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Brussels is carving out a bright future. The "capital
of Europe" has begun to act like Europe's Washington, D.C., a focus of
economic and political power, where decisions are made that affect the lives
of people around the world. Headquarters of the European Union (EU),
Brussels both symbolizes the Continent's vision of unity and is a bastion of
officialdom, a breeding ground for the regulations that govern and often
exasperate the rest of Europe.
Bruxellois have ambivalent feelings about their city's transformation into a
power center. At first, the waves of Eurocrats brought a new cosmopolitan
air to a somewhat provincial city (though once the seat of emperors), but as
old neighborhoods were leveled to make way for office towers, people
wondered whether Brussels was losing its soul. After all, this city doesn't
only mean politics and business. It inspired surrealism and Art Nouveau,
worships comic strips, prides itself on handmade lace and chocolate, and
serves each one of its craft beers in its own unique glass.
Fortunately, not all of Brussels's individuality has been lost in this
transition, and though the urban landscape has suffered from wanton "development,"
the city's spirit survives in traditional cafes, bars, bistros, and
restaurants. Whether elegantly Art Nouveau or eccentrically festooned with
posters, curios, and knickknacks, such centuries-old establishments provide
a warm, convivial ambience that is peculiarly Belgian.
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