Pimp my burg

File under: travel, Wellington

I could have had a rant today about the Transmission Gully saga, but you already know what I think about that. I could have talked about all manner of things, from the proposed extension of the liquor ban to the Dragon Boats to what I'm planning to see at the Arts Festival this weekend. But a much more important issue is at hand: we have a chance to be part of Gridskipper.

For those who don't know it, Gridskipper is a blog that bills itself as "The Urban Travel Guide", but it's about much more than travel. It does have a lot of posts about cheap flights to Rio or opulent hotels in Budapest, but it also covers all sorts of hip, quirky, decadent and dodgy happenings in cities around the world. From hip-hop exhibits at the Smithsonian and the search for cheap blackjack in Atlantic City, to new DJ bars in Berlin and carnivorous restaurants in Nairobi, it pretty much covers everything that we love about cities. It's been called "decadence on a budget", "an eclectic world travel guide for the Wallpaper* set" and "not for the sober traveler", which all sounds good to me, but it does have one major flaw: it doesn't cover Wellington.

Here's your chance to help rectify this unfortunate oversight. Gridskipper have started a series of posts called Pitch My Burg, where readers can advocate for the inclusion of their favourite city. Is Wellington too small? After all it's no megalopolis. But then neither are Reykjavik, Pisa or Cork, and they're "on the grid". Besides, the first pitch comes from Grand Rapids, Michigan, and if a Midwest burg nicknamed "Furniture City" can bid for inclusion, then why can't Wellywood?

I'm more than happy to put in a pitch for Wellington, writing up our case and including the requisite links and images. But I want your help. Why should Wellington be included in a global blog for "savvy and daring urbanites"? Is it our unique combination of villagey compactness and urban vitality? Is it our world record for the number of Oscars per head of population (I just made that up)? Is it the fact that you can't walk down the street without tripping over a piece of great public artwork? Is it the insane and non-stop pace of events that keep the city buzzing through summer and autumn? Is it the fact that we can knock out a damn good Martini and yet still be within walking distance of hippy enclaves, an urban wetland and a great little beach? Is it our spectacular climate, or the fact that we can make this guy into an icon?

Send in your reasons, and let's see if we can get on the grid. If you're lacking motivation, consider this: Auckland is included, but has only deserved two posts so far! We can do better than that.