You don’t come to San Francisco. You fall in it. The moment you enter the city, no matter if it is Chinatown, Haight or Castro, a whirlpool of freaked voices, dreaming smiles and waving colors blows your hair and your mind. You follow the wind, the music and the White Rabbit, on the way to Golden Gate Park, enter in a rainbowed dream, the Bay to Breakers race.

First appears a guy dressed as an animal, yelling in the morning. Soon arrive all his friends, all with bright costumes, crazy hairs, pacing the street on the tempo of their music, of the music of this bar, and then on the tempo of the house party there. You climb the streets, pushed by the crowd. Nobody really knows where the end is and everybody wins. The caucus-race progresses slowly and all the characters take part of it. It’s not just the youth. Old persons walk naked; get mixed with cowboys and red cups. Policemen passively watch smoking Caterpillars, drinking Hatters, take part of the laughs. At some points, drunken Dormouse’s lie on the street, snoring in the sun, don’t mind the music and the screams.

Homeless persons also take part of this universe. They pick up cans and bottles to make some money and got magic eyes, dilated pupils, gray and happy, eternal wet eyelids because of pot and cold freedom, charming as Cheshire cats, grinning, malicious. They ask for plastic, cigarettes, food, kindness, coins, anything that help them walking further.  There are old and young veterans, former and current hippies, active and passive walkers. One of them, proud to be part of the movie “the pursuit of happiness”, sings it, over and over, drumming in the reversed pails. You give him a coin, he stops, gives you a picture of him and Will Smith, smiles, and keeps going: “Pursuit of happiness, yeah yeah yeah…”

You follow them to Haight Street. There, a mix of weed, retro music and talks paint the houses and the air with psychedelic flavors. They all know each other. You take part of them world if you simply sit in the park, in front of the Mac Donald, share smiles with them, understand their hunger for freedom. Most of them have escaped from their homes, come from all over the United States and come to San Francisco for the peace, the great world that offers Golden Gate Park. All these “lost kids” are part of the family, don’t accept disruption in their dreams, live in peace with the law since they disturb nobody, are part of the Park like the threes do.

Everybody is a ray of San Francisco. From the gilded youth, shining the streets,  to the runaways, spreading like flowers in the park, the all Wonderland welcomes dreamers, free minds, let you swim in colors and lost thoughts, surf on their unique world.

Ethel Karskens writes about and shares her street photography on the Spotted by Locals blog

Ah, Paris. The city of light, what’s better than sitting in a small bistrot or a tiny bar, feeling like a Lost Generation writer in the 30s? Maybe feeling like a Lost Generation writer, but with the extra perk of being able to witness incredible imaginative street art in the beautiful streets of the French capital.

The city’s street art capabilities are blooming day by day-after all this is a rather artistically inspired land- and it proved a very difficult task to find an individual to single out for a special mention. That special someone, happened to be Artiste-Ouvrier (meaning Artist Labourer, if my French are right-maybe they’re not, i admit it), a Paris-based artist, whose escapades include studying philosophy at Sorbonne and loving Gustav Klimt and the 19th century style in general.

Predominantly using stencil as a form of art, his works often include a certain tone of eroticism, as well as featuring rich colours, which is always something that catches the eye; at least for me. Artiste-Ouvrier is no newcomer to scene, having started stenciling in 1993 and making his street debut in 2003.

Next time you visit the romanticism’s Mecca, be sure to keep an eye out for those amazing depictions of art.

Panos Mitsikas writes about street art on the Spotted by Locals blog

We have just released a new version of our iPhone app. This is not just an upgrade, but a “re-thought, re-designed and re-built from the ground up” version.

What’s new?

• Total redesign – more in line with this recently redesigned website
• Much faster and easier navigation: slide navigation
• Users can now delete individual city guides (and reinstall of course!)
• Favorites are now shown on the map
• Many “under the hood” speed improvements

If you like it, we would really appreciate it if you take 30 seconds to rate & review (direct link to App Store). If you’ve already rated a previous version, you can do so again!

Have feedback or ideas? Please contact us. No time to waste, we’re already working on the next version…

A big thanks to our developer Mackey, designer Joost Liesveld, model Sophie and the many users who have sent their constructive feedback and good ideas for this new iPhone app!

Asli Boduroglu, Istanbul

Istanbul local and Spotter for our Istanbul city guide, Asli Boduroglu, is as local as they come. She’s lived in the city for 33 years! She knows the ins and outs!

Kale, Istanbul (by Deniz Dönmez)

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I was born and have always lived in Istanbul, therefor I am blessed to have spent the last 33 years of my life in one of the most beautiful and inspiring cities in the world. I graduated from a French high school and studied Public Relations and Advertising at University. While at University I had several part-time jobs mostly involving lots of event organizations and I joined in in the production of a documentary film. After I graduated I worked in the field of marketing for several companies including Red Bull. For the last 5 years I have been running my own PR company named PR Department with my best friend.

I am a true nature lover, traveler and enthusiast for discovering new places. I am an amateur photographer, mostly enjoying nature and travel photography. As I am very much interested in design and decoration I have a blog called ‘decotrends’ and I also write for one of the most popular decoration magazines of Turkey. Traveling around the world, being inspired by the new cities I see, taking thousands of pictures during my vacations and discovering new places in Istanbul are definitely what I love to do most.

Istanbul Modern, Istanbul (by Istanbul Modern)

How do you like being a Spotter?
I really enjoy being a Spotter and I definitely want to make more time to write about new places I discover. Especially when someone e-mails me to ask for tips about Istanbul or leaves a comment saying that they enjoyed the spot I recommended I feel very happy. I love foreigners and being able to giving them some guidance in my hometown is priceless for me :-). I first heard about Spotted by Locals from a friend’s Facebook page and applied immediately.

Tunel, Istanbul (by Asli Boduroglu)

Why Istanbul? What is a ‘must’ when visiting it and what definitely isn’t?
Because Istanbul is truly an amazing city from every aspect possible (expect the traffic :-)). The culture, history, social life, the weather and of course the indescribably beautiful Bosporus makes our city unique in so many ways. What you should not do is stay at a hotel in Sultanhamet and simply only going to all the touristic places, because there is so much to do and live in this city.

Of course a must is spending a day in the old city and visiting all the historical places like Hagia Sophia, Topkapi Palace, Basilica Cistern and the Grand Bazaar. But anyone and any guide in the world would recommend you see these :-). So after spending a fully touristic day I would strongly advise you take a ferry and discover the marvels of the Bosporus. Galata, Karakoy and Asmali Mescit are also a must do and see!

Leblon, Istanbul (by Leblon)

Which prejudices about Istanbul are true? Which ones are not?
Prejudices about Istanbul’s traffic are an unfortunate true one! But there are many and much more pleasant ways to discover the city than by car. Istanbul is a very modern and welcoming city and you should be prepared to gain a few pounds.

What do you know about Istanbul that a tourist wouldn’t know?
Istanpoli (in Greek) means coming to the city.

Novo, Istanbul (by Sevcan Celik)

What is the most popular neighborhood to live in at this moment?
Galata. Because it’s a historical neighborhood which is tastefully modernized and it’s very near the heart of Istanbul, which is Taksim. You can either be a tourist or a local in Galata depending on your mood :-). You can wine and dine, discover the narrow streets, shop at the small boutiques, climb to the top of Galata Tower and gaze at the wonderful  panoramic city view.

What does a perfect day in Istanbul look like for you?
Starting my day by taking a ferry to the European side (as I live in Asia) I would go to Kale Cafe at Rumeli Hisarı for breakfast. Then I would take a walk by the Bosporus till Bebek where I would sit down by the sea to enjoy some Turkish coffee at Bebek kahvesi. I would then go to Karakoy for an art walk and maybe visit Istanbul Modern, the famous modern art museum of Istanbul. For lunch I would choose Karakoy Ops.

If it’s a Friday night I would go to Taksim square and walk down towards Tunel.  I would go to Şişhane (near Tunel) to grab a bite at either Miss pizza şişhane, Leblon, Asmali Cavit or Safi meyhane, get some drinks at Bailo , move on to Novo for good music. When that gets too crowded have a peek at NuPera .

NuPera, Istanbul (by NuPera)

For more of Asli’s articles, check out her profile. For more interviews with Spotters, check out our Spotter Interviews on this blog.

Lauren Murphy

We interviewed Lauren Murphy, Amsterdam local and Spotter for our Amsterdam city guide to get to know more about her.

Lauren was born and raised in Amsterdam and has roots in many parts of the town. Because permanent lodging is hard to come by (like good beaches) she’s lived all over the city – “[...] from the villagey Prinseneiland to the hustle and bustle of the Red Light District”

De Haarlemmerdijk, Amsterdam (by Lauren Murphy)

Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I love cinema and photography and I’ve worked as a festival producer, researcher and translator in the cultural sector, but I’ve been having a public affair with food on the side. Only recently did I realize how much traveling, for me, revolves around food. My itineraries are always inspired by which local dishes I haven’t tasted yet, or learning about local traditions and culinary customs. The way we eat says so much about the way we are.

I tend to escape my hometown periodically, but I keep coming back. I’m drawn to Amsterdam – as much as I hate its crampedness, its climate, its silly bureaucracy and its physical limitations, I adore its bridges, its unexpected tranquility, its versatility, its bicycles and its people more.

Bakkerij Mediterranee, Amsterdam (by Lauren Murphy)

How do you like being a Spotter?
I love being a Spotter! Walking around with Spotters’ glasses on feels like when you’ve just returned from a long trip and instantly fall madly in love with your city all over again (which of course is one of the main reasons to leave in the first place!). It’s refreshing to look at the streets that raised you from a different perspective. I feel the same way about carrying a camera – you start paying close attention.

I remember I first thought about writing for the website right after Queen’s day, which had become this dreary, orange-clad nightmare for me after so many years that I had started to prefer closing the draped and ignoring the whole event altogether. That particular year, a friend from New York came to visit me, so I decided to give her the proper Amsterdam Queen’s day experience. As we were walking through the shut down city (which on April 30th turns into one big flea market and dance party), I started seeing the event through her eyes and realized how special it really was. She couldn’t get over the fact that the whole town was in party lock-down, and how that would never be possible in New York. Since then, I’ve been treating every Queen’s day like it’s my last.

Two for Joy, Amsterdam (by Gisela Clarke)

Which prejudices about Amsterdam are true and which aren’t?
It’s hard to answer that question without mentioning the obvious. Amsterdam is at once everything everyone expects it to be and anything but. Our liberal drug laws reflect a general tolerance (which unfortunately, today isn’t half of what it used to be) that’s informed by our history and shapes our whole mindset, not just the amount of weed you’re allowed to buy legally. So an exploration of Amsterdam’s free spirit should definitely not be confined to a coffee shop or the rug in your hotel bathroom. Go talk to the people – the shop keepers, the market vendors, the artists, the creatures of the night.

The Dutch do have their contradictions though because despite our tolerance we can also come across as (too) frank and a little cold. I think the stereotype that we’re tight where money’s concerned is also a direct misinterpreted result of this rigidity. We’re not scroogey, we’re just not much of a sharing culture. The Dutch are reserved, they need some time to defrost. We don’t cuddle strangers, let alone invite them over for dinner with our families. I always have that rude awaking when I go away – I like to think I’m open-minded, tolerant and sociable, but when people come up close without warning I always need to get over the fact that I initially feel my personal bubble is being marauded.

Another thing that is true is that we treat tourists on bicycles like shit. I’m sorry, playing scare-the-tourist on the Zeedijk is just too much fun! Compare it to someone being allowed onto the freeway without a license, stalling everyone on their way to work by driving 30 on the fast lane. You’re bound to press a few buttons.

Buurtboerderij Ons Genoegen, Amsterdam (by Lauren Murphy)

Can you describe a perfect day in Amsterdam?
It’s heresy not to go outside on a sunny day in Amsterdam as they’re so sparse, so the main part of my perfect day would definitely be spent outside. Walking down the Haarlemmerdijk, getting some croissants at Mediterannee and a coffee next door at Two For Joy. Cycling through Westerpark to De Buurtboerderij for lunch and a good read. I love reading but I can’t even seem to finish McSweeney’s Quarterly Concern, which is only published every three months, before the next one arrives.

After the park, I’d get some sausage and wine at Worst and pretend I’m in France for a while until the sun sets. In spring, I’d definitely visit De Aprilfeesten for the evening. Nothing beats the atmosphere there. In summer, Pluk de Nacht Open Air Film Festival is held just down the road from Worst. Pluk always has an amazing vibe – even when it’s raining and everyone’s in ponchos. Instant happiness, and instant Amsterdam.

At night I’d go dancing. There would definitely be dancing. Maybe at OT301, or at an outdoor festival. There’s loads of them in summer. Keep an eye out for any underground parties in the East or North of town as well – the regulations are a little more uptight these days, but there’s still enough grime around.

Worst Wijncafe, Amsterdam (by Lauren Murphy)

You can check more of Lauren’s articles here, or check out some of the other Spotter interviews here.

Suspended Coffee (by Shadi AlMoziny Flickr)

Suspended coffee has been around for a while, but it’s most likely a new concept to most of you. The picture above should shed some light on it, but what is it exactly? What can you do to help suspended coffee along?

It has its roots in Italy, where people who’ve had a bit of a lucky streak would purchase a Caffé Sospeso. This means paying for two coffees, but only receiving one. The cafe would then give the paid coffee to someone in need (i.e. homeless or penniless). It’s been spotted in other countries too, such as Russia, Australia, Bulgaria and a few others.

Some claim it’s a tradition that goes back a hundred years, others say it’s not that old of a tradition and it’s mostly only implemented during holidays like Christmas. What most people agree on though is that this phenomenon made a comeback in 2008, when the first cracks in the world’s financial system showed.

Recently, in Belgium, the owner of a french fry stand implemented Suspended fries. His customers could buy tw0 portions of fries and donate the second to a homeless person. No need for them to go hungry he thought!

There’s a Suspended Coffee initiative on Facebook too, which encourages people to participate and help list cafes that support this tradition.

Let’s hope more cafes join soon in areas around you! Or maybe you’ve already found one in your city?

Boston by R..D

Today we launched our 7th North America city blog: Spotted by Locals Boston!

In Boston we started out with 3 Spotters* – a smaller than the teams in other cities – but our locals Erin Jaeger, Katie Campisi & Paula Sokolska have done a great job of writing about a wide variety of their favorite spots!

Jamaica Pond Boston (by Erin Jaeger)

• Jamaica Pond – a nice piece of nature for running or renting a rowboat / sailboat (spotted by Erin)
• The Garment District – Katie’s favorite thrift shop, including a room with a pile of clothing available for US$ 1.50 a pound!
• The Donkey show – A show with Shakespeare and disco! Paula: “The songs will be stuck in your head almost as long as the glitter will be in your hair. “

The Donkey Show Boston (by Paula Sokolska)

Trouw Amsterdam – by RosaMaria_Nika

There are great (night) clubs all over the world. Go to any major city in the world and you will find at least 1 or 2 (tip: ask the locals).

Increasingly there seem to be some clubs in Europe that are gaining ‘legend status’, and an almost mythical reputation, amongst club-goers and travellers who are lucky enough to get in and experience them.

My mum recently asked me, after I named a newborn family lamb ‘Lewis the Legend’: ‘what exactly has he done to achieve legend status!?’ I ask the same thing of these ‘legendary’ European clubs.

They all seem to share a few key attributes that makes these clubs legendary:

• Difficult to get in

• Great music & DJs (big names or up-and-coming DJs, plus new sub-genre breeding grounds)

• Incredibly long opening hours

• Amazing (and big) setting, usually in an ex-’something’ – e.g. ex-factory, ex-power station, ex…

• Random and memorable ‘stuff’ going on inside

On that basis, here a a couple of the most legendary clubs in Europe right now:

Berghain (Berlin)

Berlin‘s most legendary and cavernous club is set in an old power station. Their minimal techno line-ups are considered amongst the best in the world. Incredibly long opening hours, check – their weekend parties last until Monday morning. Randomness, check again – you’ll likely see things going on in this club that you wouldn’t normally see, let’s leave it at that. Perhaps the biggest reason for Berghain’s legend status though – it’s bloody hard just to get in! It has a notoriously strict and difficult-to-crack door policy, refusing entrance to a large portion of the hopefuls enduring 1 hour plus queues. Who you are, clothes, boy-girl ratio… nothing guarantees you will get in to Berghain. I’ve heard from a Berghain-regular that the main door man (who’s been there for years and alone decides who gets in) looks for the ‘life in your eyes’, crack that!

If you are lucky enough to get in, Berghain is always busy, and is considered one of the best nights out anywhere… Legendary.

Berghain – a former power station – Photo from Wikipedia – by Nicor

Trouw (Amsterdam)

Trouw, set in a former newspaper printing press, is relatively new and a club quickly gaining legend status. As the first club in Amsterdam to be awarded a 24-hour license, many of the best local and international DJ’s now play in this Berlin-style club. It’s renowned for hosting some of the best techno and minimal music around.

Other legendary clubs in Europe include Fabric in London, in an ex-meat storage facility, and on the legendary island of Ibiza some notable clubs include Space, Pacha and Privilege.

Got any other suggestions of European clubs legend status? Please share in the comments.

Dan Fennessy writes about nightlife culture on the Spotted by Locals blog

Excerpts from the interviews we did with the 100 Spotters who were present at our amazing Spotters weekend last November. We can’t stop smiling when we see our wonderful Spotters in these videos – we love them!

To see all videos, check the Youtube playlist!

Urban Culture through a metro wagon

A few months ago, I introduced myself as a weirdo traveler that avoids using metro when visiting a city. I even described the use of this underground concrete network of tubes as a waste of time. Now, if you‘ve never heard of Nemesis before, it’s time you look it up. My Nemesis is Stockholm, for if there’s one city worth breaking this rule, it’s the so called capital of Scandinavia.

When visiting Stockholm for the first time, I experienced the Nordic way of state and social infrastructure which felt almost like a brave new world to a southern European visitor. Astounded as I was, I witnessed the sophisticated approach of an urban public transport network, built upon the principles of respect, punctuality and innovation.

Exploring urban transport as an element of city life brings out a totally different perspective when it comes to Stockholm. Aside to the engineering challenge of connecting the fourteen islands that constitute the city of Stockholm in both surface and subterranean level, the true amazement arouses from its metro network which is built upon hard rocky ground and considered to be the longest art exhibition venue in the world, covering a total distance of more than 100km. Of course, one would expect nothing less from a city where harmony and sustainability are primary features and where elements of urban art are present anywhere, from parks and metro stations to city lights and retail show cases.

Built upon old tram lines –dating back to 1940’s- the first original underground train lines –namely the Green Line- went operational in 1950. However, the debate on bringing art to the foreground of public eye was already escalating since 19^th century. It was the year of 1955, when two submissions from Left Party and Social Democratic Party were made to the City Council, providing fruitful grounds and cross-party support for the first specimens of Art in Stockholm Metro, that were eventually witnessed in 1957.

Serving not only recreational and educational purposes, but also inspiring respect for public space and discouraging vandalism, the artistic flair that has since then overwhelmed the metro network of Stockholm, has imprinted and visualized the trends of each era of the 20^th century. Being an interactive tour through decades, customized under the personal stigma of various artists, Stockholm’s Metro hosts both permanent and temporary exhibitions, some of them still standing since their first installment.

Expansion of the metro network went on up to 1994, side by side with the artistic renovation of already existing stations. Although no further expansion has taken place since then or been planned for the near future, authorities make sure that mobility and display of Art remains in high volumes by constantly motivating artists and architects to work towards refurbishment, renovation or total replacement of the older exhibits.

Exploring the artistic wealth of the urban transport system of Stockholm has made me happily overrule my obsession of walking through the cities I visit. To help a visitor truly appreciate this Middle Earth of Art, the Municipality of Stockholm provides free guided Art walks through most of the Metro stations and online material, available for download. The only thing you have to do is find balance between surface and subterranean life!

Show Case

Svenksten

City Lights

Something like a walk in the park

Baloons!

p.s.1 Thanks & huge appreciation and gratitude to the Administration of SVB Turistservice – especially to Ann-Charlotte Jönsson for her imminent response to my request - for providing priceless info and access to the webpage of traveltrade.visitstockholm.com. Please visit for more info regarding the city of Stockholm.

p.s.2 Additional thanks to Greek website www.perierga.gr for providing photo series Stockholm1-Stockholm20. Visit for extraordinary stories!