Hottest cities? Lonely Planet “scoured the globe” to come up with New York as first on the list.
“Since 9/11, the site of the World Trade Center’s twin towers has stood out as a closed-off, out-of-view, painful gaping void. This year that changes, as the former WTC site finally reopens to the public with the National September 11 Memorial,” says Planet.
It’s a six-acre, tree-filled plaza that “will be more momentous than if the Yankees, Knicks, Rangers and Giants won simultaneous championships.”
Planet points out that cities don’t need to be huge metropolises to get on the list.
Their selection of Newcastle, for example, may come at a surprise but it is “Australia’s most underrated city.”
That’s because it is overshadowed by Sydney.
“But at around one-tenth the size, Australia’s second-oldest city has Sydney-like assets: surf beaches, a sun-drenched subtropical climate, and diverse dining, nightlife and arts.”
Other “hottest cities” include Tangier, Tel Aviv, Valencia, Iquitos, Ghent, Delhi, Wellington and Chiang Mai.
By David Wilkening
