According to Cambridge Dictionary, a hidden gem is something that not many people know about. However, when reading "Hidden Gems" articles on travel blogs, we often encounter cool but very touristic places.
So this time, we're gonna consider hidden gems as great places where tourists don't often go but locals do, and that can make your trip to some of the most popular cities in the world–such as Paris, London, Amsterdam, and New York City–even better.
1.Creperie Genia, Paris
As expected from every country's largest city, Paris isn't cheap and is becoming even more expensive. With attraction tickets and tourist taxes rising, eating at local places may help you budget without missing the French experience.
No, you won't need to eat ''McDo'' (McDonald's à la française) every day!
For instance, at Creperie Genia, you can eat the famous French crepe for a fair price compared to restaurants and coffee shops that serve the same dish.
The price for a crepe at Breizh Café, one of the nine so-called best crêperies in Paris, ranges from 5.9 euros–the simplest one–to 14.5 euros. In comparison, crepes at Genia range from 1.8 to 6 euros.
And as a PS: 6 chicken nuggets would have cost 10.6 euros!
2. Domino Park, New York City
New York may be an exciting city, but it also gets stressful, especially in the summer when New Yorkers and tourists can expect 90 degrees, crowded and stuffy subways, and huge lines to popular attractions.
When the season hits, you can spend days in not-so-popular parks like Domino Park to escape the buzz. Developed in tribute to shuttered Domino Sugar Refinery workers, the park is situated alongside the East River in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., Domino Park offers beach volleyball, a playground for kids, a bocce court, a dog park, and even free fitness classes.
With seats overlooking the Manhattan skyline, the park is also a place to relax, read a book, or have a meal with a view. Bring food from home, take out the famous pizza from Roberta's, or buy snacks at Trader Joe's, which is located a 5-minute walk from the park.
3. Hampstead Heath, London
With a population of about 9 million, London also forces you to escape from the city sometimes.
Fortunately, the husband of the couple behind the YouTube channel Suitcase Monkey is a Londoner, and he mentioned in one of their videos that ''walking through Hampstead Heath is probably the farthest away from London that you'll feel while still being in London.''
But what is Hampstead Heath?
It's a wild park less than 4 miles from the center of London that offers a walk with greenery, views of the city, and swimming ponds. The park inspired C.S. Lewis to write The Chronicles of Narnia.
4. OBA Oosterdok Public Library, Amsterdam
When people think of Amsterdam, they often think of party tourism. However, the world's bicycle capital also offers great museums and libraries.
Since libraries are community spaces rather than just academic spaces, and the Dutch are quite anglophone, visiting a public library in the city may be a doorway to meeting new people, and the OBA Oosterdok library is a beautiful place for that.
It's also a helpful spot if you have any remote work or need to run away from the rain. You can relax and grab a coffee and a snack at the OBA café on the mezzanine level or at the café-restaurant Babel on the 7th floor, which offers a panoramic terrace.
Don't forget to check out the library's agenda so you don't miss a live concert or an interesting exhibition happening there.
Image Credit: Florian Peeters from Unplash
Although each of these hidden gems offers something different, they all share one aspect: they allow you to experience the city as a local. For example, you may take a fitness class at Domino Park alongside other New Yorkers or appreciate a Dutch cultural expression at OBA.
Bon voyage!
