Travel

{Off Shoots} Oakland, California

by Anh-Minh on May 30, 2013

In Issue No. 11, one of my favorite features is Kate Pruitt’s write-up on Oakland. The city holds a special place in my heart: I lived there about a decade ago, in the Rockridge neighborhood, and have such great memories of that time.

While some of my old haunts are still around, a ridiculous number of cool shops and restaurants have opened in Oakland since I called it home. After reading Kate’s article, I am super excited about spending more time in the East Bay city, checking out the places she recommends. (I recently had the pleasure of dining at Duende and it exceeded my expectations. Everything I tried was delicious!)

{ CommonWealth Cafe & Public House }

{ Duende }

{ Homeroom }

{ Subrosa Coffee }

Psst … We’re hoping to share more of Kate’s Oakland picks soon! Because there were so many spots we just couldn’t include in the print magazine. If you have any Oakland favorites, let us know. (Next on my list of eateries to try is FuseBox.)

{ Images by Jen Siska }

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Sleeping Around

by Joanna on February 27, 2013

Potentially the first of its kind, meet Sleeping Around, a Belgian pop-up hotel providing a comfortable, yet exciting experience. I absolutely love this quote from their mission statement: “We are all carried away by the thought of a relaxing yet stimulating retreat whether it be in our vibrant cities or in the quiet countryside.” This concept truly captures the spirit of the wanderluster, hopping from place to place, but never skimping on the ambience.

Each room is actually a 20-foot recycled shipping container manufactured in China and shipped to the hotel’s next destination. The container is then equipped with all the expected accommodations: box-spring bed, rain shower, and air-conditioning. Four shipping containers are placed together to form the hotel—complete with breakfast/lounge area and a sauna.

{All images via Sleeping Around}

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{Off Shoots} Philadelphia

by Anh-Minh on February 14, 2013

When Meg, Alexis, and I were planning last year’s trip to Philadelphia—which you can read all about in Issue No. 10/Winter 2013—we asked about half a dozen locals for suggestions on things to do and places to visit. As a result, our days were jam-packed, and we were basically eating nonstop. (I can’t tell you how many people raved about the salted caramel budino at Barbuzzo! Luckily for those of us who don’t live in/near Philly, Bon Appétit published the recipe a few years ago.)

The images featured in the Issue No. 10 travel story were taken by Courtney Apple, who is not only a wonderful photographer, but was a terrific Philadelphia tour guide. (That’s her below, trying to get just the right angle for a shot of the donuts and fried chicken at Federal Donuts.) While Courtney was the professional photographer for our trip, Meg took a ton of pictures on her iPhone as well. Here are just some of her favorite snapshots around town.

P.S. Did you know that the city’s nickname, The City of Brotherly Love, is rooted in the literal meaning of the word “Philadelphia” in Greek?

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Vintage Hotel Luggage Labels

by Anh-Minh on January 31, 2013

{ Photo from Bukowskis }

While there are lots of things about modern-day travel that I appreciate—like in-flight movies and wi-fi—there’s one bygone practice that I wish had stuck around: luggage labels. In the late-1800s to mid-1900s, it was common for hotels to offer these labels so that guests would adhere them to their suitcases. It was a way for hotels to promote themselves, and for travelers to track where they had stayed.

The other day, I spent a few hours on eBay and Etsy searching for labels of hotels that I’ve stayed at over the years. There’s a certain romance to collecting these vintage labels, isn’t there? I’m thinking of rounding up a handful and having them framed for the art wall in my bedroom. Seems fitting since some of these labels are like little works of art.

{ Hotel Astor – via V Books }

{ Inversnaid Hotel - via Villa 15 Vintage }

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UBIQ Life

by Alexis on January 28, 2013

{Image above via The Cool Hunter}

Not long ago, Meg, Anh-Minh, and I took a trip to Philadelphia to explore. It was my first time visiting and I was so impressed by the city and everything it had to offer. (You can read all about our excursion in the soon-to-be-released Issue No. 10!) One afternoon while wandering back to our hotel, we stopped in at UBIQ, a sneaker store in Rittenhouse Square. While Anh-Minh browsed their extensive collection of shoes, I found myself mesmerized by the fixtures.

Designed by Architecture at Large, Ubiq’s interior is a mix of industrial and luxe finishes. The thing that really caught my attention was the custom lighting system in the main showroom. A geometric maze of copper pipes and ceramic sockets zigzags across the ceiling illuminating the space with dozens of incandescent bulbs. They converge over the registers, where a series of dimmers controls the whole room. While the store looks incredibly bright in the architect’s image above, the fixtures provided a pleasant glow in person, and the effect was pretty stunning. And I must admit, this system plus a little inspiration from Lindsay Adelman’s instructions has the the DIYer in me excited by the possibilities.