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One of Dallas’s earliest neighborhoods, this formerly industrial area just east of downtown has a long history as an entertainment hub, from its days as a hotbed of blues and jazz clubs in the 1920s, to the 1980s, when local bands like the New Bohemians, Butthole Surfers, and Old 97’s were launched from its clubs. Today, the area is not quite as counterculture as in the past, but it’s still got an indie steak, with vibrant street murals and public art providing the backdrop for a host of independent galleries, shops, bars, breweries, cafés, tattoo studios, and over 60 restaurants and 30 live music venues. Among the most iconic music spots are Club Dada and Trees, both of which have been revamped in recent years, as well as The Door, the Prophet Bar, jazz/blues favorite the Free Man, and the century-old Sons of Hermann Hall. As it has grown, the area has also become more family friendly, particularly during events like the annual Deep Ellum Arts Festival, which features stalls from around 200 juried visual artists, and five stages hosting 100 musical acts.

If you love art in all its many forms, the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) in Boston is a ‘must-see’ destination. They have a great collection of Impressionism and Asian art works, from Monet and Van Gogh, to Chinese furniture and Japanese paintings, as well as the Egyptian collections. In addition, their newly opened west wing contains many stunning pieces of American art. Besides the arts, there is a cafe, a restaurant, gift shops of course, and a mini cinema for special shows. To get there: The MFA has its own subway stop called, what else, the MFA. If you drive, there are parking garage options as well. You can easily spend half a day here—or more!

What’s not to like about Museumplein? In summer, it’s as chill as Vondelpark, with picnickers playing instruments and getting high on the lawn. Add more grass and the field becomes stoners’ heaven as well as a magnet for art aficionados. The latter come for Amsterdam’s trio of world-class museums, all re-opened in 2013 after lengthy renovations—the stately Rijksmuseum, Stedelijk Museum of Modern Art, and the Van Gogh Museum. Tucked south of Leidseplein amidst upscale hotels and cafés, Museumplein is both a culture vulture’s paradise and an open space for those who want to escape the city buzz. In addition to repositories of priceless paintings, it’s home to the Concertgebouw at its southern end.

Chef Pedro de Artagão went from fresh-faced promoter to celebrity chef at Irajá, where instead of trying to take things more haute, he gathered traditional—maybe even disdained—Brazilian ingredients and transformed them into something spectacular. The restaurant’s mansion setting requires guests to squeeze past the kitchen to the dining room, on a high-ceilinged loggia, framed by a vertical garden. Locals marvel at what Artagão does with once-lowly cassava, now stylishly presented as high-toned aipim (whole fried), farofa (fried meal), mash, or tapioca. Regulars and out-of-towners alike enjoy sampling ingredients from the Amazon, such as tucupi (manioc juice), jambu (a Brazilian guava), and tacacá (a spicy seafood, pepper, and jambu stew).

A waterfront icon in the spirit of Sydney’s Opera House, the South Boston home of the Institute of Contemporary Art showcases the work of artists like Shepard Fairey, Tara Donovan, and Nan Goldin wrapped in glass and steel and bathed in copious natural light. With gallery and performance spaces boldly thrust above the Seaport District waterfront, the ICA also presents an ongoing calendar of dance, theater, film, and live music; come on Thursday night and admission and guided tours are free. You can drink in the views along with a Harpoon draft or a glass of chardonnay at the Water Cafe—it’s in the lobby, so you don’t need to pay for entrance to the museum to visit.

Rising from the ashes of the 60’s Red Lion Hotel is the east side’s latest entry into Portland’s hip hotel scene—the Eastlund. Cut from the same pedigree as the downtown Modera Hotel, the Eastlund is a welcome upgrade in the evolving convention center area. The fun starts in the bright, expansive lobby, where eye-catching art welcomes visitors. The staff is tuned to deliver exceptional customer service, and the vibe is genuine and unpretentious. Amenities include great food, local spirits, tech-savvy rooms, and super-fast Wi-Fi throughout the property.

The rooms and public spaces put art front and center, while the meeting areas are wired for productivity. Business and leisure travelers also benefit from attention to detail and a staff committed to getting it if it’s not already available. The efficient, comfort-forward rooms boast big flat-screens and colorful décor, and the river and city views from the upper levels are spectacular day and night. An easy MAX ride from the airport, The Eastlund is also delightfully located within walking distance of a variety of transportation, entertainment, meeting, and dining opportunities. With so many on-site amenities, however, you might just find yourself pleasantly planted during your Portland stay.

Housed in a converted elementary school dating back to 1915, this sprawling hotel complex has long drawn out-of-towners and local Portlanders alike with its bars, restaurants, miniature movie theater, and even a heated soaking pool that’s open to the public for a small fee. While these amenities—along with the hotel’s sprawling school grounds and proximity to the popular Alberta Arts District—are enough to make it one of the most attractive spots to stay in town, its real cred shines through in the 57 guest rooms, many of which are actually converted classrooms (and still have some of the original scholastic features, such as chalkboards, integrated into the room design). Don’t leave without sampling some of the McMenamins signature brews in the Boiler Room Bar, housed in what was once the school’s boiler room.

The terrace outside this historic café boasts one of the best views in town, encompassing an almost unimaginable collection of architectural highlights and public art from the Renaissance. Linger over your coffee or a cup of hot chocolate as you gaze upon the Palazzo Vecchio, as well as a copy of Michelangelo’s David, the Fountain of Neptune, and the remarkable assembly of classical sculptures inside the Loggia dei Lanzi. It does cost more to sit outside than to stand at polished wooden bar inside, but this splurge is highly recommended. (The original owners were the official chocolatiers to the royal family of Savoy; you can take home a piece of that history in a beautifully wrapped box of chocolates or a jar of chocolate-hazelnut spread.)

Set in an 18th-century palazzo, once a former bank, the Park Hyatt Milan boasts interiors designed by American-born, Paris-based architect Edward Tuttle. It aims to wow from the outset. Guests are greeted by a lobby decorated with sophisticated materials such as warm travertine stone and alabaster, and topped with a 30-foot glass-domed cupola. There’s a discernibly modern aesthetic throughout the rest of the hotel, though, from the vibrant modern art scattered throughout the public areas to the contemporary color palettes (creams, beiges, and gentle grays). Rooms are correspondingly elegant, with high ceilings, expensive dark woods, rich wool carpets, and hand-selected furnishings (Murano light fixtures, Bang & Olufsen TVs). The bathrooms are especially impressive, not only because of their generous size and marbled interiors, but also thanks to the mirrored walls, double sinks, octagonal stone and glass showers, and Lauro Tonatto bath products.

You’d be hard pressed to find a more stylish stay downtown than The Joule. The independently owned hotel is spread out over three interconnected buildings—a classic revival-style from 1913, a former Salvation Army built in 1911, and a neo-Gothic onetime bank—which have been integrated under the direction of renowned interior designer Adam D. Tihany. His touch can also be seen in the 161 rooms and suites, each decorated with serene jewel or earth tones, contemporary furniture, hand-picked art and photography, and plenty of natural light from oversized windows. Frette bedding, glass-enclosed showers and soaking tubs, and 47-inch flat-screens equipped with Apple TV round out the comfortable digs. You’ll spy pieces from the hotel’s extensive art collection in the public spaces, as well as the outdoor sculpture garden across the street. The block-deep lobby buzzes with an outpost of Weekend Coffee (using Victrola beans flown in weekly from Seattle), a library curated by TASCHEN, and chic boutiques like TenOverSix and Traffic LA, while the popular CBD Provisions draws a local crowd with its modern Texas fare and regional drinks list. The 8,000-square-foot subterranean spa features a vitality pool, crystal steam room, and glass-walled sauna to enjoy before or after treatments, and there’s also a fitness center with a cycling studio and group classes. Two things not to miss: the original historic bank vault in the lobby, and the much-Instagrammed rooftop pool, which cantilevers eight feet off the side of the building.

This is the oldest and grandest art institute in a city that’s long captivated artists. The Neoclassical building sits amid the greenery of massive City Park (conveniently at the end of the Canal Streetcar Line). It’s an especially good destination for admirers of Edgar Degas, who spent an extended vacation in New Orleans visiting relatives in 1872; a number of his works are displayed here. Just outside the museum is the beautifully landscaped and well-curated five-acre Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, which perfectly melds the old and new. Some 60 sculptures are arrayed amid reflecting lagoons and 200-year-old live oaks.

Long before the West was even wild, between the years 600 and 1450, an ancient group of peoples known as the Hohokam brought life to the Arizona desert with an intricate canal system. Parts of it are still in use today and, in addition to providing water for crops and sustenance, they serve as recreational spots. In downtown Scottsdale, the Arizona Canal runs through two of the area’s most popular districts—Scottsdale Waterfront and SouthBridge. Shop for fashion finds at Amy Inc. or sweet and sassy children’s threads from the Garage. Brunch at the Herb Box is a local favorite (red velvet pancakes!) and, around the corner, Culinary Dropout draws a trendy crowd with its gastro-pub fare and cocktail list. Art lovers should roam the Arizona Canal to take in the city’s free public installations, especially the Soleri Bridge and Plaza. A first from Italian architect Paolo Soleri, the structure marks annual solar events and evokes his fascination for planetary movement.

In the middle of Montréal, walking up Avenue McGill College toward the Mountain, you can’t help but run into the 65-person polyurethane sculpture “La Foule Illuminée” (“The Illuminated Crowd”). Sculpted by Franco-British artist Raymond Mason, this public art has stood in front of the BNP/Laurentian Bank Tower since the mid-1980s. In the words of the artist: “A crowd has gathered, facing a light, an illumination brought about by a fire, an event, an ideology—or an ideal. The strong light casts shadows, and as the light moves toward the back and diminishes, the mood degenerates; rowdiness, disorder and violence occur, showing the fragile nature of man. Illumination, hope, involvement, hilarity, irritation, fear, illness, violence, murder and death—the flow of man’s emotion through space.” Get up close, eye-to-eye with some of the details, and you’ll see why this sculpture still generates both controversy and bemusement in the middle of this vibrant city.

Conveniently located near the subway, museums, and upscale boutiques and galleries of Toronto’s swish Yorkville neighborhood, the Park Hyatt Toronto originally opened in 1929. Seventy years later, a south tower was added to the hotel, with the art deco–influenced lobby space linking the two. The spacious rooms have a soothing palette of pale peach, dusky pink, beige, and gold. The Annona restaurant has a similarly rich color scheme, boldly decked out in shades of plum and gold, with plush banquettes and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Yorkville. The 18th floor offers sweeping views over Queens Park and the CN Tower, but the main attraction may be the Roof Lounge’s bartender, Joe Gomes: He’s been shaking up cocktails here for the past 50 years, so guests can order a martini from a man who knows how to make them just right. A host of other extras, including complimentary town car service within a five-kilometer radius, free Wi-Fi, and even a kosher kitchen, add to the hotel’s charms.

It’s pretty amazing what you can do with some old stables. Vienna’s vast former quarters for the imperial horses, designed by the great baroque architect Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach, were turned in recent years into the MuseumsQuartier. It could take days to see all the works in this 15-acre, multi-museum complex that lies just off the Ringstrasse and is devoted to collections of modern and contemporary art. The limestone Leopold Museum for Austrian art is named after an early collector of the bold painter Egon Schiele. Its Café Leopold includes courtyard seating under umbrellas. For your Picassos and Giacomettis, the nearby MUMOK specializes in the giants of modern art. The MuseumsQuartier’s huge courtyard is a popular Vienna hangout where many festivals take place and DJs spin on weekends.