This year we've all been spending more time than expected in our own neighborhoods.
While lockdown and safety measures have hit our city centers hard, in many places local communities have been thriving(兴旺). Here are some examples.
Marrickville, Sydney
Offerings in Marrickville are in sheer variety, where you can pick up world-class Vietnamese food along Illawarra Rd, tuck into plant-based pizza at Pizza Madre, then wash it all down with a brew from one of the district's many, many craft beer companies.
Haut-Marais, Paris
Not to be confused with Marais proper-delightful, of course, but rather touristy, darling—Haut-Marais is the northern, bleeding edge of this historic district.
To Parisians, it feels like this neighborhood practically invented the cocktail bar, so visitors are recommended to sally down its winding streets and investigate joints like the Little Red Door speakeasy and Bisou(French for"kiss").
Shaanxi Bei Lu/Kangding Lu, Shanghai
Once part of the Shanghai International Settlement-a Western enclave until 1941-this formerly sleepy neighborhood is quickly morphing into a buzzing destination of new cafes, bars and restaurants.
You'll still find traditional lane houses and old-school noodle shops, but now you can scoot along to an all-day roller skate bar, Rink, or quaff natural wines at the laid-back SOiF.
Wedding, Berlin
Wedding is a neighborhood in the northwest section of Germany's capital.
Though the city is known as a place for 24-hour partying, Wedding's side streets are quiet enough to guarantee you'll get a good night's sleep once you're done hitting the beer halls.
By day, you can enjoy the great outdoors at Plotzensee lake and woodsy Volkspark Rehberge.