Tourist zones look like neighborhoods. They have restaurants, bars, shops. From a distance — especially in photos — they can even look picturesque. But spend a day in one and the difference is unmistakable.
Here is our checklist. If a district hits three or more of these, treat it as a tourist zone and reset your expectations.
1. Every restaurant has a multilingual menu with photos. Real neighborhoods have restaurants that assume you speak the local language (or will figure it out).
2. Souvenir shops outnumber bookshops, bakeries and hardware stores. Locals don't buy fridge magnets. Real neighborhoods have the infrastructure of daily life.
3. Restaurants empty out between 3 PM and 7 PM. Locals eat lunch at one and dinner at eight. Tourist zones serve dinner at 5 PM because that is when Americans arrive.
4. There are no children anywhere. Real neighborhoods have playgrounds, strollers, and kids getting out of school. Tourist zones do not.
5. The buildings are picturesque but closed shops downstairs. Locals have turned the ground floors into Airbnbs. The neighborhood has been hollowed out.
The good news: in almost every city, a genuine neighborhood is a 15-minute walk from the tourist zone. Go there.
