TELL ME THIS WON'T HAPPEN TO US!!!
Three sisters, ages 92, 94 and 96, live in a house together. One night the 96-year-old draws a bath. She puts her foot in and pauses. She yells to the other sisters, 'Was I getting in or out of the bath?'
The 94-year-old yells back, 'I don't know. I'll come up and see.' She starts up the stairs and pauses, 'Was I going up the stairs or down?'
The 92-year-old is sitting at the kitchen table having tea listening to her sisters, she shakes her head and says, 'I sure hope I never get that forgetful, knock on wood.' She then yells, 'I'll come up and help both of you as soon as I see who's at the door.'
TELL ME THIS WON'T HAPPEN TO US!!!
Three retirees, each with a hearing loss, were playing golf one fine March day. One remarked to the other, Windy, isn't it?
No, the second man replied, it's Thursday.
And the third man chimed in, So am I. Let's have a beer.
TELL ME THIS WON'T HAPPEN TO US!!!
A little old lady was going up and down the halls in a nursing home. As she walked, she would flip up the hem of her nightgown and say
Supersex.
She walked up to an elderly man in a wheelchair. Flipping her gown at him, she said, Supersex.
He sat silently for a moment or two and finally answered, I'll take the soup.
TELL ME THIS WON'T HAPPEN TO US!!!
Two elderly ladies had been friends for many decades. Over the years, they had shared all kinds of activities and adventures. Lately, their activities had been limited to meeting a few times a week to play cards.
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
One day, they were playing cards when one looked at the other and said, Now don't get mad at me. I know we've been friends for a long time, but I just can't think of your name! I've thought and thought, but I can't remember it. Please tell me what your name is.
Her friend glared at her for at least three minutes; she just stared and glared at her. Finally she said,
How soon do you need to know?
TELL ME THIS WON'T HAPPEN TO US!!!
As a senior citizen was driving down the freeway, his car phone rang.
Answering, he heard his wife's voice urgently warning him, Herman, I just heard on the news that there's a car going the wrong way on Interstate 77.
Please be careful!
Heck, said Herman, It's not just one car. It's hundreds of them!
TELL ME THIS WON'T HAPPEN TO US!!!
Two elderly women were out driving in a large car -- both could barely see over the dashboard. As they were cruising along, they came to an intersection. The stoplight was red, but they just went on through.
The woman in the passenger seat thought to herself 'I must be losing it. I could have sworn we just went through a red light.'
After a few more minutes, they came to another intersection and the light was red. Again, they went right through. The woman in the passenger seat was almost sure that the light had been red but was really concerned that she was losing it. She was getting nervous.
At the next intersection, sure enough, the light was red and they went on through. So, she turned to the other woman and said, Mildred, did you know that we just ran through three red lights in a row? You could have killed us both!
Mildred turned to her and said, Oh, crap, am I driving?
Saturday, February 19, 2011
36 Hours in Downtown Los Angeles
36 Hours in Downtown Los Angeles
By CHRIS COLIN
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: February 17, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/02/20/travel/20hours-los-angeles.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha210
THE sprawl, the scale, all that freeway time — for many, Los Angeles is an acquired taste. But not downtown. New York-like in its density and mishmash, the long-blighted center has become an accessible, pedestrian-friendly destination in recent years; Angelenos walk around en masse, using their actual legs. The immense L.A. Live entertainment complex is largely responsible for this comeback, but the studiously vintage bars and imaginative restaurants that seem to open every other day are also part of the revival. Skid Row and the drifts of homeless camps haven’t vanished altogether, and the grittiness still varies by block. But this part of town is alive again, in ways that make sense even to an outsider.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) DO THE CRAWL
The Downtown Art Walk — a party-in-the-streets bonanza that draws thousands of revelers the second Thursday of every month — is one way to experience the area’s robust art scene. But you can do your own art walk anytime, and you should. Lured by low rents, a number of impressive galleries have found a home here, many of them on Chung King Road, a pedestrian alley strung with lanterns in Chinatown. For starters: The Box (977 Chung King Road; 213-625-1747; theboxla.com), Jancar Gallery (961 Chung King Road; 213-625-2522; jancargallery.com), Charlie James Gallery (975 Chung King Road; 213-687-0844; cjamesgallery.com) and Sabina Lee Gallery (971 Chung King Road; 213-620-9404; sabinaleegallery.com). The shows are intimate and occasionally provocative, featuring a broad array of contemporary artists: William Powhida, Orly Cogan and others. Most galleries stay open till 6 p.m.; Jancar closes at 5 on Fridays.
7:30 p.m.
2) THE CITY AT ITS BRIGHTEST
Whether you’re catching a Lakers game, touring the Grammy Museum or attending a concert at the Nokia Theater, there is always something splashy to do at the 27-acre, $2.5 billion sports and entertainment behemoth that is L.A. Live (800 West Olympic Boulevard; 213-763-5483; lalive.com). Just strolling the Tokyo-ish Nokia Plaza — 20,000 square feet of LED signage — is diverting. An array of restaurants and bars is clustered at the periphery, but as with Times Square, many visitors just prefer to stroll around this giant pedestrian zone, trying to take it all in.
10 p.m.
3) A LATE, GREAT BITE
Gorbals (501 South Spring Street; 213-488-3408; thegorbalsla.com) is one of the more fantastic — and odd — downtown dining options. The chef and owner, a previous “Top Chef” winner, is part-Scottish and part-Israeli, and his hybrid concoctions are terrific. My banh mi poutine merged Quebec and Vietnam in ways criminally neglected until now. Bacon-wrapped matzo balls, anyone? Small plates range from $6 to $16. The casual restaurant is tucked into the lobby of the old Alexandria Hotel, a well-worn but charming landmark where Bogart, Chaplin and Garbo once roamed the halls.
Saturday
9 a.m.
4) ON THE NICKEL
The maple bacon doughnut is a stand-out on the breakfast menu at the new but ageless Nickel Diner (524 South Main Street; 213-623-8301; nickeldiner.com). The rest is mostly well-executed diner food, about $7 to $10 per dish. What’s remarkable is the location — until recently, this block was one of Skid Row’s most notorious. It’s a testament to downtown’s revival that the intersection of Main and Fifth (hence “Nickel”) is now home to a place where people line up for tables.
10:30 a.m.
5) NICE THREADS
The 100-block Fashion District mixes high and low seamlessly. Though many shops sell wholesale only, you can still find a wide selection of deeply discounted designer clothes, fabric and accessories. The jumbled shops and warehouses at Ninth and Los Angeles Streets are a good place to start (feel free to bargain). And don’t miss the rowdier Santee Alley (thesanteealley.com), where cheap meets weird in a thoroughly Los Angeles way. In this chaotic open-air bazaar, energetic vendors hawk the impressive (perfect knock-off handbags) and the odd (toy frogs emblazoned with gang insignias). For a more organized Fashion District expedition, Christine Silvestri of Urban Shopping Adventures (213-683-9715; urbanshoppingadventures.com) leads three-hour romps, tailored to your particular agenda and with an insider’s radar for the best finds; the tours cost $36 a person, with a minimum of two people.
1 p.m.
6) ACCESSIBLE ARCHITECTURE
The arrival of the conductor Gustavo Dudamel at the Los Angeles Philharmonic has brought new crowds to the symphony, but the Walt Disney Concert Hall (111 South Grand Avenue; 323-850-2000; laphil.com) — Frank Gehry’s deconstructivist celebration of all that is big, curvy and shiny — deserves a visit even without a ticket. Bring a picnic and wind your way along the semi-hidden outer staircase up to an excellent city vista and rooftop garden oasis. Free guided tours and self-guided audio tours are available most days. Check first (musiccenter.org/visit/tours.html) for schedules.
7 p.m.
7) LAZY BONES
Since 2010, Little Tokyo’s Lazy Ox Canteen (241 South San Pedro Street; 213-626-5299; lazyoxcanteen.com) has been the kind of tucked-away gastropub people love to insist is the city’s best. Casual and buzzing, the bistro’s long menu features adventurous delicacies, from trotters to crispy pig’s ears to lamb neck hash. It’s hard to pin the cuisine to a specific origin, but a penchant for bold, meat-centric comfort food is evident. Get several small plates, most $7 to $15 each.
8:30 p.m.
8) PICK A SHOW, ANY SHOW
If you’re downtown for a performance, chances are it’s a sprawling affair at L.A. Live. But a handful of smaller settings offer funkier alternatives. The Redcat Theater (631 West Second Street; 213-237-2800; redcat.org) hosts all manner of experimental performances — a recent Saturday featured theater, dance, puppetry and live music from a Slovene-Latvian art collaboration. Club Mayan (1038 South Hill Street; 213-746-4287; clubmayan.com; $12 entry fee before 10:30, $20 after), an ornate old dance club most nights, occasionally hosts mad events like Lucha VaVoom, which combines burlesque and Mexican wrestling. And the Smell (247 South Main Street; thesmell.org; $5 most nights), a likably grimy, volunteer-run space, hosts very small bands circled by swaying teenagers.
10:30 p.m.
9) DRINK AS IF IT’S ILLEGAL
Was Los Angeles a hoot during Prohibition? No need to guess, thanks to a slew of meticulously old-timey new bars that exploit the wonderful history of old Los Angeles. From upscale speakeasy (the Varnish; 118 East Sixth Street; 213-622-9999; thevarnishbar.com) to converted power plant-chic (the Edison; 108 West Second Street; 213-613-0000; edisondowntown.com) to an old bank vault (the Crocker Club; 453 South Spring Street; 213-239-9099; crockerclub.com), these spiffy places do set decoration as only Los Angeles can. And fussily delicious artisanal cocktails are as plentiful as you’d imagine, most in the $9 to $14 range. The well-scrubbed will also enjoy the swanky Seven Grand (515 West Seventh Street; 213-614-0737; sevengrand.la), while the well-scuffed may feel more at home at La Cita Bar (336 South Hill Street; 213-687-7111; lacitabar.com).
Sunday
9 a.m.
10) DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH
The Bamboo Plaza isn’t as elegant as its name, but on the second floor of this run-down little Chinatown mall is the Empress Pavilion (988 North Hill Street, suite 201; 213-617-9898; empresspavilion.com), the dim sum mecca that’s lured Angelenos here since well before the downtown revival. The vast dining room holds all the appeal of a hotel conference room, but that only underscores the focus on the shrimp har gow, the pork buns and dozens of other specialties, generally $2 to $5 each. There will be crowds.
11 a.m.
11) BIG ART
That rare breed who has gone from gallery owner to director of a significant art, Jeffrey Deitch has thrilled (and vexed) critics since taking over the esteemed Museum of Contemporary Art last year. Come see for yourself what he’s done with the place, and its renowned collection, including works by Rothko, Oldenburg, Lichtenstein and Rauschenberg. The museum is spread over three locations; downtown is the main one (250 South Grand Avenue; 213-626-6222; moca.org).
IF YOU GO
Rising from the L.A. Live wattage is a gleaming new two-hotel complex, at 900 West Olympic Boulevard, part JW Marriott (213-765-8600; lalive.com/stay/jwmarriott) and part Ritz-Carlton (213-743-8800; lalive.com/stay/ritzcarlton). The 878 rooms at the JW start at $189, the 123 rooms at the Ritz at $299, and even the most basic deliver a supreme pampering.
The 24th floor of the Ritz is also home to WP24, the celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck’s take on modern Chinese cuisine.
It doesn’t gleam, but the Moroccan-themed Figueroa Hotel (939 South Figueroa Street; 213-627-8971; figueroahotel.com) reflects an equally appealing side of downtown. Every nook of the 86-year-old building features some warm and worn décor reminiscent of Casablanca, and hours can be passed at the tranquil outdoor pool and bar. Rooms start at $148.
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: February 19, 2011
An earlier version of a map with this article misspelled part of the name of a street in Los Angeles. It is Cesar Chavez Avenue, not Sezar.
By CHRIS COLIN
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: February 17, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/02/20/travel/20hours-los-angeles.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha210
THE sprawl, the scale, all that freeway time — for many, Los Angeles is an acquired taste. But not downtown. New York-like in its density and mishmash, the long-blighted center has become an accessible, pedestrian-friendly destination in recent years; Angelenos walk around en masse, using their actual legs. The immense L.A. Live entertainment complex is largely responsible for this comeback, but the studiously vintage bars and imaginative restaurants that seem to open every other day are also part of the revival. Skid Row and the drifts of homeless camps haven’t vanished altogether, and the grittiness still varies by block. But this part of town is alive again, in ways that make sense even to an outsider.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) DO THE CRAWL
The Downtown Art Walk — a party-in-the-streets bonanza that draws thousands of revelers the second Thursday of every month — is one way to experience the area’s robust art scene. But you can do your own art walk anytime, and you should. Lured by low rents, a number of impressive galleries have found a home here, many of them on Chung King Road, a pedestrian alley strung with lanterns in Chinatown. For starters: The Box (977 Chung King Road; 213-625-1747; theboxla.com), Jancar Gallery (961 Chung King Road; 213-625-2522; jancargallery.com), Charlie James Gallery (975 Chung King Road; 213-687-0844; cjamesgallery.com) and Sabina Lee Gallery (971 Chung King Road; 213-620-9404; sabinaleegallery.com). The shows are intimate and occasionally provocative, featuring a broad array of contemporary artists: William Powhida, Orly Cogan and others. Most galleries stay open till 6 p.m.; Jancar closes at 5 on Fridays.
7:30 p.m.
2) THE CITY AT ITS BRIGHTEST
Whether you’re catching a Lakers game, touring the Grammy Museum or attending a concert at the Nokia Theater, there is always something splashy to do at the 27-acre, $2.5 billion sports and entertainment behemoth that is L.A. Live (800 West Olympic Boulevard; 213-763-5483; lalive.com). Just strolling the Tokyo-ish Nokia Plaza — 20,000 square feet of LED signage — is diverting. An array of restaurants and bars is clustered at the periphery, but as with Times Square, many visitors just prefer to stroll around this giant pedestrian zone, trying to take it all in.
10 p.m.
3) A LATE, GREAT BITE
Gorbals (501 South Spring Street; 213-488-3408; thegorbalsla.com) is one of the more fantastic — and odd — downtown dining options. The chef and owner, a previous “Top Chef” winner, is part-Scottish and part-Israeli, and his hybrid concoctions are terrific. My banh mi poutine merged Quebec and Vietnam in ways criminally neglected until now. Bacon-wrapped matzo balls, anyone? Small plates range from $6 to $16. The casual restaurant is tucked into the lobby of the old Alexandria Hotel, a well-worn but charming landmark where Bogart, Chaplin and Garbo once roamed the halls.
Saturday
9 a.m.
4) ON THE NICKEL
The maple bacon doughnut is a stand-out on the breakfast menu at the new but ageless Nickel Diner (524 South Main Street; 213-623-8301; nickeldiner.com). The rest is mostly well-executed diner food, about $7 to $10 per dish. What’s remarkable is the location — until recently, this block was one of Skid Row’s most notorious. It’s a testament to downtown’s revival that the intersection of Main and Fifth (hence “Nickel”) is now home to a place where people line up for tables.
10:30 a.m.
5) NICE THREADS
The 100-block Fashion District mixes high and low seamlessly. Though many shops sell wholesale only, you can still find a wide selection of deeply discounted designer clothes, fabric and accessories. The jumbled shops and warehouses at Ninth and Los Angeles Streets are a good place to start (feel free to bargain). And don’t miss the rowdier Santee Alley (thesanteealley.com), where cheap meets weird in a thoroughly Los Angeles way. In this chaotic open-air bazaar, energetic vendors hawk the impressive (perfect knock-off handbags) and the odd (toy frogs emblazoned with gang insignias). For a more organized Fashion District expedition, Christine Silvestri of Urban Shopping Adventures (213-683-9715; urbanshoppingadventures.com) leads three-hour romps, tailored to your particular agenda and with an insider’s radar for the best finds; the tours cost $36 a person, with a minimum of two people.
1 p.m.
6) ACCESSIBLE ARCHITECTURE
The arrival of the conductor Gustavo Dudamel at the Los Angeles Philharmonic has brought new crowds to the symphony, but the Walt Disney Concert Hall (111 South Grand Avenue; 323-850-2000; laphil.com) — Frank Gehry’s deconstructivist celebration of all that is big, curvy and shiny — deserves a visit even without a ticket. Bring a picnic and wind your way along the semi-hidden outer staircase up to an excellent city vista and rooftop garden oasis. Free guided tours and self-guided audio tours are available most days. Check first (musiccenter.org/visit/tours.html) for schedules.
7 p.m.
7) LAZY BONES
Since 2010, Little Tokyo’s Lazy Ox Canteen (241 South San Pedro Street; 213-626-5299; lazyoxcanteen.com) has been the kind of tucked-away gastropub people love to insist is the city’s best. Casual and buzzing, the bistro’s long menu features adventurous delicacies, from trotters to crispy pig’s ears to lamb neck hash. It’s hard to pin the cuisine to a specific origin, but a penchant for bold, meat-centric comfort food is evident. Get several small plates, most $7 to $15 each.
8:30 p.m.
8) PICK A SHOW, ANY SHOW
If you’re downtown for a performance, chances are it’s a sprawling affair at L.A. Live. But a handful of smaller settings offer funkier alternatives. The Redcat Theater (631 West Second Street; 213-237-2800; redcat.org) hosts all manner of experimental performances — a recent Saturday featured theater, dance, puppetry and live music from a Slovene-Latvian art collaboration. Club Mayan (1038 South Hill Street; 213-746-4287; clubmayan.com; $12 entry fee before 10:30, $20 after), an ornate old dance club most nights, occasionally hosts mad events like Lucha VaVoom, which combines burlesque and Mexican wrestling. And the Smell (247 South Main Street; thesmell.org; $5 most nights), a likably grimy, volunteer-run space, hosts very small bands circled by swaying teenagers.
10:30 p.m.
9) DRINK AS IF IT’S ILLEGAL
Was Los Angeles a hoot during Prohibition? No need to guess, thanks to a slew of meticulously old-timey new bars that exploit the wonderful history of old Los Angeles. From upscale speakeasy (the Varnish; 118 East Sixth Street; 213-622-9999; thevarnishbar.com) to converted power plant-chic (the Edison; 108 West Second Street; 213-613-0000; edisondowntown.com) to an old bank vault (the Crocker Club; 453 South Spring Street; 213-239-9099; crockerclub.com), these spiffy places do set decoration as only Los Angeles can. And fussily delicious artisanal cocktails are as plentiful as you’d imagine, most in the $9 to $14 range. The well-scrubbed will also enjoy the swanky Seven Grand (515 West Seventh Street; 213-614-0737; sevengrand.la), while the well-scuffed may feel more at home at La Cita Bar (336 South Hill Street; 213-687-7111; lacitabar.com).
Sunday
9 a.m.
10) DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH
The Bamboo Plaza isn’t as elegant as its name, but on the second floor of this run-down little Chinatown mall is the Empress Pavilion (988 North Hill Street, suite 201; 213-617-9898; empresspavilion.com), the dim sum mecca that’s lured Angelenos here since well before the downtown revival. The vast dining room holds all the appeal of a hotel conference room, but that only underscores the focus on the shrimp har gow, the pork buns and dozens of other specialties, generally $2 to $5 each. There will be crowds.
11 a.m.
11) BIG ART
That rare breed who has gone from gallery owner to director of a significant art, Jeffrey Deitch has thrilled (and vexed) critics since taking over the esteemed Museum of Contemporary Art last year. Come see for yourself what he’s done with the place, and its renowned collection, including works by Rothko, Oldenburg, Lichtenstein and Rauschenberg. The museum is spread over three locations; downtown is the main one (250 South Grand Avenue; 213-626-6222; moca.org).
IF YOU GO
Rising from the L.A. Live wattage is a gleaming new two-hotel complex, at 900 West Olympic Boulevard, part JW Marriott (213-765-8600; lalive.com/stay/jwmarriott) and part Ritz-Carlton (213-743-8800; lalive.com/stay/ritzcarlton). The 878 rooms at the JW start at $189, the 123 rooms at the Ritz at $299, and even the most basic deliver a supreme pampering.
The 24th floor of the Ritz is also home to WP24, the celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck’s take on modern Chinese cuisine.
It doesn’t gleam, but the Moroccan-themed Figueroa Hotel (939 South Figueroa Street; 213-627-8971; figueroahotel.com) reflects an equally appealing side of downtown. Every nook of the 86-year-old building features some warm and worn décor reminiscent of Casablanca, and hours can be passed at the tranquil outdoor pool and bar. Rooms start at $148.
This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:
Correction: February 19, 2011
An earlier version of a map with this article misspelled part of the name of a street in Los Angeles. It is Cesar Chavez Avenue, not Sezar.
Friday, February 11, 2011
36 Hours in Brooklyn
36 Hours in Brooklyn
By Emily Berl
Copyright by The New York Times
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/travel/13hours-brooklyn.html?hpw
Left The bar at Anella in Greenpoint. Center Recharging at Blue Bottle Coffee in Williamsburg. Right Southpaw, in Park Slope, is a place to get out of the cold and listen to live music. More Photos »
By SAM SIFTON
Published: February 10, 2011
THE Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on the Buttermilk Channel has picturesque views even when the Queen Mary 2, which docks there regularly, is at sea. There is verdant Governor’s Island across the water and, behind it , the heaving, jagged rise of Manhattan. To the north are the great bridges of the East River. To the west, the Statue of Liberty. And to the east, beyond chain link and forbidding streets, there is Brooklyn itself, New York City’s most populous borough, a destination in its own right.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) A WATERFRONT STROLL
The cobblestone streets under the Manhattan Bridge are home to small shops and shiny new condominium buildings, and to Saint Ann’s Warehouse (38 Water Street, at Dock Street; 718-254-8779; stannswarehouse.org), a theater that has been a mainstay of the Brooklyn arts scene for more than three decades. Located across from Fulton Ferry State Park, it is an excellent destination after a walk along the Promenade in Brooklyn Heights (parallel to Columbia Heights, a grand old street of towering brownstones, running from Remsen to Orange Streets). Check ahead to see what’s playing and then wander down to the box office to pick up your tickets.
5 p.m.
2) A WALK IN THE PARK
Alternatively, head inland, toward the leafy precincts of Fort Greene, for a show at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (bam.org) or the Mark Morris Dance Group (markmorrisdancegroup.org). Atlantic Avenue, which runs deep into the borough, will lead you most of the way, through a stretch of antiques shops and restaurants.
6 p.m.
3) PRETHEATER DINNER
Once you get strolling, it is difficult not to drift into other pretty residential neighborhoods: Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens nearby and, slightly farther afield, Park Slope and Prospect Heights. There is excellent eating along the way. At the bottom of Court Street in Carroll Gardens: Prime Meats (465 Court Street at Luquer Street; 718-254-0327; frankspm.com), a chic Germanish steak and salad restaurant. A block or so farther south, on the corner of Huntington Street: Buttermilk Channel (524 Court Street; 718-852-8490; buttermilkchannelnyc.com), where you can get local cheeses and pastas and a superlative duck meatloaf. Ten minutes before the end of your meal, have the host call for a car.
10 p.m.
4) DRINK AFTER THE CURTAIN
Fort Greene abounds in bars suitable for a late-evening drink. A cocktail at the minimalist and homey No. 7, is no risk (7 Greene Avenue at Fulton Street; 718-522-6370; no7restaurant.com). Those seeking rougher charms can venture to the Alibi (242 DeKalb Avenue between Clermont Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue), where there are cheap drinks, a pool table and a crowd that runs equal parts artist and laborer.
Saturday
9 a.m.
5) BREAKFAST PARADISE
Tom’s Restaurant in Prospect Heights (782 Washington Avenue at Sterling Place; 718-636-9738) has been a crowded, friendly mainstay of this neighborhood for decades, and is a winning place to begin a day in Kings County. Eat pancakes and waffles in a room filled with tchotchkes and good cheer, and watch the marvelous parade.
10 a.m.
6) PARKS AND ARTS
A Tom’s breakfast provides a strong foundation for a visit to the exhibitions of the nearby Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Parkway at Washington Avenue; 718-638-5000; brooklynmuseum.org). It is also useful in advance of a walk through the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (900 Washington Avenue; 718-623-7200; bbg.org), a 19th-century ash dump that is now home to some of the best horticultural displays in the world. And of course there is Prospect Park (prospectpark.org), Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux’s triumphant 1867 follow-up to Central Park in Manhattan. Those with children may wish to visit the zoo (450 Flatbush Avenue near Empire Boulevard; 718-399-7339; prospectparkzoo.com), where the daily feedings of the sea lions are a popular attraction.
2 p.m.
7) A VISIT TO HIPCHESTER
Boutiques, coffee bars and restaurants continue to flourish in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, north Brooklyn’s youth-culture Marrakesh. Amid these, Brook Farm, a general store in south Williamsburg, offers an esthetic of farmhouse cosmopolitanism (75 South Sixth Street, between Berry Street and Wythe Avenue; 718-388-8642; brookfarmgeneralstore.com). Artists and Fleas is a weekend market where artists, designers, collectors and craftspeople showcase their work (70 North Seventh Street between Wythe Avenue and Kent Avenue; artistsandfleas.com). And Spoonbill and Sugartown, Booksellers offers an eclectic mix of art and design books and academic tracts (218 Bedford Avenue at North Fifth Street; 718-387-7322; spoonbillbooks.com). And for a pick-me-up or a new coffee machine for home, try Blue Bottle Coffee, an impossibly nerdy outpost of the original Oakland coffee bar. Siphon? French press? Cold drip? All available, along with all the crazy coffee talk you like. Get your geek on (160 Berry Street between North Fourth and North Fifth Streets; 718-387-4160; bluebottlecoffee.net).
7:30 p.m.
8) DINNER FOR KINGS
Those enamored of the Williamsburg scene may stay in the neighborhood for a smoky dinner at Fatty ’Cue, Zak Pelaccio’s antic and awesome Southeast Asian barbecue joint (91 South Sixth Street between Berry Street and Bedford Avenue; 718-599- 3090; fattycue.com). In Greenpoint, there is the excellent and slightly more adult-themed Anella, where the chef Joseph Ogrodnek works marvels with vegetables and duck (222 Franklin Street at Green Street; 718-389-8100; anellabrooklyn.com). Parents with children might try the pizzas at Motorino (319 Graham Avenue at Devoe Street; 718-599-8899; motorinopizza.com) or scoot back to Park Slope, where the brothers Bromberg offer a welcoming family atmosphere with food to match at their Blue Ribbon Brooklyn (280 Fifth Avenue, between First Street and Garfield Street; 718-840-0404; blueribbonrestaurants.com).
10 p.m.
9) PAZZ AND JOP
Brooklyn’s music scene continues to expand. Three places to hear bands are Union Pool in Williamsburg (484 Union Avenue at Meeker Avenue; 718-609-0484; unionpool.blogspot.com); Brooklyn Bowl, also there (61 Wythe Avenue between North 11th and North 12th Streets; 718-963-3369; brooklynbowl.com); and Southpaw, in Park Slope, (125 Fifth Avenue, between Sterling Place and St. Johns Place; 718-230-0236; spsounds.com). Jazz heads should make their way to Barbès in Park Slope (376 Ninth Street at Sixth Avenue; 347-422-0248; barbesbrooklyn.com), where a rich calendar of readings and concerts can take a visitor from early Saturday evening well into Sunday morning.
Sunday
10 a.m.
10) DIM SUM à GO-GO
Brooklyn’s Chinatown, along Eighth Avenue in the Sunset Park neighborhood, is not as large as Manhattan’s. But it offers great pleasures. Arrive early for a dim sum meal at Pacificana (813 55th Street at Eighth Avenue; 718-871-2880), and watch as the dining room fills into an approximation of a rush-hour subway car. Then stop in at Ba Xuyen (4222 Eighth Avenue, between 42nd and 43rd Streets) for a banh mi brunch sandwich and a Vietnamese coffee, or at the tiny Yun Nan Flavour Snack (775A 49th Street at Eighth Avenue) for a fiery sweet and sour soup with dumplings.
1 p.m.
11) HISTORY IN THE GROUND
Walk off all the food with a tour of Green-Wood Cemetery (500 25th Street at Fifth Avenue; 718-768-7300; green-wood.com), the hilly and beautiful parkland where generations of New Yorkers have moved after death. Admission is free, as are the maps available at the entrance. Look for Boss Tweed, for Jean-Michel Basquiat, for Leonard Bernstein and other once-boldfaced names, as parrots (really!) fly about and the wind ruffles the trees and that view of Manhattan opens up in the distance once more. It appears smaller from this vantage, as if placed in perspective.
IF YOU GO
Brooklyn is served by the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and three area airports: Kennedy, La Guardia and Newark Liberty. From Kennedy to Brooklyn, the taxi fare is in the neighborhood of $50, plus tip. You can also take the AirTrain to Jamaica ($5 one way) and connect to the Long Island Rail Road or the New York City subway. From La Guardia, a taxi to Brooklyn costs roughly $30. From Newark, fuggedaboudit; take a bus to Manhattan and connect to the subway.
Once in the borough, use the subway, buses and car services to get around — the latter are more reliably found than yellow cabs.
There hasn’t been a grand hotel in Brooklyn since the St. George in Brooklyn Heights. But the Marriott New York at the Brooklyn Bridge (333 Adams Street; 718-246-7000; marriott.com) offers comfortable rooms and easy access to bus and subway. A deluxe room is $199.
In Williamsburg, Hotel Le Jolie (235 Meeker Avenue; 718-625-2100; hotellejolie.com) is a 54-room boutique hotel within easy walking distance of many shops and restaurants. A standard room with queen-sized bed is $149.
Hotel Le Bleu (370 Fourth Avenue; 718-625-1500; hotellebleu.com), near Park Slope, is down the street from a Pep Boys auto-supply shop. But the views of the harbor are sublime, and there are two subway stations within blocks. A deluxe room with king bed and continental breakfast is $229.
By Emily Berl
Copyright by The New York Times
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/02/13/travel/13hours-brooklyn.html?hpw
Left The bar at Anella in Greenpoint. Center Recharging at Blue Bottle Coffee in Williamsburg. Right Southpaw, in Park Slope, is a place to get out of the cold and listen to live music. More Photos »
By SAM SIFTON
Published: February 10, 2011
THE Brooklyn Cruise Terminal on the Buttermilk Channel has picturesque views even when the Queen Mary 2, which docks there regularly, is at sea. There is verdant Governor’s Island across the water and, behind it , the heaving, jagged rise of Manhattan. To the north are the great bridges of the East River. To the west, the Statue of Liberty. And to the east, beyond chain link and forbidding streets, there is Brooklyn itself, New York City’s most populous borough, a destination in its own right.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) A WATERFRONT STROLL
The cobblestone streets under the Manhattan Bridge are home to small shops and shiny new condominium buildings, and to Saint Ann’s Warehouse (38 Water Street, at Dock Street; 718-254-8779; stannswarehouse.org), a theater that has been a mainstay of the Brooklyn arts scene for more than three decades. Located across from Fulton Ferry State Park, it is an excellent destination after a walk along the Promenade in Brooklyn Heights (parallel to Columbia Heights, a grand old street of towering brownstones, running from Remsen to Orange Streets). Check ahead to see what’s playing and then wander down to the box office to pick up your tickets.
5 p.m.
2) A WALK IN THE PARK
Alternatively, head inland, toward the leafy precincts of Fort Greene, for a show at the Brooklyn Academy of Music (bam.org) or the Mark Morris Dance Group (markmorrisdancegroup.org). Atlantic Avenue, which runs deep into the borough, will lead you most of the way, through a stretch of antiques shops and restaurants.
6 p.m.
3) PRETHEATER DINNER
Once you get strolling, it is difficult not to drift into other pretty residential neighborhoods: Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens nearby and, slightly farther afield, Park Slope and Prospect Heights. There is excellent eating along the way. At the bottom of Court Street in Carroll Gardens: Prime Meats (465 Court Street at Luquer Street; 718-254-0327; frankspm.com), a chic Germanish steak and salad restaurant. A block or so farther south, on the corner of Huntington Street: Buttermilk Channel (524 Court Street; 718-852-8490; buttermilkchannelnyc.com), where you can get local cheeses and pastas and a superlative duck meatloaf. Ten minutes before the end of your meal, have the host call for a car.
10 p.m.
4) DRINK AFTER THE CURTAIN
Fort Greene abounds in bars suitable for a late-evening drink. A cocktail at the minimalist and homey No. 7, is no risk (7 Greene Avenue at Fulton Street; 718-522-6370; no7restaurant.com). Those seeking rougher charms can venture to the Alibi (242 DeKalb Avenue between Clermont Avenue and Vanderbilt Avenue), where there are cheap drinks, a pool table and a crowd that runs equal parts artist and laborer.
Saturday
9 a.m.
5) BREAKFAST PARADISE
Tom’s Restaurant in Prospect Heights (782 Washington Avenue at Sterling Place; 718-636-9738) has been a crowded, friendly mainstay of this neighborhood for decades, and is a winning place to begin a day in Kings County. Eat pancakes and waffles in a room filled with tchotchkes and good cheer, and watch the marvelous parade.
10 a.m.
6) PARKS AND ARTS
A Tom’s breakfast provides a strong foundation for a visit to the exhibitions of the nearby Brooklyn Museum (200 Eastern Parkway at Washington Avenue; 718-638-5000; brooklynmuseum.org). It is also useful in advance of a walk through the Brooklyn Botanic Garden (900 Washington Avenue; 718-623-7200; bbg.org), a 19th-century ash dump that is now home to some of the best horticultural displays in the world. And of course there is Prospect Park (prospectpark.org), Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux’s triumphant 1867 follow-up to Central Park in Manhattan. Those with children may wish to visit the zoo (450 Flatbush Avenue near Empire Boulevard; 718-399-7339; prospectparkzoo.com), where the daily feedings of the sea lions are a popular attraction.
2 p.m.
7) A VISIT TO HIPCHESTER
Boutiques, coffee bars and restaurants continue to flourish in Williamsburg and Greenpoint, north Brooklyn’s youth-culture Marrakesh. Amid these, Brook Farm, a general store in south Williamsburg, offers an esthetic of farmhouse cosmopolitanism (75 South Sixth Street, between Berry Street and Wythe Avenue; 718-388-8642; brookfarmgeneralstore.com). Artists and Fleas is a weekend market where artists, designers, collectors and craftspeople showcase their work (70 North Seventh Street between Wythe Avenue and Kent Avenue; artistsandfleas.com). And Spoonbill and Sugartown, Booksellers offers an eclectic mix of art and design books and academic tracts (218 Bedford Avenue at North Fifth Street; 718-387-7322; spoonbillbooks.com). And for a pick-me-up or a new coffee machine for home, try Blue Bottle Coffee, an impossibly nerdy outpost of the original Oakland coffee bar. Siphon? French press? Cold drip? All available, along with all the crazy coffee talk you like. Get your geek on (160 Berry Street between North Fourth and North Fifth Streets; 718-387-4160; bluebottlecoffee.net).
7:30 p.m.
8) DINNER FOR KINGS
Those enamored of the Williamsburg scene may stay in the neighborhood for a smoky dinner at Fatty ’Cue, Zak Pelaccio’s antic and awesome Southeast Asian barbecue joint (91 South Sixth Street between Berry Street and Bedford Avenue; 718-599- 3090; fattycue.com). In Greenpoint, there is the excellent and slightly more adult-themed Anella, where the chef Joseph Ogrodnek works marvels with vegetables and duck (222 Franklin Street at Green Street; 718-389-8100; anellabrooklyn.com). Parents with children might try the pizzas at Motorino (319 Graham Avenue at Devoe Street; 718-599-8899; motorinopizza.com) or scoot back to Park Slope, where the brothers Bromberg offer a welcoming family atmosphere with food to match at their Blue Ribbon Brooklyn (280 Fifth Avenue, between First Street and Garfield Street; 718-840-0404; blueribbonrestaurants.com).
10 p.m.
9) PAZZ AND JOP
Brooklyn’s music scene continues to expand. Three places to hear bands are Union Pool in Williamsburg (484 Union Avenue at Meeker Avenue; 718-609-0484; unionpool.blogspot.com); Brooklyn Bowl, also there (61 Wythe Avenue between North 11th and North 12th Streets; 718-963-3369; brooklynbowl.com); and Southpaw, in Park Slope, (125 Fifth Avenue, between Sterling Place and St. Johns Place; 718-230-0236; spsounds.com). Jazz heads should make their way to Barbès in Park Slope (376 Ninth Street at Sixth Avenue; 347-422-0248; barbesbrooklyn.com), where a rich calendar of readings and concerts can take a visitor from early Saturday evening well into Sunday morning.
Sunday
10 a.m.
10) DIM SUM à GO-GO
Brooklyn’s Chinatown, along Eighth Avenue in the Sunset Park neighborhood, is not as large as Manhattan’s. But it offers great pleasures. Arrive early for a dim sum meal at Pacificana (813 55th Street at Eighth Avenue; 718-871-2880), and watch as the dining room fills into an approximation of a rush-hour subway car. Then stop in at Ba Xuyen (4222 Eighth Avenue, between 42nd and 43rd Streets) for a banh mi brunch sandwich and a Vietnamese coffee, or at the tiny Yun Nan Flavour Snack (775A 49th Street at Eighth Avenue) for a fiery sweet and sour soup with dumplings.
1 p.m.
11) HISTORY IN THE GROUND
Walk off all the food with a tour of Green-Wood Cemetery (500 25th Street at Fifth Avenue; 718-768-7300; green-wood.com), the hilly and beautiful parkland where generations of New Yorkers have moved after death. Admission is free, as are the maps available at the entrance. Look for Boss Tweed, for Jean-Michel Basquiat, for Leonard Bernstein and other once-boldfaced names, as parrots (really!) fly about and the wind ruffles the trees and that view of Manhattan opens up in the distance once more. It appears smaller from this vantage, as if placed in perspective.
IF YOU GO
Brooklyn is served by the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal and three area airports: Kennedy, La Guardia and Newark Liberty. From Kennedy to Brooklyn, the taxi fare is in the neighborhood of $50, plus tip. You can also take the AirTrain to Jamaica ($5 one way) and connect to the Long Island Rail Road or the New York City subway. From La Guardia, a taxi to Brooklyn costs roughly $30. From Newark, fuggedaboudit; take a bus to Manhattan and connect to the subway.
Once in the borough, use the subway, buses and car services to get around — the latter are more reliably found than yellow cabs.
There hasn’t been a grand hotel in Brooklyn since the St. George in Brooklyn Heights. But the Marriott New York at the Brooklyn Bridge (333 Adams Street; 718-246-7000; marriott.com) offers comfortable rooms and easy access to bus and subway. A deluxe room is $199.
In Williamsburg, Hotel Le Jolie (235 Meeker Avenue; 718-625-2100; hotellejolie.com) is a 54-room boutique hotel within easy walking distance of many shops and restaurants. A standard room with queen-sized bed is $149.
Hotel Le Bleu (370 Fourth Avenue; 718-625-1500; hotellebleu.com), near Park Slope, is down the street from a Pep Boys auto-supply shop. But the views of the harbor are sublime, and there are two subway stations within blocks. A deluxe room with king bed and continental breakfast is $229.
Friday, February 4, 2011
36 Hours in Santiago, Chile
36 Hours in Santiago, Chile
By LIZA FOREMAN
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: February 3, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/travel/06hours-santiago.html?hpw
LIKE the on-again, off-again construction of the city’s Costanera Center, which will include South America’s tallest skyscraper, Santiago is reaching for the skies while progress moves forward in fits and starts, thanks in part to natural disasters like the 8.8 magnitude quake that rocked the country last year. Still, there’s a spirit of enterprise in the capital, which was the top destination in the New York Times Travel section’s “The 41 Places to Go in 2011” feature. From a growing fashion movement to government initiatives to create a Silicon Valley of the South, there is an energy that just can’t be suppressed. Long gone are the days when the city was derided for its food scene or seen as sleepy and staid. Arts sites like the Centro Gabriela Mistral, which opened in September, along with cutting-edge galleries, boutiques and stand-out restaurants, attest to an urban scene that has blossomed in the wake of a repressive dictatorship now long dead.
Friday
6 p.m.
1) CREATIVE DIVERSIONS
Santiago’s art scene has taken root in affluent neighborhoods like Vitacura, where contemporary galleries like Galería Animal (Avenida Alonso de Córdova) 3105; 56-2-371-9090; www.galeriaanimal.com) and Sala Cero (Avenida Alonso de Córdova 3105; 56-2-371-9090; salacero.cl), both housed in a raw concrete building on the city’s fashionable shopping street, specialize in art mainly from Chile. Nearby is Isabel Aninat Galería de Arte (Espoz 3100; 56-2-481-9870; galeriaisabelaninat.cl), an art space that occasionally hosts sales by fashion designers, and Galería Patricia Ready (Espoz 3125; 56-2-953-6210; galeriapready.cl), a new complex with a secluded courtyard and cafe.
10 p.m.
2) ADVENTUROUS DINING
Diners can’t go wrong with any of the high-end restaurants along the section of Avenida Nueva Costanera in Vitacura surrounding the popular Peruvian restaurant La Mar (at No. 3922; 56-2-206-7839; lamarcebicheria.com). But several young chefs have begun staking out locations farther afield in the neighborhood, including Sebastian Maturana, who ran Cucina Rustica at the Lodge in Vail, Colo., before opening Casamar (Avenida Padre Hurtado 1480; 56-2-954-2112; casamarchile.cl). The restaurant features sustainable seafood in a glass-and-bamboo framed space. Favorites include grilled octopus doused in olive oil and garlic, with tomato marmalade, sliced avocado and olives (6,500 pesos, or about $14 at 470 pesos to the dollar), and ceviche de cojinova austral, a ceviche of silver warehou with scallions, red onions, avocado, ginger and watercress (5,800 pesos).
Midnight
3) WINE BY THE GLASS
The stylish Whiskey Blue nightclub at the new W Santiago (3000 Isidora Goyenechea; 56-2-770-0000; wsantiago.cl) has quickly become a magnet for the city’s elite, but if you’re looking for a low-key alternative, head to Baco Vino y Bistro (Santa Magdalena 113/Nueva de Lyon 116; 56-2-231-4444), a new wine bar in the bustling downtown district of Providencia. It draws a mixed crowd of well-dressed residents and serious wine connoisseurs enjoying the recent trend here of wine by the glass.
Saturday
11 a.m.
4) FASHION TEMPLE
It took Jorge Yarur Bascuñán, a descendant of Palestinian textile merchants from Bethlehem, 10 years to turn the family mansion — a modernist glass construction from 1962 — into the Museo de la Moda (Avenida Vitacura 4562; 56-2-219-3623; mmyt.cl), a museum devoted to fashion and the memory of his mother, Raquel Bascuñán Cugnoni, a socialite with a penchant for high fashion. The museum’s approximately 10,000 garments include a Jean Paul Gaultier conical bra designed for Madonna, a tutu worn by Margot Fonteyn, and pieces from a recent ’80s exhibition, including early collections from Vivienne Westwood and Thierry Mugler. The museum has a delightful cafe, El Garage, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, colorful art and light fare like salmon carpaccio (3,300 pesos) and seafood with couscous (5,500 pesos).
2 p.m.
5) HOMEGROWN TALENT
Fashion-savvy Chileans get word, often through Facebook, of temporary fashion markets known as ferias. One of the most popular is Bazar Oriente (Club Médico la Dehesa, Avenida La Dehesa 2245; bazaroriente.cl), which features smaller labels. For visitors interested in a shortcut, a stylist named Ameriga Gianonne (56-9-790-59144; agstyling.com) can help you find lesser-known ferias, as well as stylish stores like Hall Central (Merced 346; hallcentral.cl), which stocks upcoming Chilean designers, and Porquetevistes (Gertrudis Echeñique 360; 56-2-207-5525; www.porquetevistes.cl), with more established labels. You can’t say you’ve been shopping in Santiago without heading to the luxury-store-lined street of Alonso de Córdova, which looks like a toy town version of Fifth Avenue. New stores include Noon (Alonso de Córdova 4120; 56-2-723-0273; ojoconlamoda.com), which stocks coming Chilean and Swedish lines. Wool (Alonso de Córdova 4098; 56-2208-8767; alfombraswool.com), which sells carpets, displays small squares of carpet on its wall like fine works of art.
4 p.m.
6) PAINTERS AND A PARK
In November, Santiago’s newest museum opened: the Museo de la Chilenidad (Padre Hurtado Sur 1155; lascondes.cl), surrounded by a sprawling park. The permanent collection includes works by Chilean master painters from the 19th and early 20th centuries, including Pedro Lira.
6 p.m.
7) SHOE FIESTA
Every month or so, two shoe aficionados, Marcela Strika and Lorena Muñoz, otherwise known as Tacón Zapatos (Monjitas 537, Dpto 74, Bellas Artes; 56-9-9159-8995; taconzapatos.blogspot.com), invite customers to Ms. Strika’s apartment or a rented hotel suite to sip Champagne and check out the flamboyant shoes they sell from Luz Principe, an Argentine designer of frilly, floral slip-ons and sexy black ankle boots. From 63,000 to 110,000 pesos a pair.
10 p.m.
8) TUDOR TEMPTATIONS
For a local dining experience somewhat removed from the high-end restaurants of Vitacura, Casa Lastarria (Lastarria 70; 56-2-638-3236; casalastarria.cl), in the artsy downtown district of Lastarria, offers home-cooked meals in a 1930s Tudor-style building that is filled with vintage furniture. Frequented by artistic types, this new addition to the Santiago dining scene offers dishes like congria eel in almond sauce (5,000 pesos) and chicken with Cognac (5,900 pesos).
Midnight
9) ALL IN ONE PLACE
Multifaceted night spots, offering entertainment, dancing, drinks and food, have become popular in Santiago. Bar Constitución (Constitución 61; 56-2-244-4569; barconstitucion.cl) has indoor and outdoor spaces, including a bar, terrace, lounge and dining area, and attracts a young, fun-loving, casual crowd. Live music ranges from Nufolk to R&B and electroclash. For club listings in English, see Revolver Santiago Magazine (santiagomagazine.cl).
Sunday
9.30 a.m.
10) MEMORIALS FOR MISSING
When it opened last year, local residents flocked to the Museum of Memory and Human Rights (Matucana 501; 56-2-365-1165; www.museodelamemoria.cl). The contemporary concrete, glass and copper structure, designed by the Brazilian architect Marcos Figuero, covers an entire block in downtown Santiago. Inside are photographs of victims of Gen. Augusto Pinochet’s brutal dictatorial rule, video footage of protesters and other documentation of his 17 years (1973-1990) in power, when more than 3,000 people lost their lives, or disappeared, following his crackdown on dissent. Another memorial site is Londres 38, housed in a building that was previously used as the municipal headquarters for the Socialist government of Salvador Allende and then as a torture center under the Pinochet regime (Londres 38; www.londres38.cl). On a cobbled street in the historic Paris-Londres district, it offers free guided tours on the history of the building.
2 p.m.
11) ON TWO WHEELS
Rent bikes at La Bicicleta Verde (Santa María Avenida 227, office 12; 56-2-570-9338; labicicletaverde.com) and explore the nearby vineyards of the Maipo — a region of winding roads and wineries some 30 miles from the city. Rentals are 12,000 pesos a day; vineyard tours available. Among the vineyards worth visiting (book in advance): La Montaña (Fundo el Peumo, Camino Santa Luisa, three miles south of Huelquen; 56-2-264-9846; vinalamontana.cl), with a wine store and hiking opportunities, and, a few miles farther, Pérez Cruz (Fundo Liguai, Huelquen; 56-2-655-1318; perezcruz.com), which has an unusual winery building with curved pillars. Two and a half miles down the road is Huelquen (Camino Padre Hurtado 4595, Huelquen; 56-2-822-1264; huelquen.com), an organic winery.
IF YOU GO
Opened in 2010, The Aubrey (Constitución 299-317; 56-2-940-28-00; theaubrey.com) is a 15-room boutique hotel in the artsy area of Bella Vista, with doubles from 118,000 pesos, about $252. Its restaurant, Pasta E Vino, is one of the most popular hangouts in the city with a three-week waiting list.
Also opened last year, the Hotel Boutique Le Rève (Orrego Luco 023; 56-2-757-6000; lerevehotel.cl) is in historic central Santiago, with 31 rooms starting at 121,000 pesos.
The W Santiago (3000 Isidora Goyenechea; 56-2-770-0000; wsantiago.cl), opened in 2009 with 196 rooms starting at $299 for a double.
By LIZA FOREMAN
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: February 3, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/02/06/travel/06hours-santiago.html?hpw
LIKE the on-again, off-again construction of the city’s Costanera Center, which will include South America’s tallest skyscraper, Santiago is reaching for the skies while progress moves forward in fits and starts, thanks in part to natural disasters like the 8.8 magnitude quake that rocked the country last year. Still, there’s a spirit of enterprise in the capital, which was the top destination in the New York Times Travel section’s “The 41 Places to Go in 2011” feature. From a growing fashion movement to government initiatives to create a Silicon Valley of the South, there is an energy that just can’t be suppressed. Long gone are the days when the city was derided for its food scene or seen as sleepy and staid. Arts sites like the Centro Gabriela Mistral, which opened in September, along with cutting-edge galleries, boutiques and stand-out restaurants, attest to an urban scene that has blossomed in the wake of a repressive dictatorship now long dead.
Friday
6 p.m.
1) CREATIVE DIVERSIONS
Santiago’s art scene has taken root in affluent neighborhoods like Vitacura, where contemporary galleries like Galería Animal (Avenida Alonso de Córdova) 3105; 56-2-371-9090; www.galeriaanimal.com) and Sala Cero (Avenida Alonso de Córdova 3105; 56-2-371-9090; salacero.cl), both housed in a raw concrete building on the city’s fashionable shopping street, specialize in art mainly from Chile. Nearby is Isabel Aninat Galería de Arte (Espoz 3100; 56-2-481-9870; galeriaisabelaninat.cl), an art space that occasionally hosts sales by fashion designers, and Galería Patricia Ready (Espoz 3125; 56-2-953-6210; galeriapready.cl), a new complex with a secluded courtyard and cafe.
10 p.m.
2) ADVENTUROUS DINING
Diners can’t go wrong with any of the high-end restaurants along the section of Avenida Nueva Costanera in Vitacura surrounding the popular Peruvian restaurant La Mar (at No. 3922; 56-2-206-7839; lamarcebicheria.com). But several young chefs have begun staking out locations farther afield in the neighborhood, including Sebastian Maturana, who ran Cucina Rustica at the Lodge in Vail, Colo., before opening Casamar (Avenida Padre Hurtado 1480; 56-2-954-2112; casamarchile.cl). The restaurant features sustainable seafood in a glass-and-bamboo framed space. Favorites include grilled octopus doused in olive oil and garlic, with tomato marmalade, sliced avocado and olives (6,500 pesos, or about $14 at 470 pesos to the dollar), and ceviche de cojinova austral, a ceviche of silver warehou with scallions, red onions, avocado, ginger and watercress (5,800 pesos).
Midnight
3) WINE BY THE GLASS
The stylish Whiskey Blue nightclub at the new W Santiago (3000 Isidora Goyenechea; 56-2-770-0000; wsantiago.cl) has quickly become a magnet for the city’s elite, but if you’re looking for a low-key alternative, head to Baco Vino y Bistro (Santa Magdalena 113/Nueva de Lyon 116; 56-2-231-4444), a new wine bar in the bustling downtown district of Providencia. It draws a mixed crowd of well-dressed residents and serious wine connoisseurs enjoying the recent trend here of wine by the glass.
Saturday
11 a.m.
4) FASHION TEMPLE
It took Jorge Yarur Bascuñán, a descendant of Palestinian textile merchants from Bethlehem, 10 years to turn the family mansion — a modernist glass construction from 1962 — into the Museo de la Moda (Avenida Vitacura 4562; 56-2-219-3623; mmyt.cl), a museum devoted to fashion and the memory of his mother, Raquel Bascuñán Cugnoni, a socialite with a penchant for high fashion. The museum’s approximately 10,000 garments include a Jean Paul Gaultier conical bra designed for Madonna, a tutu worn by Margot Fonteyn, and pieces from a recent ’80s exhibition, including early collections from Vivienne Westwood and Thierry Mugler. The museum has a delightful cafe, El Garage, with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, colorful art and light fare like salmon carpaccio (3,300 pesos) and seafood with couscous (5,500 pesos).
2 p.m.
5) HOMEGROWN TALENT
Fashion-savvy Chileans get word, often through Facebook, of temporary fashion markets known as ferias. One of the most popular is Bazar Oriente (Club Médico la Dehesa, Avenida La Dehesa 2245; bazaroriente.cl), which features smaller labels. For visitors interested in a shortcut, a stylist named Ameriga Gianonne (56-9-790-59144; agstyling.com) can help you find lesser-known ferias, as well as stylish stores like Hall Central (Merced 346; hallcentral.cl), which stocks upcoming Chilean designers, and Porquetevistes (Gertrudis Echeñique 360; 56-2-207-5525; www.porquetevistes.cl), with more established labels. You can’t say you’ve been shopping in Santiago without heading to the luxury-store-lined street of Alonso de Córdova, which looks like a toy town version of Fifth Avenue. New stores include Noon (Alonso de Córdova 4120; 56-2-723-0273; ojoconlamoda.com), which stocks coming Chilean and Swedish lines. Wool (Alonso de Córdova 4098; 56-2208-8767; alfombraswool.com), which sells carpets, displays small squares of carpet on its wall like fine works of art.
4 p.m.
6) PAINTERS AND A PARK
In November, Santiago’s newest museum opened: the Museo de la Chilenidad (Padre Hurtado Sur 1155; lascondes.cl), surrounded by a sprawling park. The permanent collection includes works by Chilean master painters from the 19th and early 20th centuries, including Pedro Lira.
6 p.m.
7) SHOE FIESTA
Every month or so, two shoe aficionados, Marcela Strika and Lorena Muñoz, otherwise known as Tacón Zapatos (Monjitas 537, Dpto 74, Bellas Artes; 56-9-9159-8995; taconzapatos.blogspot.com), invite customers to Ms. Strika’s apartment or a rented hotel suite to sip Champagne and check out the flamboyant shoes they sell from Luz Principe, an Argentine designer of frilly, floral slip-ons and sexy black ankle boots. From 63,000 to 110,000 pesos a pair.
10 p.m.
8) TUDOR TEMPTATIONS
For a local dining experience somewhat removed from the high-end restaurants of Vitacura, Casa Lastarria (Lastarria 70; 56-2-638-3236; casalastarria.cl), in the artsy downtown district of Lastarria, offers home-cooked meals in a 1930s Tudor-style building that is filled with vintage furniture. Frequented by artistic types, this new addition to the Santiago dining scene offers dishes like congria eel in almond sauce (5,000 pesos) and chicken with Cognac (5,900 pesos).
Midnight
9) ALL IN ONE PLACE
Multifaceted night spots, offering entertainment, dancing, drinks and food, have become popular in Santiago. Bar Constitución (Constitución 61; 56-2-244-4569; barconstitucion.cl) has indoor and outdoor spaces, including a bar, terrace, lounge and dining area, and attracts a young, fun-loving, casual crowd. Live music ranges from Nufolk to R&B and electroclash. For club listings in English, see Revolver Santiago Magazine (santiagomagazine.cl).
Sunday
9.30 a.m.
10) MEMORIALS FOR MISSING
When it opened last year, local residents flocked to the Museum of Memory and Human Rights (Matucana 501; 56-2-365-1165; www.museodelamemoria.cl). The contemporary concrete, glass and copper structure, designed by the Brazilian architect Marcos Figuero, covers an entire block in downtown Santiago. Inside are photographs of victims of Gen. Augusto Pinochet’s brutal dictatorial rule, video footage of protesters and other documentation of his 17 years (1973-1990) in power, when more than 3,000 people lost their lives, or disappeared, following his crackdown on dissent. Another memorial site is Londres 38, housed in a building that was previously used as the municipal headquarters for the Socialist government of Salvador Allende and then as a torture center under the Pinochet regime (Londres 38; www.londres38.cl). On a cobbled street in the historic Paris-Londres district, it offers free guided tours on the history of the building.
2 p.m.
11) ON TWO WHEELS
Rent bikes at La Bicicleta Verde (Santa María Avenida 227, office 12; 56-2-570-9338; labicicletaverde.com) and explore the nearby vineyards of the Maipo — a region of winding roads and wineries some 30 miles from the city. Rentals are 12,000 pesos a day; vineyard tours available. Among the vineyards worth visiting (book in advance): La Montaña (Fundo el Peumo, Camino Santa Luisa, three miles south of Huelquen; 56-2-264-9846; vinalamontana.cl), with a wine store and hiking opportunities, and, a few miles farther, Pérez Cruz (Fundo Liguai, Huelquen; 56-2-655-1318; perezcruz.com), which has an unusual winery building with curved pillars. Two and a half miles down the road is Huelquen (Camino Padre Hurtado 4595, Huelquen; 56-2-822-1264; huelquen.com), an organic winery.
IF YOU GO
Opened in 2010, The Aubrey (Constitución 299-317; 56-2-940-28-00; theaubrey.com) is a 15-room boutique hotel in the artsy area of Bella Vista, with doubles from 118,000 pesos, about $252. Its restaurant, Pasta E Vino, is one of the most popular hangouts in the city with a three-week waiting list.
Also opened last year, the Hotel Boutique Le Rève (Orrego Luco 023; 56-2-757-6000; lerevehotel.cl) is in historic central Santiago, with 31 rooms starting at 121,000 pesos.
The W Santiago (3000 Isidora Goyenechea; 56-2-770-0000; wsantiago.cl), opened in 2009 with 196 rooms starting at $299 for a double.
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