Cultural Centers of Cities

As a budget traveller, one of my main goals is to experience the true essence of a city without spending a lot of time and money trying to find it.  Some U.S. cities have places that draw tourists and residents alike, and when picking a place to visit, these are the cities I most like to go.

 Cities like LA, Chicago, and New York have numerous bouroughs and neighborhoods that should be explored to get the true feeling of a city.  It would be really hard to expereince the culture and wonder that each of these cities brings on a budget.  You need to travel to different sections of the city, and it can end up costing a lot to expereince all of these things.

I'm going to give you a group of cities that I think have an epicenter of culture and action that make them easy for a budget traveler to manage.  These are the types of cities that I try to visit and expereince the most.  I feel that I get the most out of visiting these types of cities and get the most out of my money when visiting them.

Las Vegas is a city that caters to the tourist, it also has two main places to visit: The Strip and Fremont Street.  If you visit both of these places, you can get everything and anything you want out of the city.  You also don't need to travel much to get around them.  The strip is full of mega casinos and glam, while Fremont Street feels like old Vegas.  Going to both will give you a great view of what Las Vegas is.

Seattle is home to Pike Place Market.  I would describe it as bascially a permanent Farmer's Market.  The numerous stores and shops are full of a variety of products and surprises.  The Market is also close to the waterfront, where many restaurants and other shops also reside.  It is easy to stay nearby and be filled with days of things to do.

San Diego is one the most beautfiul U.S. cities. Its coastline and beaches are gorgeous and go on for miles.  San Diego can best be experienced in Balboa Park and La Jolla.  Balboa park is home to museums, botanical gardens, and the famous San Diego Zoo.  A tourist could easily spend two days exploring this park and everything it has to offer.  La Jolla is where the beaches are the most scenic in the city.  Surronded by cliffs and caves, the beach here is amazing.  The surronding area is full of great restaurants and food.

San Antonio's heart is the Missions including the Alamo and the Riverwalk.  The Alamo being right next to the Riverwalk really allows one to use this as base of operations easily.  A boat tour of the Riverwalk is a great way to visit the heart of town, and the Missions are a sight to see on their own.  The city has a lot of history and its very easy to experience it.

Sydney, Australia is one of the most beautiful cities in the world.  It is also very easy to experince this beauty at Sydney Harbour.  There the beautiful Opera House lies.  There is great views of the Sydney Harbour bridge, and the Royal Botanical Gardens are also found here.  Take a boat tour, see the Opera House, and for the most daring, walk on top of the bridge.  The Sydney Harbour gives a person a great view into the city of Sydney and one could spend days there.

Cities with cultural centers make it easy for the budget traveller to stay and plan.  They give you a place to plan your travels around, and make your travels more fulfilling.