6 of my favorite Capital Cities in the world
1. New York City
New York City is where it all happens. Wall street, Fashion, Broadway, Hipsters, Food trends. Technically not the capital city of the USA but in my opinion its the capital city of the world. I had a beautiful love affair with New York City as my home. Just walking in a city that literally never sleeps and convenience at your doorstep (Hello Seamlessweb, Rent the Runway, Fresh Direct, Beauty services, etc.) or a subway/bus ride away, you can get anything and be anything in New York. Its a vibrant bustling city with the most talented and no-nonsense people you will find. You either love it or hate it.
My Favorite spots in New York
2. Stockholm
Stockholm has beautiful architecture, islands, people, food, culture, fashion, fika, and lifestyle. This city is stunning! From my first visit to my 8th - the experiences and memories were all different and according to the seasons. This Swedish capital morphs and changes according to seasons along with its residents. In the summer, everyone is out ALL the time and partying. When the leaves start to fall and the air gets a little colder, people prepare for the holiday season and head back to indoors-only activities. During the winter months, the days are short and the dark winter nights make walking around a bit chillier but has that mysterious air that is captured perfectly in Nordic Noir films.
When in Sweden, YOU must have a Fika
3. Amsterdam/Copenhagen
Quirky, weird, architecture, canals, coffee shops, liberals, art, Indonesian food, and eclectic. Amsterdam has the trappings of what I love. A capital city that acts like a town. This is a walking city (or if you're an expert city biker) and the trams are also easy to navigate. Residents are always on a rush on their bikes so get out of their way! However, if you find them in a cafe, coffee shop, restaurant, they are certainly a friendly bunch. I've used Amsterdam as a pit stop for a couple nights in most recent years whenever I'm traveling through Europe. The architecture is really quaint and you will want to constantly be taking pictures of every canal and bridge you pass through.
Summer part 1 in Brussels and Amsterdam
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is another fantastic walking city that is lined with colorful buildings, Danish design interior furniture, cobble stone streets, castles, palaces, museums, and tons of Michelin starred restaurants and bars. Similar to Amsterdam, Copenhagen also has residents that are in a hurry on their bikes to get to their destinations so I would only recommend renting a bike if you're an expert city cyclist. A lot of innovation and creativity goes on in Copenhagen and you can see it in the food, fashion, design, and architecture. Always looking forward and innovating, the Danes have a great quality of life in a sense that they make sure they take breaks to refresh their mind before figuring out the next great design.
My journey to Noma
4. London
Oh London! You amaze me with your stunning old architecture and new skyscrapers. Winding little alleyways to riverside walks along the Thames. I have to be honest, the first time I was in London, I wasn't too impressed. I was in a weird headspace at that time and kept comparing London to New York. London is not New York. London is London. A British metropolis with traditions of standing outside the pub while drinking beer, eating fish and chips or pie on the way home, rushing around in the tube stations, walking fast and looking preoccupied, free art museums, beautiful palaces and gardens, thriving art scene, and very cool residents. The more I visit this fine metropolis, the more I adore it and simply want to discover different neighbourhoods.
Wandering amongst hipsters in Shoreditch
5. Vienna
Music, easy public transportation, urban, good food, palaces, cafes, museums, art, and good coffee, wine, beer, schnitzel! Vienna is a wonderful city and its no big surprise that its rated very highly as one of the most liveable cities of the world. With moderate prices, big wide streets, lots of bike paths (I did rent a bike and ride through the city here - with a lot of caution of course!), friendly residents, and just gorgeous architecture. I have been to Vienna only a couple times but I want to keep returning because there is so much to do and see in this beautiful city.
Summer part 3: Music, schnitzel, museums, and palaces in Vienna
6. Singapore
And now we've come to my birth country and where I hold my permanent residence card proudly. Singapore is a small island country off the tip of Malaysia very close to the equator. The tropical temperatures really get to me and I spend most of my days indoors in Singapore. I grew up here as an expat kid and went to an international school. Those were some good and bad memories. The food scene in Singapore is incredible with local food dishes to the multitude of hipster eateries and cafes, celebrity chef owned restaurants, and not to mention the cool speakeasies, cocktail bars, and pumping clubs. Its a love/hate relationship with Singapore for me at times because it isn't easy to be a third culture kid returning to a place that I once called home. I feel like an anomaly because I speak, act, and think differently from true-blue Singaporeans due to my background. My friends in Singapore are mostly other expats or globally-minded Singaporeans. Though most of these feelings are personal conflict, subjectively speaking... Singapore is a great place with skyscrapers, urban gardens, abundance of food, shopping centres, and the mix of Chinese, Malay, Indian, Eurasian, Expats, Tourists, make it an interesting multicultural country.
A bourgeois guide to eating, drinking, shopping, and pampering in Singapore
