Outskirts – Vùng ngoại ô
The “outskirts” of a city or town are the parts of it that are far from the centre.
“We had to get a train to my sister’s house as she lives in the outskirts.”
High-rise flats – Nhà chung cư cao tầng
Large buildings with many floors and flats (or apartments) on each floor.
“The eastern part of the city has lots of ugly, high-rise flats.”
The suburbs – Vùng ngoại ô
The outer area of large towns and cities where people live, often in bigger houses with gardens.
“They’ve got a nice house in the suburbs.”
Lively nightlife – Cuộc sống về đêm sôi động
If a city has a “lively nightlife”, there are lots of bars, clubs, restaurants, etc. with a good atmosphere.
“For a lively nightlife, head off to the western part of the city.”
An office block – khu văn phòng
A large building with many floors and offices on each floor.
“There are lots of office blocks in the financial district.”
Pavement café – café vỉa hè
A café with tables outside on the pavement where you can sit and have a drink.
“We sat in a pavement café and watched the people walking by.”
Residential area – Khu dân cư
An area where people live. There aren’t many shops or offices here.
“The northern part of the city is mostly residential.”
Run-down – Xuống cấp
Old and of a poor standard.
“Many of the buildings in the centre were run-down.”
Sprawling – Ngỗn ngang
A “sprawling” city covers a wide area. You often need a car to travel around it.
“It’s a large sprawling city without a real centre.”
Square – Quảng trường
In a town or city, a square is a flat open place, often in the shape of a square.
“We had a relaxing cup of coffee in the main square.”
Quarter – Quận
A “quarter” of a town is a part of the town where a particular group of people traditionally live or work.
“The hotels in the French quarter are excellent.”
Upmarket shops – Cửa hàng cao cấp
Fashionable shops that sell expensive goods.
“There are a lot of upmarket shops in the main street.”