San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
"San Miguel de Allende is a city and municipality located in the far eastern part of the state of Guanajuato in central Mexico. Historically, the town is important as being the birthplace of Ignacio Allende, whose surname was added to the town’s name in 1826, as well as the first municipality declared independent of Spanish rule by the nascent insurgent army during the Mexican War of Independence. However, the town waned during and after the war, and at the beginning of the 20th century was in danger of becoming a ghost town. Its Baroque/Neoclassical colonial structures were "discovered" by foreign artists who moved in and began art and cultural institutes such as the Instituto Allende and the Escuela de Bellas Artes. This gave the town a reputation, attracting artists such as David Alfaro Siqueiros, who taught painting. This attracted foreign art students, especially former U.S. soldiers studying on the G.I. Bill after the Second World War. Since then, the town has attracted a significant amount of foreign retirees, artists, writers and tourists, which is shifting the area’s economy from agriculture and industry to commerce catering to outside visitors and residents." Source
The best part of the city's history was that it was considered a ghost town, but then revived after artists came in and built culture with schools that attracted more artists. I've even heard people refer it as "The City of Artists".
In Mexico it's considered something called a Pueblo Magico. Places are anointed the name by Mexico's Secretariat of Tourism with certain criteria to be met. Some towns can still be titled Pueblo Magicos by locals when they are basically abandoned, and then explode with life and culture, which then blooms tourism into the town.This city is exactly that. It's a city that was once lifeless, but then filled up with amazing architecture, incredible art, great food, and an ambiance that actually feels mystical in certain parts of the day. It's by far my favorite city I've ever been to and one that I go to every single time I visit Mexico.
