WORLD'S ULTIMATE CITIES..by nicefunspot

Hong Kong, China



More than seven million people live in densely packed Hong Kong.

A frantic, hurly-burly mixture of capitalism and exoticism, Hong Kong has been called the “most thrilling city on the planet.” Change is the constant in this city of 6.9 million. Its main attractions lie in Kowloon, which juts from the tip of southern China, and on Hong Kong Island, with its Central downtown district, just across the harbor. The island of Lantau is home to the airport and several large country parks. Outlying islands are less densely populated but readily accessible. An extensive transportation network linking the city’s various districts include tunnels, ferries, subways, and, of course, taxis, which are plentiful and cheaper than those in comparably sized cities.



Nathan Road



Hong Kong Island



Victoria Peak

Mumbai, India



People cool off at popular Chowpatty Beach, with the Nariman Point business district in the distance.

Photograph by Sam Hollenshead/Polaris

Home to the razzle-dazzle world of Bollywood—India’s answer to Hollywood—rambunctious Mumbai (Bombay) is an utterly mind-bending assault on all the senses. A veritable melting pot of religions, customs, and culinary traditions, this is India’s economic powerhouse and its most cosmopolitan metropolis. Said to have more millionaires per square mile than Manhattan, Mumbai also has the dubious distinction of housing Asia’s largest slum. Indeed, the “City of Dreams,” as it’s affectionately dubbed, is a city of sharp contrasts: business tycoons drive past scantily clad street urchins; swanky bars overlook rickety chai stalls, and women wrapped in chiffon saris shop alongside college girls flaunting the latest Western designer wear. Yes, if there’s a city that stirs the soul and fires the imagination like no other, it’s Mumbai.




Alleyway



Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus



Taj Mahal Hotel



Vendors at the Flower Markets

Delhi, India




A young man dashes barefoot across the courtyard of Delhi’s Jama Masjid (Friday Mosque) in Shahjahanabad, or Old Delhi.

With one foot deeply grounded in time-revered traditions and the other dipping more than just a few toes in the dotcom domain, Delhi embraces diversity with verve and gritty gumption. Modern Delhi has only been India’s capital since 1931, but thanks to its location—a strategic gateway city—it has long played a critical role in shaping the subcontinent’s history. Today, Delhi is one of India’s most multifaceted cities, with the downtown swish restaurants and chichi boutiques serving as a stark contrast to the old city’s medieval-flavored bazaars and historic masterpieces like the Red Fort and Jama Masjid.



Broad Square Outside Jama Masjid



Birds Flock Along the Yamuna River

Las Vegas, Nevada





The Las Vegas Strip, a 4.5-mile stretch of Las Vegas Boulevard, is home to some of the world’s largest hotels.

Believe it or not, Las Vegas is almost all grown up. Gone are the days when dingy casinos, cheap steaks, penny slot machines, and topless shows were all “Sin City” offered. They say, “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.” But you don’t need an alibi—or an excuse—to visit one of the country’s fastest growing metropolitan areas. Even for those who don’t gamble, this artificial desert oasis whimsically caters to all tastes, with outrageous nightclubs, luxuriant spas, superstar chefs’ restaurants, bling-bling boutiques, skyscraping thrill rides, and even educational museums and wildlife preserves. The Strip featuring glam casino resorts is the city’s spine, while old-school downtown still captures a vintage Vegas vibe.




Las Vegas New York New York .



The Bellagio fountain

 

Singapore



A Sikh guard stands in front of the Raffles Hotel, opened in 1887 and declared a National Monument a century later.


Singapore is the great success story of modern Asia. Since gaining its independence from Malaysia in 1965, the tiny city-state has gone from a poor trading port to one of the wealthiest states in the world. And it shows: high-rise condos and skyscrapers dominate the landscape, and shoppers peruse the latest designer goods in a seemingly endless lineup of malls and boutiques along Orchard Road. Once known for its strict fines and uptight demeanor, Singapore is loosening up, transforming into what former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew hopes will soon be, “a tropical version” of New York, Paris, and London all in one.



Esplanade Neighborhood [size]

Amsterdam, Netherlands





Charming Café 't-Smalle, a perennially crowded restaurant, bar, and sidewalk café, is authentic Amsterdam.

Often promoted as the gateway to Europe, the Netherlands’s largest metropolis has always been one of the continent’s most progressive and cosmopolitan capitals, and nothing much has changed since the city first came to glory as a trading center in the 17th century. You can still relive that Golden Age. Stroll, boat, or bike along the city’s canals, lined with gabled houses, to experience one of Europe’s best preserved, photogenic, and intact historic city centers, or visit the Dutch master paintings in the Rijksmuseum. But don’t stop there. Always looking ahead, and reinventing itself, Amsterdam has recently emerged as a 21st-century style center. How to sample the city’s purely contemporary side? Run through the theme boutiques and galleries of the western canal ring, dine at one of the city’s creative global kitchens, catch a contemporary dance performance at the Muziektheater, or visit the revitalized East Docklands area, which offers a study in sleek contemporary architecture and smart urban planning.



Keizersgracht Canal




Vondel park




Canal-Linked Architecture




Nine Streets




Oudeschans Canal