Search results for

Much of Mexico City’s fervid contemporary art movement—galleries and collectors abound; the scene is now a launching pad for Mexican artists looking to conquer the world—can be traced to art patron Eugenio López Alonso, heir to the Jumex packaged-juice fortune, who over decades has amassed Latin America’s most extensive contemporary art collection and brought dozens of artists to the international spotlight. The collection’s flagship museum, itself a work of art by the British architect David Chipperfield, is a surprisingly intimate exhibition space that supports a rotating calendar of shows; the basement bookstore will delight bibliophiles and design freaks alike. Right nearby lies the Museo Soumaya, whose dramatic architectural form (which earned it the nickname “the Blender”) makes up for a collection some consider erratic.

Grab breakfast at the Sheraton Hotel, located at the south-eastern end of the corniche. This newly-refurbished hotel, also known as The Pyramid of the Gulf because it’s shaped like an Aztec pyramid, offers breathtaking views of the bay and the city. Plus what a better way to start your day than having a scrumptious breakfast at one of the oldest iconic landmarks of the city?

Although the city of Jeonju has been famous throughout Korea for centuries, it’s still not a commonly known destination for Western visitors. Recently designated as a UNESCO world “city of gastronomy,” Jeonju is definitely worth a several-day stay, and it’s an easy couple-hour-train-ride from Seoul. In addition to savoring local culinary specialties and wandering the traditional ‘hanok'-house neighborhoods with their galleries and boutiques, check out the chess and go-players on the benches just outside of the Gyeonggijeon shrine, on the corner about a block to the east of the venerable Jeondong cathedral. “Jang-gi” is the Korean version of Chinese chess, and “Ba-duk” is the local name of the game more widely known as “Go.” On sultry summer evenings, grab an ice-cream (red bean and melon are popular flavors) from across the street and then check out these neighborhood ‘haraboji’ (‘grandfather,’ the respectful term for older men), engrossed in strategy on the sidewalk of one of Korea’s most traditional cities.

Once Istanbul’s notorious prison, a lavish conversion in 1996 transformed this site, set amid the squiggle of lanes behind the colossal competing domes of the Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, into the city’s landmark Four Seasons Sultanahmet. Built in 1918, the hotel’s ornate neoclassical architecture has been finely restored, while the enclosed exercise yard is now a courtyard garden where guests can escape the hustle of the historic quarter. Classically designed rooms are awash with light blue and green hues and subtly scattered Turkish textiles and motifs.

On a hot summer’s day, cool off with cocktails overlooking the old city’s minarets on the rooftop A’Ya Lounge. Eagle-eyed history fans can hunt for the 1938 graffiti left by a former inmate on a pillar near the courtyard. Being neighbors with the Hagia Sophia has extra benefits. The Four Seasons’ Extraordinary Experiences service offers a privileged chance to explore Emperor Justinian’s greatest achievement without the crowds, on an after-dark tour of the Hagia Sophia.

In a city with a taco shop on nearly every corner, Salud stands out for its Chicano-inspired food and decor: According to owner Ernie Becerra, the tacos served here are not traditionally Mexican. The signature Barrio is served on a tortilla made of flour instead of corn, and its filling (stewed beef topped with nopal, beans, and sour cream) is a take on a popular dish in Southern California’s Mexican community. In the dining room, a tattoo mural and a car hood mounted on the wall nod to the lowrider lifestyle Chicano kids grow up idealizing.

Located in southern Galilee in the Jordan Valley, Beit She’an National Park was created to protect and preserve the site of one of Israel‘s oldest cities. One can easily spend a few hours exploring the vast and fascinating park. Some of the country’s most spectacular artifacts dating back to the Bronze Age are on exhibit, as well as an impressive 7,000-seat Roman amphitheater, public baths, workshops, a temple, and the colonnaded Palladius street. Don’t miss She’an Nights, an evening sound-and-light show in which images of Roman buildings and people are projected onto the ruins along the central street, briefly bringing the city back to life.

When you’re ready to call it a day on the slopes, take Park City Mountain Resort’s Quittin’ Time run down to High West, the world’s only ski-in gastro-distillery. Tour the space, then try the 36th Vote Barreled Manhattan, made from a pre-Prohibition cocktail recipe that calls for aging the drink for 90 days in white oak barrels. The food goes down pretty easily, too: A bowl of elk chili will warm you right down to the toes of your ski socks. For lighter fare, the popcorn tossed with bacon, caramel, and cashews is sweet, salty, and a nice counterpoint to a glass of double rye.

As much as Orlando is known for its theme parks, the city is also popular for its many outlets and shopping malls, which draw tourists with great deals on luxury cosmetics, electronics, and clothing. Home to more than 180 retailers, the Orlando International Premium Outlets are a one-stop shop for big-name brands at discounted prices. Here, you’ll find everything from Adidas, Armani, and Banana Republic to Baccarat, Gap, Guess, Kate Spade, Coach, and more. Also available are food options like Panera Bread and Five Guys, so you don’t even have to leave the area to eat.

Opened in 2015, this colorful spot from NYC-based The Library Collection celebrates music—and music lovers. Set in the historic city center, near pedestrian dining and shopping streets, the restored 19th-century bank now houses 48 rooms and suites spread over four genre-themed towers. Each accommodation is named for musical legends in that theme, so think names like Puccini in the Opera tower, Billie Holliday in Jazz, Prince in Contemporary, and Chopin in Classical. The decorative style and details vary slightly depending on the genre (Classical rooms have Murano glass chandeliers, for example, while Jazz ones have Art Nouveau-inspired furniture), but aside from caricatures of the featured artists and related books and CDs, the vibrant décor isn’t kitschy or themed. Instead, guests can expect luxurious comforts like high-end (and customizable) bedding, home theater-grade entertainment systems (linked to a digital music library), onyx-lined bathrooms, and Handy 4G phones for complimentary international calling.

Downstairs, the glass-roofed Music Garden courtyard is the place for breakfast, daily afternoon wine and cheese hour, and live music performances (all complimentary), while the fireplace- and terrace-equipped Satchmo’s lounge pairs cocktails with jazz, and the Stradivari Restaurant serves Hungarian-inspired farm-to-table menus amid strikingly bold décor. The underground Harmony Spa relaxes with holistic therapies, a heated pool, and saunas and steams rooms, while the rooftop High Note Sky Bar—open year-round—has become one of the hottest hangouts in town for its spectacular views (get there early to snag one of the floating “love nest” seating nooks). Don’t miss a visit to the lobby-level office of the in-house Musical Director, who can help plan itineraries, source tickets, create city-themed playlists, or lend you a concert DVD to watch in the hotel’s private screening room.

If you don’t know that Korean beauty products are the Next Big Thing, chances are you’ve been living under a rock, you’re a non-Korean man, and/or you’re over age 50. For everyone else, K-Beauty is an of-the-moment trend that’s popping up everywhere from international cities like New York and Hong Kong, to the beauty section of Target in small Midwestern towns. Needless to say, it’s everywhere.

So of course it’s big business in Korea’s capital, where the streets of buzzy Myeongdong hum with a thousand beauty stores. Perhaps the most popular of all the products are mask sheets, made with ingredients to make one’s skin firmer, more moisturized, whiter, cleaner…you name it. Perhaps the best place to look for one’s ideal mask sheet is aptly named, Mask Sheet Story, a store that sells—you guessed it.

There are four outposts of All Mask Story. All Mask Story No. 1 is on the popular Myeongdong Shopping Street.

Few cities in the U.S. can claim to be ‘sandwiched’ by a National Park; Tucson might well be the only one. Saguaro National Park is divided into Eastern and Western divisions that flank the city--plenty of wilderness hiking within a half-an-hour’s drive from the middle of town. If you’re here, like most visitors, in the winter, a perfect half-day’s hike is up to Wasson Peak in Saguaro National Park, on the western edge of the city. Seven-miles round-trip with a nearly 2000-ft elevation gain: it’s a moderate climb with 360-degree views from the top. (You do NOT want to hike this in the summer; there is no shade.) At 4687ft/1428m, it’s low compared to some of the 9000+ ft peaks on Tucson’s other horizons, but the panoramas are unbeatable, and the trek up through a saguaro forest is unforgettable. There are several routes, but perhaps the most popular is the Kings Canyon trailhead--directly across the road from the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Hike the peak in the morning (give yourself around four hours so you can enjoy lunch and the view from the summit), and spend the afternoon visiting the animals across the road. (A new aquarium featuring the Sea of Cortez just opened; fall through spring also offer ‘raptor free flight’ demonstrations.) (From the top, the views: trail to the peak, looking south toward the distant Santa Rita mountains, looking over the NW part of the city to the forested peak of Mt. Lemmon in the Santa Catalina Mtns.)

If you’ve never eaten a taco in Mexico, then perhaps you think, “Well, a taco is a taco is a taco.” Not so, as you’ll find out if you swing by Tacos Joven for an order of their tacos en canasta (“tacos in a basket”). Since 1971, this fast-food spot has been turning out what many folks believe are the best tacos in Mexico City. Though a bit more expensive than comparable spots with the same fare, these tacos are stuffed until chubby with either potatoes, beans, shredded beef, or chicharron (fried pork rinds), and their size is outmatched by their flavor. You have to stop by early, as business ends at 4:30 pm each day, and a bit earlier on Sundays.

Avenida Central was the city’s great commercial core in the first half of the 20th century; though its heyday has ended, the swarm of humanity packing into its various shops, bars, hotels, restaurants, and other businesses attest to ongoing vibrancy. The classic stretch extends from Plaza Santa Ana to Plaza 5 de Mayo, where art deco and streamlined moderne landmarks are still on view. El Banco Nacional, the former Kodak building, and “La Pollera”—thus nicknamed for the resemblance its balconies bear to the traditional full skirts of the Los Santos region—figure among them. These avenue blocks are pedestrian-only; peddlers and street vendors selling every imaginable snack and trinket abound.

They’ve been popularized and commercialized in movies and may even seem to be a cultural stereotype of sorts, but visit Mexico City‘s Plaza Garibaldi on any given evening and you’ll soon see that the tradition of mariachis is alive and well and very much a part of modern culture. Mariachis gather at Plaza Garibaldi nightly, waiting to be hired for an off-site event or an impromptu in-the-plaza serenade. You can even negotiate for a few songs yourself, or, if you prefer, sit in the plaza and watch the action as mariachis in a variety of outfits wait for work. Although Plaza Garibaldi has spiffed up a bit in recent years (particularly with the opening of the Museum of Tequila and Mezcal a few years ago), it does have a seedy underbelly. It’s best not to bring your valuables, and if you enter one of the bars on the plaza’s periphery, stay sober enough to keep your wits about you. A popular Garibaldi scam is to invite unsuspecting tourists to several rounds of drinks and then stick them with an astronomical bill.

The Utrecht City Council originally established the Utrecht University Library in Saint John’s Church in 1584 as one of the first public libraries in the Netherlands. After the foundation of Utrecht University, this collection became the university library in 1636. In 1820, it moved from Saint John’s Church to the Wittevrouwenstraat complex, which still acts as the University Library’s city center location—though much of its collection moved to the Uithof campus in 2004.—Miranda Smith