Nicole Lane

There's nothing better than being able to throw on your sneakers and walk next door to grab a coffee. Or, better yet, head to a bookstore on foot, take a stroll in a park after a long, hard winter. Who needs a car when you have two feet?  Living in a place where you can walk around is good for you. Science even says so. What's more, researchers have found that living in a walkable neighborhood reduces stress and depression—which is why we're so excited to report that Boston, according to a new Time Out survey, Boston is actually the second most walkable city on planet Earth. We specifically asked 18,500 people all over the world one question: how easy is it to get around your city by foot?  Out of the 20 cities on the list, Abu Dhabi led with 91% of locals loving their pedestrian-friendly capital, Boston came in second with an 89% approval rate, followed by Brighton in the United Kingdom with 88%.  It's easy to see why Boston fared this well. Downtown Boston is approximately 1.5 square miles and the overall area is 48.4 square miles, making the core of the city incredibly walkable. Within an hour, you can get to the heart town Boston and give your legs a rest by sprawling out by Boston Common.  The Freedom Trail (2.5 miles), Charles River Esplanade (3 miles), Beacon Hill (2.5 miles) and South End (1 mile) are walking routes that offer scenic views along the river and through the main local attractions.  For those looking to get their steps in, the 27-mile Walking City Trail t

Whether it's walking barefoot on the sand, rollerblading along the waterfront path or indulging in a late-night rooftop drink, Miami is for lovers.  According to new research conducted by swimwear experts at Pour Moi, Miami is among the six most romantic U.S. cities in the world.  To come up with their ranking, researchers analyzed data across 553 towns, giving each one a "romantic score" out of 100 by examining the number of attractions deemed "romantic" on TripAdvisor, the amount of couple-friendly activities to do, date night options and more. So, move over, Paris: there are some new kids on the block.  London actually came in at number one with a 79.11 out of 100 score, New York City followed (66.64) and Miami came in third (54.64).  Miami's luxury hotels, nightclubs and walkability potential were among the 167 things that researchers found were connected to romance. After all, setting the mood in Miami doesn't require much effort. With a cocktail in hand, palm trees overhead and bathing suits on sun-kissed skin, the city makes it easy to fall in love.  And if you need a little extra hand, consult our list of top romantic things to do in Miami. Here’s a list of the top 10 most romantic cities in the world London, United Kingdom (79.11 out of 100) New York City, New York, USA (66.65 out of 100) Miami, Florida, USA (54.64 out of 100) Toronto, Canada (54.17 out of 100) Rome, Italy (53.38 out of 100) Brisbane, Australia (42.93 out of 100) Las Vegas, Nevada, US

The 10-seat counter Itamae AO has been elevating the local Nikkei cuisine scene—a fusion of Japanese and Peruvian foods—ever since it first opened last year. Their efforts have been officially rewarded: the restaurant just earned its first-ever Michelin star, joining a roster of 15 other standout local eateries that have retained their one star status. In total, 31 new selections across the state were announced during yesterday's Michelin Guide Florida event.  Sorekara in Orlando was awarded two Michelin stars, for example, while MAASS in Fort Lauderdale, Konro in West Palm Beach and Ômo by Jônt in Orlando were granted one star each. Green Stars were awarded to EntreNos and Stubborn Seed in Miami, which honors sustainable restaurants. L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon also maintained its two Michelin stars.  This year, Florida has become the state with the most newly awarded accolades, setting the standard for culinary excellence.  Back to Itamae AO: chef Nando Chang moved to Miami from Peru when he was only 12 years old, making this much-deserved recognition that much more special. At the restaurant, he serves lobster bisque, fried apple banana, Jimmy Nardello leche de tigre with Japanese sea bass sourced directly from Japan and other standout dishes as part of a rotating, seasonal tasting menu that costs $165 per person.   Turns out that culinary excellence is a family trait: patrons can reach Itamae AO through the bar door at Maty's, which is run by Chang's sister, Valerie Chang,

Temperatures are climbing into the 80s this weekend, and summer is already on everyone's mind. Fortunately for thrill-seekers, the timing couldn't be better: Six Flags Great America in suburban Gurnee reopens today for the 2025 season. What better way to kick off the season? Here are some park updates to keep in mind when visiting: the destination's 16th roller coaster, the 180-foot Wrath of Rakshasha, has arrived. With a 96-degree beyond-vertical drop and gravity-defying inversions, the ride is, according to the park, the "steepest and most inverted dive coaster in the world."  The coaster isn't for the light-hearted: with a 171-foot drop and cruising 67 miles per hour, we'll surely hear the screams from patrons all the way in downtown Chicago.  If opting to ride the classic roller coaster Demon instead, note that officials have implemented a new 48pinch height requirement. Scrambler ride Condor now requires patrons to be at least 54 inches tall. The full list of updated heights per ride can be found on the park's website.  In other news, designated smoking areas within the park's boundaries have been removed. Smokers—which include folks who enjoy vapes and e-cigarettes—have to head to a designated area outside of the park's boundaries for the 2025 season.  There's more: last year, the park implemented a chaperone policy during Fright Fest after 5pm for anyone 15 or younger. The site is still encouraging the policy and recommends that anyone under the age of 18 be accompanie

After a two-year hiatus, the Jackson Park cherry blossoms are adorning the historic area on the South Side once again. Located near the Japanese Garden, the cherry trees represent renewal of life, impermanence and are a springtime celebration that just about anyone in town enjoys. Plus, they are beautiful to look at.  Given the erratic weather patterns of the past few years and this month’s cooler temperatures, we weren’t sure if those iconic pink and white blooms would return—but here they are! Interestingly, while peak bloom typically occurs in early to late May, the consistent mid to high 60s over the past few weeks triggered an earlier blooming period this year. So you should rush over and catch the sight in person ASAP. The first ornamental cherry trees were planted in 2013 to commemorate the 120th anniversary of the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, which occurred in the park. In 2016, 50 additional trees were planted to honor the relationship between Chicago and Japan. Over the next few years, more trees were planted on the border of the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry. Last year, 60 additional ones took over the 16-acre Wooded Island in the Garden of the Phoenix, marking the 60th anniversary of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Chicago.  That brings the total number of cherry trees in the area to 190—with the Parks District hoping to increase that figure to 250 by 2026.  The total cherry trees in the area is 190. The Parks District hopes to con