Travel Inspiration: Paris v. New York

As part of today's Travel Inspiration, I have a confession to make, which may shock you all.

I would like to confess that unlike a realm of others, I did not fell headlessly and hopelessly in love with either Paris or New York the first time I visited them.

I have since returned to Paris and my feelings haven't changed. I don't hate the place, though I continue to think that Parisians really are a tough breed to like, but I just haven't fallen in the dreamily romantic way that hundreds of thousands of others have. I found Paris unnecessarily busy and cold and not as welcoming to tourists or returning visitors as other capital or indeed French cities. I admit I love Parisian nightlife, culture and history, I just feel forever an outsider (and I speak French and have visited no fewer than seven times over the years for both work and pleasure).

I haven't returned to New York since my first time, and so maybe a second visit would change my opinion, which is surprisingly based on only a handful of things; the unending rows of skyscrapers along streets in Manhattan felt claustrophobic and overbearing. I also noticed the divide between "haves" and "have nots" more in New York than anywhere else I've visited in the USA.

That said, I would gladly return to both cities in a heartbeat and would love to blindly fall for both and the temptation of this happening is always there as both cities have something that I am forever drawn to: Style .The Paris versus New York blog has captured this like no other corner of the internet and every time I check in with the latest work of Vahram Muratyan I lose myself in the stereotypical glamour of both cities that his art expresses. Now tell me you don't want to go to Paris or New York now?

Read about other things that are inspiring me to travel near and far.