Over the last few years, a strange thing has started to happen: I’ve been craving getting out of the city more and more. In fact, I often look forward to those weekend breaks where I can commune with nature or relax in a suburb and take that physical and mental break from New York City.

That said, even knowing how much I look forward to city breaks, I know that I’m ultimately a city girl at heart. More than three days in nature and I get itchy, figuratively and sometimes literally (depending on where I am). And that hunger for and love of being in the middle of a new city has never dissipated since I made the leap from Florida to New York City at 18. 

There are a few reasons why I love cities, and I’m sharing them in no particular order:

The Energy
While I love the calm of nature, for me nothing can compare with the energy of a city. In particular, I love getting a sense of new cities in those first few hours when my senses are on hyper alert. It makes observing the world around me so fascinating.

Seeing How People Live
Perhaps it’s because I’ve lived in a city for so long and have my own city routines, but I love observing how people live in a city. What do their apartments look like? Where do they shop for groceries? What are the local hot spots? All of this intrigues me anytime I’m in a new city.

The Culinary Scene
I don’t think I will ever, ever, EVER tire of exploring a city’s culinary scene. I mean, how could it ever get old? I love trying whatever that city is known for, regardless of where I am. I want to visit the best bistros in Paris, the local tapas hot spots in Barcelona and so much more.

The Cultural Activities
One of the things I love the most about cities is just how much they offer in terms of cultural activities. I love seeing a show in London’s West End, visiting a museum in pretty much every city and going to a music festival (my favorite music festival) in one of my favorite cities.

The People
There’s something about seeing city people in their habitat that makes me feel an automatic kinship. I know what it’s like to do that daily commute on the train or to live in a somewhat space-constricted apartment. No matter what the city, I see the habitants of that city and feel connected.

Are you a city person or a nature person (or both!)?