36 Hours in Niagara Falls
By BARBARA IRELAND
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: May 26, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/05/29/travel/36-hours-in-niagara-falls.html?hpw
AT Niagara Falls, the United States is the poor relation and Canada is king. Nature gave Canada the wide-angle view of the majestic waterfall that straddles the border between the two countries, and the Canadians’ commercial bet on tourism landed most of the visitor comforts on their side of the Niagara River. American reliance on industry, however, ended in Rust Belt ruin. Yet the story isn’t so simple. Casinos, high-rise hotels and hucksterish come-ons have so proliferated in Niagara Falls, Ontario, that it risks feeling like a tired amusement park. Meanwhile, in Niagara Falls, New York, the visitor who ventures inside the shabby, underfinanced state park is surprised to discover vestiges of something like a natural landscape. The party is in Canada. The real feel of the river, in all its awesome power, is more accessible in the United States. Hop back and forth to get the best of both Niagaras and see for yourself.
Niagara Falls
Friday
5 p.m.
1) FEET ACROSS THE BORDER
Cars sometimes line up for hours to cross the international border at the Rainbow Bridge, a few hundred yards downriver from the falls. But on the walkway it’s a breeze — a 10-minute stroll for two quarters, American or Canadian (niagarafallsbridges.com). Customs agents at each end are pedestrian-friendly, though you must have your passport. If you’re staying on the American side, make your first crossing now. If your hotel is in Canada, wait until tomorrow. Either way, this is one of the most scenic saunters you will ever take.
6 p.m.
2) BRINKMANSHIP
Push into the crowds on the riverfront walkway in Canada and see the whole geological spectacle at once. The imposing cascade on the left, 850 feet wide, is the American Falls. The supercharged one on the right, nearly half a mile wide, is the Horseshoe, often called the Canadian Falls although it touches both countries. Stop at the Horseshoe brink and wait your turn to be doused at the rail by spray from thousands of tons of water plunging down every second. Impressed? This thundering mass is only half of the river’s natural flow. The other 50 percent (75 percent in the off-season) is channeled underground to hydroelectric plants.
7 p.m.
3) WINE AND BACON
From the terrace at Edgewaters Tap & Grill (6342 Niagara Parkway; 905-356-2217; niagaraparks.com/dining), the tourist hordes below seem far away. Relax and sample one of the Niagara Region wines, like the Inniskillin Riesling (35 Canadian dollars a bottle, about the same in U.S. dollars). For a casual dinner, try the hearty Great Canadian Sandwich “EH” (14.49 dollars), made with the meaty and flavorful Canadian bacon hard to find south of the border. Afterward, explore the surrounding shady Queen Victoria Park, where gracious landscaping reflects the English style.
9 p.m.
4) OVER THE TOP
You want to hate Clifton Hill, a garish strip of fun houses, glow-in-the-dark miniature-golf palaces, 4-D theaters, wax museums and noisy bars. But tackiness on this level cries out to be experienced. So watch a multinational crowd shovel tickets into blinking game machines at the Great Canadian Midway. Observe the story-high monster chomping a hamburger atop the House of Frankenstein. Shop for maple candy and a moose puppet. And pay 9.99 Canadian dollars at the SkyWheel Ferris wheel (4960 Clifton Hill; 905-358-3676; cliftonhill.com) for five vertiginous revolutions and a wide-angle view of the colored lights projected nightly on the falls. (Oh right, there are waterfalls here. Remember?)
Saturday
10 a.m.
5) THE CENTRAL PARK
Frederick Law Olmsted and Frederic Church were among the 19th-century champions of a radical idea: public parks at Niagara Falls that would erase a clutter of factories and tourist traps (at some locations, visitors paid to see the falls through a peephole in a fence). The Free Niagara movement succeeded in both Canada and the United States, and on the American side Olmsted designed landscapes at the crest of both waterfalls and on Goat Island, which separates them. Explore the woods and walkways of the resulting Niagara Falls State Park (716-278-1796; niagarafallsstatepark.com) to find what remains of the original Niagara, breathtakingly close to the river’s edge and with commercialism pushed back. For an enticing mix of quiet glades and furious rapids, venture out over charming pedestrian bridges to the tiny Three Sisters Islands above the thunderous Horseshoe.
1 p.m.
6) WINGS OPTIONAL
Buffalo chicken wings were invented just 20 miles away in the city of Buffalo, and the menu at the Top of the Falls restaurant (in the state park; 716-278-0340; spicy wings $11.50) won’t let you forget it. Partake or not; alternatives include salads, burgers and wraps.
2 p.m.
7) WHY THE WATERFALL?
You’ll hunt in vain on both sides of the river for a straightforward geological explanation of Niagara Falls. At the Niagara Gorge Discovery Center in the park on the New York side ($3), look selectively at the displays and ask questions to tease out the basic facts. What’s falling is the water of the Great Lakes. The falls are on the move upriver, receding as much as six feet a year. There’s a giant whirlpool where they took a sharp turn 40 centuries ago. A Canadian attempt at explaining Niagara, a film called “Niagara’s Fury” (niagarasfury.com), which is shown in a building near the Horseshoe’s crest, is entertaining for children but not especially informative, mixing cartoon stereotypes with snippets of textbook language. Outside the Discovery Center, a trail heads toward the Niagara Gorge, where hikers get within a few feet of the largest standing, river-rapids waves in North America. Don’t bring the kayak: these rapids are Class 6.
3 p.m.
8) THE CLOSE-UP
Many of the contrived attractions at Niagara Falls are overhyped and disappointing. But the Maid of the Mist tour boats ($13.50 from the American side; 16.50 dollars from the Canadian; maidofthemist.com) have been satisfying customers since 1846. Chug out to the base of the Horseshoe on one of these sturdy craft, struggle to look up 170 feet to the top through the splashing torrents, and you’ll grasp the power of what brought you here. Go from the American dock. Not only is the wait likely to be shorter, but at the end of the ride, you can hang on to your flimsy slicker (included in the fee) and take a wet but exhilarating hike to the base of the American Falls.
7 p.m.
9) CULINARY CANADA
AG, the soothing, upscale restaurant in the Sterling Inn & Spa (5195 Magdalen Street, Niagara Falls, Ontario; 289-292-0000; sterlingniagara.com) serves imaginative dishes using seasonal Canadian ingredients, paired with local wines. One summer menu included basil-and-potato-encrusted Lake Huron trout and pork tenderloin stuffed with macerated Niagara orchard fruits (each 28 Canadian dollars). The desserts are good, but if you’re not up for one, you can get by on the eye candy of the red, white and crystal dining room.
Sunday
10 a.m.
10) VINEYARDS HAVEN
Leave the falls behind and drive north in Canada on the lovely Niagara Parkway. Beyond placid Queenston, where an American attack was turned back in the War of 1812, the Niagara River turns relatively tame, and wineries, peach orchards, manorlike houses and an inviting bicycle path line the road. The tasting rooms pour chardonnays, pinot noirs and the regional specialty, ice wine. At Inniskillin ( 1499 Line 3, Niagara Parkway; 905-468-2187; inniskillin.com) tours and signboards explain grape-friendly local conditions; Reif Estate (15608 Niagara Parkway; 905-468-9463; reifwinery.com) has a gimmicky but pleasant Wine Sensory Garden. Peller Estates (290 John Street East; peller.com) pairs its vintages with an elegant restaurant. At Kurtz Orchards Gourmet Marketplace (16006 Niagara Parkway; 905-468-2937; kurtzorchards.com), you can munch enough free samples of breads, tapenades, jams, cheeses and nut butters to take you all the way to dinner.
IF YOU GO
Sterling Inn & Spa (5195 Magdalen Street, Niagara Falls, Ontario; 877-783-7772; sterlingniagara.com), a former dairy building transformed into a boutique hotel, is an oasis of quiet and style at the edge of the tourist maelstrom. Its 41 spacious rooms start at around 200 Canadian dollars, about the same in U.S. dollars.
Doubletree Fallsview Resort & Spa (6039 Fallsview Boulevard, Niagara Falls, Ontario; 905-358-3817; niagarafallsdoubletree.com), an attractive six-year-old hotel on a hill overlooking the falls, has 224 rooms starting at 199 dollars.
The Giacomo (222 First Street, Niagara Falls, N.Y.; 716-299-0200; thegiacomo.com), in a renovated Art Deco office building near the Niagara Falls State Park, has butler service and 38 rooms starting at $199.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Sunday, May 22, 2011
36 Hours in Milan
36 Hours in Milan
By INGRID K. WILLIAMS
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: May 19, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/travel/36-hours-in-milan.html?hpw
APPEARANCES matter in Milan. For proof, just stroll past the sights: the majestic Gothic cathedral, the stately Teatro alla Scala opera house, the smartly dressed Milanese (yes, they’re an attraction, too). But the true charm of Italy’s most cosmopolitan city is its refusal to coast on these beautiful treasures. A few blocks from Leonardo da Vinci’s 15th-century masterpiece “The Last Supper,” an ambitious project is inching toward completion: CityLife, a new center-city neighborhood featuring a trio of dazzling, futuristic skyscrapers. And in advance of hosting the 2015 Expo, the city is already blossoming with new museums and restaurants. In Milan, Italy’s future is already on display.
Friday
4:30 p.m.
1) DESIGN SHRINE
Design is a religion in Milan, so start by paying your respects at the high altar that is the Triennale Design Museum (Viale Alemagna, 6; 39-02-724-341; triennale.org). The museum, on the edge of the leafy Parco Sempione, is the first dedicated solely to Italian design. Where else could you expect to find a supersize Campari bottle beside a Brobdingnagian replica of a rainbow-hued Ferragamo sandal? A special admission rate on Thursday and Friday evenings lets you embrace another of Milan’s sacred rites, the predinner aperitivo, at the new ground-floor DesignCafe.
8:30 p.m.
2) THE FIRST SUPPER
Zucca e Melone (Via Gian Giacomo Mora, 3; 39-02-8945-5850; ristorantezuccaemelone.it) is a delightful restaurant that opened last year with a fresh farmhouse feel and charmingly absurd décor (think lime green and violet walls with chairs painted bright orange, yellow and purple). And the menu is as creative as the color scheme. Traditional strudel is reimagined as a savory appetizer with caramelized onions and taleggio cream (12.50 euros, or $17.60 at $1.41 to the euro), while tortelli stuffed with pumpkin is topped with sage butter, pecorino and a cookie crumble (14.50 euros).
11 p.m.
3) A MAN, A PLAN, NAVIGLI
Take a postprandial passeggiata — it’s required — past Porta Ticinese to the glowing canals and waterside drinking dens of the Navigli neighborhood. Designed in part by Leonardo, the narrow canals were neglected for decades, but recent preservation efforts have spurred the area’s emergence as one of the city’s hottest night-life destinations. Seek out Spritz (Ripa di Porta Ticinese 9; 39-02-8339-0192; spritz-navigli.it) for the lounge’s namesake drink, an Italian classic. Then hop over to El Brellin (Alzaia Naviglio Grande, 14; 39-02-5810-1351; brellin.it) for a glass of vino in the garden, or to the cozy beer pub Al Coccio (Alzaia Naviglio Pavese, 2; no phone) for a Baladin beer. After that, it’s your call.
Saturday
10 a.m.
4) NEW KID ON THE PIAZZA
After years of restoration, the resplendent white marble facade of Milan’s soaring Gothic cathedral, the Duomo, gleams anew. But lately, all eyes have been on its neighbor on the piazza, the Museo del Novecento (Piazza Duomo; 39-02-8844-4061; museodelnovecento.org), which opened in December in the renovated Palazzo dell’Arengario. A strikingly modern interior features a spiral ramp that whisks visitors up to the galleries, where an extensive collection of 20th-century Italian art includes works by Umberto Boccioni, Carlo Carrà and many others. The museum’s showpiece, however, is the view from the top floor, where floor-to-ceiling windows frame a stunning panorama of the Piazza Duomo.
12:30 p.m.
5) A SICILIAN LUNCH HIT
The views are also superb from the museum’s buzzy new third-floor restaurant, Giacomo Arengario (Via Marconi, 1; 39-02-7209-3814; giacomoarengario.com) — provided you can score a table on the terrace. If not, console yourself with a cannolo at nearby Antica Focacceria San Francesco (Via San Paolo, 15; 39-02-4507-1057; afsf.it), a family-friendly cafeteria-style spot that serves up Sicilian specialties like ragù-stuffed arancine, caper-dotted caponata and thick slices of sfincione. This location, which opened in 2009, was the first outpost of the 176-year-old original in Palermo, an establishment famous for its refusal to pay pizzo (Mafia protection money).
2 p.m.
6) HIGH STREET ART
You may not be in the mood to try on couture after lunch, but there’s still reason to visit Via Montenapoleone, the main avenue of Milan’s haute fashion district. Tomorrow’s trendsetters strut past the glittering windows of Gucci, Pucci and Prada, but for the best street style, look underfoot. In a project called “Sopra il Sotto,” five of the world’s top street artists, including Shepard Fairey and Space Invader, designed 20 eye-popping manhole covers that were recently installed along the fashionable street. The colorful mosaics and cartoons smiling up from below will remain until December 2011, so watch your step.
3:30 p.m.
7) NOUVEAU GELATO
Dinner is still hours away, so swing by Il Gelato Centogusti (Piazzale Lagosta; 39-02-6900-9770; centogusti.it) for a sweet treat to tide you over. This spacious gelateria has 100 flavors to choose from, including unconventional concoctions like cream of celery and black sesame. Feeling overwhelmed? Try the newest scoop in town, Officine del Gelato (Viale Montenero, 46; 39-02-5990-4118; officinedelgelato.com), a bright little shop, opened in June, serving gelati made with natural ingredients.
4:30 p.m.
8) ART AND DESIGN
Ikea this is not. At Spazio Rossana Orlandi (Via Matteo Bandello 14/16; 39-02-467-4471; rossanaorlandi.com), every nook of the sprawling compound — a retail store, showroom and gallery — is packed with fantastical pieces of designy art and arty design. The proprietor, Ms. Orlandi, a fervent supporter of emerging designers from around the world, has curated an eclectic mix of lively pieces. Fancy an electric-blue pig statue for the front lawn (1,200 euros)? Or an embroidered deer head (8,000 euros) to hang above the fireplace?
8 p.m.
9) RISOTTO ROULETTE
In the Lombardy region (of which Milan is the capital), rice has traditionally trumped pasta as the preferred primo, and risotto is the sumptuous specialty. For an authentic taste, take the M1 (red) metro to the Pasteur stop and head to Da Abele (Via Temperanza, 5; 39-02-261-3855), an unassuming trattoria northeast of the city center. Only three risotti are offered each night, but with the options changing daily, the dark wood tables of this locals’ favorite stay crowded. On a recent evening, the menu pitted a fragrant spinach, pear and Gorgonzola risotto against a creamy version with celeriac, bottarga and Montasio cheese (9 euros each).
10:30 p.m.
10) LIQUID ARTS
Since you’re already far outside the ring, make an evening of it and head to Birrificio Lambrate (Via Adelchi, 5; 39-02-7063-8678; birrificiolambrate.com), Milan’s first craft brewery. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you spot an inked and pierced crowd on a narrow side street using parked cars as ersatz coasters. If you can (politely) elbow your way to the bar, order a pint of Domm, a Bavarian-style weizen, or a pale, hoppy Montestella (5 euros each). Prefer not to struggle for your tipple? The scene at the nearby Gusto Arte Vino, or GAV (Via Accademia, 56; 39-02-2890-1370; gustoartevino.it), a chic wine bar with walls adorned with art, is decidedly more subdued.
Sunday
9 a.m.
11) BODY POLISH
Immerse yourself in emerald and gold at the serene subterranean spa in the Bulgari Hotel (Via Privata Fratelli Gabba 7b; 39-02-805-8051; bulgarihotels.com). Arrive early for a solitary dip in the shimmering pool and an undisturbed steam in the sultry hammam, before submitting to an aromatherapy massage (120 euros). You will emerge refreshed and as polished as one of the haute jeweler’s precious gems.
Noon
12) SPACEY SPACE
Head north to the city limits where a former factory has been transformed into HangarBicocca (Via Privata Chiese 2; 39-02-6611-1573; hangarbicocca.it), a cavernous space bursting with mesmerizing, large-scale art installations. It’s a bit of a trek, but one worth making. The main exhibition area is a dark, hauntingly lunar-like scene dominated by Anselm Kiefer’s monumental work “The Seven Heavenly Palaces.” Around Mr. Kiefer’s seven colossal, spotlighted towers, an ever-changing exhibition has sprouted with innovative works like a melting wax sculpture, inverted scaffolding, and an enormous image of an old woman made of photosensitive grass. When you’ve reached your daily quota for wide-eyed wonderment, rehash the experience over brunch (20 euros) at HB Bistrot, the on-site cafe.
IF YOU GO
Opened in 2010, Hotel Milano Scala (via dell’Orso, 7; 39-02-870-961; hotelmilanoscala.it) riffs on an opera theme, but the modern hotel’s eco-conscious efforts are no act. Doubles from 170 euros ($240).
Near the Duomo and next door to the food-and-wine emporium Peck, the art-filled Hotel Spadari al Duomo (Via Spadari, 11; 39-02-7200-2371; spadarihotel.com) may have the best location in town. Doubles from 230 euros.
For understated luxury, nothing tops the Bulgari Hotel Milan (Via Privata Fratelli Gabba 7b; 39-02-805-8051; bulgarihotels.com). On a private street beside a botanical garden, the hotel is a calm jewel set in a bustling city. Doubles from 520 euros.
By INGRID K. WILLIAMS
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: May 19, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/travel/36-hours-in-milan.html?hpw
APPEARANCES matter in Milan. For proof, just stroll past the sights: the majestic Gothic cathedral, the stately Teatro alla Scala opera house, the smartly dressed Milanese (yes, they’re an attraction, too). But the true charm of Italy’s most cosmopolitan city is its refusal to coast on these beautiful treasures. A few blocks from Leonardo da Vinci’s 15th-century masterpiece “The Last Supper,” an ambitious project is inching toward completion: CityLife, a new center-city neighborhood featuring a trio of dazzling, futuristic skyscrapers. And in advance of hosting the 2015 Expo, the city is already blossoming with new museums and restaurants. In Milan, Italy’s future is already on display.
Friday
4:30 p.m.
1) DESIGN SHRINE
Design is a religion in Milan, so start by paying your respects at the high altar that is the Triennale Design Museum (Viale Alemagna, 6; 39-02-724-341; triennale.org). The museum, on the edge of the leafy Parco Sempione, is the first dedicated solely to Italian design. Where else could you expect to find a supersize Campari bottle beside a Brobdingnagian replica of a rainbow-hued Ferragamo sandal? A special admission rate on Thursday and Friday evenings lets you embrace another of Milan’s sacred rites, the predinner aperitivo, at the new ground-floor DesignCafe.
8:30 p.m.
2) THE FIRST SUPPER
Zucca e Melone (Via Gian Giacomo Mora, 3; 39-02-8945-5850; ristorantezuccaemelone.it) is a delightful restaurant that opened last year with a fresh farmhouse feel and charmingly absurd décor (think lime green and violet walls with chairs painted bright orange, yellow and purple). And the menu is as creative as the color scheme. Traditional strudel is reimagined as a savory appetizer with caramelized onions and taleggio cream (12.50 euros, or $17.60 at $1.41 to the euro), while tortelli stuffed with pumpkin is topped with sage butter, pecorino and a cookie crumble (14.50 euros).
11 p.m.
3) A MAN, A PLAN, NAVIGLI
Take a postprandial passeggiata — it’s required — past Porta Ticinese to the glowing canals and waterside drinking dens of the Navigli neighborhood. Designed in part by Leonardo, the narrow canals were neglected for decades, but recent preservation efforts have spurred the area’s emergence as one of the city’s hottest night-life destinations. Seek out Spritz (Ripa di Porta Ticinese 9; 39-02-8339-0192; spritz-navigli.it) for the lounge’s namesake drink, an Italian classic. Then hop over to El Brellin (Alzaia Naviglio Grande, 14; 39-02-5810-1351; brellin.it) for a glass of vino in the garden, or to the cozy beer pub Al Coccio (Alzaia Naviglio Pavese, 2; no phone) for a Baladin beer. After that, it’s your call.
Saturday
10 a.m.
4) NEW KID ON THE PIAZZA
After years of restoration, the resplendent white marble facade of Milan’s soaring Gothic cathedral, the Duomo, gleams anew. But lately, all eyes have been on its neighbor on the piazza, the Museo del Novecento (Piazza Duomo; 39-02-8844-4061; museodelnovecento.org), which opened in December in the renovated Palazzo dell’Arengario. A strikingly modern interior features a spiral ramp that whisks visitors up to the galleries, where an extensive collection of 20th-century Italian art includes works by Umberto Boccioni, Carlo Carrà and many others. The museum’s showpiece, however, is the view from the top floor, where floor-to-ceiling windows frame a stunning panorama of the Piazza Duomo.
12:30 p.m.
5) A SICILIAN LUNCH HIT
The views are also superb from the museum’s buzzy new third-floor restaurant, Giacomo Arengario (Via Marconi, 1; 39-02-7209-3814; giacomoarengario.com) — provided you can score a table on the terrace. If not, console yourself with a cannolo at nearby Antica Focacceria San Francesco (Via San Paolo, 15; 39-02-4507-1057; afsf.it), a family-friendly cafeteria-style spot that serves up Sicilian specialties like ragù-stuffed arancine, caper-dotted caponata and thick slices of sfincione. This location, which opened in 2009, was the first outpost of the 176-year-old original in Palermo, an establishment famous for its refusal to pay pizzo (Mafia protection money).
2 p.m.
6) HIGH STREET ART
You may not be in the mood to try on couture after lunch, but there’s still reason to visit Via Montenapoleone, the main avenue of Milan’s haute fashion district. Tomorrow’s trendsetters strut past the glittering windows of Gucci, Pucci and Prada, but for the best street style, look underfoot. In a project called “Sopra il Sotto,” five of the world’s top street artists, including Shepard Fairey and Space Invader, designed 20 eye-popping manhole covers that were recently installed along the fashionable street. The colorful mosaics and cartoons smiling up from below will remain until December 2011, so watch your step.
3:30 p.m.
7) NOUVEAU GELATO
Dinner is still hours away, so swing by Il Gelato Centogusti (Piazzale Lagosta; 39-02-6900-9770; centogusti.it) for a sweet treat to tide you over. This spacious gelateria has 100 flavors to choose from, including unconventional concoctions like cream of celery and black sesame. Feeling overwhelmed? Try the newest scoop in town, Officine del Gelato (Viale Montenero, 46; 39-02-5990-4118; officinedelgelato.com), a bright little shop, opened in June, serving gelati made with natural ingredients.
4:30 p.m.
8) ART AND DESIGN
Ikea this is not. At Spazio Rossana Orlandi (Via Matteo Bandello 14/16; 39-02-467-4471; rossanaorlandi.com), every nook of the sprawling compound — a retail store, showroom and gallery — is packed with fantastical pieces of designy art and arty design. The proprietor, Ms. Orlandi, a fervent supporter of emerging designers from around the world, has curated an eclectic mix of lively pieces. Fancy an electric-blue pig statue for the front lawn (1,200 euros)? Or an embroidered deer head (8,000 euros) to hang above the fireplace?
8 p.m.
9) RISOTTO ROULETTE
In the Lombardy region (of which Milan is the capital), rice has traditionally trumped pasta as the preferred primo, and risotto is the sumptuous specialty. For an authentic taste, take the M1 (red) metro to the Pasteur stop and head to Da Abele (Via Temperanza, 5; 39-02-261-3855), an unassuming trattoria northeast of the city center. Only three risotti are offered each night, but with the options changing daily, the dark wood tables of this locals’ favorite stay crowded. On a recent evening, the menu pitted a fragrant spinach, pear and Gorgonzola risotto against a creamy version with celeriac, bottarga and Montasio cheese (9 euros each).
10:30 p.m.
10) LIQUID ARTS
Since you’re already far outside the ring, make an evening of it and head to Birrificio Lambrate (Via Adelchi, 5; 39-02-7063-8678; birrificiolambrate.com), Milan’s first craft brewery. You’ll know you’ve arrived when you spot an inked and pierced crowd on a narrow side street using parked cars as ersatz coasters. If you can (politely) elbow your way to the bar, order a pint of Domm, a Bavarian-style weizen, or a pale, hoppy Montestella (5 euros each). Prefer not to struggle for your tipple? The scene at the nearby Gusto Arte Vino, or GAV (Via Accademia, 56; 39-02-2890-1370; gustoartevino.it), a chic wine bar with walls adorned with art, is decidedly more subdued.
Sunday
9 a.m.
11) BODY POLISH
Immerse yourself in emerald and gold at the serene subterranean spa in the Bulgari Hotel (Via Privata Fratelli Gabba 7b; 39-02-805-8051; bulgarihotels.com). Arrive early for a solitary dip in the shimmering pool and an undisturbed steam in the sultry hammam, before submitting to an aromatherapy massage (120 euros). You will emerge refreshed and as polished as one of the haute jeweler’s precious gems.
Noon
12) SPACEY SPACE
Head north to the city limits where a former factory has been transformed into HangarBicocca (Via Privata Chiese 2; 39-02-6611-1573; hangarbicocca.it), a cavernous space bursting with mesmerizing, large-scale art installations. It’s a bit of a trek, but one worth making. The main exhibition area is a dark, hauntingly lunar-like scene dominated by Anselm Kiefer’s monumental work “The Seven Heavenly Palaces.” Around Mr. Kiefer’s seven colossal, spotlighted towers, an ever-changing exhibition has sprouted with innovative works like a melting wax sculpture, inverted scaffolding, and an enormous image of an old woman made of photosensitive grass. When you’ve reached your daily quota for wide-eyed wonderment, rehash the experience over brunch (20 euros) at HB Bistrot, the on-site cafe.
IF YOU GO
Opened in 2010, Hotel Milano Scala (via dell’Orso, 7; 39-02-870-961; hotelmilanoscala.it) riffs on an opera theme, but the modern hotel’s eco-conscious efforts are no act. Doubles from 170 euros ($240).
Near the Duomo and next door to the food-and-wine emporium Peck, the art-filled Hotel Spadari al Duomo (Via Spadari, 11; 39-02-7200-2371; spadarihotel.com) may have the best location in town. Doubles from 230 euros.
For understated luxury, nothing tops the Bulgari Hotel Milan (Via Privata Fratelli Gabba 7b; 39-02-805-8051; bulgarihotels.com). On a private street beside a botanical garden, the hotel is a calm jewel set in a bustling city. Doubles from 520 euros.
Not Going to the Chapel
Not Going to the Chapel
By RICH BENJAMIN
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: May 21, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/opinion/22benjamin.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha212
I PICKED up my jangling cellphone one recent Saturday to hear the elated voice of Zachary, my longtime buddy and college classmate. “I just proposed to Caroline,” Zach announced, inviting me to the wedding and angling to plot logistics. “So when are you flying in?”
“Oh, I’m not coming to your wedding,” I said.
It’s true. I’m boycotting all heterosexual weddings.
How utterly absurd to celebrate an institution that I am banned from in most of the country. It puzzles me, truth be told, that wedding invitations deluge me. Does a vegan frequent summer pig roasts? Do devout evangelicals crash couple-swapping parties? Do undocumented immigrants march in Minuteman rallies?
Heterosexual ladies and gentlemen, please. Don’t mail me that wedding invitation. It’s going straight to the bin.
I’m not a gay-rights activist. Given the choice between a round of golf and a “discrimination teach-in,” I’ll take the golf. Back in college, when I was asked to take part in a protest, I declined because it conflicted with Uncle Duke Day, an annual keg and marijuana bash.
But now I’m a conscientious objector to all heterosexual weddings. It’s less activism than common sense. Why should I financially subsidize and emotionally invest in a ritual that excludes me in all but five states (and the District of Columbia)?
A poll last month showed Americans are split on same-sex marriage. A narrow majority, 51 percent, supports it, while 47 percent do not. Though Zach falls into that slim majority, he scolds me for being “peevish.” He says he resents me for blowing off his special day, for putting political beliefs ahead of our friendship and for punishing him for others’ deeds. But screaming zealots aren’t the only obstacles to equal marriage rights; the passivity of good people like Zach who tacitly fortify the inequality of this institution are also to blame.
They’re proof of a double standard: Even well-meaning heterosexuals often describe their own nuptials in deeply personal terms, above and beyond politics, but tend to dismiss same-sex marriage as a political cause, and gay people’s desire to marry as political maneuvering.
What many straight people consistently forget is that same-sex couples aren’t demanding marriage to make a political statement or to accrue “special rights.” When I ask my gay friends why they wish to marry, they don’t mention tax benefits. They seek marriage for the same personal reasons that straight people do: to share life’s triumphs and trials with their beloved, to start a family, to have the ability to protect that family, and to celebrate their loving commitment with a wedding.
I call on all gay people to join my boycott of straight weddings this summer, regardless of where their straight loved ones stand. Yes, our boycott may bruise some feelings. But then again, our inability to participate in this institution is hurtful and bruising, too.
In recent years, many straight people have admirably pledged not to get married until gay people have the right to do so nationwide. I can’t ask friends like Zach to cancel their weddings, but I expect them to at least understand why I won’t attend. Straight friends and family need to accept their wedding invitations as collateral damage to exclusionary marriage laws. They should feel the consequences of this discrimination as sharply as we do.
Rich Benjamin is the author of “Searching for Whitopia: An Improbable Journey to the Heart of White America.”
By RICH BENJAMIN
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: May 21, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/22/opinion/22benjamin.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha212
I PICKED up my jangling cellphone one recent Saturday to hear the elated voice of Zachary, my longtime buddy and college classmate. “I just proposed to Caroline,” Zach announced, inviting me to the wedding and angling to plot logistics. “So when are you flying in?”
“Oh, I’m not coming to your wedding,” I said.
It’s true. I’m boycotting all heterosexual weddings.
How utterly absurd to celebrate an institution that I am banned from in most of the country. It puzzles me, truth be told, that wedding invitations deluge me. Does a vegan frequent summer pig roasts? Do devout evangelicals crash couple-swapping parties? Do undocumented immigrants march in Minuteman rallies?
Heterosexual ladies and gentlemen, please. Don’t mail me that wedding invitation. It’s going straight to the bin.
I’m not a gay-rights activist. Given the choice between a round of golf and a “discrimination teach-in,” I’ll take the golf. Back in college, when I was asked to take part in a protest, I declined because it conflicted with Uncle Duke Day, an annual keg and marijuana bash.
But now I’m a conscientious objector to all heterosexual weddings. It’s less activism than common sense. Why should I financially subsidize and emotionally invest in a ritual that excludes me in all but five states (and the District of Columbia)?
A poll last month showed Americans are split on same-sex marriage. A narrow majority, 51 percent, supports it, while 47 percent do not. Though Zach falls into that slim majority, he scolds me for being “peevish.” He says he resents me for blowing off his special day, for putting political beliefs ahead of our friendship and for punishing him for others’ deeds. But screaming zealots aren’t the only obstacles to equal marriage rights; the passivity of good people like Zach who tacitly fortify the inequality of this institution are also to blame.
They’re proof of a double standard: Even well-meaning heterosexuals often describe their own nuptials in deeply personal terms, above and beyond politics, but tend to dismiss same-sex marriage as a political cause, and gay people’s desire to marry as political maneuvering.
What many straight people consistently forget is that same-sex couples aren’t demanding marriage to make a political statement or to accrue “special rights.” When I ask my gay friends why they wish to marry, they don’t mention tax benefits. They seek marriage for the same personal reasons that straight people do: to share life’s triumphs and trials with their beloved, to start a family, to have the ability to protect that family, and to celebrate their loving commitment with a wedding.
I call on all gay people to join my boycott of straight weddings this summer, regardless of where their straight loved ones stand. Yes, our boycott may bruise some feelings. But then again, our inability to participate in this institution is hurtful and bruising, too.
In recent years, many straight people have admirably pledged not to get married until gay people have the right to do so nationwide. I can’t ask friends like Zach to cancel their weddings, but I expect them to at least understand why I won’t attend. Straight friends and family need to accept their wedding invitations as collateral damage to exclusionary marriage laws. They should feel the consequences of this discrimination as sharply as we do.
Rich Benjamin is the author of “Searching for Whitopia: An Improbable Journey to the Heart of White America.”
Sunday, May 15, 2011
The Flea Marketing of New York
The Flea Marketing of New York
By ASHLEY PARKER
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: May 13, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/nyregion/the-flea-marketing-of-new-york-city.html?_r=1&hpw
THEY came for freshly shucked oysters and straight-off-the-leg prosciutto. They came for clacking vintage typewriters and old LPs repurposed as dog tags and bracelets. And they came, to the Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene last Saturday, searching for meaning and connection in their rudderless lives.
“Flea markets proliferate a volume of goods needing to be sold and people who are hungry — emotionally and aesthetically — to sort out the meaning of life,” said Michael Prokopow, a history professor at the Ontario College of Art and Design University in Toronto, who teaches a course called “Stuff,” about things and their meaning. “For most people who go on these ritualized scavenger hunts looking for something that they may not know exists, it is a kind of pilgrims’ process through the detritus of the past.”
O.K. So, maybe the situation is not quite that deep. But in recent years, with nearly half a dozen major flea markets springing up across the city, the flea marketing of New York is all but complete.
There is the Brooklyn Flea — actually two flea markets, one in Fort Greene every Saturday and, new this year, another in Williamsburg every Sunday. There is the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market every weekend, with its gourmet food truck bazaar every second Sunday of the month. There is the Antiques Garage and the West 25th Street Market in Chelsea.
There is the Hester Street Fair in the shadow of Seward Park on the Lower East Side, now in its second year, and the Green Flea all the way up and across town on Columbus Avenue. Dekalb Market, which is set to open this summer in Brooklyn, will feature shipping container storefronts, with vendors selling their wares in what look like urban, Jurassic-size building blocks. And on Saturday BK Festival flea market in Coney Island was to kick off its inaugural season.
The Coney Island flea, according to its owners, Tom Brady and Tom Walker, will distinguish itself with a state fair atmosphere — carnival and pony rides, concerts, car shows, food. But there will be absolutely no hot dogs, out of respect for Nathan’s, the men said in a phone interview, referring to the longtime Coney Island hot-dog seller.
In a city that thrums with opportunity and a veritable buffet of wonderful things to do — theaters! museums! parks! — flea markets have somehow emerged as many people’s first choice of a way to spend the weekend. On Brooklyn Flea’s opening weekend, about 25,000 people filed through the Fort Greene and Williamsburg markets, according to the organizers, and SuChin Pak, a founder of the current Hester Street Fair, estimated that 11,000 people came to her market’s opening day this year.
Originally named after the marchés aux puces — the markets of fleas — on the outskirts of Paris in the late 19th century, flea markets in New York have always been the playground of the city’s creative class. Andy Warhol, among other writers and artists, was known to haunt the Chelsea market. But now the markets have become true scenes, places to see, shop and be seen, all while washing down a $15 lobster roll with some home-brewed hibiscus soda.
The trend has gotten so over the top that, in a video shown in city taxis, the “NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams simultaneously mocked and recommended flea markets to tourists, saying, “Go to one of those Marrakesh-like outdoor artisanal markets.”
“Brooklyn’s a festival this time of year,” Mr. Williams said. “They’re openly making handmade grilled cheese sandwiches, all kinds of leather goods, tin, silver. It’s like a walk back in time!”
WHAT, exactly, is behind the new flea market hegemony? While the foundering economy, the banality of strip-mall and big-box shopping, and the generally whimsical and serendipitous aura of flea markets have all played a role in their popularity, the real reasons behind their rise in New York City are more complicated and hardwired than even the most well-trained scavenger or vintage aficionado might expect, experts say.
Eric Demby, one of the founders of the Brooklyn Flea: “It’s kind of old-fashioned, and it’s about people interacting in the real world, which I think people crave more and more. The more online we go, the more offline interaction becomes a kind of romantic thing.”
Paul Moore, a professor of communication at Ryerson University in Toronto, who studies the history of the mass market: “Personal taste needs an urban space for fashion, like a flea market with an element of playfulness and randomness and spontaneity. We’ve got a nostalgia for outmoded, outdated and anachronistic items, especially when they’ve all been replaced by technologies.”
Old phones, old typewriters, old record players and old cameras, Professor Moore said, are popular among fleagoers. “There’s kind of an amusement value in owning something that has no use anymore,” he said.
And according to Professor Prokopow, the “Stuff” instructor, “It’s this sort of idea of material self-fashioning, a self-curation of life.”
(Another interesting question: Why do so many flea-market experts seem to hail from Canada?)
More than for any goods or services, people often go to flea markets searching for some ineffable quality in an item they recognize only when they see it, like the mid-century modern candy dish their grandmother always set out, or a Rainbow Brite plastic lunchbox that transports them back to a simpler time. And in the process of picking over other people’s junk, they are telling the world something about themselves: “I’m the type of person who ironically buys vintage ‘Star Wars’ figurines,” they seem to say, or “I’m the type of person who appreciates a handcrafted farmers’ table, and homemade lamps made from Mason jars.”
(In the course of reporting, this reporter was the type of person who bought a vintage, vaguely cowgirlesque, blue button-down shirt; a bottle of homemade ginger syrup; a shimmery silver Whiting & Davis purse that broke less than a week later when the reporter was running for a taxi; and upward of $30 in snacks.)
It also didn’t hurt that the inception of some of the newer, trendier flea markets coincided with the rise of the locavore, do-it-yourself and epicurean movements in the city.
Food occupies a significant space at many of the markets, with vendors selling items like Korean tacos, artisanal popsicles, entire pizzas with fresh toppings and, yes, even oysters.
“I think I’m taking my chances, but that’s O.K.; life’s short,” said Jane Keilty, 58, standing at the Fort Greene flea below a large “Oyster girl” pinup poster that read, “Brooklyn Fish Camp.” Ms. Keilty, in town from Massachusetts to visit her daughter for Mother’s Day, ordered “one of each,” slurped the oysters out of their shells and turned to a woman waiting for her order.
“Those were great — so fresh,” she said. “It’s such a great day to be outside and eating oysters.”
Many of the flea markets have actively encouraged a food component as a way to attract new faces, and Mr. Demby and his partner are opening a food-only market on May 21 in their Williamsburg space, which will be called Smorgasburg.
The markets also provide an inexpensive and low-stakes testing ground for vendors to try out their wares and to perfect their recipes. Ms. Pak glided around the Hester Street Fair stands on opening day this month, pointing out vendors who had gotten their start there, like the family of empanada makers who have elevated their recipe to perfection. There was also the stand with creatively stuffed risotto balls that are now the ideal size and consistency.
Simon Tung, a founder of the Macaron Parlour, which features flavors like candied bacon with maple cream cheese and Thai chili, started at the fair’s inaugural weekend last year and already has a regular following. On opening day, an adorable 4 ½-year-old boy named Charles zipped up on a scooter, wearing a fake-leather jacket cuffed to reveal plaid sleeves.
“Why don’t you open up your hand, little guy,” Mr. Tung said, placing a blue Earl Grey macaron — Charles’s favorite — in his palm. “He’s the only kid under 12 who likes Earl Grey, but then again, he’s a sophisticated hipster kid,” Mr. Tung said later, with a laugh.
Charles’s mom, Sasha Safdiah, 34, said she, her husband and their two sons lived down the street and “have never missed a weekend when it’s open.” As her younger son accidentally tried to climb into the wrong stroller and her husband whisked him up in his arms, she added: “They have food and antiques and jewelry, so it’s a good mix. It’s not just old clothes.”
Which brings us to the “curated” concept. Mr. Demby and Ms. Pak stress the thought-out nature of their markets, where vendors are carefully chosen for their diverse array of goods and quality level — but some still have undercurrents of more traditional fleas, what are dismissively called the “tube socks and wrench set.” At the far end of the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market one day, a man was hawking “cuticle nail and mustache scissors,” and at the other end, a seller began yelling at a woman who had dismissed his estate sale clothes as junk.
“You looking for brand new junk?” he huffed. “Go to Bloomingdale’s. Go down to Chinatown. You can get new junk there.”
ON the whole, however, the new flea markets are a freewheeling space for self-expression. With a camera slung around his neck, Sung Min, 23, scanned the racks of vintage clothes at the Brooklyn Flea in Williamsburg on a sunny afternoon. In many ways, Mr. Min was the physical embodiment of the flea market aesthetic — he wore a typewriter key ring and a sleeveless old T-shirt, both flea purchases, as he talked about the “unique” and “cheaper” clothes he likes to buy there.
“Also, you can have special styles, like him,” Mr. Min said, gesturing to a man wearing green coveralls.
“I’m always amazed by these groups of cool young people, wandering around, looking for stuff, and I think, ‘If you didn’t have this venue, your performance of yourself wouldn’t be as complete,’ ” Professor Prokopow said. He described the phenomenon as “I have something that no one else has. I was different before I got this fantastic blank, but now my differentness is borne on my shoulders.”
But could flea market fatigue soon be upon us? “As long as there are things and people,” Professor Prokopow said, “there will always be places where used things and used people can go.”
By ASHLEY PARKER
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: May 13, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/nyregion/the-flea-marketing-of-new-york-city.html?_r=1&hpw
THEY came for freshly shucked oysters and straight-off-the-leg prosciutto. They came for clacking vintage typewriters and old LPs repurposed as dog tags and bracelets. And they came, to the Brooklyn Flea in Fort Greene last Saturday, searching for meaning and connection in their rudderless lives.
“Flea markets proliferate a volume of goods needing to be sold and people who are hungry — emotionally and aesthetically — to sort out the meaning of life,” said Michael Prokopow, a history professor at the Ontario College of Art and Design University in Toronto, who teaches a course called “Stuff,” about things and their meaning. “For most people who go on these ritualized scavenger hunts looking for something that they may not know exists, it is a kind of pilgrims’ process through the detritus of the past.”
O.K. So, maybe the situation is not quite that deep. But in recent years, with nearly half a dozen major flea markets springing up across the city, the flea marketing of New York is all but complete.
There is the Brooklyn Flea — actually two flea markets, one in Fort Greene every Saturday and, new this year, another in Williamsburg every Sunday. There is the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market every weekend, with its gourmet food truck bazaar every second Sunday of the month. There is the Antiques Garage and the West 25th Street Market in Chelsea.
There is the Hester Street Fair in the shadow of Seward Park on the Lower East Side, now in its second year, and the Green Flea all the way up and across town on Columbus Avenue. Dekalb Market, which is set to open this summer in Brooklyn, will feature shipping container storefronts, with vendors selling their wares in what look like urban, Jurassic-size building blocks. And on Saturday BK Festival flea market in Coney Island was to kick off its inaugural season.
The Coney Island flea, according to its owners, Tom Brady and Tom Walker, will distinguish itself with a state fair atmosphere — carnival and pony rides, concerts, car shows, food. But there will be absolutely no hot dogs, out of respect for Nathan’s, the men said in a phone interview, referring to the longtime Coney Island hot-dog seller.
In a city that thrums with opportunity and a veritable buffet of wonderful things to do — theaters! museums! parks! — flea markets have somehow emerged as many people’s first choice of a way to spend the weekend. On Brooklyn Flea’s opening weekend, about 25,000 people filed through the Fort Greene and Williamsburg markets, according to the organizers, and SuChin Pak, a founder of the current Hester Street Fair, estimated that 11,000 people came to her market’s opening day this year.
Originally named after the marchés aux puces — the markets of fleas — on the outskirts of Paris in the late 19th century, flea markets in New York have always been the playground of the city’s creative class. Andy Warhol, among other writers and artists, was known to haunt the Chelsea market. But now the markets have become true scenes, places to see, shop and be seen, all while washing down a $15 lobster roll with some home-brewed hibiscus soda.
The trend has gotten so over the top that, in a video shown in city taxis, the “NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams simultaneously mocked and recommended flea markets to tourists, saying, “Go to one of those Marrakesh-like outdoor artisanal markets.”
“Brooklyn’s a festival this time of year,” Mr. Williams said. “They’re openly making handmade grilled cheese sandwiches, all kinds of leather goods, tin, silver. It’s like a walk back in time!”
WHAT, exactly, is behind the new flea market hegemony? While the foundering economy, the banality of strip-mall and big-box shopping, and the generally whimsical and serendipitous aura of flea markets have all played a role in their popularity, the real reasons behind their rise in New York City are more complicated and hardwired than even the most well-trained scavenger or vintage aficionado might expect, experts say.
Eric Demby, one of the founders of the Brooklyn Flea: “It’s kind of old-fashioned, and it’s about people interacting in the real world, which I think people crave more and more. The more online we go, the more offline interaction becomes a kind of romantic thing.”
Paul Moore, a professor of communication at Ryerson University in Toronto, who studies the history of the mass market: “Personal taste needs an urban space for fashion, like a flea market with an element of playfulness and randomness and spontaneity. We’ve got a nostalgia for outmoded, outdated and anachronistic items, especially when they’ve all been replaced by technologies.”
Old phones, old typewriters, old record players and old cameras, Professor Moore said, are popular among fleagoers. “There’s kind of an amusement value in owning something that has no use anymore,” he said.
And according to Professor Prokopow, the “Stuff” instructor, “It’s this sort of idea of material self-fashioning, a self-curation of life.”
(Another interesting question: Why do so many flea-market experts seem to hail from Canada?)
More than for any goods or services, people often go to flea markets searching for some ineffable quality in an item they recognize only when they see it, like the mid-century modern candy dish their grandmother always set out, or a Rainbow Brite plastic lunchbox that transports them back to a simpler time. And in the process of picking over other people’s junk, they are telling the world something about themselves: “I’m the type of person who ironically buys vintage ‘Star Wars’ figurines,” they seem to say, or “I’m the type of person who appreciates a handcrafted farmers’ table, and homemade lamps made from Mason jars.”
(In the course of reporting, this reporter was the type of person who bought a vintage, vaguely cowgirlesque, blue button-down shirt; a bottle of homemade ginger syrup; a shimmery silver Whiting & Davis purse that broke less than a week later when the reporter was running for a taxi; and upward of $30 in snacks.)
It also didn’t hurt that the inception of some of the newer, trendier flea markets coincided with the rise of the locavore, do-it-yourself and epicurean movements in the city.
Food occupies a significant space at many of the markets, with vendors selling items like Korean tacos, artisanal popsicles, entire pizzas with fresh toppings and, yes, even oysters.
“I think I’m taking my chances, but that’s O.K.; life’s short,” said Jane Keilty, 58, standing at the Fort Greene flea below a large “Oyster girl” pinup poster that read, “Brooklyn Fish Camp.” Ms. Keilty, in town from Massachusetts to visit her daughter for Mother’s Day, ordered “one of each,” slurped the oysters out of their shells and turned to a woman waiting for her order.
“Those were great — so fresh,” she said. “It’s such a great day to be outside and eating oysters.”
Many of the flea markets have actively encouraged a food component as a way to attract new faces, and Mr. Demby and his partner are opening a food-only market on May 21 in their Williamsburg space, which will be called Smorgasburg.
The markets also provide an inexpensive and low-stakes testing ground for vendors to try out their wares and to perfect their recipes. Ms. Pak glided around the Hester Street Fair stands on opening day this month, pointing out vendors who had gotten their start there, like the family of empanada makers who have elevated their recipe to perfection. There was also the stand with creatively stuffed risotto balls that are now the ideal size and consistency.
Simon Tung, a founder of the Macaron Parlour, which features flavors like candied bacon with maple cream cheese and Thai chili, started at the fair’s inaugural weekend last year and already has a regular following. On opening day, an adorable 4 ½-year-old boy named Charles zipped up on a scooter, wearing a fake-leather jacket cuffed to reveal plaid sleeves.
“Why don’t you open up your hand, little guy,” Mr. Tung said, placing a blue Earl Grey macaron — Charles’s favorite — in his palm. “He’s the only kid under 12 who likes Earl Grey, but then again, he’s a sophisticated hipster kid,” Mr. Tung said later, with a laugh.
Charles’s mom, Sasha Safdiah, 34, said she, her husband and their two sons lived down the street and “have never missed a weekend when it’s open.” As her younger son accidentally tried to climb into the wrong stroller and her husband whisked him up in his arms, she added: “They have food and antiques and jewelry, so it’s a good mix. It’s not just old clothes.”
Which brings us to the “curated” concept. Mr. Demby and Ms. Pak stress the thought-out nature of their markets, where vendors are carefully chosen for their diverse array of goods and quality level — but some still have undercurrents of more traditional fleas, what are dismissively called the “tube socks and wrench set.” At the far end of the Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market one day, a man was hawking “cuticle nail and mustache scissors,” and at the other end, a seller began yelling at a woman who had dismissed his estate sale clothes as junk.
“You looking for brand new junk?” he huffed. “Go to Bloomingdale’s. Go down to Chinatown. You can get new junk there.”
ON the whole, however, the new flea markets are a freewheeling space for self-expression. With a camera slung around his neck, Sung Min, 23, scanned the racks of vintage clothes at the Brooklyn Flea in Williamsburg on a sunny afternoon. In many ways, Mr. Min was the physical embodiment of the flea market aesthetic — he wore a typewriter key ring and a sleeveless old T-shirt, both flea purchases, as he talked about the “unique” and “cheaper” clothes he likes to buy there.
“Also, you can have special styles, like him,” Mr. Min said, gesturing to a man wearing green coveralls.
“I’m always amazed by these groups of cool young people, wandering around, looking for stuff, and I think, ‘If you didn’t have this venue, your performance of yourself wouldn’t be as complete,’ ” Professor Prokopow said. He described the phenomenon as “I have something that no one else has. I was different before I got this fantastic blank, but now my differentness is borne on my shoulders.”
But could flea market fatigue soon be upon us? “As long as there are things and people,” Professor Prokopow said, “there will always be places where used things and used people can go.”
Friday, May 13, 2011
36 Hours in San Francisco
36 Hours in San Francisco
By JESSE McKINLEY
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: May 12, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/travel/36-hours-in-san-francisco.html?hpw
SAN FRANCISCO typically wows visitors with its heights or its sights. The hills sear themselves into memory after a few up-and-down-and-up-again cable car rides or punishing walks. Then there are the vistas: the sweeping views of the city, the postcard-ready Victorians below Alamo Square Park. But surrounding all of that is the waterfront: miles of Pacific Ocean coastline and the expansive natural harbor of San Francisco Bay. Once a working industrial area with pockets of outright blight, much of the city’s waterfront has been polished into another of its pleasures. Start exploring in the east, south of the Bay Bridge, and loop your way west to the Golden Gate and then south to Ocean Beach. In one weekend romp, you’ll join San Franciscans in many of the places they love best — and see what remains of their city’s maritime heart.
36 Hours in San Francisco
Friday
4 p.m.
1) A RIDE ALONG THE WATER
China Basin, south of the Bay Bridge, is home to an entirely new neighborhood since big changes began around 2000. The University of California, San Francisco, has developed its Mission Bay Campus, adding handsome new buildings and public art, including two soaring steel towers by Richard Serra, a San Francisco native. And the opening of AT&T Park, the baseball field that’s home to the San Francisco Giants, World Series champs, brought new energy and new monuments, including tributes to greats like Willie Mays and Willie McCovey. Rent a bike at the Bike Hut, a nonprofit outlet at Pier 40 (415-543-4335; thebikehut.org), and pedal the wide promenade along the water; there are also kayak rentals at City Kayak (800-725-0790; citykayak.com).
5:30 p.m.
2) EMBARCADERO IMBIBING
Once home to a raised freeway — demolished after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake — and long before that a busy wharf area, the Embarcadero is now one of San Francisco’s most inviting Friday-night spots. Two inviting places for a drink are Waterbar (399 Embarcadero; 415-284-9922; waterbarsf.com) and Epic Roasthouse (369 Embarcadero; 415-369-9955; epicroasthouse.com). Views of the Bay Bridge are unbeatable at either, but oysters at Waterbar ($1 before 6 p.m.) can really set the mood.
8 p.m.
3) BOAT TO A BISTRO
Forbes Island (off Pier 39; 415-951-4900; forbesisland.com) is not an island, but it is an experience. Created from a 700-ton houseboat, it’s a floating restaurant with an underwater dining room (with portholes), a 40-foot lighthouse and an outdoor bar within barking distance of sea lions. Its creator and owner, Forbes Thor Kiddoo, pilots the pontoon boat that brings patrons from a nearby pier. The seafood chowder ($10) is briny and delicious, as is an assortment of turf (including steak in a Cognac cream sauce, $29) and surf (organic salmon, $34). Don’t miss the 360-degree view from the top of the lighthouse; it may be the best — and the most unusual — vantage point in the city.
Saturday
9 a.m.
4) OUTDOOR WORKOUT
Yearning for a Saturday morning workout? Go for a run at Crissy Field, once a waterfront airfield and now San Francisco’s de facto outdoor gym, with joggers, walkers and cyclists cruising its paths. Activities run from the quirky (crabbing classes at the Civil War-era Fort Point, under the Golden Gate Bridge, 415-556-1693) to the caffeinated (outdoor coffee at the Beach Hut Cafe, 1199 East Beach; 415-561-7761). But the bounciest option is the House of Air (926 Mason Street; 415-345-9675; houseofairsf.com), a trampoline center in one of the repurposed buildings on the main Presidio post. Flanked by a kids’ swimming school and an indoor climbing center, the House of Air also features a dodge-ball court, a training center and an old-fashioned bouncy castle for tots.
Noon
5) CHOW TIME
Dining at the Presidio has come a long way since the days of reveille at dawn. Several restaurants now dot the northeastern corner, where much of the Presidio’s development has taken place since it was transferred to the National Park Service in the mid-1990s. One spot that retains the old military feel is the Presidio Social Club (563 Ruger Street; 415-885-1888; presidiosocialclub.com). As unpretentious as an Army grunt, the club offers old-time drinks (the rye-heavy Sazerac, $10, dates back to 1840) and a pleasantly affordable brunch (most items $10 to $15). A dessert of beignets with hot cocoa ($7) can fuel you up for your next offensive.
2 p.m.
6) UNION STREET STROLL
Detour to Union Street, long a shoppers’ favorite for its locally owned boutiques and home furnishings stores. The owner of Chloe Rose (1824 Union Street; 415-932-6089; chloeroseboutique.com), who lives upstairs, has a keen eye for silk dresses and gold jewelry. Nearby are Sprout San Francisco (1828 Union Street; 415-359-9205; sproutsanfrancisco.com), a children’s store with locally manufactured, and recycled, plastic toys, and more women’s wear at Ambiance (1864 and 1858 Union Street; 415-923-9797; ambiancesf.com) and Marmalade (2059 Union Street; 415-673-9544; marmaladesf.com). The San Francisco Surf Company (2181 Union Street; 415-440-7873; sfsurfcompany.com), run by a local wave rider, stocks surf wax candles and all sorts of aquatic accouterments.
4 p.m.
7) NATURE AND ART
Take a walk through the hills and woods on the Pacific coast side of the Presidio, where miles of hiking trails lead to scenic overlooks (www.presidio.gov/experiences/trails). The Presidio doesn’t need much help being beautiful, but that hasn’t stopped artists who have placed installations and sculptures on the grounds. One is Andy Goldsworthy, the British environmental sculptor, whose ephemeral pieces in the park include Spire — a soaring wooden spike — and Wood Line, a forest-floor S made of eucalyptus. There’s also an ongoing exhibit called Presidio Habitats, which features an eclectic collection of site-based outdoor art. A map is available at www.presidio.gov/experiences/habitats, as well as at the exhibition’s pavilion in the park.
8 p.m.
8) DINNER AT THE EDGE
The Cliff House (1090 Point Lobos; 415-386-3330; cliffhouse.com) has been a San Francisco institution since the Civil War. Still perched on the same overlook, facing the Seal Rocks and the crashing waves below, the Cliff House underwent a major renovation in 2004. The result was a vastly improved dining experience on two levels, each with commanding Pacific views. The Bistro upstairs serves entrees and cocktails under the watchful eyes of celebrity headshots (Judy Garland, for one, in an autographed glamour shot, sending her “best wishes”). Downstairs is the higher-end Sutro’s, where specialties include a two-crab sandwich ($29) or grilled scallops ($27). Try a Ramos fizz ($5), a gin cocktail — and purported hangover cure — made with egg whites, half-and-half and orange juice.
10:30 p.m.
9) BEACH BONFIRE
Few things say California more than beach bonfires, a proud tradition up and down the coast. In San Francisco, free spirits still flock to Ocean Beach, the wide sand expanse below the Cliff House where Burning Man, the now Nevada-based arts fest, was born. While the wind can be biting, the mood there is usually warm as groups congregate with guitars and good vibes. Take a blanket and a pullover and watch the stars, surf and sparks collide.
Sunday
9 a.m.
10) SUNRISE IN THE SUNSET
Long the province of sleepy, almost suburban San Franciscans, the Sunset district, in the city’s southwestern corner, has become home to boutiques, cafes and arts spaces. For used boards and other surfing paraphernalia, there’s Mollusk Surf Shop (4500 Irving street, 415-564-6300; mollusksurfshop.com); the General Store (4035 Judah Street, 415-682-0600; visitgeneralstore.com), which stocks everything from jeans to slingshots; and the Woodshop (3725 Noriega Street, woodshopsf.com), a collective of four artisans whose works range from customized chairs to hand-painted signs. The group, friendly and usually bearded, says their workspace is by appointment only, but most of the time, a knock on the door will do.
Noon
11) OTHER SIDE OF THE PARK
The western edge of Golden Gate Park, facing Ocean Beach, has a Rodney Dangerfield feel, less known and appreciated than the park’s cityside flanks. But its offerings are impressive, including a cheap and public nine-hole golf course, a bison enclave and serene fly-fishing ponds. A good place to convene for any park adventure is the Park Chalet (1000 Great Highway; 415-386-8439; parkchalet.com). Here, just off Ocean Beach, kids run free and parents enjoy a brunch buffet that advertises “bottomless champagne”($25).
IF YOU GO
The Embarcadero has a cluster of nice lodgings, just south of the Ferry Building, including the boutique-style Hotel Griffon (155 Steuart Street, 415-495-2100; hotelgriffon.com), from $209, and the sleeker Hotel Vitale (8 Mission Street; 415-278-3700; hotelvitale.com), from $279. And the Harbor Court (165 Steuart Street; 415-882-1300; harborcourthotel.com) blends style with a touch of luxury (and killer views of the bay); rates from $186.
The Marina District and Fisherman’s Wharf are also well stocked with basic hotels and motels, but the Union Street Inn (2229 Union Street, 415-346-0424, unionstreetinn.com) offers individualized rooms, from $199, and is nicely quiet in an area often teeming with tourists, and after-work and post-college revelers.
By JESSE McKINLEY
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: May 12, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/05/15/travel/36-hours-in-san-francisco.html?hpw
SAN FRANCISCO typically wows visitors with its heights or its sights. The hills sear themselves into memory after a few up-and-down-and-up-again cable car rides or punishing walks. Then there are the vistas: the sweeping views of the city, the postcard-ready Victorians below Alamo Square Park. But surrounding all of that is the waterfront: miles of Pacific Ocean coastline and the expansive natural harbor of San Francisco Bay. Once a working industrial area with pockets of outright blight, much of the city’s waterfront has been polished into another of its pleasures. Start exploring in the east, south of the Bay Bridge, and loop your way west to the Golden Gate and then south to Ocean Beach. In one weekend romp, you’ll join San Franciscans in many of the places they love best — and see what remains of their city’s maritime heart.
36 Hours in San Francisco
Friday
4 p.m.
1) A RIDE ALONG THE WATER
China Basin, south of the Bay Bridge, is home to an entirely new neighborhood since big changes began around 2000. The University of California, San Francisco, has developed its Mission Bay Campus, adding handsome new buildings and public art, including two soaring steel towers by Richard Serra, a San Francisco native. And the opening of AT&T Park, the baseball field that’s home to the San Francisco Giants, World Series champs, brought new energy and new monuments, including tributes to greats like Willie Mays and Willie McCovey. Rent a bike at the Bike Hut, a nonprofit outlet at Pier 40 (415-543-4335; thebikehut.org), and pedal the wide promenade along the water; there are also kayak rentals at City Kayak (800-725-0790; citykayak.com).
5:30 p.m.
2) EMBARCADERO IMBIBING
Once home to a raised freeway — demolished after the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake — and long before that a busy wharf area, the Embarcadero is now one of San Francisco’s most inviting Friday-night spots. Two inviting places for a drink are Waterbar (399 Embarcadero; 415-284-9922; waterbarsf.com) and Epic Roasthouse (369 Embarcadero; 415-369-9955; epicroasthouse.com). Views of the Bay Bridge are unbeatable at either, but oysters at Waterbar ($1 before 6 p.m.) can really set the mood.
8 p.m.
3) BOAT TO A BISTRO
Forbes Island (off Pier 39; 415-951-4900; forbesisland.com) is not an island, but it is an experience. Created from a 700-ton houseboat, it’s a floating restaurant with an underwater dining room (with portholes), a 40-foot lighthouse and an outdoor bar within barking distance of sea lions. Its creator and owner, Forbes Thor Kiddoo, pilots the pontoon boat that brings patrons from a nearby pier. The seafood chowder ($10) is briny and delicious, as is an assortment of turf (including steak in a Cognac cream sauce, $29) and surf (organic salmon, $34). Don’t miss the 360-degree view from the top of the lighthouse; it may be the best — and the most unusual — vantage point in the city.
Saturday
9 a.m.
4) OUTDOOR WORKOUT
Yearning for a Saturday morning workout? Go for a run at Crissy Field, once a waterfront airfield and now San Francisco’s de facto outdoor gym, with joggers, walkers and cyclists cruising its paths. Activities run from the quirky (crabbing classes at the Civil War-era Fort Point, under the Golden Gate Bridge, 415-556-1693) to the caffeinated (outdoor coffee at the Beach Hut Cafe, 1199 East Beach; 415-561-7761). But the bounciest option is the House of Air (926 Mason Street; 415-345-9675; houseofairsf.com), a trampoline center in one of the repurposed buildings on the main Presidio post. Flanked by a kids’ swimming school and an indoor climbing center, the House of Air also features a dodge-ball court, a training center and an old-fashioned bouncy castle for tots.
Noon
5) CHOW TIME
Dining at the Presidio has come a long way since the days of reveille at dawn. Several restaurants now dot the northeastern corner, where much of the Presidio’s development has taken place since it was transferred to the National Park Service in the mid-1990s. One spot that retains the old military feel is the Presidio Social Club (563 Ruger Street; 415-885-1888; presidiosocialclub.com). As unpretentious as an Army grunt, the club offers old-time drinks (the rye-heavy Sazerac, $10, dates back to 1840) and a pleasantly affordable brunch (most items $10 to $15). A dessert of beignets with hot cocoa ($7) can fuel you up for your next offensive.
2 p.m.
6) UNION STREET STROLL
Detour to Union Street, long a shoppers’ favorite for its locally owned boutiques and home furnishings stores. The owner of Chloe Rose (1824 Union Street; 415-932-6089; chloeroseboutique.com), who lives upstairs, has a keen eye for silk dresses and gold jewelry. Nearby are Sprout San Francisco (1828 Union Street; 415-359-9205; sproutsanfrancisco.com), a children’s store with locally manufactured, and recycled, plastic toys, and more women’s wear at Ambiance (1864 and 1858 Union Street; 415-923-9797; ambiancesf.com) and Marmalade (2059 Union Street; 415-673-9544; marmaladesf.com). The San Francisco Surf Company (2181 Union Street; 415-440-7873; sfsurfcompany.com), run by a local wave rider, stocks surf wax candles and all sorts of aquatic accouterments.
4 p.m.
7) NATURE AND ART
Take a walk through the hills and woods on the Pacific coast side of the Presidio, where miles of hiking trails lead to scenic overlooks (www.presidio.gov/experiences/trails). The Presidio doesn’t need much help being beautiful, but that hasn’t stopped artists who have placed installations and sculptures on the grounds. One is Andy Goldsworthy, the British environmental sculptor, whose ephemeral pieces in the park include Spire — a soaring wooden spike — and Wood Line, a forest-floor S made of eucalyptus. There’s also an ongoing exhibit called Presidio Habitats, which features an eclectic collection of site-based outdoor art. A map is available at www.presidio.gov/experiences/habitats, as well as at the exhibition’s pavilion in the park.
8 p.m.
8) DINNER AT THE EDGE
The Cliff House (1090 Point Lobos; 415-386-3330; cliffhouse.com) has been a San Francisco institution since the Civil War. Still perched on the same overlook, facing the Seal Rocks and the crashing waves below, the Cliff House underwent a major renovation in 2004. The result was a vastly improved dining experience on two levels, each with commanding Pacific views. The Bistro upstairs serves entrees and cocktails under the watchful eyes of celebrity headshots (Judy Garland, for one, in an autographed glamour shot, sending her “best wishes”). Downstairs is the higher-end Sutro’s, where specialties include a two-crab sandwich ($29) or grilled scallops ($27). Try a Ramos fizz ($5), a gin cocktail — and purported hangover cure — made with egg whites, half-and-half and orange juice.
10:30 p.m.
9) BEACH BONFIRE
Few things say California more than beach bonfires, a proud tradition up and down the coast. In San Francisco, free spirits still flock to Ocean Beach, the wide sand expanse below the Cliff House where Burning Man, the now Nevada-based arts fest, was born. While the wind can be biting, the mood there is usually warm as groups congregate with guitars and good vibes. Take a blanket and a pullover and watch the stars, surf and sparks collide.
Sunday
9 a.m.
10) SUNRISE IN THE SUNSET
Long the province of sleepy, almost suburban San Franciscans, the Sunset district, in the city’s southwestern corner, has become home to boutiques, cafes and arts spaces. For used boards and other surfing paraphernalia, there’s Mollusk Surf Shop (4500 Irving street, 415-564-6300; mollusksurfshop.com); the General Store (4035 Judah Street, 415-682-0600; visitgeneralstore.com), which stocks everything from jeans to slingshots; and the Woodshop (3725 Noriega Street, woodshopsf.com), a collective of four artisans whose works range from customized chairs to hand-painted signs. The group, friendly and usually bearded, says their workspace is by appointment only, but most of the time, a knock on the door will do.
Noon
11) OTHER SIDE OF THE PARK
The western edge of Golden Gate Park, facing Ocean Beach, has a Rodney Dangerfield feel, less known and appreciated than the park’s cityside flanks. But its offerings are impressive, including a cheap and public nine-hole golf course, a bison enclave and serene fly-fishing ponds. A good place to convene for any park adventure is the Park Chalet (1000 Great Highway; 415-386-8439; parkchalet.com). Here, just off Ocean Beach, kids run free and parents enjoy a brunch buffet that advertises “bottomless champagne”($25).
IF YOU GO
The Embarcadero has a cluster of nice lodgings, just south of the Ferry Building, including the boutique-style Hotel Griffon (155 Steuart Street, 415-495-2100; hotelgriffon.com), from $209, and the sleeker Hotel Vitale (8 Mission Street; 415-278-3700; hotelvitale.com), from $279. And the Harbor Court (165 Steuart Street; 415-882-1300; harborcourthotel.com) blends style with a touch of luxury (and killer views of the bay); rates from $186.
The Marina District and Fisherman’s Wharf are also well stocked with basic hotels and motels, but the Union Street Inn (2229 Union Street, 415-346-0424, unionstreetinn.com) offers individualized rooms, from $199, and is nicely quiet in an area often teeming with tourists, and after-work and post-college revelers.
Friday, April 29, 2011
36 Hours in Singapore
36 Hours in Singapore
By ONDINE COHANE
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: April 28, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/travel/01hours-singapore.html?hpw
JUDGING from the number of cranes that dot the city’s skyline, Singapore is booming. In the last few years, casinos and hotels have sprung up; museums and galleries in former colonial landmarks have flung open their doors; and international designers have staked out prime real estate alongside up-and-comers just starting to make their fashion mark. Throughout the city, street vendors and sleek restaurants — new and well-established — serve up the city’s renowned mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian ethnic cuisines. And, best of all, sexy lounges and rooftop bars are helping the city-state shake off its formerly staid image.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) BIRD’S-EYE VIEW
There are few better symbols of Singapore’s recent success — or excess, depending on your perspective — than the year-old Marina Bay Sands (10 Bayfront Avenue; 65-6688-8868; marinabaysands.com), a gargantuan, three-towered complex with more than 2,500 rooms that looms over the city. Even if you aren’t staying at the hotel or hitting the casino, a ticket costing 20 Singapore dollars, or $16.50 at 1.22 Singapore dollars to the U.S. dollar, will provide access to the most impressive feature: SkyPark, an observation deck with 360-degree views. In one direction you’ll see the city’s expansive harbor; in the other, its sparkling skyline. Entry also includes a gander at what is billed as the world’s largest infinity pool, an architectural marvel that links the tops of the trio of towers.
5 p.m.
2) DUAL PURPOSED
The city’s new Museum of Contemporary Arts (27A Loewen Road; 65-6479-6622; mocaloewen.sg), known as MOCA, exemplifies Singapore’s ability to conserve existing colonial structures while creating cutting-edge interiors. In this case a former army barracks dating from the 1860s now showcases work from artists from all over Asia. Since opening in December the gallery has featured the Chinese provocateur Guo Jin and sculptors like Jiang Shuo and Wu Shaoxiang. This month the museum focuses on S. P. Hidayat, an up-and-coming Indonesian expressionist. In the fall a 2.5-acre sculpture garden will be unveiled.
8 p.m.
3) CULINARY ARTS
It’s not just for business deals that Singapore competes with Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The food scene is also notable. One of its most impressive arrivals, Restaurant André (41 Bukit Pasoh Road; 65-6534-8880; restaurantandre.com), opened late last year in the Chinatown neighborhood with an eight-course seasonal tasting menu that combines Asian and European ingredients — Hokkaido scallop ravioli is served with cured purple shallots, basil and shiso flowers, while wagyu beef from Omi is accompanied by vegetables from France, all paired with wine from small producers in Burgundy and Alsace. The downside is the price (the tasting menu is 288 Singapore dollars; and wine pairings, 200 dollars). For a more reasonable but still excellent meal, head to Wild Rocket (10A Upper Wilkie Road; 65-6339-9448; wildrocket.com.sg), a foodie favorite where a four-course tasting menu includes dishes like soft-shell crab with Granny Smith salad and baked red grouper with French beans and laksa broth, and costs 62 dollars.
11 p.m.
4) NIGHTTIME MAKEOVER
With night-life options now ranging from multiplex techno clubs to more intimate spots that feature D.J.’s and specialty cocktails, the city is shedding its uptight reputation. In the Emily Hill complex, for example, a former colonial estate has been transformed into a multi-use compound that is home to artists’ studios and a theater school as well as Wild Oats restaurant and bar (11 Upper Wilkie Road; 65-6336-5413), where Singapore’s beautiful crowd convenes for drinks after dinner on a sprawling terrace. In Chinatown, Ying Yang (28 Ann Siang Road; 65-6808-2188), a black-and-white rooftop bar at the new Club hotel on Ann Siang Road, has also become a city hot spot — try the litchi martini for 18 Singapore dollars.
Saturday
10 a.m.
5) TRAINING WHEELS
After a coffee or fresh watermelon juice at Kith Café (7 Rodyk Street, nos. 1-33; 65-6341-9407; kith.com.sg) on Robertson Quay — where neighborhood families and fashionable couples convene for breakfast — rent a vintage single- speed French city bike or a Raleigh six-speed from Vanguard next door (65-6835-7228) for 10 Singapore dollars per hour. Singapore is still very orderly in many ways, which comes in handy when trying to navigate city traffic by bike; neighborhoods like Clark Quay and the Colonial Center are especially easy to explore. Just remember to get off your bike when going through the tunnels — or you might get a hefty fine for breaking a city law.
Noon
6) STREET SMARTS
A long tradition of strong regional cuisine and strict hygiene laws makes for some of the world’s best — and safest — street food. Nowadays most of the hawkers are concentrated in covered food halls so that ingredients are kept cool, and preparation methods and cleanliness can be kept to a uniform standard. At the Maxwell Road Food Center near Chinatown, vendors sell everything from dumplings to onion pancakes to dessert: at Tian Tian (No. 11), try the chicken rice; at Hokee (No. 79), the soup dumplings, and at No. 848, fresh fruit and juice (one, a bitter gourd and honey mix, promises “to reduce heatiness (sic).” Prices are 1 to 8 Singapore dollars.
2 p.m.
7) STYLE MAVENS
Many of the city’s promising young designers and fashion curators have set up shop in former chophouses along Haji Lane near Arab Street, a counterbalance to the more ubiquitous shopping malls in town. Know It Nothing (51 Haji Lane; 65-6392-5475; knowitnothing.com) showcases mostly men’s clothes like checked shirts, well-cut khakis and hats (all chosen for the balmy climate), as well as a more limited just-launched women’s line. Salad Shop (25 Haji Lane; 65-6299-5805) has chic basics like stylish summer dresses, many for less than 125 Singapore dollars, and Pluck (31/33 Haji Lane; 65-6396-4048; pluck.com.sg) is an emporium for home-grown talent with a collection that ranges from home accessories to bags and jewelry (and includes an ice-cream parlor on site).
5 p.m.
8) PASS THE CRUMPETS
For a taste of the British colonial past, book a table for high tea at the Tiffin Room at Raffles (1 Beach Road; 65-6337-1886; raffles.com), a hotel from the 1800s that hosted literary types like Rudyard Kipling and Noel Coward. Tea sandwiches, crumpets and a harp player, not to mention the white glove service, are the vestiges of a more rarefied era; 55 Singapore dollars a person for adults, 27.50 for kids.
8 p.m.
9) TABLE WITH A VIEW
Orchard Street, the city’s main shopping district, received a multimillion-dollar revamp in 2009 when it became home to another retail giant, a mall called the Ion Orchard. Now the Australian chef Luke Mangan has opened Salt Grill on the 55th and 56th floors (65-659-25118; saltgrill.com), with jaw-dropping views over the city. The menu includes dishes like yellowtail kingfish sashimi, a salad of seasonal baby vegetables, slow poached hen’s egg, buffalo mozzarella and candied walnuts, and more substantial entrees like a strip loin from Rangers Valley in Australia for 52 Singapore dollars. The combination of the panorama and the food has made Salt Grill one of the city’s hardest reservations to snag.
Sunday
10 a.m.
10) GREEN SPACE
Join local residents on a Sunday morning stroll in the city’s impressive Botanic Gardens (www.sbg.org.sg; 5 Singapore dollars for access to the orchid area, otherwise admission is free), a 150-acre-plus green space with meandering pathways, pretty lakes and an excellent variety of local plants and trees. Don’t miss the Orchid Garden with more than 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids of the show-stopping blooms.
Noon
11) SWEET AND SAVORY
Forget brunch. Dim sum at the aptly named Dim Joy (80 Neil Road; 65-6220-6986; www.dimjoy.com/home.html) involves plates of delicate handmade dumplings based on seasonal ingredients from local markets like delicate char siew so (4 Singapore dollars) and chive and pork wor tip, as well as pan-fried radish cake (3.50 dollars), stewed pork belly and mui choy buns (8 dollars). Leave room for the sweet custard buns.
IF YOU GO
With spectacular views over the city and a secluded pool area, the newly renovated Ritz-Carlton Millenia (7 Raffles Avenue; 65-6-337-8888; ritzcarlton.com) is a luxury option that’s also child friendly. Doubles start at 380 Singapore dollars, or about $312.
A few boutique hotels have sprung up in the last couple of years, including the Club (28 Ann Siang Road; 65-6808-2188; theclub.com.sg; doubles from 225 Singapore dollars) in a historic 1800s building; the Scarlet (33 Erskine Road; 65-6511-3333; thescarlethotel.com) in Chinatown; small rooms from 320 dollars; and Wanderlust (2 Dickson Road; 65-6396-3322; wanderlusthotel.com), the latest arrival in a 1920s building in little India; opening rates from 180 dollars.
IF YOU GO
With spectacular views over the city and a secluded pool area, the newly renovated Ritz-Carlton Millenia (7 Raffles Avenue; 65-6-337-8888; ritzcarlton.com) is a luxury option that’s also child friendly. Doubles start at 380 Singapore dollars, or about $312.
A few boutique hotels have sprung up in the last couple of years, including the Club (28 Ann Siang Road; 65-6808-2188; theclub.com.sg; doubles from 225 Singapore dollars) in a historic 1800s building; the Scarlet (33 Erskine Road; 65-6511-3333; thescarlethotel.com) in Chinatown; small rooms from 320 dollars; and Wanderlust (2 Dickson Road; 65-6396-3322; wanderlusthotel.com), the latest arrival in a 1920s building in little India; opening rates from 180 dollars.
By ONDINE COHANE
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: April 28, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/05/01/travel/01hours-singapore.html?hpw
JUDGING from the number of cranes that dot the city’s skyline, Singapore is booming. In the last few years, casinos and hotels have sprung up; museums and galleries in former colonial landmarks have flung open their doors; and international designers have staked out prime real estate alongside up-and-comers just starting to make their fashion mark. Throughout the city, street vendors and sleek restaurants — new and well-established — serve up the city’s renowned mix of Malay, Chinese and Indian ethnic cuisines. And, best of all, sexy lounges and rooftop bars are helping the city-state shake off its formerly staid image.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) BIRD’S-EYE VIEW
There are few better symbols of Singapore’s recent success — or excess, depending on your perspective — than the year-old Marina Bay Sands (10 Bayfront Avenue; 65-6688-8868; marinabaysands.com), a gargantuan, three-towered complex with more than 2,500 rooms that looms over the city. Even if you aren’t staying at the hotel or hitting the casino, a ticket costing 20 Singapore dollars, or $16.50 at 1.22 Singapore dollars to the U.S. dollar, will provide access to the most impressive feature: SkyPark, an observation deck with 360-degree views. In one direction you’ll see the city’s expansive harbor; in the other, its sparkling skyline. Entry also includes a gander at what is billed as the world’s largest infinity pool, an architectural marvel that links the tops of the trio of towers.
5 p.m.
2) DUAL PURPOSED
The city’s new Museum of Contemporary Arts (27A Loewen Road; 65-6479-6622; mocaloewen.sg), known as MOCA, exemplifies Singapore’s ability to conserve existing colonial structures while creating cutting-edge interiors. In this case a former army barracks dating from the 1860s now showcases work from artists from all over Asia. Since opening in December the gallery has featured the Chinese provocateur Guo Jin and sculptors like Jiang Shuo and Wu Shaoxiang. This month the museum focuses on S. P. Hidayat, an up-and-coming Indonesian expressionist. In the fall a 2.5-acre sculpture garden will be unveiled.
8 p.m.
3) CULINARY ARTS
It’s not just for business deals that Singapore competes with Tokyo, Hong Kong and Shanghai. The food scene is also notable. One of its most impressive arrivals, Restaurant André (41 Bukit Pasoh Road; 65-6534-8880; restaurantandre.com), opened late last year in the Chinatown neighborhood with an eight-course seasonal tasting menu that combines Asian and European ingredients — Hokkaido scallop ravioli is served with cured purple shallots, basil and shiso flowers, while wagyu beef from Omi is accompanied by vegetables from France, all paired with wine from small producers in Burgundy and Alsace. The downside is the price (the tasting menu is 288 Singapore dollars; and wine pairings, 200 dollars). For a more reasonable but still excellent meal, head to Wild Rocket (10A Upper Wilkie Road; 65-6339-9448; wildrocket.com.sg), a foodie favorite where a four-course tasting menu includes dishes like soft-shell crab with Granny Smith salad and baked red grouper with French beans and laksa broth, and costs 62 dollars.
11 p.m.
4) NIGHTTIME MAKEOVER
With night-life options now ranging from multiplex techno clubs to more intimate spots that feature D.J.’s and specialty cocktails, the city is shedding its uptight reputation. In the Emily Hill complex, for example, a former colonial estate has been transformed into a multi-use compound that is home to artists’ studios and a theater school as well as Wild Oats restaurant and bar (11 Upper Wilkie Road; 65-6336-5413), where Singapore’s beautiful crowd convenes for drinks after dinner on a sprawling terrace. In Chinatown, Ying Yang (28 Ann Siang Road; 65-6808-2188), a black-and-white rooftop bar at the new Club hotel on Ann Siang Road, has also become a city hot spot — try the litchi martini for 18 Singapore dollars.
Saturday
10 a.m.
5) TRAINING WHEELS
After a coffee or fresh watermelon juice at Kith Café (7 Rodyk Street, nos. 1-33; 65-6341-9407; kith.com.sg) on Robertson Quay — where neighborhood families and fashionable couples convene for breakfast — rent a vintage single- speed French city bike or a Raleigh six-speed from Vanguard next door (65-6835-7228) for 10 Singapore dollars per hour. Singapore is still very orderly in many ways, which comes in handy when trying to navigate city traffic by bike; neighborhoods like Clark Quay and the Colonial Center are especially easy to explore. Just remember to get off your bike when going through the tunnels — or you might get a hefty fine for breaking a city law.
Noon
6) STREET SMARTS
A long tradition of strong regional cuisine and strict hygiene laws makes for some of the world’s best — and safest — street food. Nowadays most of the hawkers are concentrated in covered food halls so that ingredients are kept cool, and preparation methods and cleanliness can be kept to a uniform standard. At the Maxwell Road Food Center near Chinatown, vendors sell everything from dumplings to onion pancakes to dessert: at Tian Tian (No. 11), try the chicken rice; at Hokee (No. 79), the soup dumplings, and at No. 848, fresh fruit and juice (one, a bitter gourd and honey mix, promises “to reduce heatiness (sic).” Prices are 1 to 8 Singapore dollars.
2 p.m.
7) STYLE MAVENS
Many of the city’s promising young designers and fashion curators have set up shop in former chophouses along Haji Lane near Arab Street, a counterbalance to the more ubiquitous shopping malls in town. Know It Nothing (51 Haji Lane; 65-6392-5475; knowitnothing.com) showcases mostly men’s clothes like checked shirts, well-cut khakis and hats (all chosen for the balmy climate), as well as a more limited just-launched women’s line. Salad Shop (25 Haji Lane; 65-6299-5805) has chic basics like stylish summer dresses, many for less than 125 Singapore dollars, and Pluck (31/33 Haji Lane; 65-6396-4048; pluck.com.sg) is an emporium for home-grown talent with a collection that ranges from home accessories to bags and jewelry (and includes an ice-cream parlor on site).
5 p.m.
8) PASS THE CRUMPETS
For a taste of the British colonial past, book a table for high tea at the Tiffin Room at Raffles (1 Beach Road; 65-6337-1886; raffles.com), a hotel from the 1800s that hosted literary types like Rudyard Kipling and Noel Coward. Tea sandwiches, crumpets and a harp player, not to mention the white glove service, are the vestiges of a more rarefied era; 55 Singapore dollars a person for adults, 27.50 for kids.
8 p.m.
9) TABLE WITH A VIEW
Orchard Street, the city’s main shopping district, received a multimillion-dollar revamp in 2009 when it became home to another retail giant, a mall called the Ion Orchard. Now the Australian chef Luke Mangan has opened Salt Grill on the 55th and 56th floors (65-659-25118; saltgrill.com), with jaw-dropping views over the city. The menu includes dishes like yellowtail kingfish sashimi, a salad of seasonal baby vegetables, slow poached hen’s egg, buffalo mozzarella and candied walnuts, and more substantial entrees like a strip loin from Rangers Valley in Australia for 52 Singapore dollars. The combination of the panorama and the food has made Salt Grill one of the city’s hardest reservations to snag.
Sunday
10 a.m.
10) GREEN SPACE
Join local residents on a Sunday morning stroll in the city’s impressive Botanic Gardens (www.sbg.org.sg; 5 Singapore dollars for access to the orchid area, otherwise admission is free), a 150-acre-plus green space with meandering pathways, pretty lakes and an excellent variety of local plants and trees. Don’t miss the Orchid Garden with more than 1,000 species and 2,000 hybrids of the show-stopping blooms.
Noon
11) SWEET AND SAVORY
Forget brunch. Dim sum at the aptly named Dim Joy (80 Neil Road; 65-6220-6986; www.dimjoy.com/home.html) involves plates of delicate handmade dumplings based on seasonal ingredients from local markets like delicate char siew so (4 Singapore dollars) and chive and pork wor tip, as well as pan-fried radish cake (3.50 dollars), stewed pork belly and mui choy buns (8 dollars). Leave room for the sweet custard buns.
IF YOU GO
With spectacular views over the city and a secluded pool area, the newly renovated Ritz-Carlton Millenia (7 Raffles Avenue; 65-6-337-8888; ritzcarlton.com) is a luxury option that’s also child friendly. Doubles start at 380 Singapore dollars, or about $312.
A few boutique hotels have sprung up in the last couple of years, including the Club (28 Ann Siang Road; 65-6808-2188; theclub.com.sg; doubles from 225 Singapore dollars) in a historic 1800s building; the Scarlet (33 Erskine Road; 65-6511-3333; thescarlethotel.com) in Chinatown; small rooms from 320 dollars; and Wanderlust (2 Dickson Road; 65-6396-3322; wanderlusthotel.com), the latest arrival in a 1920s building in little India; opening rates from 180 dollars.
IF YOU GO
With spectacular views over the city and a secluded pool area, the newly renovated Ritz-Carlton Millenia (7 Raffles Avenue; 65-6-337-8888; ritzcarlton.com) is a luxury option that’s also child friendly. Doubles start at 380 Singapore dollars, or about $312.
A few boutique hotels have sprung up in the last couple of years, including the Club (28 Ann Siang Road; 65-6808-2188; theclub.com.sg; doubles from 225 Singapore dollars) in a historic 1800s building; the Scarlet (33 Erskine Road; 65-6511-3333; thescarlethotel.com) in Chinatown; small rooms from 320 dollars; and Wanderlust (2 Dickson Road; 65-6396-3322; wanderlusthotel.com), the latest arrival in a 1920s building in little India; opening rates from 180 dollars.
Friday, April 15, 2011
36 Hours in Amsterdam
36 Hours in Amsterdam
By GISELA WILLIAMS
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: April 14, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/travel/17hours-amsterdam.html?hpw
MOST visitors to Amsterdam rarely wander beyond the arched bridges, watery passageways and crooked canal houses of the enchanting city center. But equally fascinating is the development boom around the harbor and in the once gritty areas that lie between the historic center and the surrounding ring road (A10). These pockets of innovation — pioneered Brooklyn-style by young designers and entrepreneurs who cannot afford the rents on the Keizersgracht — are worth a detour. To explore them, just act like a local: hop on a bike and go.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) DESIGN FRENZY
For more than 25 years, fans of Dutch design have frequented the iconic shop Frozen Fountain for Piet Hein Eek tables and Hella Jongerius vases. But some affordable design shops have recently entered the scene. Store Without a Home (Cabotstraat 1; 31-65-474-3062; storewithoutahome.com) is the eccentric project of an interior designer, Janwillem Sanderse. It started as a communal exhibition space on the harbor but then developed into a roving store that is half gallery, half design shop. Until the end of the month you’ll find it in a corner storefront in De Baarsjes, a multicultural neighborhood southwest of the center, selling everything from outsider art to colorful crocheted stools to ceramic lamps in the shape of potatoes. At the two-year-old Restored (Haarlemmerdijk 39; 31-20-337-6473; restored.nl), you will find fashionable DIY design objects from the Netherlands’ most promising newcomers: quilted lanterns from Maartje van den Noort; sewn bird brooches from Naked Design (nakeddesign.nl) and Red Riding Hood-inspired porcelain cups handcrafted by rENs (madebyrens.nl).
7 p.m.
2) EAT YOUR VEGETABLES
Take a cozy storefront with an open kitchen in the up-and-coming Westerpark neighborhood, mix in food trends like farm-to-table and supper club dinners and you get Culinaire Werkplaats (Fannius Scholtenstraat 10; 31-65-464-6576; deculinairewerkplaats.nl). Part restaurant and part atelier, it was opened about two years ago by Marjolein Wintjes and Eric Meursing, a former designer and chef. Every few weeks they create a theme that inspires the cooking, like Light or Flowers, then serve a five-course meal that focuses on seasonal vegetables, fruits and grains. A recent meal included Jerusalem artichoke prepared three ways (roasted, whipped and fried), croquettes of black quinoa with ras al hanout and a “deconstructed” apple pie: apple soup with frozen Champagne cubes and a stick of sugared crust. Guests pay what they think is fair.
10 p.m.
3) BACK TO THE ROOTS
Nearby, the Westergasfabriek, a former factory complex full of artists’ studios and cultural venues, is home to Toko MC (Polonceaukade 5; 31-20-475-0425; tokomc.nl), a funky restaurant and music destination connected to the MC theater, both of which celebrate Amsterdam’s rich mix of ethnicities. Pull up a chair at the vibrantly designed bar (coconut wood floors, hand-painted walls and street market-inspired lanterns), order a cocktail made with hand-cranked cane sugar (7 euros, or about $9.80 at $1.40 to the euro) and get ready for late night dancing to a mix of live and D.J.’d world music.
Saturday
11 a.m.
4) EXPLORE THE NORTH
North Amsterdam has become an edgy cultural center à la Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in the late ’80s. It scored some major hipster points in 2007 when MTV moved its offices there; in the same warehouse complex is a skate park and a hive of artists’ studios. Architecture and film buffs are anticipating the completion of the spaceship building that will be the new Eye Film Institute. Right off the NDSM ferry stop is the cheerful IJ-Kantine (Mt. Ondinaweg 15-17; 31-20-633-7162; ijkantine.nl), a cantina where parents tank up on caffeine while their children tackle one another in the play corner of the soaring light-filled dining room. A five-minute walk away is the Noorderlicht (NDSM wharf, T.T. Neveritaweg 33; 31-20-492-2770); noorderlichtcafe.nl), a sort of transparent hanger, where a five-year-old cafe shelters an arty crowd who sit on mismatched chairs at driftwood tables. In summer, everyone sits outside, turning the industrial lots into partylike spaces.
1 p.m.
5) A BOOM ON OVERTOOM
The area close to where Overtoom street hits Nassaukade is quickly becoming a compelling alternative to P.C. Hooftstraat, Amsterdam’s designer-shop avenue. Over the last two or three years there’s been a boomlet of independent shops along its edges. One of the most inspiring is Friday Next (Overtoom 31; 31-20-612-3292; fridaynext.com), a sprawling concept store built around the owners’ interior design atelier. While you decide whether you can fit that wooden Muuto lamp into your luggage, grab a coffee at the store’s cafe, which features ingredients found next door at Marqt (Overtoom 21-25; 31-20-422-6311; marqt.com), an organic supermarket with products from small local producers.
3 p.m.
6) HIGH TEA
The Dutch, even the younger generation, still like to take time out on weekend afternoons to practice the art of high tea. The latest insider favorite is the spread (starting at 10.95 euros) at Gartine (Taksteeg 7; 31-20-320-4132; gartine.nl), a cozy cafe in the historic center. Another good option is the Amsterdam South branch of De Bakkerswinkel (Roelof Hartstraat 68; 31-20-662-3594; debakkerswinkel.nl), a chain of bakeries with a homey atmosphere. At this outpost, manicured locals curl up on chairs and savor scones served with clotted cream (1.40 euros).
5 p.m.
7) NEW DUTCH CERAMICS
For contemporary handmade ceramics, head to the source: two workshops of several talented designers, both in the lively, bohemian De Pijp neighborhood. There are Hilde Tempelman’s UFO and guitar-painted plates at Atelier Tempel (Eerste Jacob van Campenstraat 20; 31-20-470-0106; ateliertempel.nl/pottery; by appointment), while three artists work and sell their pieces at nearby Keramiek van Campen (Eerste Jacob van Campenstraat 38; 31-62-913-0883; keramiekvancampen.nl).
8 p.m.
8) IN THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT
Last summer, the ambitious chef Rogier van Dam and his sommelier girlfriend opened the very respectable Restaurant Lastage (Geldersekade 29; 31-20-737-0811; restaurantlastage.nl) in the midst of sex shops. Mr. van Dam attempts to surprise his guests not only with the location but also with his chef’s menu (36 euros for three courses), which offers an elegant twist to Dutch cuisine.
11 p.m.
9) STOP THE PRESSES
There’s still news coming from Trouw (Wibautstraat 127; 31-20-463-7788; trouwamsterdam.nl), a temporary restaurant and club in a former newspaper printing warehouse in East Amsterdam, but these days the news has more to do with cocktails, cuisine and art. The space is now a sleek backdrop for a young crowd who read their news on iPads. On summer evenings, the terrace is packed with late-night revelers.
Sunday
Noon
10) THE EXOTIC EAST
In the last two years the Indische Buurt district in East Amsterdam has drawn young designers, artists and families looking for affordable housing in an area that has been home to squatters and a mix of immigrant families. Last year the chefs Jaymz Pool, Faysel van Thiel and Frenk van Dinther opened Wilde Zwijnen (Javaplein 23; 31-20-463-3043; wildezwijnen.com). The name means wild boar and it hints at the kitchen’s preference for seasonal products. Lunch could include roast pig with clams (9 euros) and, for dessert, crème brûlée with Earl Grey and blueberry sorbet (7 euros). This is a good starting place for exploring the neighborhood’s main boulevard, Javastraat. Lined with shiny Mediterranean-style tiles, Turkish grocers and coffee shops, it resembles a street in Istanbul.
1 p.m.
11) TROPICAL MUSEUM
Even if you don’t have the slightest interest in Holland’s former colonies, which include Indonesia and Suriname, the Tropical Museum (Linnaeusstraat 2; 31-20-568-8200; tropenmuseum.nl) is worth a visit. The architecture alone — a towering and grand early 20th-century building that wraps around an entire city block — is impressive. And its gilded interiors, especially its library, hide many romantic nooks where you can read up on your next exotic adventure. Until May 8 a splashy exhibition called “Red” showcases about 300 objects that illustrate the importance of the color red in various cultures.
IF YOU GO
The big hotel news of the moment is that the five-star grand Hotel De L’Europe (Nieuwe Dolenstraat 2-14; 31-20-531-1777; leurope.nl; rates from 339 to 3,000 euros) will officially reopen in May after a much needed renovation. It includes a wing of suites inspired by the Dutch masters in the Rijksmuseum, a complete redo of the main 19th-century building and a new dining concept overseen by the chef Richard van Oostenbrugge.
If you want the comforts of home in the heart of Amsterdam’s famous shopping area, the Nine Streets, book one of the four elegant contemporary spaces at Miauw Suites (Hartenstraat 36; 31-20-893-2933; miauw.com; rates from 145 to 245 euros), which is owned by a couple with backgrounds in fashion design and filmmaking.
By GISELA WILLIAMS
Copyright by The New York Times
Published: April 14, 2011
http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/travel/17hours-amsterdam.html?hpw
MOST visitors to Amsterdam rarely wander beyond the arched bridges, watery passageways and crooked canal houses of the enchanting city center. But equally fascinating is the development boom around the harbor and in the once gritty areas that lie between the historic center and the surrounding ring road (A10). These pockets of innovation — pioneered Brooklyn-style by young designers and entrepreneurs who cannot afford the rents on the Keizersgracht — are worth a detour. To explore them, just act like a local: hop on a bike and go.
Friday
4 p.m.
1) DESIGN FRENZY
For more than 25 years, fans of Dutch design have frequented the iconic shop Frozen Fountain for Piet Hein Eek tables and Hella Jongerius vases. But some affordable design shops have recently entered the scene. Store Without a Home (Cabotstraat 1; 31-65-474-3062; storewithoutahome.com) is the eccentric project of an interior designer, Janwillem Sanderse. It started as a communal exhibition space on the harbor but then developed into a roving store that is half gallery, half design shop. Until the end of the month you’ll find it in a corner storefront in De Baarsjes, a multicultural neighborhood southwest of the center, selling everything from outsider art to colorful crocheted stools to ceramic lamps in the shape of potatoes. At the two-year-old Restored (Haarlemmerdijk 39; 31-20-337-6473; restored.nl), you will find fashionable DIY design objects from the Netherlands’ most promising newcomers: quilted lanterns from Maartje van den Noort; sewn bird brooches from Naked Design (nakeddesign.nl) and Red Riding Hood-inspired porcelain cups handcrafted by rENs (madebyrens.nl).
7 p.m.
2) EAT YOUR VEGETABLES
Take a cozy storefront with an open kitchen in the up-and-coming Westerpark neighborhood, mix in food trends like farm-to-table and supper club dinners and you get Culinaire Werkplaats (Fannius Scholtenstraat 10; 31-65-464-6576; deculinairewerkplaats.nl). Part restaurant and part atelier, it was opened about two years ago by Marjolein Wintjes and Eric Meursing, a former designer and chef. Every few weeks they create a theme that inspires the cooking, like Light or Flowers, then serve a five-course meal that focuses on seasonal vegetables, fruits and grains. A recent meal included Jerusalem artichoke prepared three ways (roasted, whipped and fried), croquettes of black quinoa with ras al hanout and a “deconstructed” apple pie: apple soup with frozen Champagne cubes and a stick of sugared crust. Guests pay what they think is fair.
10 p.m.
3) BACK TO THE ROOTS
Nearby, the Westergasfabriek, a former factory complex full of artists’ studios and cultural venues, is home to Toko MC (Polonceaukade 5; 31-20-475-0425; tokomc.nl), a funky restaurant and music destination connected to the MC theater, both of which celebrate Amsterdam’s rich mix of ethnicities. Pull up a chair at the vibrantly designed bar (coconut wood floors, hand-painted walls and street market-inspired lanterns), order a cocktail made with hand-cranked cane sugar (7 euros, or about $9.80 at $1.40 to the euro) and get ready for late night dancing to a mix of live and D.J.’d world music.
Saturday
11 a.m.
4) EXPLORE THE NORTH
North Amsterdam has become an edgy cultural center à la Williamsburg, Brooklyn, in the late ’80s. It scored some major hipster points in 2007 when MTV moved its offices there; in the same warehouse complex is a skate park and a hive of artists’ studios. Architecture and film buffs are anticipating the completion of the spaceship building that will be the new Eye Film Institute. Right off the NDSM ferry stop is the cheerful IJ-Kantine (Mt. Ondinaweg 15-17; 31-20-633-7162; ijkantine.nl), a cantina where parents tank up on caffeine while their children tackle one another in the play corner of the soaring light-filled dining room. A five-minute walk away is the Noorderlicht (NDSM wharf, T.T. Neveritaweg 33; 31-20-492-2770); noorderlichtcafe.nl), a sort of transparent hanger, where a five-year-old cafe shelters an arty crowd who sit on mismatched chairs at driftwood tables. In summer, everyone sits outside, turning the industrial lots into partylike spaces.
1 p.m.
5) A BOOM ON OVERTOOM
The area close to where Overtoom street hits Nassaukade is quickly becoming a compelling alternative to P.C. Hooftstraat, Amsterdam’s designer-shop avenue. Over the last two or three years there’s been a boomlet of independent shops along its edges. One of the most inspiring is Friday Next (Overtoom 31; 31-20-612-3292; fridaynext.com), a sprawling concept store built around the owners’ interior design atelier. While you decide whether you can fit that wooden Muuto lamp into your luggage, grab a coffee at the store’s cafe, which features ingredients found next door at Marqt (Overtoom 21-25; 31-20-422-6311; marqt.com), an organic supermarket with products from small local producers.
3 p.m.
6) HIGH TEA
The Dutch, even the younger generation, still like to take time out on weekend afternoons to practice the art of high tea. The latest insider favorite is the spread (starting at 10.95 euros) at Gartine (Taksteeg 7; 31-20-320-4132; gartine.nl), a cozy cafe in the historic center. Another good option is the Amsterdam South branch of De Bakkerswinkel (Roelof Hartstraat 68; 31-20-662-3594; debakkerswinkel.nl), a chain of bakeries with a homey atmosphere. At this outpost, manicured locals curl up on chairs and savor scones served with clotted cream (1.40 euros).
5 p.m.
7) NEW DUTCH CERAMICS
For contemporary handmade ceramics, head to the source: two workshops of several talented designers, both in the lively, bohemian De Pijp neighborhood. There are Hilde Tempelman’s UFO and guitar-painted plates at Atelier Tempel (Eerste Jacob van Campenstraat 20; 31-20-470-0106; ateliertempel.nl/pottery; by appointment), while three artists work and sell their pieces at nearby Keramiek van Campen (Eerste Jacob van Campenstraat 38; 31-62-913-0883; keramiekvancampen.nl).
8 p.m.
8) IN THE RED LIGHT DISTRICT
Last summer, the ambitious chef Rogier van Dam and his sommelier girlfriend opened the very respectable Restaurant Lastage (Geldersekade 29; 31-20-737-0811; restaurantlastage.nl) in the midst of sex shops. Mr. van Dam attempts to surprise his guests not only with the location but also with his chef’s menu (36 euros for three courses), which offers an elegant twist to Dutch cuisine.
11 p.m.
9) STOP THE PRESSES
There’s still news coming from Trouw (Wibautstraat 127; 31-20-463-7788; trouwamsterdam.nl), a temporary restaurant and club in a former newspaper printing warehouse in East Amsterdam, but these days the news has more to do with cocktails, cuisine and art. The space is now a sleek backdrop for a young crowd who read their news on iPads. On summer evenings, the terrace is packed with late-night revelers.
Sunday
Noon
10) THE EXOTIC EAST
In the last two years the Indische Buurt district in East Amsterdam has drawn young designers, artists and families looking for affordable housing in an area that has been home to squatters and a mix of immigrant families. Last year the chefs Jaymz Pool, Faysel van Thiel and Frenk van Dinther opened Wilde Zwijnen (Javaplein 23; 31-20-463-3043; wildezwijnen.com). The name means wild boar and it hints at the kitchen’s preference for seasonal products. Lunch could include roast pig with clams (9 euros) and, for dessert, crème brûlée with Earl Grey and blueberry sorbet (7 euros). This is a good starting place for exploring the neighborhood’s main boulevard, Javastraat. Lined with shiny Mediterranean-style tiles, Turkish grocers and coffee shops, it resembles a street in Istanbul.
1 p.m.
11) TROPICAL MUSEUM
Even if you don’t have the slightest interest in Holland’s former colonies, which include Indonesia and Suriname, the Tropical Museum (Linnaeusstraat 2; 31-20-568-8200; tropenmuseum.nl) is worth a visit. The architecture alone — a towering and grand early 20th-century building that wraps around an entire city block — is impressive. And its gilded interiors, especially its library, hide many romantic nooks where you can read up on your next exotic adventure. Until May 8 a splashy exhibition called “Red” showcases about 300 objects that illustrate the importance of the color red in various cultures.
IF YOU GO
The big hotel news of the moment is that the five-star grand Hotel De L’Europe (Nieuwe Dolenstraat 2-14; 31-20-531-1777; leurope.nl; rates from 339 to 3,000 euros) will officially reopen in May after a much needed renovation. It includes a wing of suites inspired by the Dutch masters in the Rijksmuseum, a complete redo of the main 19th-century building and a new dining concept overseen by the chef Richard van Oostenbrugge.
If you want the comforts of home in the heart of Amsterdam’s famous shopping area, the Nine Streets, book one of the four elegant contemporary spaces at Miauw Suites (Hartenstraat 36; 31-20-893-2933; miauw.com; rates from 145 to 245 euros), which is owned by a couple with backgrounds in fashion design and filmmaking.
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