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I planned on grabbing a quick lunch at Pacha Papa, located in San Blas Square, the heart of Cusco’s artist and gallery neighborhood. But I ended up spending a couple of hours in the lovely outdoor courtyard, talking to my wonderful server, Ever, and the owners about Cusco and Peru‘s bright future. They do serve Cusco’s local delicacy, guinea pig.

In the last two decades the shops along the narrow alleys and cobbled streets of Kazimierz have attracted a variety of artists who have set up their businesses here as the neighbouhood has become Krakow’s bohemian quarter. Visitors can now spend several hours happily browsing the shops along Ulica Jozefa. Cheder Café offers Middle Eastern snacks and is decorated in a contemporary style that is unmistakably Jewish in character and feels like a relaxed library.

A contemporary arts and crafts shop with an attached café in a lovely restored casona in Barranco. Dédalo, the brainchild of an artistic couple that studied arts and literature in Florence, features unique, carefully curated ceramics, glassware, toys, frames, clothes, jewelry and decorative pieces for all tastes.

If walls could talk, you’d be stuck in conversation with the Fillmore for hours. The building was a dance hall when it opened in 1912 and a roller rink during the 1940s, and led its first concerts in 1952 with artists like James Brown and Ike & Tina Turner. But in the mid-1960s, the venue really had its moment. Concert promoter Bill Graham made the ballroom a hub for psychedelic music and brought would-be legends like the Grateful Dead, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Jefferson Airplane, and Santana to the stage. Needless to say, there’s history here. Learn it best by attending a show. The standing-room-only ballroom still brings in big-name artists—think Lorde and the 1975—at budget-friendly prices, along with a constant stream of smaller acts. There’s a full-service restaurant and a bar, and the vibrant collections of old photos, artwork, newspaper clippings, posters, and billings will school you on the club’s colorful past.

This particular area of the Gold Coast is jokingly nicknamed the Viagra Triangle, but the Thompson Chicago doesn’t discriminate by age. The 247-room hotel is dark and moody, drawing artists of every generation to its swanky lobby bar at the back, peppered with colorful canvases and couples sneaking a snuggle in a booth. The whole town is awaiting the opening of Tavern on Rush, a reboot of the beloved steak house that used to reside just up the block. Rumors say this hangout will become a dining destination, what with its cocktail lounge, main dining room, patio, and private rooms spread across 16,000 square feet and multiple levels.


Set among all the best shopping in the Midwest, the Thompson’s midcentury-style guest rooms with hardwood floors provide the perfect minimalist location to unbox those favorite finds from Michigan Avenue around the corner. Digital nomads can book their work meetings in one of the rooms named after the Chicago Seven: countercultural anti-war protesters charged by the U.S. federal government with conspiracy and intent to incite a riot to stop the Vietnam War. The Abbie Hoffman room is a favorite.

Total immersion is the draw of the Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel, which sits on a bluff 150 feet above the Pacific’s craggy coastline. The hotel delivers Ritz-Carlton’s trademark luxury—two pools with bucolic garden views, beach butlers on the sand—but also an authentic sense of place. Naturalists lead whale-watching and snorkeling excursions, as well as an ocean-inspired art program that was developed by marine-life artist Wyland. Spa treatments include seaweed wraps, marine collagen facials, and a foot massage inspired by the rhythm of the ocean. Even the resort’s marble-bedecked interiors integrate the environment, including a sculpture in the lobby by artist James Aarons made of 225 ceramic and gold pieces inspired by American cliff swallows, which migrate through the area. Shuttles take guests to and from the swimmable, surfable Salt Creek public beach below. Meals at the six restaurants are indulgent but never fussy, whether it’s pasture-raised beef and artisanal cheese at enoSTEAK, or pan-seared scallops with morita-glazed pork belly at the pan-Latin restaurant Raya. Pro tip: Before the sun dips below the horizon, grab a spot by a fire pit at the lounge 180blu, order a tamarind-togarashi margarita, and enjoy the views of the Pacific.

The ancient art of wax-resist dyeing reaches a whole new level at Caribelle Batik, located on Romney Manor. At the factory, you can watch artists as they boil hues, apply wax, and dye fabrics, creating the brightly colored, intricately patterned clothing that’s typical of St. Kitts. After taking in the process, browse the wide selection of wraps, dresses, men’s shirts, bandanas, bags, wall hangings, and more, which are among the most desired products in the Caribbean.

The multifaceted mountaintop town of Safed, located almost 3,000 feet above sea level in Upper Galilee, boasts magnificent views of the Golan Heights, Sea of Galilee, and Lebanon. The city first became prominent when the Crusaders built a fortress on the site. Jews first arrived in considerable numbers after expulsion from Spain in 1492, and Safed became a spiritual center when Kabbalah flourished under rabbis Yitzhak Luria and Joseph Caro. Safed has a thriving artists’ quarter, with studios and galleries filling the narrow alleys, and it hosts an annual klezmer festival. It also maintains a strong religious presence as one of Israel’s four holiest cities.

Possibly the most important and influential publishers of graphic novels in the last 20 years, Drawn & Quarterly has a must-visit shop in the cool Mile End neighborhood. It sells work from the extensive D&Q catalog (which includes Joe Sacco, Lynda Barry, and Adrian Tomine) and from other publishers. Check out 184 Rue Beaubien by local graphic artist Cyril Doisneau.

One of the South’s top art institutions, the High Museum was established in 1905 with a collection of European works. Over time, it has expanded to include modern art, regional artists, and rotating exhibits on everything from designer sneakers to the Terracotta Warriors to the Louvre’s most notable works. Outside, guests can view Rodin’s famous sculpture The Shade, which serves as a memorial to the 106 art patrons from Atlanta who died in a plane crash in 1962. Also outdoors are several interactive exhibits that encourage visitors to get up-close-and-personal with the art.

Set on a steep hillside overlooking vineyards and the Silverado Trail, Stuppa Estate Napa Valley manages to be both secluded and well positioned for exploring Napa Valley’s wineries and towns. The suite-only property has five poet-themed rooms—refreshed in 2021 by Erin Martin Design and embellished with hand-painted murals by artist Michael Duté.

Each suite is themed after a literary icon, such as Emily Dickenson, and includes a private patio, a soaking tub, and an outdoor shower—including a few oriented toward the valley. Sunset is a highlight: All rooms face west, giving guests unobstructed evening views of the valley and vineyards below.

Breakfast is a lavish spread with dishes like seasonal pancakes or shakshuka—served either in-room or on the open-air patio. A small outdoor pool and on-site spa treatments add to the quiet atmosphere, and staff can arrange private tastings at Sullivan Rutherford Estate, a boutique winery under the same ownership. Service is a defining feature; the team handles everything from sunset cocktails to dinner reservations with a level of care that consistently elevates the stay.

No photograph can capture this extraordinary art space created by mural artist Isaiah Zagar down at the quiet end of South Street in Philadelphia’s Center City—you have to see it to believe it. It’s also not easy to describe: an alternate universe? A magical mosaic environment? A creative outsider’s brilliant vision? A terrarium of otherworldly folk-art delights? Decide for yourself when you take a self-guided tour of this one-of-a-kind, ever-expanding project. The site includes an immersive outdoor-art installation crafted from found objects and handpainted tiles, as well as indoor galleries. The opening hours vary due to occasional public and private events; make sure to check the online calendar.

This funky venue for experimental art of all kinds—theater, visual art, dance, performance, music, even circus arts—began as a transformer station, then later sat empty for 40 years until a group of artists began squatting there in the early 1990s. The city of Budapest bought and officially renovated the spaces, opening Trafó in 1998. The wildly varied program has been going strong ever since with event spaces, an exhibition room, and even a basement club for discourse and literary nights. Expect cutting-edge performances and an intellectual, offbeat crowd.

The colorful murals in Balmy Alley are the lower Mission’s own version of the better-known Clarion Alley murals. Stroll through the small, pedestrian-friendly alleyway to see public work by local artists, a tradition that began in the mid-1980s in response to human rights and political abuses in Central America. Today, you can see murals depicting scenes from human rights abuse to local gentrification to natural disasters. Want to learn more? Take a tour with Precita Eyes Muralists.

Marv & Ben has become famous within Copenhagen for its focus on simple classics served in an artistic way while still remaining packed with flavor. As with most New Nordic restaurants, the menu is highly seasonal and draws heavily from what is available in Denmark. The restaurant states that everything used on the menu is Danish and that they make an effort to source things from as close to Copenhagen as possible. This includes growing a lot of what they use in their own garden. The wines served are biodynamic and organic. Marv & Ben aims for a relaxed feel which has, at times, been described as a gastro-pub ambience.