feels more like Bombay than Riyadh. I agree with you that there is definitely a lot of influence from all parts of the world in Dubai.

[Deleted]

July 18th, 2012 - Des Moines, Iowa, United States











The Iowa State Capitol Building:



801 Grand, the tallest building in town:



A scenic view of the city during winter:



The Kruidenier Trail pedestrian bridge:




7 Facts About Des Moines:

1) Just over 200,000 people live in Des Moines, which is enough to make it the largest city in Iowa.

2) Des Moines has a season for everyone: a mild spring, a hot & humid summer, a cool & pleasant fall with scenic foliage and a cold & snowy winter. The temperature range here is greater than most cities in the U.S.

3) It it home to the Des Moines Botanical Center, an indoor conservatory with over 15,000 exotic plants.

4) The 14 karat gold dome on the Iowa State Capitol Building is the largest gold dome anywhere in North America!

5) The city is home to many insurance companies. Principal Financial Group, EMC Insurance Group, Aviva and several others are all headquartered here. It is considered the 3rd largest insurance capital in the world, behind only London, England and Hartford, Connecticut.

6) One of pop culture's most infamous moments happened here....when Ozzy Osbourne bit a bat's head off back in 1982.

7) The city is home to the Iowa Caucasus, an important event in the electoral process.

[FreakyFlyBry]

I must admit, I actually wouldn't mind visiting Des Moines sometime, it is probably the one area of Iowa I'd most like to see. While the city population is rather small, the metro population brings it up and makes it feel bigger.

The pictures in the winter, especially the Christmas one with the state capitol at the end of the street, are rather stunning!

For a smaller city in its region, looks like there's still plenty to do there, had no idea about all the insurance companies there though!

[Deleted]

June 19th, 2012 - Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States











Some views of the boardwalk:












7 Facts About Atlantic City:

1) With a population of just under 40,000, there are 54 cities in the state of New Jersey with a larger population than Atlantic City. However, Atlantic City boasts a sprawling metro area that is home to just under 275,000 and is one of the most popular tourist destinations on the east coast!

2) Gambling has been legal here since 1976, giving it a strategic edge over other east coast beach resorts. It is the 2nd biggest gambling city in the U.S., only behind Las Vegas.

3) Many of the top resorts are owned by Trump Entertainment Resorts, and thus the name "Trump" is attached to many of the city's hotels and casinos.

4) The first Miss America pageant was held here in 1921, and the event continued to take place in Atlantic City every year until 2005.

5) The city served as the inspiration for the legendary board game Monopoly. The only street name on the board that is an exception to this is Marvin Gardens, which is actually called Marven Gardens in real life.

6) Like most of the mid-atlantic region, Atlantic City experiences all four seasons. Because it is a coastal city, summers and winters are often more tame than cities further inland.

7) The Trump Taj Magal Casino Resort has four and a half times more steel than than Eiffel Tower in Paris.