Archive for June, 2010

New York’s 5 Best Boutiquey Hotels

June 22nd, 2010

A room at the MAve.

Finding a hotel deal in NYC is no easy task. Even staying at a Holiday Inn can run you three hundo a night. The best option is to find something in the middle. A bunch of hip new hotels have opened up recently that make sleeping in the city affordable (relatively). Here are the top 5:

1. Distrikt: This fun hotel is centrally located near the Port Authority and each floor has its own New York themed floor.

2.Eventi: Chelsea livin’ ain’t cheap, but this spot makes up for it, with a big gym, a spa, and dog and cat massages. This is an upscale hotel in introductory guise, which it takes off in October, when the $249 a night room becomes $399. Get it while you can!

3. Fashion 26: A rooftop bar is opening this month, and right next to F.I.T., the location isn’t bad. Best Dressed Guest contest winners get free room upgrades.

4. Hotel Indigo: A small gym, rooftop bar, and floral theme are sprightly, and a business center makes this cute hotel nice, but not great, at $269.

5. The MAve: The real deal buster at $179, this hotel is on the east side, and close to Madison Park. Coffee and danish are served gratis, but the room is a little cramped.

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The Brooklyn Museum Is A Deal

June 15th, 2010

The Brooklyn Museum of Art is often compared with its Manhattan counterparts as a lesser more populist museum. In truth, the museum has a superb permanent collection, and in order to lure more visitors is offering deals.

Every First Saturday, the museum offers free admission, along with a wine and beer cash bar, sandwiches, salads and live entertainment. The party lasts until 11 p.m. but every other Saturday, the museum closes at 6. You may want to get there early – sometimes the event fills up and tickets are necessary.

Currently the museum has a Kiki Smith exhibition, along with an exhibit on American high fashion. Starting Friday, they will feature an Andy Warhol: The Last Decade, a vastly productive period for the artist where he experimented with the screened image, and pieces of a grander scale than normal.

Although the Brooklyn Museum has taken heat in the past for trying to appeal to a crowd through more mainstream exhibitions, like the popular rock photography show that ended in January, the permanent collection – with rarities from Egypt and the Incan Andes, along with masterworks from the Hudson Valley school are always on display and shouldn’t be missed.

For the true deal hunter, with a suggested $10 admission, this museum is often overlooked and underrated.

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Travel Tips for the Summer

June 4th, 2010

Finding travel deals can be difficult. Here are some things to remember when you’re planning a summer getaway.

1. Fast action: When a deal goes up on Twitter or the site of an airline or hotel, they usually only last for a certain amount of time OR until the deal on those items is snatched up. For example, Jet Blue sometimes offers deals until 6 pm or until the 25 seats it’s offering have been bought. In order get the deal, you have to be on top of your deal game.

2. Dates: Often companies will allow a deal only for specific dates, which means that when you enter the dates you want to travel, you’re met with the normal price. Check for small print at the bottom of the page to see what the deal is. Be flexible with your dates to receive the best prices (hint: leave and return during mid-week).

3. Travel Agencies: Be wary of composite travel agencies and their offerings. Hotwire, for example, frequently has pop up style deals that present a much cheaper price than in actuality. Even when you sign up for email notifications, there’s often a chance that deceit is around the corner.

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