Do some cities lose their appeal after a repeat visit?
 

Have you ever travelled back to your favourite city, only to realize it's no longer your favourite?

I was really looking forward to my third visit to Istanbul.
It was seven years ago when I first visited Turkey. Standing on the ferry and gazing at Istanbul's minaret-dotted skyline, I thought this must be the most beautiful city in the world. I loved it so much I planned a second visit, which left me equally impressed.

But on my third visit, my enthusiasm was starting to wane. This time I ventured into the Western Districts to explore Eyup and Kariye Church. To be honest, I truly hated this part of Istanbul. The area around Eyup reeked of sewage and was depressingly conservative. The ratio of veiled women to non-veiled must have been 9/10. I don't mind the hijab but it was sad to see progressive Turkey slowly turn into another Iran.

The views from the much-hyped Pierre Lotti café were nothing special.

Istiklal Street, with its charmless shops and bars, has outdone La Ramblas in its tackiness. I still have a fondness for the Bosphorus towns and Beyoglu, but Istanbul is no longer my favorite city.

I guess some love affairs aren't meant to last forever.

There is nothing "tacky" about the Liceu opera house on Las Ramblas.

Well I was overwhelmed by the crowds on my third visit, esp. around the Bosphorus / bridge area. I had not visited Istiklal street before and agree that it was not impressive. After that visit about two years ago, I said I would not go back........but I've changed my mind. I loved the hotel I stayed at - it had a roof top terrace that looked out over the city and the Bosphorus. Every day they put out a free! mezze buffet and I had a truly wonderful haman experience there. So what I hope to do, is visit again for a few days, then hop over for another visit to a Greek isle or two. However, due to recent events, I may not make it back to Istanbul - not easy to find a travel companion to go there these days:(

Dukey1. True, the Ramblas has some beautiful buildings but the row of ugly souvenir shops and the drunkards and aggressive prostitutes roaming the street at night takes away from the its charm.

Suec1. I love the neighborhoods south of Istiklal such as Galata and Cihangir. But the street itself not so much. As for the safety, I didn't feel the city was affected by the recent events. There were so many tourists I still had to queue for the Ata Sofia. Not many Americans or Europeans though.

I don't understand the boycott. It's not like there's a war going on. There are shootings taking place in the USA and Europe too. No place is safe anymore.

Those who live in Istanbul spend ever increasing time to find something of the nostalgic past in this city that provides refuge and possibly jobs to close to half a million Syrian and maybe 10% of that Afghani, Iraqi, Yazidi, Georgian, Iranian refugees in addition to maybe two million or more Kurds who were forced out of their villages and cities in Southeastern Turkey because of government policies and actions as much as economic desperation.

A recent poll showed that less than one million of the residents were born in Istanbul.

Such a huge influx leaves its mark on the physical structures, the people and their interaction with each other.

Why go to Carsamba, Fatih, Eyup areas except to have an idea of the Islamist life style?

Istiklal Street is also in a district which has been administered by an Islamist mayor, who has done his best to force the establishments catering for the secular and modern residents and non-Islamic tourists. Currently, all bookstores, decent restaurants, art galleries and concert halls and most theatres and cinemas have left Istiklal, leaving in their place cheap clothing shop and run-of-the-mill eateries.

As a result, the characteristics of the people walking Istiklal and its side streets have changed not to a Ramblas type area, but to a Middle Eastern souk but without anything exotic or esoteric.

Yet, Istanbul still has the Bosphorus, the sights of old Byzantium, the old mosques, baths and bazaars, as well as some very good food and quaint and lovely areas for hikes, and shorter walks. Try the hinterland of Besiktas, Ortakoy, Arnavutkoy, Bebek, Rumeli Hisar, Anadolu Hisar, Cengelkoy, Kuzguncuk, as well as the Bosphorus coast. And so farthe undisturbed "Cihangir" near Taksim.

When I was a kid, Istanbul's population was about one million, the cab drivers at the taxi stand near our home wore coats and ties, most of the meyhanes were owned by minorities and their serving staff would have put top Paris restaurants to shame. And one had to dress in his/her finest to go to Istiklal Street.

But, not only people but physical and cultural things like cities also grow, change and become older and also different.

The places change, you also change. Your eyes and your appraising mind are also different.

My favourite stores and restaurants in London have all disappeared and died, just as the once well-recognized names have left no trace in American cities.

Theotherchelebi, you took the right words out of my mouth.
Istanbul has changed so much
within the last two years.

Also, the rise in Islamism is very pulpable. The fact that the city is visited by many burka-wearing tourists doesn't help either. At some point, I felt I was in Kabul or Riyadh.

I DID visit Bebek, Ortakoy and Emirgan. This is my favorite part of Istanbul.
It's a shame that guidebooks only advertise this as an "if you have extra time" kind of attraction. For a first-time visitor, I think this is a must.

Also, I went to Pierre Lotti because it was recommended by the guidebook as a nice viewpoint.
But I found the views over the golden horn aren't that great compared to the Bosphorus.

I suppose some cities could lose their appeal, but I find the opposite to be true in most cases. It took me 3 visits to Rome to catch its appeal, for instance. I was put off by so many things the first few times - traffic, pollution, noise, general chaos. The 3rd time was a charm and Iv'e been a dévotée ever since.

A lot of neighborhoods in Istanbul have always been rather conservative. Even Sultanahmet. As a regular tourist you don't notice it, you only notice it when you venture off into the back streets or to nearby neighborhoods where there are no tourists. The more liberal parts of Istanbul have always been in Beyoğlu and Taksim. Even during the Ottoman empire, that's where the Europeans lived, and it still keeps a lot of that flavor.

I still love visiting Istanbul though, it has never lost its flavor for me. But while I love to visit it, I would never want to live there.

It definitely works both ways.

As to the poster's original question about a place no longer being your favorite place upon a repeat visit - I haven't gone repeatedly to the same place except for Paris, Vienna and Switzerland. Still loved Paris, not as enchanted by Vienna on the 2nd trip and always love Switzerland and if I have to give a city there, I would pick Bern as a city I always love being in.

So, so far nothing that was my <b>favorite,</b> that I became less enchanted with.

Works both ways, as noted.

I have decided not to visit Amsterdam and Berlin for a while after
the latest stay .( visited 6-7 times over the years)
Liked Moscow even more after the second visit and will probably go again
Still not tired of Madrid and Paris after numerous visits .

Yet, Istanbul still has the Bosphorus

Glad to hear that there are things Erdogan can't destroy.

Works both ways.

London isn't as impressed with me as it used to be. I'm slower, cheaper, more easily confused, more critical of everything, deaf.

I find Loacker's posts reeking of anti Islamic.
What is wrong with people with veils ?
By the same token some people would criticize my having a cross on my powerful torso.

I don't think it's the veil itself but what it represents in terms of conservative and religious outlook and how that affects the city/country. Some people just wear a small cross almost as jewelry, actually, although I don't know the degree of power of your torso or what that means.

People's attitudes do affect a city. I went to Cairo many years ago in the 80s when it was much more "liberal" than now in terms of some of these same issues and I doubt if I'll ever go back now. I wouldn't go to any city that requires women to dress a certain way, in fact, as I don't believe in that kind of stuff (ie, that women have to wear a veil). I wouldn't go to a country taht denies women basic rights or freedoms, either.

I'm not fond of religion or the veil for that matter, and I'm entitled to an opinion. That doesn't make me anti-Islam. I would never judge anyone according to their religion.

I think you're just trying to stir up some trouble, Whathello.

No question there is often the "you can't go back " feeling when repeating a visit to places..some is the actual change of the city and much can be that you the traveler has changed. Some cities just have grown too much or not enough etc.lots of reasons...I loved Istanbul and last visit was great..it seemed that the city was moving ahead while still retaining the charm and intrigue that made you want to return..these days not sure that is the case. If repeating a destination I make sure to add in new places to see or combine two places one return and one new.

I think all your posts are on the verge of something Loacker.
In Paris thread you didn't like the 5th because it was full of kebabs etc
On Prague you asked if they were racists.
Maybe I should look back at all you have posted but if you are not anti Islam and anti whatever you should pay more attention to what you write and the way you write.
Some might find with an accumulation of such posts that you are quite intolerant.

not sure why we are talking Islam here...and if I had not visited places that require people to dress or do things different than maybe I am used to I would have really missed some extraordinary experiences...that's what I love are the differences...political instability though can impact travel negatively..in fact the westernization of so many cultures today can detract from the travel experience..but what I have found for the most part is no matter how different the attire may be people are just people.

As for me, whenever I visit for the 3rd or fourth time, what excites me the most is the food, I can say that New York, San Francisco and Mumbai,these are the major cities I've been to multiple times.
If I go to Istanbul again, I'm sure the views across the Bosporus and the food is what I would be most excited about.

I had that reaction to Amsterdam, when I visited it for the second time, after 18 years. However, I still have fond memories of the second visit. It just wasn't as exciting any more and I don't think I'll ever return.

No, but I am not easily disappointed.

<i>By the same token some people would criticize my having a cross on my powerful torso.</i>

That would have been, and perhaps still is, true in French public schools.