There is something ineffably romantic about a summer in the city. There´s definitely something in the sweltering weight of the city heat; in seeing the cars lazily rolling along through traffic jams. Or in the evenings spent sipping velvety wine an an outdoor table at a bar, watching the city lights softly blend with the sinking hues of the 9 o´clock sky.

You don´t have to take a holiday in the country side to have a distinctive experience. Imagine walking down Madison Avenue, New York City, watching the yellow cabs drift by, shadowed by the towering buildings, watching the city people so groomed and American in their corporate clothes.

Or perhaps prettying yourself up into that slippery evening dress and venturing into the city delight for an evening of cocktail pleasure might appeal to you. The city lights are bright, and sometimes the grainy husk of the city-contaminated summer months can make for a really picturesque experience.

Let´s not kid ourselves. Nature is wonderful, but some of the most beautiful things that we may ever take the joy of viewing are man made. Beautiful city water features, tremendous buildings teeming skywards, delicate arcs of lights and fabric bending into and against the light, creating some really aesthetic architectural spectacles.

New York, San Francisco, Austin, Los Angeles, Miami. If you´re looking for a holiday that has a sense of glamour, a city-core je ne sais quoi, then propose a home exchange in one of these areas. These are all husky city-life cities. And in the words of Frank O´Hara,

“it’s true that fresh air is good for the body
but what about the soul
that grows in darkness, embossed by silvery images” 1960.