It’s cold, it’s wet, it’s dark outside and I’m not even in St. Petersburg.
Describing a city, town, or village in English is surprisingly difficult, especially when you’re not a native speaker.
There are a few key things you can say that instantly make someone think: “Damn, that makes me want to go!” or the opposite: “Really?”
Anyway, here are 20 natural English phrases you can use to describe any city like a local.
The Vibe (Atmosphere)
A concrete jungle
Lots of tall buildings and very little nature.
Parts of the city feel like a concrete jungle.
The hustle and bustle
The busy, noisy energy of city life.
I love the hustle and bustle of London.
A melting pot
People from many cultures live together.
It’s a real melting pot of cultures.
A ghost town
Strangely quiet or empty.
The city centre felt like a ghost town on Sunday morning.
Steeped in history
Full of historical importance.
The old town is steeped in history.
A vibrant nightlife
Lots of bars, clubs, and late-night places.
The city is known for its vibrant nightlife.
Getting Around (Infrastructure)
The daily grind
The tiring routine of commuting.
The daily grind really gets to you after a while.
Gridlock
Traffic so bad that nothing moves.
The roads were in complete gridlock.
Urban sprawl
A city spreads out too far in an unplanned way.
Urban sprawl makes getting around difficult.
A dead ringer for [city]
Looks almost exactly like another city.
It’s a dead ringer for Paris.
Leafy suburbs
Quiet, green residential areas.
They live in the leafy suburbs now.
Condition & Character
High-rise buildings
Very tall buildings or skyscrapers.
The skyline is full of high-rise buildings.
Run-down
In poor condition, not maintained.
Some parts are a bit run-down.
Up-and-coming
Becoming trendy or more expensive.
That area is really up-and-coming.
Drenched in rain/sun
A natural way to talk about weather.
We arrived and the city was drenched in rain.
Tacky / a tourist trap
Flashy places designed to take tourists’ money.
Avoid that café — it’s a tourist trap.
Useful Idiomatic Expressions
Paint the town red
Go out and enjoy the nightlife.
We painted the town red last night.
Right up my street
Perfectly matches your tastes.
That neighbourhood is right up my street.
Over my dead body
A very strong refusal.
Visit that place on a Saturday? Over my dead body.
Give up the ghost
Finally stop working.
The public transport gave up the ghost during the snowstorm.
At this stage in life, cheap, safe, and quiet sounds a lot more tempting than a “vibrant nightlife”.