September 29, 2012

Europe’s Best Cities

How does it get any better than Stuttgart?

I often ask myself that. I know an American girl’s time in Stuttgart is unlikely to last forever, so often I plan and consider my next moves. Where else could I be content living after living in Stuttgart and making it my standard? I just spoke with an American friend who recently went back home to The States during the spring to study at Notre Dame University. We did the typical, “how is life” conversation. He confessed he cried like a baby when he left. In addition to having to part from his sweetheart, we both ventured to say Stuttgart is probably the best place to live in Europe. Mercer, however, published a different list of top 30 places to live and Stuttgart was not on it. I tell you, Stuttgart is an overlooked, hidden gem.

What Makes a City Great (on my scale)

1. Dateability — countless places to go and have unique dates, not the typical dinner and a movie plus plenty of eligible bachelors to choose from.

2. Plenty to do — No shortage on activities for all sorts of interests

3.
Cultural events — More than just ballet and museums, I’m talking fests, events, etc

4.
Shopping – My home town sales John Deer paraphernalia and hospital scrubs in the mall right next to sears. That is not what good shopping looks like.

5.
Education – universities, and competitive children’s schools

6.
Housing – “Affordable” downtown homes on American standards

7.
Low crime rates

8.
Green Consciousness

9.
Awesome public transportation

10. Diversity — People representative of the world around us

My List

Here’s how my list would differ. Stuttgart is the number one best city in Europe to live. Now granted, I haven’t lived in any other place on the list and I haven’t visited them all either, but you just don’t get better than Stuttgart. No city in Switzerland will ever top the list of Best Places to Live. If eating casual dining food is a splurge then the fancy boarding schools will certainly be a luxury. Everything Swiss related seems to be accompanied by the idea of luxury (Swiss Skiing, Swiss watches, Swiss vacations) thus it is just too luxurious for this southern girl. Switzerland loses. It’s just too expensive, but undoubtedly beautiful and safe to visit.

Brussels –not a lot of cowbell and it has an eastern European ghetto in which I got quite acquainted with when my GPS took me through it and of course, my car would subsequently break down. But that’s another story for a northern date. Anyway, Being broke down in the hood is my biggest memory of Brussels and it needs redemption.

All other cities in Germany — Munich, Frankfort, Hamburg, Dusseldorf all made the list. However, with the exception of Munich, non have the travel-ability of Stuttgart. And I don’t even know what theses Northern Germans are saying when they speak. It’s like they have a German Yankee accent.

Copenhagen, I read, is a haven for terrorist. Of course, there’s always terrorist amongst us. Besides it’s expensive and way up north away from the rest of Europe.

1. Stuttgart

My dad captured this pic in downtown Stuttgart

It’s the sixth largest city in Germany and the capitol of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg. Stuttgart is home to countless fests year round: Fish fest, children’s fest, summer, spring, winter fest, Christmas markets, Volksfest, African fest, fests where you just sit and eat — not sure of the name but walk out of your home and voila, in the middle of a fest.

It’s location in Southern Germany makes it a springboard for travel. By plane, train, or car Stuttgart is the hub of European travel. Of course, all of Germany is situated in the heart of Europe, but unlike big cities in Northern Germany, Stuttgart is no more than a four hour train ride or drive to three other fabulous capitol cities (Paris, Prague, and Zurich) in addition to driving to other countries quiet easily (Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Budapest, Slovakia, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Holland, Poland). You just can’t cover that much ground by car as easily in Berlin, Hamburg, or Dusseldorf.
The most difficult places to get to from Stuttgart are Spain, Portugal, Greece and Turkey because you actually need to fly to save you a full day’s drive. Munich is a happening town just a quick jaunt down the road from Stuttgart and the Alps nearby are breathtaking.

Porsche and Mercedes-Benz have their headquarters in Stuttgart and both have car museums. As Will Smith said in his song, Welcome to Miami, “100 thousand dollar cars, everybody got ‘em” —- Let’s try 100 thousand euro cars are seen zipping down the autobahn all day.

Stuttgart’s Soccer team, VfB Stuttgart, has fans comparable to the SEC. Craziness! The city also boasts first-rate art and history collections, heck, the city is a walkable history museum. Plus the shopping on and around Königstraße is fabulous!

Although crime does happen, the common understanding is, “Germans don’t commit crimes because its against the rules and Germans don’t break rules.” Stuttgart is considered a safe town because even when crimes happen, they get solved. Stuttgart has two major engineering Universities and the secondary education is phenomenal with language learning a
priority.

2. Vienna

The Opera house hosts 360 productions a year! Here, you can leave your trendy modern loft to stroll the same cobblestone paths the world’s greatest composers traversed. The mixture of history, modernity, cafes, gardens, architecture (a la hundred water house), and things to do just make it as charming as say…Charleston. Additionally, it’s just a lively, active town with similar standards of living as Germany.

For just three euros or less you can watch world class performances

3. Amsterdam

What an active life style of boating through the canals, biking, and green living I’d live if only I lived here. Besides, Amsterdam is a very open, accepting, tolerant city. After being so oppressed by Nazi’s this city’s response was not to be oppressive to any group of people. It’s so much more than its infamous red light district. I love this place!

I visited in April. Tulips were in bloom but still not the trees.

4. Paris

It doesn’t matter how many square meters a tiny Parisian loft is…it’s in Paris! Living a minimalist lifestyle is welcoming when Paris is your back yard. Seriously, I think if I could shake the fear of uncertainty, I’d just move to Paris and live off of fromage, wine, and see if I could make a living selling my paintings on the street by day and performing at Moulin Rouge by night. Now it is dirty, and stinky, and a little grimy at times…definitely not the same standard of public cleanliness as found in Stuttgart, but what a wonderland to live.

The backside of Notre Dame

5. Munich

When I think of German culture, I thought of all things Bavarian —beer, dirdls and liderhosen…scenes out of Grims brother’s fairytale. Well, Munich is the heart (and capitol) of Bavaria. It’s also Germany’s Hollywood, as it is home to most of Germany’s celebrities. It’s a big city, with small town charm and would just make an exciting, eventful place to live. Besides, you’d gte plenty of visitors when the hotels fill up with Oktoberfest tourists.

6. Bruges

Water ways like Amsterdam but without as many tourist. This city is a gem! I like it more than Brussels.

7. Berlin

Now I have never visited here but My Friends from Bavaria and Baden-Wuttemburg swear its much more happening than Munich and Stuttgart. And since its on every other awesome place to live, and I can vouch for Germany in general being pretty awesome, it made my list.

8. Mallorca

Columbus Day vaycay in Columbus’ birth land

I would so retire here. The living is easy and the beach weather is amazing without all the hurricanes I’d have to deal with in Florida. Plus, they speak Spanish!

9. Strasbourg, France

Photo taken during my Labor Day weekend

Narrow ally ways and cobblestone ooze with European charm. Add to it that, because this region got passed back and forth between France and Germany war after war, folks speak both French and German in addition to many speaking English.

10. London

Photo from: http://www.destination360.com/europe/uk/london/london-eye-millenium-wheel

The British are so much fun to party with. Maybe because they speak english so I understand the jokes. West End Shows, history, the possibility of a Will and Kate or Becks and Vic sighting, shopping, music and just a world of fun. The tube makes traveling the city easy (but nothing beats Germany’s bahn system). Only issue is these folks aren’t known for their food, and the little island is on the edge of Europe making it more challenging to travel than say, anywhere else in Germany.

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