IELTS Vocabulary 15: Towns and Cities

boarded up shops

shops that are no longer doing business

chain stores

well-known brands with shops in multiple cities

to close down

to stop doing business

fashionable boutiques

fashionable clothes shops

to get around

to travel around

high-rise flats

multi-story apartments

inner-city

the central part of a city where people live and where conditions are often poor

in the suburbs

the outer area of large towns and cities where people live

lively bars/restaurants

bars or restaurants with a good atmosphere

local facilities

local buildings or services serving the public

multi-story car parks

car parks on several floors

office block

a large building that contains offices

out of town shopping centre/retail park

large shopping centres outside of the town or city

pavement cafe

cafes with tables outside on the pavement

places of interest

buildings that have a particular interest for visitors

poor housing

housing that is not in good condition

public spaces

areas in a town or city that are open to the public

public transport system

public vehicles such as buses and trains that operate at regular times on fixed routes

residential area

an area where people live

run down

old and of a poor standard

shopping centre

an area consisting of multiple shops

shopping malls

large indoor shopping centres

sprawling city

a city that has grown over time and which covers a wide area

tourist attraction

a place of interest to tourists

upmarket shops

expensive fashionable shops

traffic congestion

heavy traffic making it difficult to move around a town or city