So Belfast's having a revival.
More ways are being found to relieve people of their money, with shops, shops and more shops being built - Belfast versions of all the chain stores that blight every city in the world. Distinct lack of originality.
There are some not-to-be missed highlights of course.
Call into Café Vaudeville, a converted Bank Headquarters and what a conversion! Excellent food, good prices and the most sumptuous, imaginative and entertaining interior ever. Words don't do it justice.
Then there's Queen's Film Theatre, not as worrying as the name might suggest. It's an avant-garde, art house type of cinema associated in some way with Queen's University of Belfast. It screens all the minority interest films you need. Programme on line.
The post-teenage music scene seems to focus on places like Auntie Annie's and the Spring and Airbrake, both quite central, featuring the likes of Kagura.
But what most baffles me is that the city is gearing up to celebrate the 100th anniversary of its most famous contribution to the history of disasters - the sinking of the Titanic. No doubt there'll be lots of drink drunk that night and the TV cameras will do special smiley shows from the dock where the ill-fated vessel was built, but if I was from Belfast I'd want to keep that one quiet.
