Oslo

If Stavanger is a picturesque seaside town, Oslo is its dirtier, busier, more industrial cousin. The harbour area is nice but I would not really say picturesque - sort of like Toronto's waterfront area. There are many homeless people around, which is surprising for Norway. Lots of tourists too, at least in the fancy restaurants in the harbour area where the cruise ships stop.

My hotel was in Helsfyr in old Oslo, so on my way into the city center (when in a new city I walk everywhere) I walked through some of the worst areas and thus got a bad first impression. There were a few areas I was told to stay out of at night which is also a first for Norway. I don't know how serious they were being, because the areas looked fine (if poor) to me. Maybe it's just bad relatively speaking.

A few impressive looking buildings, and it's obvious there is some history here (as opposed to Stavanger which was a fishing village 100 years ago).

All in all, I don't think Oslo is a place I'd want to live, especially if I could not afford to live in one of the nicer areas. Too much of a 'big city' feel but for all the wrong reasons. Buy hey, I was only there from Monday to Friday, and only went out in the evenings, so my impression may be somewhat skewed.