Nostalgic Manhattan speakeasy stays forever 21

Memorabilia hangs down, creating a toy sky of gifts from sporting stars, captains of industry and former Presidents, including a model of the PT-109, a gift from President John F. Kennedy

Great place to be Stranded in NYC

The Strand’s location at 37th Street between 5th and 6th, incredibly convenient for access to Grand Central, shopping trips at Macy’s (just 3 blocks), nights at the theatre, and forays into Union Square. Staying Midtown, until now, was unchartered territory, but I’m hooked. Service at The Strand is friendly, relaxed and warm, and our 10am arrival wasn’t too early to get a room. Free Wi-Fi, newspapers, and iPod docks are becoming more the norm in the Big Apple, but are still a treat.

Warrior nation on the Hudson

If you are a military history buff, an ex-military person yourself, or interested in getting your kid into West Point, The Thayer’s appeal i is obvious. For anyone else it’s a peek into a world that civilians will never truly be allowed to know.

A tale of two cities

There are two prevailing popular visions of Los Angeles: the hard-partying nightlife of Hollywood, nights out on the Strip and in clubs on the West side, and the California dreaming of the canyons and beaches of Santa Monica.

NY from on high

There is no more scenic way to experience the sensation of having your heart in your mouth than by touring Manhattan Island by helicopter.

Hotel boom in the Big Apple

New York City will reach a record 90,000 hotel rooms by year’s end, representing a 24 percent increase since 2006, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg said. More than 7,000 rooms are in the pipeline that will add to the City’s hotel inventory, with an average 40 percent of new openings taking place in boroughs other than [...]

An open letter to Naomi Wolf

I’m sorry I said you were old and ugly. Here’s how it happened (just in case you missed it). In a column in a provincial daily called The Australian I said that you only began wearing an Islamic veil after you became ‘’old and ugly’’.Now you have shown your true colors as a fiery (and still hot) defender of underfed youngsters standing up for capitalism. Let me explain.

Girls night out

Similar in style to the Vagina Monologues, a rotating cast, heavy-hitters among them, sit on stools in little black dresses, some more little than others, against a black stage.

Matisse (and Picasso) in Manhattan

It’s your last chance to catch an amazing exhibit of 47 works which include some dazzling Matisse and Picasso pictures, among other biggies, and an even more beguiling story of the two sisters who collected them,

Bags of gold in the mattress

Forget about the bathrobe, if you’re going to steal one thing from New York’s Chatwal Hotel, take the mattress – it’s worth $19,000.

The Chatwal is the crown jewel of Starwood’s Big Apple hotels.