Up in the Air

Sometimes being an applicant city is much more fun than actually winning the bid for the Olympics.  After all, once the initial party is over, locals have to live with the high costs, the inconveniences of building, and the endless debate over whether they will ever get the value back.  If any city in the world has maximized their Olympic investment over the last 50 years, it’s Munich from the 1972 games. The Olympic Park facilities is an urban park oasis, which is used by millions of people per year.  The Olympic athletes village is one that still houses more than 30,000 people.  And even its outlying facilities – from the regatta to the shooting range, to the horse riding facilities – they are all used still today – albeit for other purposes than originally scoped.  So it with enthusiasm that the city celebrates its official applicant status.  Pictured above you see some of the pre-decision parties at Marienplatz, even with Mayor Ude in the balloon.