Ocean Beach, Tasmania [Flickr/dmmaus]
·A “Bring Your Own Food” restaurant in Tasmania [PSFK]
·Man behind “illegal” hotel room renting site Woogo arrested [Curbed]
·Assouline books at the Plaza is up and running [HC]
·Hong Kong has banned Tibetan flags at Olympic event [MSNBC]
·Reminder: Williamsburg walks this weekend [NYShitty]
·The Tate Modern and Herzog and de Meuron hoping second time is a charm [Wallpaper]
Few things suck more than the long drive up the 495 to your weekend beach escape… except for maybe the route’s less than appealing culinary options. Fortunately, there are a handful of stops – like steaks at Bryant & Cooper or Tuscan food at Stresa – where you’ll find food with just enough flavor to hold you over until the Hamptons. Also worth a stop: Benihanas: ‘”think of it as your chance for local culture,” or just go to raise a glass in honor of the late, great, Rocky Aoki. [BB]
Beyond the Aussie pub lies the European beer café (as distinguished from the beer garden). Whether you're after boutique Belgians, colonial brews, Bavarian bottles, or Czech imports, Sydney has a variety of beer cafés to suit any connoisseur's palate. Some are homegrown, while others cash in on the reputation of Old World producers. But all offer a good guzzle and a hearty feed.
“Two of Atlantic City’s newest hotels are wagering customers will flock to this seaside resort with gambling all around them and stay for something other than the tumbling dice.” Or in other words, A.C. is looking to channel a bit more Vegas and a bit less Mohegan Sun. The two hotels in question are the not-yet-opened Chelsea and the Borgata’s recently debuted Water Club. Both are banking on celeb chefs and spectacles courtesy of Elton John and The Eagles to jump-start Atlantic City’s non-gambling economy. [AP]
U2’s Bono and The Edge can finally sleep easy. Following a four-year legal battle, the bandmates have won the right to “reshape their old-fashioned Dublin hotel, the Clarence, into a futuristic landmark.” Upgrades include tripling the number of rooms and a floodlit glass roof atrium. U2 also has its own namesake Tower slated for a 2012 opening. The 400-foot building will stand as Ireland’s tallest, and will house the band’s new recording studio at the top. [USAToday]
Central Park [NYTimes/Richard Perry]
·Tracking hoots in the night, in NYC’s Central Park [NYT]
·A look at China’s 5 mega cities [Frommers]
·Want to feel like a maestro conducting a symphony of snow-capped peaks? [CNN]
·Ryanair to ground Stansted planes in winter freeze [Guardian]
·Where to have an affair and not get caught [Concierge]
·“Hotels and social networking: sketchy or seriously innovative?” [HC]
New Orleans will soon be home to The Museum of the American Cocktail. The museum, which opens its doors Monday, "will cover American drinking history from Jefferson’s presidency on." Hungry after all that cocktail history? Check out these standout New Orleans eateries.
Bryant Park, NYC [Flickr/Seth W.]
·Boozing in NYC’s parks during events deemed ok [via GOAG]
·Japanese condoms become unlikely victim of territorial dispute [BBC]
·17 ‘cross-dressing tourists’ have been detained in Dubai [CNN]
·1OAK might be heading to Miami [DBTH]
·San Francisco: most “walkable” city in the country [SFG]
·Cities going wireless raises issue of surveillance [NPR]
There’s been much talk of extreme tourism making a comeback, so it’s perfect timing that Darwin’s Crocosaurus Cove opens soon. The theme park will house “seven crocodile enclosures with underwater viewing areas, and one with a swimming pool next to a viewing window so you’ll be able to feel a bit like you’re swimming with the crocs.” Then, of course, there’s the Cage of Death - a clear acrylic box that you climb into so as to (safely) experience the sensation of crocodiles snapping at your limbs. Fun. [Jaunted]
It takes a leap of faith to suck down a quivering mass of cold, briny bivalve meat for the first time, but once you're hooked, it's difficult to walk past a raw bar without ordering a dozen. To aficionados, an icy tray of fresh oysters is akin to a round of shots: a quick burst of intense flavor that feels like a miniature celebration, with all its attendant toasting and savoring of the moment. New York has been an oyster town for generations, and these marvelous mollusks are still on the menu at restaurants all over the city. Here are a few of the better places in New York for shucking and slurping the ocean's bounty.
Are you a full-blown Blackberry/iPhone addict? Don’t worry, there’s no need for Betty Ford. Just head to one of Canada's Fairmont Hotels, which are offering an Electronic Rehab package geared towards helping guests get some r&r sans PDA. Upon check-in you’re expected to hand over your gadget so it can be locked up for the rest of your stay. “To avoid the inevitable twittling of thumbs… the package also includes a credit toward the spa or golf course and, at some hotels, cool stuff like zip-trekking, kayaking and fishing.” See, there’s hope for you yet… [HC]
Last week Jade Jagger and co. helped ring in London’s first eco-friendly club, Surya in King’s Cross, which is part of the Club4Climate project. Thanks to a piezoelectric dancefloor, “which uses quartz crystals and ceramics to turn clubbers’ movement into electricity,” now there’s no excuse to not shake what you’ve got and sweat out all the organic drinks you’ve been pounding at the bar. “A Club4Climate island is also planned for 2010,” although no mention of the eco-friendly island's exact location has been made. [Inhabitat]
French postcard from 1902 [Hulton/Getty Images]
·The humble postcard is making a comeback [Guardian]
·The naked climbing trend [via Geflog]
·The Lodge at Vail’s new spa offers a caviar-and-pearl facial [Globorati]
·So much for Seattle’s automated toilets [NYT]
·Spots to hit on a NYC staycation [Thrillist]
·Ryanair cuts flights, cites rising fuel costs and airport fees [CNN]
Skydiving in Hawaii [Flickr/hallmark]
·Ten of the world’s most scenic skydives [MSNBC]
·Southampton gets a new library… of fashion [JuliB]
·Beijing vs. Shanghai: the gloves are off [Shanghaiist]
·Latino heartthrob kicked off Delta flight [Gadling]
·Qantas to bring back in-flight cigarette sales [Jaunted]
·Moscow may get new $500 million luxury hotel by 2011 [MT]
When in Rome, whatever you do don’t snack near the monuments. As of July 10th, snacking near the city's landmarks is forbidden. “Since the ban went into effect last weekend, police have patrolled sites such as the Spanish Steps, asking tourists to move out and preventing them from sipping their drinks while sitting on the 18th-century stairway that is one of the symbols of the city. They handed out fines too.” Guess you can’t have your gelato and eat it too. [AP]
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