"Home of EU and NATO" Brussels by bambino36

Centrally situated in northern Europe, Brussels is the capital of Belgium and of North Brabant Province.
Baudelaire once said in Brussels there's no life, only corruption. But Baudelaire was french and the french always looked at Belgium as an inferior imitation. Nobody knows when the belgian capital lost its status of landmark of modernity to simply be a gray and boring city. In reality, there's no mistery in being gray because the city never was famous for it's good weather (some even joke about the elegant Galeries Saint-Hubert, the first shopping center of the city, covered not for a question of design but to protect from the rain!!). But the rest started to drown by the times of the Universal Expo of '58, used as platform by many politics and arquitects to destroy much of what was left from the destruction of the second world war. The result was that the city's historical center was reduced, exception made to the beautiful Grand-Place (one of the most wonderful in Europe), and replaced by numerous tunnels and large avenues. The connection between the Nord and Midi stations forced to cut the city by the middle. All in the name of progress. Some say that since then the city was never the same and this city that has the difficult task of being the capital of housing the heavy EU burocratic machine, which only accented it's lack of identity.
Everything I've said can be an argument not to visit Brussels, but I think this is the main reason to visit it. This way is easier to appreciate what this city has to offer beyond the first impressions and to give it a greater value.
The city is multinational (europeans, africans and asians) and many of them working in EU or NATO headquarters.
I've been in Brussels twice, being the last one in August 2004. Most of the interesting buildings are in or near the Grand Place.
The nightlife in Brussels is somehow strange when compared to any big city in Europe. There's a lot of pubs but it's difficult to find a disco.