Vanhoover, the everlasting · 8:50pm Dec 13th, 2019
To: Minister Rarity Belle
An often forgotten corner of Equestria as ponies and other people tend to focus on Canterlot, the East Coast and Las Pegasus. I have long wondered why and have since concluded that it is probably by design, partly on Princess Celestia's authority to bury that inconvenient part of equine history. Partly by the will of the ponies who rules during our time. And in part because of elder magic from the early days of the kingdom (some form of proto-mega spell I suspect).
The ponies who founded the city of Vanhoover, the Van Hoofs, is an aristocratic family of earth ponies who were exiled from the royal court after the days of Nightmare Moon due to their support of princess Luna in that conflict. Since then they have largely been content to stay out of the politics of the capital. Their own city developed a distinct architectural style, several of them in fact over the centuries. In many regards it came to be a center of culture and knowledge, a forgotten and damned sibling of Canterlot just like Luna sat in the shadow of her sister's glory.
The city streets form a labyrinthine network of tunnels, alleys, bridges and more as younger buildings are built atop of their centuries older predecessors. To the locals this is merely the state of things, although it is enough to not just confuse visitors but to drive them mad as their minds slowly come to grasp with the fact that the paths they travel and the rooms they visit can't possibly fit in with their environments. Still, if one were to overlook that little issue then one would find it to be a beautiful and serene city. The cool air often brings in thick mists from the south to hide the harsh light of the sun, the nights are often cloudless and lighted by the moon and a myriad of stars. Among these stars one glow brighter than the rest, although if one were to ask the locals about it they just state cryptically that it is "the star of Vanhoover".
If you are interested in visiting the city, be sure to get a local guide as you are sure to get lost otherwise. And there are a great many locations worth a visit, the Grand Opera easily rivals the theaters of Manehattan and Trottingham. A word of warning though, the plays that are being portrayed are mostly of local make and might not be what a refined pony from Canterlot expects. I still recommend it, just be aware of what to expect.
The local take on a shopping center, Northtrade, is a truly unique sight, 17 floors tall and built not with modern steel and concrete but rather the old techniques for constructing royal castles. The inside of this magnificent building is indeed filled with stores, resturants and cafés but not large corporate chains that you would expect, instead you find local tailors, artisans, chefs and more. The Terrace Café on the 16th floor gives a scenic view of the city and is strongly recommended, especially at dusk when the sun slowly descends down the western horizon.
One related thing is the Midnight Boulevard that can be accessed through the basement, this network of subterranean tunnels stretches all across the older city parts. Worry not, it is quite clean. And it is the place where you find many of the shops otherwise only known to the locals, as in Canterlot you have to search for the best places.
There is a quite grandiose Cathedral on top a cliff south of the city outskirts, and while it is quite a spectacular sight to behold... it was built by the more religious Van Hoofs several centuries ago and it is a different take on a defining event in Equestrian history. So if you decide to visit it, try to be courteous and tolerant of any strange beliefs the locals might hold.
There are of course several parks, but they are small and not at all what we are used to. They are more large public gardens than anything else, filled with ancient trees, exotic plants and so on. An interesting tidbit about the Vanhoover garden is that fields of grass are largely non existent, instead they are filled with artificial hills covered in bushes and flowers while cobbled paths nestle between them. Yet another aspect of the Vanhoover sense of architecture I suspect.
And albeit I must admit I wondered at its purpose, Vanhoover does have a substantial harbour. As most of the Equestrian aquanautics is focused on the east coast with Trottingham and the trade with the griffins and Zebrecia over the years, you can probably understand my skepticism. That said, there exists a smaller trade network in the North Luna Sea between Vanhoover, the frost ponies in the north, Las Pegasus and even Caledonia in the distant south. Even if this subject isn't to your interest, I still recommend standing on the western pier at least once. There is a picturesque café located nearby as well.
I can't of course write this report without mentioning the recent development during the Great War as quite a few things have changed. In large part due to the stubbornness of the locals to contribute to the war effort (a symptom of their tradition of isolationism), her highness Luna has sent a personal representative to see to it that the city is properly modernized. Although I can't claim to have met her during my visit, I know Royal coordinator Icetear from our old school days and I can state with confidence that she is a highly analytical and logical pony (if a bit difficult to work with) and as such I have no doubts she will get the city in order quickly.
It helps that she has an amiable relationship with the heir of the Van Hoof fortune. Duke Amethyst Van Hoof was educated in the Crystal Empire and is quite cosmopolitan compared to the rest of his family and has expressed great interest in industrializing the city (and if you forgive my personal opinion for a moment: impress her royal highness). He has already constructed a skyscraper in the old city that is quite unique in how it blends Vanhooverin and Manehattanite architectural styles, and he turned it into his residence of choice after he sold the old family castle to the throne.
Signed:
Golden Starlight,
Head Archivist of the Ministry of Image.
Artwork by AdagioString: https://www.deviantart.com/adagiostring