For Seattleites like myself, I'd have to say that the Pike Place Market is the heart and soul of this beautiful city. Where or what is the heart and soul of your hometown?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v738/fcheese/cmurda.jpg

Dont know what you mean really.
but i suppose its the old town (Gamla stan) in Stockholm.

http://www.srao.se/B8392A81485C4F2E92319E9F16343A9B

There is no such thing for Paris, as the agglo is to socialy diverse.

I dont get what you mean? But Anyway, Darling Harbour would be Sydney's heart and soul by night and QVB by day.

QVB (Heart and soul by day)

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/9784/0000868iz1rx6.jpg


Darling Harbour (Heart and Soul by night):

http://img488.imageshack.us/img488/9426/493222782714a1006bbbra0.jpg

Is that what you mean??? If I had to pick one from the above - it would be QVB (Queen Victoria Building) Its what makes Sydney - Sydney.

Toronto

Financially: Bay Street

Culturally: Have to say Yonge and Dundas Square or Kensington Market

Some people say it's here.

http://img142.imageshack.us/img142/6083/200555214624841hq7.jpg

Some people say it's here.

http://img505.imageshack.us/img505/7683/20068201975932811ch5.jpg

River Valley or Whyte Avenue.

Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland is often called "Portland's living room." It's fairly small, though. Personally, I think Waterfront Park is a better reply, but PCS is closer to being the "center of town."

http://www.greatstreets.org/BricksMortar/PavingImages/PortlandPioneerSqBricks00.JPG

The Lakefront, without a doubt. Home of some of the largest ethnic festivals in the world/U.S. (Irish, German, Polish, Native American, Italian American, Asian, African, Mexican, etc.) as well as the worlds largest music festival (Summerfest). Plus, a Calatrava art museum, marinas, beaches, urban forests, airshows, kite flying parks, etc.

http://img371.imageshack.us/img371/705/summerfestnsm5.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

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HK has several.

From Codino Divino
http://pbase.com/accl

Business wise it's Central
http://www.pbase.com/accl/image/65203260/original.jpg

In HK Island, the heart and soul are the areas along and around Hennessey Road especially Wan Chai and Causeway Bay
http://www.pbase.com/accl/image/23318502/original.jpg

In Kowloon, the heart and soul are the areas along and around Nathan Road especially Tsim Sha Tsui and Mongkok
http://www.pbase.com/accl/image/43689522/original.jpg

Hong Kong's consistently bustling areas are the residential districts, but shopping areas always create a bustle. In Kowloon, it's definitely Mongkok. Tsim Sha Tsui is only busy for the touristy areas along the waterfront and Nathan Road, and even Nathan Road dies down a bit past Jordan. East TST is extremely quiet.

Hong Kong's consistently bustling areas are the residential districts, but shopping areas always create a bustle. In Kowloon, it's definitely Mongkok. Tsim Sha Tsui is only busy for the touristy areas along the waterfront and Nathan Road, and even Nathan Road dies down a bit past Jordan. East TST is extremely quiet.

Yes TST East is less vibrant but there are reason why I didn't become as bustling as central TST. The main problem is TST East is inacessible. Prior to the Nathan Rd. - KCR underpass, no MTR station is connected to TST East. Also, to reach TST East, you have to walk either from The Promenade or the overpass on Chatham Rd.

Tsim Sha Tsui is still the heart of most tourists kinda like Koa Shan Rd. in BKK. And it's where Nathan Rd. starts.

Central is still the primary CBD in HK but when you look at it, the heart and soul within HK Island is actually in Causeway Bay.

In Ny it would probley be Brooklyn as the culture center becuase of its ethnic neighborhoods.
Buissness woud have to be Midtown

In Ny it would probley be Brooklyn as the culture center becuase of its ethnic neighborhoods.
Buissness woud have to be Midtown

That would be debatable since The Financial District is also a centre of business in NYC and it's still where Wall St. is located.

Midtown Manhattan would more be the heart and soul of NYC because it's not just a centre of business but also a centre of culture, entertainment and tourism.

Some of my Midtown pics ;)

http://www.pbase.com/wanchtography/nyc

http://www.pbase.com/wanchtography/image/71682497/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/wanchtography/image/71869434/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/wanchtography/image/71686743/original.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/wanchtography/image/71866786/original.jpg

Yes TST East is less vibrant but there are reason why I didn't become as bustling as central TST. The main problem is TST East is inacessible. Prior to the Nathan Rd. - KCR underpass, no MTR station is connected to TST East. Also, to reach TST East, you have to walk either from The Promenade or the overpass on Chatham Rd.

Tsim Sha Tsui is still the heart of most tourists kinda like Koa Shan Rd. in BKK. And it's where Nathan Rd. starts.

Central is still the primary CBD in HK but when you look at it, the heart and soul within HK Island is actually in Causeway Bay.
TST East is actually very accessible now that the KCR has its terminus station there. It has several bridges linking to the waterfront as well. TST East has traditionally been a nightclub and entertainment area, and since these places are normally not busy during the day, the whole area is a bit deserted.

Similarly, the main waterfront area at TST is not very accessible either. You either have to go underground to cross Salisbury Road or loop all the way around the Star Ferry bus terminus.

Tsim Sha Tsui tries to be an upscale shopping area, but Mongkok is where all the action is on Kowloon.

The residential areas, however, are the most bustling at night outside the shopping districts.

For Minneapolis it would be Lake St.

Lake St is not a pretty place but it contains every cultural and social element you can find in the city. It just oozes soul.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=477053

TST East is actually very accessible now that the KCR has its terminus station there. It has several bridges linking to the waterfront as well. TST East has traditionally been a nightclub and entertainment area, and since these places are normally not busy during the day, the whole area is a bit deserted.

Similarly, the main waterfront area at TST is not very accessible either. You either have to go underground to cross Salisbury Road or loop all the way around the Star Ferry bus terminus.

Tsim Sha Tsui tries to be an upscale shopping area, but Mongkok is where all the action is on Kowloon.

The residential areas, however, are the most bustling at night outside the shopping districts.

Today yes that TST East is easier to access. As for the promenade, there are also underpass that connect it with areas within Nathan Rd.

Residential areas may be bustling but definitely not the heart and soul of HK. But it's certain residential areas though. Ok, even Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui, Mongkok or any centre of activity have flats ontop of shopping malls or shopping centres. But residentials in suburban areas or New Towns may not be as bustling. Pok Fu Lam for example is pretty quiet at night.

What do you define as "heart and soul" of a city?


If by that you mean where is the most activity (nightlife, etc) found, then without a doubt it's 5 points South. Full of life, 24/7. People hardly believe they're in Alabama when they're hanging out on the Southside, because it's a very urban neighborhood with almost everything you could want in an urban neighborhood (minus rail transit), and I guess when you think of Alabama, "urban" is not the first word that comes to mind.


But if by "heart and soul" you're talking about a city's history and heritage, then downtown would be it (Civil Rights district, 4th Avenue North/Black Business District, etc) or Sloss Furnance/East Birmingham because Birmingham's heritage is that of a steelmaking city, and that's where a lot of the old steel mills once were. Or perhaps on Red Mountain because that's where some of the oldest and most well kept houses that now belong to the old money (descendants of the city's old elite families) families live.

Lan Kwai Fong.

Residential areas may be bustling but definitely not the heart and soul of HK. But it's certain residential areas though. Ok, even Causeway Bay, Tsim Sha Tsui, Mongkok or any centre of activity have flats ontop of shopping malls or shopping centres. But residentials in suburban areas or New Towns may not be as bustling. Pok Fu Lam for example is pretty quiet at night.

Hong Kong's energy comes from the people. Without people, the businesses cannot run. Business activity slows after the normal office hours, but people still have to live and eat and go home. That's why the heart and soul of a city shouldn't be merely an economic gauge. Central sleeps at night. The offices close, and people go home. That's not the heart and soul of a city.

Hong Kong's energy comes from the people. Without people, the businesses cannot run. Business activity slows after the normal office hours, but people still have to live and eat and go home. That's why the heart and soul of a city shouldn't be merely an economic gauge. Central sleeps at night. The offices close, and people go home. That's not the heart and soul of a city.

That would be the same of any other city not just HK. People will have to go home after work or play.

That would be the same of any other city not just HK. People will have to go home after work or play.
Wrong. The labour force does not comprise the entire population. There are a lot of housewives and children that don't go to Central to work day and night. Hence, these residential communities are still vibrant during the work day, and at night when workers go home, and on weekends when residents run their errands.

I think the heart is distinct from the soul of a city.

The heart denotes something more of a economical/commercial aspect, something that keeps the city from desertion and getting rundown.

The soul denotes something more cultural, the part of a city that gives it its identity and atmosphere.

Just my two cents, and to be honest, I can't pinpoint the heart and soul of HK...

:lol: D.C -- > Georgetown / National Mall / Dupont

Since I don't like living here anymore, I'll critique other cities that I feel have more heart -- in terms of cultural life, joie de vivre, etc..

1) NYC - heart -> two villages/ Soho / 5th in midtown / ethnic areas

2) London - Heart is Picadilly / Soho / Covent Garden area & various Street markets

3) San Francisco - Union Square / North Beach

4) Paris - 9th Adsm. and Latin Quater

5) Tokyo - Shinjuku/Shibuya

6) Dublin - Temple Bar / Grafton Street area

7) Brussels - Grand Place area

8) Rome - PIazza Navona / Spanish Steps

10) Sydney - Rocks / Oxford street / Bondi Beach / Harbours

11) Chicago - Old Town / Boystown / Rush and Division / Gold Coast

12) Shanghai -- Bund, Nanjing Lu, French Concession

13) Boston - Harvard square / Back Bay

14) L.A -- S. Monica/Beaches/West Side

15) Detroit - Greektown?

16) Baghdad -- has the old town district -- decayed, but was once beautiful - now, probably Manslour (SP)?


17) Vancouver - Heart is the mountains - city has no real heart

18) HK's heart is Causeway Bay / Soho area

I'll stop now :)

Since Paris is more diverse than everyone think, it is really difficult.

I would agree for the 8th 9th arrondissemnt with Saint Lazare, but the quartier Latin is now a tourist district, now it is not the soul of the city exept the Saint michel.

the heart and soul of Paris for me are
Saint Lazare/Saint Michel/Montparnasse/Strabourgs Saint Denis... and some various shopping streets

Since Paris is more diverse than everyone think, it is really difficult.

I would agree for the 8th 9th arrondissemnt with Saint Lazare, but the quartier Latin is now a tourist district, now it is not the soul of the city exept the Saint michel.

the heart and soul of Paris for me are
Saint Lazare/Saint Michel/Montparnasse/Strabourgs Saint Denis... and some various shopping streets

What about "Ile de la Cite" as the Heart and Soul of Paris? In my mind I will always gravitate there

We can call this the heart but not the soul only tourist go here.
Near the ile de la Cite, a district can be the "heart and soul" of Paris : "Les Halles"

http://www.urbanphoto.net/gallerytwo/g2data/albums/paris/035.JPG
http://www.urbanphoto.net/gallerytwo/g2data/albums/paris/173.JPG

The city's oldest part, "oude markt" (old market). A church in the middle with 30 bars/pubs around it, with probably aroud 1500 places to sit outside. The biggest one of it size in The netherlands.

http://www.enschede-stad.nl/~Fotos/Gebouwen/Oude%20Markt/05.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/40/75163545_d8ac51e8b6.jpg?v=0

Since Paris is more diverse than everyone think, it is really difficult.

I would agree for the 8th 9th arrondissemnt with Saint Lazare, but the quartier Latin is now a tourist district, now it is not the soul of the city exept the Saint michel.

the heart and soul of Paris for me are
Saint Lazare/Saint Michel/Montparnasse/Strabourgs Saint Denis... and some various shopping streets

I think different places can represent the heart and soul of Paris. Paris is a huge socially diverse city.

Les Halles, Place de Clichy and maybe some non-touristic posh area in the south bank as well.

Exactly that I said, You can aslo include some place in inner suburbs like the center of Saint Denis.

For Bogota, It would have to be the Simon Bolivar Plaza or the Candelaria district:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c3/CatedralPrimadaBogota2004-7.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1d/La_Candelaria.JPG