is it possible to fall in love with a city?

I often hear people tell me they have a favourite city or that familiar movie scene where the lead actress throws her arms wide open and exclaims “I LOVE this place!”. I never gave it much thought because, while I most certainly do like the cities I’ve lived in or visited, there aren’t any particularly strong feelings attached.

Take, for instance, Adelaide. I’ve spent the larger part of my life living there and I think I know where everything is. I feel safe walking down King William Street going home at night. I like the convenience of the tram. I really make the most out of the free parking in Chinatown on Sundays. I loved the sunshine and the green trees that line the roads. But that was it. I like it there, but if it wasn’t for my friends, my family, my school, my work.. the sentiment and nostalgia that goes along with it, that’s it. There’s nothing much.

In my previous post, I said I think I am in love. Well, here’s my question for today, Is it possible to fall in love with a city? 

Usually, I am a very critical person. I like to think of myself as being able to see the big picture, the good and the bad. I normally don’t delude myself with false positives. However, this trip to Shanghai has left me with a huge mark. I absolutely loved the city. Everything about it was amazing and beautiful. 

Maybe because I have a thing for architecture and buildings. I found the city a beautiful blend of old and modern. I loved how there were skyscrapers around the corner from the fish market. I loved how there were 19th Century buildings transformed into bars and pubs. 

Or maybe I just had such a horribly low bar of expectation for China. I found the people surprisingly friendly and happy and nice. I am shocked at how clean the streets were. I am dumbfounded at how clean the restaurant toilets were. Everything was more than what I had expected.

People say, no matter where you are, it’s the friends you have. Having said that, it’s definitely not the reason because I didn’t have any friends there! I had some distant relatives, but that was about it - most of them I had never met before. 

So I am now officially one of those mushy people who have a favourite city. Mine would be Shanghai. Yours?