Glasgow's Miles Better (Glasgow in General)

Member Name: dbarcl10

Product:	Glasgow in General
Date:	03/05/09 (153 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Cosmopolitan, vibrant city

Disadvantages: The sun doesn't shine enough!

Glasgow literally means 'dear green place', and that's what it means to me. It's a place that I will always call home, a place I always feel comfortable in, and a place with plenty of public parks located throughout the city, perfect for those (however rare) summer days.

Once the second city of the Empire, Glasgow is the biggest city in Scotland. Glasgow in days gone by was a highly industrial city, built around the River Clyde where shipyards flourished. However in recent years, the city has changed beyond recognition, with service industries now flourishing, and the Lonely Planet guide has named Glasgow as one of the top 10 cities in the world, the only UK entry.

Allow me to give you some background to the city. Glasgow is situated in the west of Scotland, and has a population of approx 620,000. The roots of the city can be traced back to medieval times, when the city was an important religious site established by Saint Mungo around the 6th century. The city grew in terms of size and importance due to its location on the River Clyde, which allowed the city to flourish through fishing and later shipbuilding. In more recent times, the city has become a major financial sector.

If your only knowledge of Glasgow is from television programmes such as Taggart, you'd be forgiven for thinking that the city is a place best avoided. The truth is that the city is very cosmopolitan, a friendly and vibrant city that doesn't stand still.

In recent years, Glasgow has underwent a massive transformation, demolishing the old shipyards and docks and replacing them with new office buildings, colleges, apartments, museums and leisure facilities. From a largely derelict area, new life has been breathed into the Glasgow riverside.

The city of Glasgow will play host to the Commonwealth Games in 2014. Most of the Games will be focused in the east end of the city, which has suffered from severe deprivation over the last 20-30 years; however the whole area is due for a massive upgrade in time for the Games. Building work has already started in the east end of the city to demolish old factories, and remove the effects of years of heavy industry on the land. There will be a new National Indoor Sports Arena and Velodrome and a new athletes village, which after the Games will be converted into a mix of social and private housing.

If its retail therapy your after, take a stroll along Buchanan St, Argyle St or Sauchiehall St in the city centre for the high street stores, or visit Ingram St or Princes Square for the more upmarket designer stores. For smaller, independent stores, take a trip to Byres Road in the West End. Or visit one of the out of town shopping centres, including Silverburn, Braehead, the Fort or the Forge.

If you're visiting the city for culture, be sure to pay a visit to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. Kelvingrove is housed in a very impressive building, which was recently returned to its former glory in a massive £26m refurbishment. Kelvingrove houses several major works of art, including Salvador Dali's 'Christ of St John on the Cross', while an original Spitfire hangs suspended from the ceiling. Be sure to visit Kelvingrove at 1pm to hear the sounds of the organ being played, echoing throughout the building.

Just across the road from Kelvingrove is the Museum of Transport, which has cars, buses, trams, and boats as well as a mock up of a traditional Glasgow street, complete with underground station. The Museum of Transport will be relocated in the next few years to an iconic new building on the banks of the River Clyde, the Riverside Museum, where a number of historic ships, including the Glenlee, will be moored along with Museum.

If you're more into modern art, stop by at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) in the heart of the city centre, where the exhibitions regularly change.

Whilst in the city, catch a concert at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) or for a more intimate gig, visit King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, where Oasis were discovered.

Think everyone in Glasgow just eats deep fried Mars bars? Think again. Glasgow has many great restaurants; my favourite being the Corinthian, voted as one of the top 100 restaurants in Europe. This beautiful restaurant is situated within a Grade A building, featuring reputably one of the finest stained glass domes left in Britain. The food is always of a very high quality, and the menu is regularly updated, but surprisingly the restaurant is always very affordable.

So now you know about the city, how do you get here? Well the city is served by two airports, Glasgow International and Prestwick. Glasgow International airport is well served by frequent coach services into the heart of Glasgow, or jump into one of the airport taxi's for the short 10 minute ride. Prestwick is further away, approx 30 minutes on the train, but there is a train station right beside the airport.

The city also has two main train stations, Glasgow Central and Glasgow Queen St. Train services from England and the west coast of Scotland arrive at Central, whilst services from northern and eastern Scotland arrive at Queen St. Transport around the city is made easy by the network of public transport, including the Subway, the third oldest underground system in the world.

Of course, like any international city, Glasgow has a wealth of hotels, covering all budgets, from the cheap and cheerful to the 5 star Radisson and Hilton hotels. The majority of the hotels are located within the city centre, meaning that visitors are never more than a short walk from the majority of attractions.

So hopefully I've given you a feel for Glasgow and have hopefully changed any misgivings you may have about the city. So, what you wanting for - get here now!

Summary: Welcome to my city...