The rebirth of many major American cities is paying dividends to the meetings and events industry, as once-empty, and sometimes dilapidated, urban areas have come back to life full of inventive restaurants and entertainment offerings for attendees.
To mangle the words of author Gertrude Stein, “There is some ‘there there.’”
Mega cities such as Los Angeles, the quintessential example of “urban sprawl,” are successfully developing massive, multibillion-dollar entertainment hubs such as L.A. Live that are meeting and convention magnets. L.A. always had it all, but not all in one place.
Waikiki is also sprucing up its once-a-bit-on-the-sketchy-side Lewers Street via the Waikiki Beach Walk, and even The Donald is buying into the new neighborhood via his Trump International Hotel & Tower Waikiki Beach Walk.
With all this polishing of once-seamy urban areas happening, what’s a sailor on leave to do these days?
Our “City Life” story explores this 21st century phenomenon.
There’s a town coming to a town near you!
