NYLON Magazine - September 2007 - (Page 162) A TALE OF FOUR CITIES Traveling around Europe doesn’t have to involve an oversized backpack. By Megan O’Grady. Photographed by Przemek Godycki Sure, Berlin is hot; London will never not be happening. But some of the most creative and vibrant places in Europe at the moment are also some of the least expected. My mission—to cover four of Europe’s coolest smaller cities in 12 days, sussing out below-theradar cultural happenings and the kind of nightlife that give capitals a run for their money. Thanks to the explosion of low-cost airlines it’s cheap to hop from town to town (if not always easy. We did without our luggage for much of the trip; our journey from Liverpool to Leipzig took 14 hours instead of four, and entailed an overland haul across Germany by night with strangers smelling of cabbage). Along the way, we ogled temples of contemporary architecture, drank mojitos with footballer’s wives in a former Catholic church, and ate tempeh in the former GDR. Europe is changing; the way we think about traveling in it should change, too. (Matthew Street, 151.227.4645 or cricketliverpool.co.uk); vintage boutique Bullet (41 Hardman Street, 151.708.5808) Homegrown talent past and present: The Beatles; fashion designer Kristy Doyle, winner of the first season of Project Catwalk (the U.K.’s answer to Project Runway) LIVERPOOL Telephone prefix: +44 Population: 447,500 Named for: the Liver bird Situated on: the river Mersey, in northeast England Best meeting place, day or night: Ladytron brainchild Korova (39-41 Fleet Street 151.709.7097 or korovaliverpool.com) Unexpected pleasure: a vibrant culinary scene. London Carriage Works is the best in the city for upscale dining (40 Hope Street 151.709.3000 or tlcw.co.uk); Alma de Cuba serves up Cuban-inspired fare to beautiful people in a 200-year-old Polish church (Seel Street 151.709.7097 or almade-cuba.com); and the excellent restaurant at the Malmaison Hotel is the ideal choice for all things gourmet, seasonal, and local (try the scouse, a sort of beef stew, a Liverpudlian specialty). (Princes Dock, 151.229.5000 or malmaison.com) Notable export: Creamfields music festivals (creamfields.com) Tipple: Cains, a local beer Mode of transport: black cab Key statistic: has produced more hit singles per capita than any other city in the world Street style: Everything from retro boys in bowl cuts and skinny ties to WAG (Wives And Girlfriends of footballers)-chic girls in velour tracksuits, heels, and aviators. Worthy tourist attraction: The Beatles Story, a multimedia museum devoted to John, Paul, George, and Ringo (Albert Dock, 151.709.1963) Don’t miss: The Tate Liverpool, where for the first time the Turner Prize will be awarded in October. (Albert Dock, 151.702.7400 or tate.org.uk/liverpool) liverpool amsterdam rotterdam paderborn leipzig berlin Fashionably gritty neighborhood: Jamaica Street warehouse district Reason to go now: to hear new bands like the Zutons, the Coral, and the Wombats; to experience the U.K.’s most salt-of-the-earth night life, and events like Knowsley Hall Music Festival, held each June, (knowsleyhallmusicfestival.co.uk) Best place to stay: 62 Castle Street, Liverpool’s newest boutique hotel and its best-situated, with spacious rooms in a Victorian building, and a happening downstairs restaurant. (From £135, $270. 151.702.7898 or 62castlest.com) The verdict: Let it be Best way to pass the evening: getting bevvied at the bar above Parr Street Studios (151.707.1050 or parrstreet. co.uk), where one might pull up a stool next to a member of Coldplay, fresh from a recording session, and then on to any one of a dozen music venues Shopping: WAG-magnet Cricket, which sells everything from Juicy to Pucci barcelona seville http://cricketliverpool.co.uk http://www.korova-liverpool.com http://www.korova-liverpool.com http://tlcw.co.uk http://www.alma-de-cuba.com http://www.alma-de-cuba.com http://www.malmaison.com http://creamfields.com http://tate.org.uk/liverpool http://knowsleyhallmusicfestival.co.uk http://62castlest.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.