What is the average price for a one-bedroom apartment in your city centre?
Abu Dhabi
To rent: $2,389/month.
To buy: $292,000
Amsterdam
To rent: $1,750/month.
To buy: $490,000
Bucharest
To rent: $350/month
To buy: $70,000
Cyprus
To rent: $664/month.
To buy: $159,000
Delhi
To rent: $400/month.
To buy: $165,000
Istanbul
Rent: $1,300/month.
To buy: $150,000
London
To rent: $1,360/month.
To buy: $768,000
Moscow
To rent: $5,250/month.
To buy: $153,000
New York
To rent: $2,000/month
To buy: $840,000
Singapore
To rent: $2,000/month.
To buy: $900,000
Sydney
Rent: $1,900/month.
To buy: $551,000.
Biggest scandal of 2010?
Abu Dhabi: Sex & The City 2’s complete misrepresentation of Abu Dhabi, then we weren’t even allowed to see it at the cinema as it was deemed too risqué for UAE audiences.
Amsterdam: When venue magnate SjoerdKooistra committed suicide following a dispute with a drinks label.
Bucharest: The demolitions in Buzesti area (old houses and the ruins of a former cinema) in order to ‘make room’ for a new boulevard.
Cyprus: Somebody stole the corpse of the Former president of the republic (Tassos Papadopoulos). It was found after six months.
Delhi: The Commonwealth Games – billions of dollars were spent on an event that did little for Delhi’s tourist economy, when the poor were forcibly bused out of the city. The minimum estimate of the Games’ cost is equal to 20 times the total education budget of the Delhi state government next year (the maximum estimate is closer to 50 times).
Istanbul: The destruction of a historic theatre in order to build a shopping mall.
London: London became the apex of nationwide anger against the coalition government over the rise in tuition fees in an amazingly 21st century viral campaign, led through social-media.
Moscow: Every speech made by Vladimir Putin is a scandal.
New York: The controversy surrounding the ‘Ground Zero mosque’.
Singapore: In June, an MRT train (subway) was tagged with graffiti. A Swiss man was accused and sentenced to three strokes of the cane and seven months in prison.
Sydney: Our government’s treatment of asylum seekers.
Your coolest new boutique hotel
Abu Dhabi: Tilal Liwa Hotel in Liwa Desert.
Amsterdam: The reopening of the 23-bedroom CanalHouse.
Bucharest: Carol Parc Hotel, placed in a former palace in the old town area.
Cyprus: Londa Boutique Hotel in Lemesos.
Delhi: The Trinity Art Hotel was opened by Sheetal Bawa Singh and her husband a few weeks ago as a hotel/gallery.
Istanbul: A’jia, situated by Bosphorus, at the Asian side.
London: Town Hall Hotel and Apartments: an Edwardian East End haunt lovingly revamped.
Moscow: The cost is higher than the quality here.
New York: Andre Balazs’ latest is a bit big to be called ‘boutique’, but from the rooftop bar to the garden, it’s a scene.
Singapore: Wanderlust, the first snazzy boutique hotel to open in Little India. Each floor has rooms designed by the city’s top design agencies.
Sydney: Establishment in the CBD.
What did your city’s inhabitants complain about the most in 2010?
Abu Dhabi: The ever-continuing nightmare with roadworks, especially around the Salam Street tunnel project. The last we heard, it should be finished in July.
Amsterdam: The continuing disruption caused by the construction of the North-South Metro line, a project that’s comically over budget and subject to spiralling delays.
Bucharest: Lack of money – the recession is going on for a bit too long.
Cyprus: Eleftheria’s square (designed by Zaha Hadid) and the delays of the construction.
Delhi: The level of graft required for the Commonwealth Games, and the way the words ‘city pride’ kept being bandied about to justify it.
Istanbul: Traffic jams as usual. An inhabitant of Istanbul spends an average of three hours a day in traffic.
London: Weather. Especially weather and travel. The London Tube network acts as an intensifier for any extreme weather conditions in the capital. If it’s too hot, you’ll faint from heat. If it’s snowing, you’ll not even get down the escalator before skidding on slush.
Moscow: The bad environmental conditions, high cost of living and the mud (in winter).
New York: Public transportation: Frequent repairs and service cutbacks to the subway system.
Singapore: Casinos charging $100 for Singaporeans and permanent residents to enter, while foreigners get in free.
Sydney: The weather! It rains in Sydney far more than you’d expect. And Oprah’s visit.
Hottest trend of 2010?
Abu Dhabi: The influx of new cupcake outlets, unfortunately. Amsterdam: Post-crunch ‘pop-up’ventures, such as coffee shops and boutiques, making the most of unoccupied commercial spaces.
Bucharest: Vintage and ‘old school’ revival. Urban places rediscovered, vintage boutiques and fairs.
Cyprus: A turn to the alternative in terms of music, art, life and style.
Delhi: Walking. Delhi’s long been considered too unfriendly to walk in. Now many walks are led by scholars and enthusiasts.
Istanbul: Smirting (smoking and flirting outside a pub, bar or club – the non-smoking law was introduced in July 2009).
London: Twitter. Everyone’s tweeting; from Dimbleby on Question Time to the Metropolitan Police disseminating advice by the second, Twitter has changed how people exchange information.
Moscow: More than 100 different bars have opened. New York: Social media, such as Twitter.
Singapore: Rooftop bars: Despite the sweltering heat, people are keen to see the new skyline from above. Altitude is claiming to be the highest alfresco rooftop bar in the world.
Sydney: Tweeting.
Your coolest new restaurant
Abu Dhabi: Hakkasan at Emirates Palace. Finally Abu Dhabi has a world-class Far Eastern restaurant that can compete with the likes of Nobu and Zuma in Dubai.
Amsterdam: Proef, a food design destination in the Westergasfabriek where you’re quite likely to be served a potato in a teacup.
Bucharest: Escargot Bistro (a small but very fashionable restaurant with french cuisine) and Casa Satya (a natural/bio food based restaurant with a cosy atmosphere).
Cyprus: Pantopoleion ‘H Kali Orexi’.
Delhi: Gunpowder. This unassuming little Indian eatery with a view has become the new hotspot in Hauz Khas Village.
Istanbul: Open since 2006, Lucca is still on trend. It’s situated in Bebek (a hip neighbourhood by the Bosphorus)
London: Inamo – with virtual menus and touch-table technology, coupled with gorgeous Asian fusion food.
Moscow: Ragout: a mix of French and British cuisine.
New York: ABC Kitchen, Jean Georges Vongerichten’s Greenmarket cooking is fresh and exuberant.
Singapore: Not necessarily the coolest, but Marina Bay Sands of the new casino resorts has brought the first group of celebrity chefs to Singapore’s shores. Mario Batali, Daniel Boulud, Guy Savoy, Santi Santamaria and Wolfgang Puck have all opened restaurants this year.
Sydney: Porteno, a modern Argentinean restaurant that became an instant hotspot.
What is the most anticipated event for 2011 in your city?
Abu Dhabi: Stevie Wonder’s gig at Yas Arena in March promises to be the biggest show in the city since Prince thrilled us at the F1.
Amsterdam: The delayed reopening of the StedelijkMuseum (modern art).
Bucharest: The opening of National Arena Stadium as a new venue for football games and concerts (we hope it will be U2 next year).
Cyprus: The collection of works by French artist Edgar Degas at the Evagoras and Kathleen Lanitis Cultural Centre.
Delhi: 2011 is the centenary of New Delhi! There will be a deluge of events looking back at the past 100 years, and hopefully the arriving 100.
Istanbul: The 12th international Istanbul Biennal.
London: The upcoming marriage of Kate Middleton and Prince William is going to dominate the media for the next four months.
Moscow: The presidential elections in 2012
New York: Too many to choose just one: The opening of the second part of the High Line (the raised public park built on a former elevated train track); the 9/11 Memorial; the opening of the $65 million
Spider-Man: The Musical.
Singapore: Art Stage Singapore will be bringing in big-name artists, as well as displaying the works produced by local artists.
Sydney: Justin Bieber’s concert. Sadly.
What was the most popular TV show in your country?
Abu Dhabi: Come Dine With Me.
Amsterdam: The Voice Of Holland, a TV talent contest where the judges can’t see the contestants and have to make their appraisals on talent alone.
Bucharest: Dansez Pentru Tine (Dancing For You), a charitable show with stars and common people on Pro TV.
Cyprus: To Nissi (The Island), based on the book by Victoria Hisslop.
Delhi: The Big Boss, a reality TV show (based on the Big Brother), which had the country in a tizzy because of Pamela Anderson’s appearance in the house.
Istanbul: Ask-ı Memnu, based on a novel by Halit Ziya Usaklıgil (20th-century Turkish writer) about a love affair between a young man and his uncle’s young wife.
London: Everyone had some sort of opinion on The X Factor, ranging from feigned indifference to uncomfortable obsession. Also, drama Red Riding was brave and challenging.
Moscow: Wow! We don’t watch TV!
New York: From a ratings standpoint, American Idol. But from a cultural standpoint Glee.
Singapore: All the regular imports (Heroes and Glee are big).
Sydney: MasterChef (a reality show about amateur cooks).
Which cultural piece released in 2010 excited your Time Out team the most?
Abu Dhabi: RSTW exhibition at Manarat Al Saadiyat. We miss it already.
Amsterdam: Brilliant family drama The Kids Are All Right.
Bucharest: De-a viul (Playing alive), a poetry book launched in March by Teodor Duna, and Deadline a novel by Adina Rosetti (both former colleagues at Time Out Bucharest).
Cyprus: George Christodoulides with the variette show The Miracle Man.
Delhi: Anish Kapur’s first exhibition in the subcontinent, across Bombay and Delhi.
Istanbul: U2 at 360 club. We waited for them to come for so long.
London: Florence And The Machine’s ‘You Got The Love’ (The XX Remix).
Moscow: Megapolis produced an album, the first about life according to those over 40.
New York: This is probably a tie between the Broadway musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson and the movie The Social Network.
Singapore: A series of local productions by Wild Rice, a local theatre company.
Sydney: Album: LCD Soundsystem This is Happening. Movie: Animal Kingdom. Show: August: Osage County.
