There's always been a difference in uptown and downtown cultures, but now it's like a war zone down there, with tourists gawking with cameras and policemen everywhere.

I would avoid Christchurch both from a logistics standpoint, and the fact that the Cantabs I know would not appreciate any tourists gawking at their misfortune.

Some of the tourists gawking at the starlit purple ceilings today said that they might very well spend a few hours playing some of the casino's 2,900 slot machines, which, as in most casinos, dominate the floor.

The tourists gawking in Times Square had one more distraction last Wednesday, in an unlikely place.

Residents of Clinton had complained for years that the buses clogged neighborhood streets with fumes and tourists gawking into apartment windows.

But he is no mere tourist or shopper, gawking at high-rises or shiny billboards.

A big white bus went by, filled with tourists gawking at the large neo-classical buildings of 19th-century Vienna.

Besides, he added, "even in the city everybody goes places by bus, subway or taxi, and the only people walking significant distances are the tourists gawking at buildings."

"Sure, we could complain about the crowds and the traffic," Mr. Slocum said as he watched the tourists gawking at a window display at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Mr. Eiffels elevator creaked down and groaned to a stop, disgorging a chattering group of Lisbonese on their way home, and tourists gawking at and commenting on the tower in all languages.