Next big thing: cities

Introducing six cities cities with mind-blowing scenes that are about to reach their tipping points – and are worth getting to before the crowds

art

Istanbul

Murmurs about the art credentials of the Turkish cultural capital have been circulating for some time. Increasingly, Istanbul, with its mix of ageold culture and contemporary influences, has proved a seductive mix for gallerists, collectors and art-lovers alike.

There is also a buzz around Turkish art. London-based art dealer Jesse Jacobson sums up the growing excitement around the city. “I see Istanbul as the fastest rising modern art centre and a cultural gateway to Asia. With proximity to the major European cities, and sitting on top of all that heritage, it’s a very pretty package.” Jacobson visits the city regularly and has been drawn to its excitement, from the chic fashion district Nişantaşi to the younger, trendier Istiklal.

The buoyant art scene has also been helped along by three museums that have opened over the past five years: Istanbul Modern (Meclis-I Mebusan Cad, Liman Işletmeleri Sahasi Antrepo 4, +90 212 334 7300, istanbulmodern.org), a former customs house that showcases modern Turkish art; the cultural exhibition space, the Pera Museum (Meşrutiyet Cad 65, +90 212 334 9900, peramuzesi.org.tr) and Sakip Sabanci Museum (Sakip Sabanci Cad 42, +90 212 277 2200, muze.sabanciuniv.edu) which is dedicated to calligraphy and Ottoman-era paintings.

But it’s also Istanbul’s Biennial that has put it on the art map and this year it will be held between 12 September to 8 November.

Next year, the hype will reach another level when Istanbul becomes European Capital of Culture. The refurbishment of the city’s iconic former basilica, mosque and now museum, Hagia Sophia, is due to be completed in time for it.

music

Baltimore

According to Jaimie Hodgson, new music editor at NME, Baltimore is this year’s city to watch. And not just because of the wild success of cult television show The Wire. With low-cost living, a decent art school and endless warehouse spaces, the seaport is increasingly attracting creative types from across the States. “It’s also central to a lot of other places – Philly and New York,” adds Michael Byrne, music editor of local rag, City Paper. “Would Baltimore’s scene be like this if it was in say, Nebraska? Probably not.”

Hodgson points to singer-songwriter Cass McCombs as an example of the talent emerging from this city. His Dropping the Writ featured in NME’s Top 50 albums of 2008. “There are also loads of crazy new indie/punk and weird alternative bands,” Hodgson enthuses, “like The Death Set, Ponytail and Santa Dads.” And then there’s “the rest of the Wham City collective scene including the superb electronics from Dan Deacon”. He’s referring to a group of ‘DIY creatives’ (musicians, T-shirt makers and zine editors) that Deacon helped start. His music has been described as “Kraftwerk played at punk-rock tempos, infused with the spirit of 1940s cartoon music and the frenzied novelty of 1950s and 1960s rock ‘n’ roll.” A-ha. Byrne also adds ethereal pop duo Beach House to a ‘recommended list’ that includes Future Islands and Ecstatic Sunshine.

And then there’s the mad club scene. Rolling Stone recently namechecked Ottobar and the Talking Head, the underground Floristree performance space and late-night diners, Paper Moon and Golden West. Hodgson also cites the revival of ‘Bmore club’, a chunky hip-hop-meets-house sound that originated in the 1990s. All hail America’s new musical capital.

food

Melbourne

When fancy shmancy restaurants Nobu, Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen and Jason Atherton’s Maze wanted an Australian outpost, Melbourne pipped Sydney to the post. The southern city produces exciting – and affordable – food in interesting spaces.

One of the city’s hottest Japanese restaurants, Yu-U (137 Flinders Lane, +61 3 9639 7073) for example, is an unpretentious affair located behind an unmarked door down an anonymous alley.

Waves of immigration from countries such as Greece (Melbourne has the largest Greek population outside of Athens), Italy and Vietnam have also encouraged a rich culture of ethnic cuisine – but with an edge. George Calombaris’s Hellenic Republic (434 Lygon Street, +61 3 9381 1222, hellenicrepublic. com.au) is an authentic-style taverna that serves dishes such as grandma’s moussaka. Not too far away, Gigbaba (102 Smith Street, +61 3 9486 0345) is an intimate, no-bookings, modern Turkish delight. Clamber up to the bar and sample butter-soft, confit-cooked salmon or milk-fed lamb. Melbourne also has an ongoing affair with Middle Eastern food, as exemplified by Greg Malouf’s recently re-opened classic, MoMo (123 Collins Street, +61 3 9650 0660, momorestaurant. com.au) and Maha Bar & Grill (21 Bond Street, +61 3 9629 5900, mahabg.com.au)

In Melbourne, high-end food is good but it’s the mid range where creativity sizzles. Sydney-born Skye Gyngell, owner and chef of London’s Petersham Nurseries, agrees: “I like the little hole-in-the wall restaurants where heartfelt, unpretentious cooking is the norm. Foodies should head for the lanes in the centre of town.”

desiggn

Seoul

Architecturally, the South Korean capital is making the design world sit up and take notice with several ambitious building projects. In terms of big international names, late last year, French architect Dominique Perrault completed the striking, low and green EWHA Womans University campus centre and elegant box of the Nam June Paik Art Centre. This May will see the opening of Prada’s Transformer, designed by superstar architect Rem Koolhaas and his practice OMA. It will house art, cinema and fashion events.

Talent is emerging within Seoul, too. Local architecture practice IROJE is involved in several projects across the city garnering international attention, while South Korea’s larger brands like Samsung are increasingly recruiting homegrown design talent (such as Inno Design) and working with the city’s ever-expanding design colleges.

The capital also successfully hosted its first Design Olympiad last year, with a impressive list of speakers that included Zaha Hadid, Daniel Libeskind and Yves Behar. It also featured a platform for upcoming young Seoul-based designers.

Next year, the city will take over Turin as the World Design Capital. Determined to make sure the city lives up to the label, several major projects across the city are nearing completion. These include the highly anticipated Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park by British heavyweight architect Zaha Hadid and the ambitious S-Trenue Tower that will house both office and residential spaces, with balcony gardens on interconnecting bridges, designed by local architect Minsuk Cho. Alex Bagner

fashion

Reykjavik

Despite a meagre population of 313,000, Iceland’s capital is fast becoming a hotbed of fashion talent. And the inaugural Nordic Fashion Biennale recently held there is testament to this.

A quick stroll down the main shopping streets, Laugavegur and Bankastræti, gives you an instant sense of Reykjavik’s cutting-edge and mainstream labels. For minimal designs with edge, head to ELM Design (Laugavegur 1, +354 511 0991, elm.is) and for local luxury, Steinunn (Bankastræti 9, +354 588 8849, steinunn.com). Be sure to hunt down the two boutiques at the uptown end of Laugavegur. Belleville (Laugavegur 55, +354 534 9790) is a small store run by fashion-loving couple Bjarni Einarsson and Anna Clausen that stocks high-end streetwear. At KronKron (Laugavegur 63B, +354 562 8388) you’ll find two of the hottest local designers, Eygló and Mundi. Eygló’s designs are tailored and edgy, fun yet elegant, comfortable and have a loyal following among the country’s best-dressed. Mundi, on the other hand, is a leftfield, ‘futuristic’ designer who makes, erm, knitted space suits.

The Naked Ape (Bankastræti 14, +354 551 1415, dontbenaked.com) is best known for Sara María Eyþórsdóttir’s original, colourful screen-printed tees. Further up the road, Dead boutique (Laugavegur 29, +354 511 6801) is owned and run by Jón Sæmundur, one of Iceland’s most acclaimed artists, whose rock-influenced clothing is favoured by trendy locals and international rock stars such as Metallica and Placebo. Charlie Strand is the author and photographer of Project Iceland (Booth-Clibborn, £28). charliestrand.com

nightlife

Hamburg

Ask British DJs which city is currently exciting them and many will say Hamburg. Fil Jones, of former iconic London club Nag Nag Nag, is a big fan. “The city is pretty special right now,” says Jones. “There’s a really cool ‘alternative’ district called St Pauli, which is filled with wicked shops, bars and clubs – which are, of course, situated around the red light district. There’s also a mega-cool gay night called Gedeih & Verderb (Uebel & Gefährlich, 66 Feldstrasse, uebelundgefaehrlich.com), which is fab… really Nag-like. The venue is a huge old war bunker!”

“At Uebel & Gefährlich,” says local journalist Stuart Forster, “the playlist ranges from live indie and punk bands to one-off club nights.” But Forster isn’t surprised at the attention Hamburg is getting. After all, the city’s nightlife credentials were firmly established “between 1960 and 1962 when the Beatles held residencies in clubs on the Grosse Freiheit and Reeperbahn, where the heart of the city’s nightlife remains”. He cites Marktstrasse and Schanzenstrasse, which is known for its leftfield, party-wear perfect boutiques. Forster also recommends the retro Yoko Mono bar (41 Marktstrasse, +49 4043 182 991, yokomono.de) for a more chilled evening. And if you manage to stay up all night? He advises heading for a late beer or breakfast to Saal II (83 Schulterblatt, +49 4043 92828) where “hip-hop and reggae lovers keep going until dawn”.

Thomas Cook Travel