Pitch Your Burg: Wellington

[Pitch Your Burg challenges residents of cities given the short shrift on Gridskipper to convince you, the educated reader, that their metropoli indeed deserve more (or any) coverage. Unedited pitches from city residents or fans of same are presented for your review, followed by a poll. Vote to determine whether the city gets special survey post and subsequent coverage, or the cold, cold shoulder of permanent rejection. If you think your city deserves a shot on Gridskipper, send in your pitch -- 200-300 words, with at least one good, punchy image and as many local links as possible -- to tips@gridskipper.com.]

Challenger 1: Wellington, New Zealand
by WellUrban

In the words of one of the poems displayed as typographic installations along Wellington's famous waterfront , this is "the city of action, the world headquarters of the verb". As further evidence, even our sculptures can't sit still: they whirl and sway and glow. Further from the public eye, underground galleries rock with experimental music nights and the alleys are full of street art.

Energetic people love the ability to go mountain biking or kayaking in the middle of the city, and nature lovers adore the Wildlife Sanctuary and the fact that our brand new urban park includes native wetlands designed to treat stormwater while providing a habitat for birds. Urban dwellers prefer a shopping safari, hunting for elegant (Zambesi, Andrea Moore, Mandatory), street (Area 51, Rex Royale) or vintage (Ziggurat, Hunters & Collectors) fashion.

The music scene is based around the so-called "Wellington sound", a seductive Pacific blend of dub, jazz and soul exemplified by Fat Freddy's Drop, but genres as diverse as ironic hair metal and low-fi electro are making inroads. The gastronomic scene is just as lively and eclectic, with restaurants offering game, avant-garde seafood, Polynesian antipasto and Maori delicacies. We're so passionate about wine that even the chocolate shops make truffles from local Pinot Noir. Cafes, whether bohemian or posh, are an indispensable part of life, and cocktail bars offer you a choice of ambience from Cuban shack to opium den to what's been described as "a ski lodge designed for James Bond by Frank Lloyd Wright".

It all sounds exhausting, and it's true that you can have a non-stop weekend whatever your tastes. But Wellington's secret is the compactness that makes it possible to do all this within walking distance: it's a metropolis pretending to be a village.

[Check out the competing pitch for Baku, Azerbaijan, then vote to pick the best pitch.]

Previously: Pitch Your Burg: Wellington vs. You, Pitch Your Burg: Grand Rapids Victorious, Pitch Your Burg: Grand Rapids