Erika Mailman

For many people, a Thanksgiving feast is an overwhelming meal to prepare. There’s a gigantic bird that takes up the entire oven and requires constant, hours-long attention with a basting syringe, an intimidating array of side dishes which must all be hot at the same time, perhaps special dishware you use only a few times a year (and where’d we put the gravy boat last year?) and a variety of pies to make sure everyone’s favorite is there. It’s exhausting, even if you are good at delegating and have a kitchen full of helpers. So it’s no wonder that some people just say, “Hey, let’s meet up at a restaurant this year.” RECOMMENDED: The best Thanksgiving parades in America The idea of someone else doing the menu planning and pulling off this elaborate dinner is certainly attractive—and best of all, you can walk away afterwards while the dishes are washed by others (leave a hyper-generous tip for anyone working this holiday!) San Francisco’s participating restaurateurs take great care with their Thanksgiving feasts—you’ll be in good hands. Below, find our picks of where to dine on Thanksgiving in San Francisco. Prices below do not include tax and gratuity.

San Francisco is brimming with bespoke shops, clever merchandise and all the creative flair that makes the city what it is. Sure, you’ll also find chain stores and even some big-box ones, but wander the neighborhoods to see the best of independent business owners selling something special. Build a day into your schedule—whether you’re a local or a visitor—to cruise by some of these shops and get a head start on holiday gift buying, or to get a cool souvenir for yourself. You might also want to plan a visit to one of the city’s flea markets for the best of sustainable buying. Speaking of which, don’t forget to bring your reuseable shopping bags.

San Franciscans may not stay out late at night but they definitely know how to keep a dancefloor electric and support the local music scene. Thanks to a history that dates back to the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Carlos Santana, Counting Crows, Journey and other local luminaries, the city embraces its musical legacy—and keeps it going. Golden Gate Park remains a legendary place to see a show on the green, and the city abounds in nightclubs, including LGTBQ+ spaces in the Castro, small live music venues and gigantic multi-level clubs with multiple dance floors spinning out DJ beats. Watch for rotating calendars of visiting artists and bands, pop in your earplugs if the volume’s at 11 and keep the pulse pulsing all night long. Here’s our list of the best nightclubs in San Francisco.    

This time of year, most every community in the U.S. hosts some kind of holiday lights spectacular, in small town squares and among glittering skyscrapers—and the moment that the tree lights are turned on provides an incredible experience of good cheer as the “ahhs” are audible. If your town has a railroad, there’s often a Polar Express ride through the night that thrills people of all ages, and many people put candles in their windows and decorate for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and Christmas. It feels good to think about others as you pick out gifts or bake sweets—and this time of year can feel earnest and repair some of the year’s wrongs as we prepare to start a whole new year afresh. With our feature of magical holiday events, we’ve tried to come up with some more out-of-the-ordinary ones, events specially curated to elicit a sense of magic… to help us find simple pleasure in being filled with wonder. Maybe it’s been a while since our eyes widened in surprise, since we felt the stirrings of awe—maybe our Grinchy hearts are starting to get bigger and our Scroogian workaholic natures need to be adjusted. It may sound like a cliché, but trying to see the world through a child’s eyes, surprised and delighted by so many things—even if it’s just the sound of sleighbells as a horse trots by, or the glow cast by a row of bulbs, or craning your head back to see the top of a towering tree—it’s worth it to let ourselves feel something bigger than ourselves.

For the past eight years, we’ve made it our mission to scope out the coolest pockets of the world’s greatest cities in order to create our definitive annual ranking. The places where stuff like nightlife, art, culture, and affordable food and drink can be found on every corner and down every backstreet. Where diversity is championed and independent businesses thrive, from old-school boltholes to the newest avant-garde art space. Put simply, the world’s coolest neighbourhoods are places that represent the soul of our cities, while maintaining their own unique local character that draws people in to live, work and play. So, what are the neighbourhoods that fit the bill this year? To find out, we asked our network of writers and editors across a breadth of cities to nominate the vibiest district in their hometown right now. We then ranked every neighbourhood against criteria including culture, community, liveability, nightlife, food and drink, street life and that hard-to-define sense of ‘nowness’.  On our list this year, you’ll find everything from homely, village-like enclaves with tight-knit communities to revitalised city-centre hubs and formerly dormant, industrial areas transformed into creative districts. Many are underrated spots that sit in the shadow of their commercialised counterparts; others have become unexpected culinary hotspots or magnets for the city’s artists, writers and activists. What they all have in common is a DIY spirit – and an unshakeable proclivity f

While some hurtle home for the holidays, others encourage family and friends to meet up somewhere fun. Why not travel for Christmas, especially if your destination carries more of a holiday vibe than your own city? It can make for a truly memorable vacation to embrace snow (or conversely, to nestle down on a warm beach), to rent that little cottage in a forest that looks like it was used for a Hallmark movie or to experience Christmas in a big city with all the holiday lights and skyscrapers radiating pure elation. Whatever your wish—small town or jazzy metropolis—Santa should make sure to grant it. Here’s our inspo list of the top 17 Christmas vacations in the U.S. 

There’s no wrong way to eat seafood in America—whether you’re digging into a lobster at a picnic table, slurping oysters at a raw bar or sipping champagne with caviar in a white-tablecloth dining room. From the Atlantic to the Pacific, the best seafood restaurants in the U.S. serve up fresh fish in every style imaginable. While coastal cities like Boston, Seattle and New Orleans set the standard, the country’s seafood scene stretches far beyond the shore. You’ll find Southern gems turning shrimp and grits into an art form, Midwest spots flying in pristine fish daily and modern chefs creating elegant takes on “catch of the day”. These are classic fish shacks, restaurants with refined tasting menus and everything in between. Here, freshness matters, flavor rules, and the only thing better than the food is the view when dining right near the water. Updated October 23, 2025: We've revisited our list of the best seafood restaurants in America to highlight and celebrate the seafood stars offering the freshest fish and most exciting seafood dishes. While restaurants like Aphotic in San Francisco and La Mar, the Peruvian favorite in Miami, have closed (fortunately, La Mar's closing is only temporary), classic spots are still going strong. Holbox, a Michelin-starred food counter in Los Angeles and GW Fins, an innovative fine-dining restaurant in New Orleans, join the ranks. If you love seafood, read on. From lobster rolls and fried clams to dry-aged swordfish and grilled tiger prawns,

Part of the joy of Thanksgiving is anticipation: the turkey slowly cooking as tantalizing aromas drift out from the oven and from various pots and pans on the stove. And Thanksgiving parades are another way of stretching out the expectations—whether you’re keeping one eye on the TV while you’re managing the potatoes or on the sidewalk cheering as the marching band passes by. Watching a parade provides a time-honored way to come together as a community; feel pride as Americans sharing an important holiday; showcase the talents of musicians, dancers and members of civic organizations; and, of course, enjoy some really impressive balloons! These parades are free to watch, but comfortable viewing in grandstands can often be purchased. And if you want to easily transition from Thanksgiving to Christmas, many of these events incorporate a visit from Santa and his reindeer. RECOMMENDED: Where to find the best pies in America

Lights provide a huge part of the Christmas ambience: We love to see candle flames flickering, strings of lights draped over rooflines, tiny colored lights in our living rooms embedded in the branches of our Christmas trees—and a star on top. The steady glow of light in the dark makes the whole season seem magical. And venturing out of our own neighborhoods, it’s fun to visit a citywide fantasyland of lights, with shops lit up, Christmas markets bustling, and creatively illuminated lanes to wander (or drive) through with displays geared to make our eyes light up, too. Here’s our tour of some of the most enchanting light displays you can encounter this holiday season. Don a sweater or parka, depending on where you live, and pour some hot cocoa into that mug as you embark on an evening of wonder. RECOMMENDED:The best Christmas towns in the U.S.The best Christmas markets in the U.S.

Ghost towns elicit many emotions from us: gratitude for the easiness of our lives with running water, fascination with how people used to live and an eerie sort of questioning—are our homes destined to be future ghost towns? If this town once boomed with action and is now abandoned, what’s to stop ours from the same fate?  Aw, shake it off and just enjoy the spooky season! It’s a chance to wonder about these mysterious lives and why people cleared out. You may find furnishings still intact, dried flowers still in vases and linens on the beds as if the inhabitants just wandered away for a moment. Let your camera document the eerie rooms and yards where once, people bustled around leading busy lives. And sometimes, just like the name “ghost town” hints, you might find a phantom or two still mulling over why it is that they can’t move on. RECOMMENDED: The most haunted places in America and the best ghost tours in the U.S.

What could be better than riding along a bike path under the canopy of incredible fall foliage colors, as your bike wheel makes a beautiful crackling sound over already-fallen leaves? Not to mention, you’ll be enveloped by the particular autumnal fragrance that arises from crushed leaves. It will be a feast for the senses (add in the sense of taste with this map of the best cider donuts in New England), and you’ll feel fall has arrived in the best way possible. Here on our list, you’ll find some short easy trails that you can knock off easily, as well as some much longer ones that can last for days. Some trails involve stops at breweries or distilleries to give your quads a break… pacing is everything when you are just there to tip your head back and look at the sky through the burnished autumn leaves. Not a cyclist? No worries. We’ve got a round-up of best fall foliage train rides for you, too! RECOMMENDED: The best bike trails in the US

This time of year, just about everything is haunted—houses, hotels, ghost towns, Airbnbs—so it’s only natural that we would turn our attention to haunted trains, too. There’s something especially eerie about being on a train at nighttime, when the darkened landscape rushes by and you can only see your own (and… possibly a ghost’s) reflection in the glass. Plus, there’s not a whole lot you can do to escape from a moving train if demonic forces are pursuing you other than cower in your seat and hope that the next stop comes quickly. Most of the haunted trains on our list provide campy good fun rather than actual spectral experiences—think Halloween themed cocktails, seeing a headless horseman ride past the train or scary tales told by your conductor. Wear your best costume and sit back for an entertaining ride. RECOMMENDED: The most haunted hotels in America where you can stay the night

What is it: A hotel brand so iconic it even has a song in its honor—"Puttin’ on the Ritz," if you remember the 1980s hit. Why we love it: The Ritz-Carlton New York, Central Park, provides a stay that feels like you’ve checked something off your bucket list. From the moment you enter, you’re aware of the history and elegance of this Forbes five star and AAA five diamond hotel, starting with its brick facade stretching 22 stories high and the entry with a formal vintage canopy. Inside, the hallways are a bright gloss white with coffered ceilings holding glass chandeliers and marble tables with bright orchids. It even looks a bit like the interior of the first class passageways on the Titanic...and in fact, I had been so excited to stay here thinking that this is where Margaret “Molly” Brown stayed upon landing in New York after the ship sank. However, that turned out to be another Ritz-Carlton located on Madison and 46th, opened in 1911 as the first Ritz-Carlton in the U.S. It was demolished in 1951 to build an office building, so I’ll never have the chance! This hotel dates to 1929 and became a Ritz-Carlton in 1999. One of its best aspects is the fact that Central Park is across the street. With my sister, I stayed in a Park View Room that overlooked the park, and we had fun sitting on the generously sized windowsills for people-watching out the window. There’s also a telescope in each room. With such a fantastic home base, we took several rambles through the park, entering by

What is it? A two Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in the Fillmore, helmed by chef Srijith Gopinathan. Why we love it: The food here is exquisite with many moments that’ll leave you closing your eyes to exult. Among every beautiful thing we ate, our favorite was the rasam poori with passionfruit, mint, sprouted chickpea and radish: It’s a delicate fried puri sphere into which you spoon a bit of soup and eat in one frisson-filled mouthful. For cocktails, the winner was the turmeric spritz with marigold amaro that was so light and fruity it provided perfect accompaniment. As far as a bit of refreshment, don’t fear that the dishes will be too spicy; everything was perfectly spiced to make lips tingle but not overwhelm the tongue. Plus, the interior is insanely pretty with macrame lighting features, two rooms delineated by changes in flooring (blonde wood to button tile) and an indoor gazebo marked by twining ivy. Muted brick, a two-story wall of cubbies holding amphoras and wicker furnishings lend an air of museum-like elegance. Time Out tip: Ask your server to identify which menu items are unique to Copra (or at least the most innovative) and order those. Address: 1700 Fillmore St, San Francisco, 94115 Opening hours: Mon–Sun 5–10pm; brunch Sat, Sun 11:30am–2pm Expect to pay: Brunch is surprisingly affordable for a spot carrying two Michelin stars. If you order several “littles” and a main with a few cocktails, you’ll walk out paying around $90.

What is it? A French bistro with bright vibes at the Embarcadero. Why we love it: Everything’s at bar level here, so you feel elevated and light while you indulge in French favorites “from Paris with love,” as the menu says—a nod to charming owner Kais Bouzidi’s Parisian roots. Plants are embedded in the mesh liquor cabinet that hovers above the bar, which itself is a beautiful wooden statement piece with carved out embeds for your knees. The croque monsieur was a fantastic confection of layers of thin ham, pickle and béchamel sauce: It was a “fondue with bread” in one gooey unit. We also loved the madeleines plate with anglaise and chocolate sauce. For a refreshing drink that’s adorably photogenic, try the citron pressé: fresh lemon juice and a separate cute vessel of housemade lemon cordial. Time Out tip: Absolutely make reservations in advance; the walk-in party ahead of us was turned away. Address: Pier 3, the Embarcadero, San Francisco, 94105 Opening hours: Mon–Fri 11:30am–2pm, 3–10pm; Sat 11:30am–3:30pm, 5–10pm; Sun 11:30am–3pm Expect to pay: If your brunch includes an hors d’oeuvre, a main, a beverage and dessert, it will run about $60.

What is it? An Italian eatery in the Russian Hill neighborhood with a parklet out front Why we love it: The menu is so full of great options I had pasta twice (and I’m glad I did, because the agnolotti was a true standout, and I wouldn’t have wanted to miss the fettuccine blackened by squid ink and accompanied by generous lumps of Dungeness crab). Even though we were stuffed, the delightful server—chef Anthony Florian has assembled an amazing team with great wine guidance—wouldn’t let us go without trying the chocolate budino served in a mason jar: We’re glad we relented to the peer pressure. Time Out tip: Request a seat in the back dining area if you would like a quieter space for conversation. Address: 1896 Hyde St, San Francisco, 94109 Opening hours: Sun–Thu 5–9pm; Fri, Sat 5–9:30pm Expect to pay: About $140 per person if you indulge in antipasti, salad, pasta and secondi with a few glasses of wine.

What is it? An American restaurant inside the Beacon Grand hotel in Union Square Why we love it: Want bountiful proof of why the food scene in San Francisco is so great? Look no further than the California market salad, with mixed greens in a citrus vinaigrette we adored, along with Point Reyes blue cheese, candied pecans and tender slivers of tangerine. Other dishes we loved were the wild king salmon with thinly shaved fennel, radish and cucumber in a dill vinaigrette, as well as the hand-rolled spinach and mushroom canelloni dotted with morels. Make your lunch truly inspiring by pairing it with the Spring Sour mocktail—bright and fresh enough to power through the day. Here for business? The prix-fixe “executive lunch” is only $28 Monday through Friday. Time Out tip: Venture into the side chamber and look up: The painted ceiling and ornate grillwork on either side of the pedimented door are impressive. Want to fully appreciate the opulent architecture and décor of this 1928 beauty? Elect to spend the night (you should). Address: 450 Powell St, San Francisco, 94102 Opening hours: Daily breakfast 7–11am, lunch 11:30am–1:30pm, dinner 4–10pm Expect to pay: For brunch with a salad, salmon and mocktail, close to $70.

What is it? An Argentinian steakhouse in the heart of the Mission. Why we love it: The ojo de bife Argentino rib eye (100 percent grass-fed) was supremely buttery in texture, and the wild mushroom sherry sauce had us trying to soak up more with each forkful like a sponge. The pollo skewer with perfectly blackened corn and aji amarillo almost surpassed the steak for me, but we also loved the yuca fries with rocoto aioli—and we had fun moderating our evening with the “sin licor” mocktails, an agridulce citrus beverage and a tutti frutti sweet one. Though I didn’t have room for the empanada options, I’d certainly try them next time. The décor is atmospherically dim and dominated by some fearsome underlit bull head statues, while beautiful chandeliers and metal fixtures that mimic wagon wheels adorn the ceilings. Time Out tip: Arrive before your reservation and head to El Techo, the bar perched on Lolinda’s rooftop, for excellent city views. Also, as much as we love the colorful vibe of the Mission, the homelessness crisis may make visitors feel uncomfortable after dark, so consider that when planning your reservation and parking or transit plans. Address: 2518 Mission St, San Francisco, 94110 Opening hours: Tue–Thu 5:30–10pm; Fri, Sat 5:30–11pm; Sun 5:30–10pm Expect to pay: For a few pequeños (littles), a 12oz rib eye, a beverage and a dessert, you’ll pay around $85.

What is it? A seafood restaurant on the second story of Pier 39. Why we love it: You can count on 100 percent sustainable seafood at this busy waterfront spot with floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the bay. The clam chowder literally has “award-winning” in its name, and you can order it (as one does here) in a fresh house-baked sourdough bowl. We tried the dual lobster tails (oven roasted with seasonal vegetables), the Petrale sole (pan seared with a pesto cream sauce) and fried scallops, served with roasted jalapeno aioli. The cocktail game is wonderful here with drinks named for local landmarks, like the Alcatraz Escape and the Spicy Mission Margarita. For land-favoring folks just “along for the ride,” there are also sandwiches, steaks and pasta. Time Out tip: Try to sit at the farthest end of the restaurant, where you’ll be able to catch the best view of the sea lions pushing each other off the docks. And if you love flowers, TulipMania is at Pier 39 throughout April with 20,000 tulips in bloom. Address: Pier 39, San Francisco, 94133 Opening hours: Daily 11am–9pm Expect to pay: Seafood mains run $29 to $56, while the clam chowder in sourdough is $16. House specialties include cioppino at $42 and a whole Dungeness crab for $64. Cocktails are $14 to $17.

What is it? A Mediterranean restaurant housed in a former army barracks in the Presidio. Why we love it: Billed as “modern Eastern” rather than “Middle Eastern,” Dalida comes from husband-and-wife chef team Laura and Sayat Ozyilmaz. The flavors here stretched our palates and made our eyebrows rise—even the hummus had some extra zing sitting under the Cypriot lamb chops wrapped in ground lamb and caul fat. Our family’s favorite was the Breaking Bread dish with round tins of spreads accompanied by chubby pita (baked in-house every five minutes). The cocktails were a highlight, served in fun vessels like a miniature silver tankard or with tall, glass-height ice cubes ordered by mail. Stay for dessert and you may catch some Top Chef magic with pistachio three-ways baklava and the sour cherry Maraş ice cream that chef Laura made for one of the show’s challenges. The interior’s muted lighting comes from rice paper chandeliers, and there’s a beautiful mural of trees in bloom. The historic building’s high ceilings really open up the interior, but that does mean the acoustics are rough for conversation.  Time Out tip: If you want to make a night of it, book a room at the Lodge at the Presidio, just a four-minute walk away. Address: 101 Montgomery St, San Francisco, 94129 Opening hours: Tue–Fri 11:30am–2pm, 5–9pm; Sat, Sun 11am–2:30pm, 5–9pm Expect to pay: The chef’s menu is $85. Otherwise, you can expect to pay about $100 per person for appetizers, entrée, a vegetable dish and a few c

What is it? A contemporary American restaurant carrying one Michelin star in the Fillmore. Why we love it: On a quiet street near the edge of Japantown, 7 Adams bustles with attentive waitstaff, crazy-skilled chefs and blissed out diners. Behind the chef’s counter, there’s gorgeous backlit mod-shaped embedded wall compartments holding plants, stemware, candles and a miniature statue of the Michelin man petting a dog. Chef owners Serena Chow Fisher and David Fisher have created a space where the vibe is relaxed and down to earth, even though the exquisite food could easily deserve a snooty air. We especially loved the starter of hokkaido scallop crudo with koji kosho, pepita and pixie mandarin and all the mains, and lost our minds over the winter citrus dessert (pistachio cake, lemon curd and blood orange ice cream—intensely succulent and vibrant) and the salted malted s’more with chicory pastry cream. Time Out tip: A 20 percent service charge is automatically added to the bill, so you can relax about tipping. Address: 1963 Sutter St, San Francisco, CA 94115 Opening hours: Mon–Thur 5:30–9pm; Fri, Sat 5–10pm; Sun 5–9pm Expect to pay: The five-course tasting menu is $87 per person, while the chef’s counter (six people only) is 8 to 10 courses for $157 per person.

What is it? A contemporary Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in the SoMa neighborhood, housed in the Intercontinental Hotel. Why we love it: Everything on chef Dennis Efthymiou’s spring tasting menu was geared to surprise visually and tastewise. Each course arrives in a unique vessel: a duck foot stand for the quail Scotch egg amuse bouche, or a “meteorite” (as the server termed it) that held beautifully plated dessert components. Our favorite dish was startlingly realistic-looking strawberry sculpted out of white chocolate and stuffed with truffle mousse, served with elderflower and basil ice cream and a Kalamata olive shortcake. I started with a passionfruit margarita and switched to a suggested Riesling to pair with the Spring Awakening course, which was a literal miniature garden with tiny spears of white and green asparagus “planted” alongside tendrils of pea appearing like plants meeting the sun. Time Out tip: The tasting menu consists of 11 courses, many of which have multiple components. Come with an appetite—like “I haven’t eaten in months” levels of hunger. If you book a room at the Intercontinental, you’ll have an easy elevator ride up to a spectacular panoramic city view as your digestive system works on the issue at hand. Address: 888 Howard St, San Francisco, 94103 Opening hours: Thu–Sat 5:30–9pm Expect to pay: The spring tasting menu is $175 per person with a $115 wine pairing.

What is it? A vegan eatery in Cow Hollow with a parklet on Union Street. Why we love it: In a world trying to adopt more sustainable practices, a vegan restaurant so great that omnivores won’t miss meat deserves notice. The interior at Wildseed has bright white walls adorned with modern art. When you open the completely plant-based menu, the first thing you’ll see is a list of what fruits and vegetables are in season that month. That’s not just something worth appreciating on paper: The chilaquiles with vegan “just egg” and coconut queso were gobble-quality, and the Wildseed burger made with a mushroom and spinach patty, vegan chipotle aioli and tomato chutney (and added-on tempeh bacon) was a fortifying delight. Time Out tip: The grapefruit mimosa comes in a pretty vessel and makes brunch happier. Address: 2000 Union St, San Francisco, 94123 Opening hours: Mon–Thu 11:30am–9:30pm, Fri 11:30am–10:30pm, Sat 11am–10:30pm, Sun 11am–9:30pm Expect to pay: About $70 per person if you have a small salad, brunch item, dessert and a few mimosas.

What is it? A seafood restaurant on the second story of Pier 39. Why we love it: You can count on 100 percent sustainable seafood at this busy waterfront spot with floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the bay. The clam chowder literally has “award-winning” in its name, and you can order it (as one does here) in a fresh house-baked sourdough bowl. We tried the dual lobster tails (oven roasted with seasonal vegetables), the Petrale sole (pan seared with a pesto cream sauce) and fried scallops, served with roasted jalapeno aioli. The cocktail game is wonderful here with drinks named for local landmarks, like the Alcatraz Escape and the Spicy Mission Margarita. For land-favoring folks just “along for the ride,” there are also sandwiches, steaks and pasta. Time Out tip: Try to sit at the farthest end of the restaurant, where you’ll be able to catch the best view of the sea lions pushing each other off the docks. And if you love flowers, TulipMania is at Pier 39 throughout April with 20,000 tulips in bloom. Address: Pier 39, San Francisco, 94133 Opening hours: Daily 11am–9pm Expect to pay: Seafood mains run $29 to $56, while the clam chowder in sourdough is $16. House specialties include cioppino at $42 and a whole Dungeness crab for $64. Cocktails are $14 to $17.

We’ve watched Daniel Radcliffe grow up, from his first days with a lightning bolt on his forehead on the various Harry Potter movies to his stage acting career involving complicated roles in plays like Equus, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (for which he earned a Grammy nomination) and Merrily We Roll Along (for which he won a Tony).  Playbill reports that Radcliffe will now make his Broadway return in Every Brilliant Thing, a play written by Duncan Macmillan with Jonny Donahoe. The title comes from the depressed main character’s idea to cheer up his also-depressed mother by constantly identifying and appreciating “every brilliant thing” in life, from the tiny pleasure of ice cream to the joy involved in “the even-numbered Star Trek films.” "Every Brilliant Thing tackles some serious subject matter, but the overall experience is one of joy and celebration,” said writer Macmillan in a statement quoted by Playbill. "Every performance is unique and unpredictable and it requires virtuosic skill from its central performer. When Daniel told us how much he loved the play, I couldn’t have been more thrilled.” The one-person play first appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe (where it sold out for three consecutive summers and then returned in 2024) and then came to the U.S. to off-Broadway’s Barrow Street Theatre in 2014.  It’s currently showing in London’s Soho Place with the fabulous Minnie Driver, Lenny Henry, Ambika Mod, Sue Perkins and Jonny Donahoe playing the role in

While national parks are struggling with the government shutdown, the California State Parks Foundation has rolled out an innovative way to broadcast the availability of their own incredible park system. It’s a new "Plan Your Own State Park Adventure" quiz to help you decide which park best suits your needs. On the website, you will be asked a few questions about your preferences, each one geared to help you focus on what you’re looking for. For example: are you ready to hit the trails or craving a more leisurely experience? Do you prefer to explore parks with your dog or without? After completing the quiz, which should take a minute or so, you'll be prompted to input your name, telephone number and email address. The website will then instantly generate an answer for you. Because the system is so easy to navigate, we suggest using it multiple times, perhaps slightly shifting your answers to get more than a single recommendation. After all, California’s state park system features a whopping 280 parks, including some heavy hitters like Emerald Bay State Park, a stunning turquoise bay inside Lake Tahoe; Crystal Cove State Park, where you can spend the night in a vintage seaside cottage; and Bodie State Historic Park, one of the best ghost towns you can visit. Bonus adorable fundraising plug: from now until October 31, if you pledge a monthly donation of $5 or more to the California State Parks Foundation, you'll snag a free pair of limited-edition Parks Projects socks (along wi

We need to give a shout-out to women-owned businesses, who, according to a census report, employ 11.4 million people, generating more than $2.1 trillion in annual revenue. Unfortunately, though, women still only own about 22% of businesses in the U.S., bringing less than 5% of total business revenue in the country. To try and uplift women and their gains in the business world, online lender OnDeck has analyzed Yelp ratings for more than 12,000 women-owned small businesses in the U.S. to come up with a ranking of the top ones. Here's an interesting factoid: the top three businesses mentioned are all photography studios. What's more, six out of the 10 ranked ones are the same type of business. It seems like photography is a lucrative hustle to get into if you're a woman! The top of the list is dominated by A Tale Ahead Photography in the San Francisco Bay Area. Annie Zou, photographer and co-owner with her husband, says being underestimated as a woman is one of the biggest challenges she faces. “As a young woman, I had to learn to lead with clarity,” Zou told OnDeck. “I reminded myself to project an image of a confident, experienced photographer so that I could earn that level of trust in my clients. These days, I’m actually a lot more relaxed and casual – word-of-mouth and reviews do that part of the hard work for me now.” She writes on her website that she got into wedding photography after taking pictures at a friend’s wedding. “As I looked through the lens to capture the br

Home security system Vivint has just released a list of the spookiest states in the U.S. and we feel ourselves trembling looking for our own home state while perusing the ranking.  The company specifically analyzed the number of ghost sightings and eerie attractions across 100 cities within all 50 states to identify the regions where we will be most likely to see a ghost in 2025.  Wonder what state most people have seen a ghost in? It’s a heavily wooded area with a dramatic Atlantic seashore, known for an epic horror author… a place where an enormous St. Bernard, a distraught prom queen, a boy with second sight and a malevolent sentient car can all feel at home. Yep, it’s Maine! Maine boasts the highest number of ghost sightings. According to Vivint’s study, 116 out of 100,000 residents have reported seeing someone who just shouldn’t be there: ethereal, tortured and just plain dead. That’s just a little over 1 percent of Mainers who’ve had to shudder and look up Ghostbusters on Yelp. Next on the list is North Dakota, where 104 people out of 100,000 have had brushes with the beyond, followed by Oklahoma, where 98 folks had to question what their eyes were telling them. A few other fun takeaways from this report include the fact that Google searches for “ghost tours near me” have surged 128 percent year over year. Clearly, there's something going on. These are the 10 states with the most ghost sightings per 100K residents:1. Maine 2. North Dakota 3. Oklahoma 4. South Dakota 5.

A lobby that looks like a forest with large colorful ornaments hanging from the trees? A restaurant you can access through a tunnel of orange dangling marigold decorations, with a faux ancient Mexican statue at one end? Lush waterfalls and koi ponds? Check and check. Those are just a few of the reasons why Wynn Las Vegas ranks as the second most Instagrammable hotel in the world, according to a study by Amigo eSim. Photograph: Courtesy Wynn Las Vegas Las Vegas is a city built on spectacle, so of course its hotels pose for the cameras very nicely. But The Wynn has extra game, according to the study, which evaluated the online presence of 136 of the world’s best-rated hotels. The hashtags most used by guests were counted on Instagram and TikTok in total up until July 22. Specifically, Wynn Las Vegas had 364,532 hashtagged posts on TikTok and Instagram (346,095 on Insta and 18,437 on TikTok), making it the most photographed hotel in the U.S., and the second in the world. What beat it? The Jumeirah Burj Al Arab in Dubai, the gorgeous sail-shaped skyscraper hotel on the water with an underwater seafood restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows. Photograph: Shutterstock/Kobby DaganWynn Hotel and Casino The only other U.S. hotel on the list is one you may not have heard of: Blackberry Farm in Walland, Tennessee, which is the 11th most Instagrammable hotel in the world. It has 46,416 mentions on Instagram and TikTok. It’s a Relais & Châteaux resort tucked into the Great Smoky Moun

Building on the success of Bluey’s House, an immersive experience that opened in six cities (but not Miami), CAMP and BBC Studios are unveiling another Bluey-themed play space to delight the youngsters. And this time, Miami gets it . . . and permanently Rendering: Bluey's Backyard Bluey's Backyard will open with a new permanent location at Aventura Mall on December 12, just in time to get some frenzied playtime in with this energetic Blue Heeler puppy before the holidays. Another location will open in Minneapolis on November 28. Advance tickets are available for about $45 now right here. Just open the signature Magic Door (we love getting kids started early on finding speakeasies!) to gain access to the Bluey’s Backyard x CAMP experience for an hour of fun games and activations inspired by the cartoon. Expect a 4,000-square-foot backyard with a poinciana tree, a shed, a playroom and "Rug Island."  Unlike the other Bluey-themed experiences, this one was designed with a focus on open-ended, participatory, flexible play, probably best enjoyed by kids ages 3 to 8.  The outing is meant to be a self-guided one, filled with projects and objects that kids will recognize from Bluey's world. Needless to say, Bluey herself will show up at some point to pose for some photos as well. One more thing: dress for playtime and a surprise dance party. Only 20 people at a time can move through Bluey’s Backyard, which means the experience will feel exactly right: shared with others, but you won

Luxury means a lot of different things to different people: for some, it’s a Michelin-starred dinner, while for others it’s chartering a yacht in turquoise waters, spending a day shopping at high end boutiques or staying in a lavish hotel with attentive service and a beautiful view. A new study by Navigare Yachting reveals each state’s favorite luxury experience, based on five years of Google search data across all 50 states (and the District of Columbia) from October 2020 through October 2025. The analysis looked at interest in five indulgent categories—wellness retreats, yacht charters, Michelin-starred restaurants, luxury villas and luxury train rides—then normalized the data to determine how residents in each state prefer to spend their luxury dollars. Of those five options, yacht charters dominated, ranking as the top choice in 36 states, particularly across the South and Midwest. Michelin-starred dining came in second, winning 13 states including California, New York and Illinois. Only two states—Montana and Vermont—favored wellness retreats, while luxury villas and train rides didn’t gain traction. (We think that’s a shame: a scenic luxury train ride through the countryside sounds pretty spectacular.) Here’s how each state prefers to splurge, organized by favorite luxe experience: Yacht charter Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas Connecticut Delaware Georgia Florida Idaho Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Michigan Mississippi Missouri Nebraska New Hamps

Thanksgiving marks the busiest travel period in the United States, according to the American Automobile Association—meaning the weather can make or break our plans for where we’ll sit down to turkey dinner. Will we be braving snowstorms to make it safely to Grandma’s? Will rain pound the windshield or delay our flight? Or maybe sunny skies will make for ideal travel conditions, letting us focus instead on perfecting our new green bean recipe.  Thankfully, the time-honored Old Farmer’s Almanac is here to help, offering region-specific forecasts as reported by Newsweek. On Thanksgiving week, we can expect a mixed bag of rain, snow and sunshine all across the U.S., depending on where you live, of course. In the northeast, we’ll see a lot of sunshine. Hooray! Northern New England may have to deal with some snow flurries, and the rest of the region will feel colder than average, but that’s fine. Thanksgiving parades will be manageable with hats and mittens! In the Atlantic corridor, the weather will be clear with no precipitation (gosh, we hesitate to write that, tempting the gods, but you’ll make sure you have your snow scraper in your car anyway, right?) In the Appalachians, the same: clear weather without snow or rain, but the northern areas may be colder than you expect, while southern areas are expected to feel warm. In the southeast, mild weather reigns. Get everyone on board for a long walk through the trees that have given up their leaves, the remotely beautiful “stick se

We're truly impressed by LaGuardia. Once considered one of the worst airports in the nation, it’s now earned the title of best in the U.S. for the second year in a row, according to the Forbes Travel Guide.Not that long ago (as in nine years ago, as discussed on Reddit), LaGuardia had a terrible reputation for flight delays and cancellations, cramped and dirty spaces (with some terminal areas smelling like urine) and bad food options. Starting in 2016 and ending in 2022, an enormous $8 billion redevelopment project took on improving the airport and did an astonishingly good job at it: who would have ever predicted that LaGuardia would now be named the country’s best airport two years in a row?Forbes Travel Guide’s Verified Air Travel Awards are judged by an invitation-only panel of 9,000 luxury travel advisors and hospitality experts. According to Forbes, LaGuardia won for, “its spacious gate areas, state-of-the-art architecture and food from New York culinary institutions such as H&H Bagels and Junior’s.”Forbes Travel Guide isn’t the only one who noticed the glow-up. In 2021, LaGuardia won the Prix Versailles as the best “new” airport in the world (after the first new passenger facilities started opening). Skytrax named Terminal B the world’s best new airport terminal in 2023 and, that same year, the Airport Service Quality Award called LaGuardia the best North American airport in the 25 million to 40 million passenger-category.“From the very start, our mission at LaGuardia

We all love a buy-one, get-one promotion, especially when it involves train travel—which is why we're oh-so-excited about Amtrak’s latest “Twice as Nice Sale.” The best part? The promotion involves seats in a private roomette. That’s right: you and a bestie or rompartner can sit in your own compartment with a sliding glass door, private and secluded. The roomette comes with free meals on board the train: three squares and even a glass of wine or beer at dinner. You also get access to train lounges at stations equipped with them, so you'll want to arrive early and enjoy a snack in a pleasant space before your train departs. Back to the roomette: at night, expect an Amtrak staff member will come in and help you convert the two seats that face each other, with a table in between, into a single bed, and then pull down the second, higher bunk bed from the wall. Consider it a sleepover party and, believe us, you will rest like a baby on the gently rocking train. To make use of the promotion, you’ll need to book a roomette and use the code C121. The code works from now until Saturday, November 1, so if you have your eye on travel, book it ASAP. A few things to keep in mind: the promotion is valid on travel between November 1 and January 31, 2026. You'll also have to include the name of your (free) companion at the time of booking. Needless to say, select wisely: you'll be reveling in an epic trip in small quarters. Need some inspiration? The offer is good on many of Amtrak’s prettie

With a readership that flies all over the world, Condé Nast Traveler surveyed its readers (who cast a whopping 757,109 votes!) about their favorite airports across the globe. The results of the magazine’s Readers’ Choice Awards mention 10 notable airports, and we note happily that there’s a North American one on the list. That’s Vancouver International Airport, in Richmond, British Columbia, which made it to #10 on the list. With an aquarium to charm visitors at the international terminal, bald eagles you might see out the windows (the airport encourages them and other raptors to keep the airfield safe by deterring larger birds) and even a fleet of miniature ponies and dogs to calm nervous passengers, this airport incorporates the natural world in a wonderful way. RECOMMENDED: This unexpected U.S. airport was just named the best in the country At this airport, you can savor the Flavours of Fall promotion with limited-edition treats and bespoke cocktails, with each purchase sending a dollar to A Better Life Foundation. Or walk over to admire the 11-foot golden Arbutus tree and even fill out a gratitude card to express what makes you grateful (and read others’ cards). You can get a free postcard to fill out and send, and if kids are with you, there’s a scavenger hunt to pass time. Condé Nast readers also complimented the airport for its accessibility for those traveling with a disability or mobility issues. It’s got wonderful dining options and brings passengers closer to the s

If you already thought the folks in the CLEAR lanes got through security faster than you, things are about to get even more enviable. At the top of the TSA PreCheck line, you integrate with the CLEAR folks and share a TSA agent to check identity (and that’s even ahead of the game over people without TSA PreCheck, who usually battle significantly longer lines). But with CLEAR’s new eGates that have rolled out this fall at select airports, registered users can skip that TSA agent and go straight to the baggage conveyor belt. CLEAR passengers will only have to do a quick biometric face, eyes or fingerprint scan to match their identity and boarding pass and then will be off and running. RECOMMENDED: Goodbye passport stamps—these 29 countries are phasing them out beginning next month The eGates are currently in place, as of August, at three U.S. airports: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Ronald Reagan National Airport (DCA) and Seattle–Tacoma International Airport (SEA). The company plans to implement many more nationwide in anticipation of a huge influx of travelers for next year’s World Cup, America’s 250th anniversary celebration and generalized increased airport traffic, according to their press release. According to The Points Guy, the new gates were also being tested at Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport (OAK), Oklahoma City's Will Rogers World Airport (OKC) and Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport (GSP) in South Carolina. A CLEAR+ subscription