The soothing color palette and decadent comfort of the elegantly appointed guest rooms will strip the city stress from you in no time. Sink into overstuffed duvets and linens of the finest Egyptian cotton; feel like you’ve entered your own personal spa in bathrooms with radiant heat, over-sized walk-in showers, sumptuous towels and bathrobes. Each room also features a private balcony overlooking the Esopus Creek falls, gourmet mini-bars with hand selected local goodies, complimentary wifi and iPod/iPhone docking stations.

To truly pamper yourself, snag one of hotel’s the spacious King Suites complete with living areas and rustic fireplaces. Or, after a day on the slopes at nearby Hunter Mountain or Windham, spend a relaxing evening in-room starting with a spa treatment followed by a sumptuous dinner and bottle of wine delivered by the Tavern.

The accomplished Chef Napoli expertly combines his training at the CIA with his Sicilian family heritage to deliver gourmet farm to table menus incorporating the Hudson Valley’s finest ingredients. High-quality meats, fish, house-made pastas, breads and pastries are just some of delectables in store. Diamond Mills Tavern also features local craft brews, hand-crafted cocktails, using spirits from local distilleries, and a selection of the finest wines from New York State and around the world.

Dining options abound to suit all needs: al fresco on the sweeping deck overlooking the falls, cozying up in a booth by the fire of the main dining room, grabbing a quick bite at the bar, in the Library, or on the Mezzanine.

Just like the hotel, the town is a mix of country and trendy with lots of fun finds on Main and Partition Streets. Highly recommended is a stop at Miss Lucy’s Kitchen, a cozy farmhouse restaurant with a daily market menu featuring locally sourced ingredients that are masterfully mixed for a surprisingly sophisticated taste sensation.

Be sure to save room for a raspberry truffle, almond bark or one of the many other hand dipped treats at Krause’s Chocolates. Stroll among the boutiques and antique shops and definitely plan a visit to Partition Street Wine Shop. They have an amazing selection of affordably priced wines to stock up the home cellar.

In celebration of the hotel’s opening, they’re offering a special to guests for a short time only: book two nights in any room and get a complimentary, champagne breakfast served in-room, available now through January 13, 2011.

A weekend getaway at this Hudson Valley luxury hotel will leave you replenished and ready to conquer the concrete jungle yet again.

Since first offering their tours in 1999, they’ve researched and fine-tuned; the results are immersive NYC food tours that also explore the culture of Manhattan’s most popular and diverse neighborhoods.

Even the most veteran of New Yorkers will learn or taste something new. Foods of New York Tours combine the great local, ethnic eats New York is famous for, from street food to sitdown restaurants, with the history, culture, architecture, and entertainment offerings of the neighborhood.

The Central Greenwich Village/Soho tour, which is compact in physical distance (your legs won’t grow weary during the three hours), is anything but short on taste and fun NYC facts.

From Washington Square Park to Spring Street, between munching on falafels, freshly baked rosemary focaccia, spicy beef empanadas, stuffed paratha and other ethnic delicacies, you’ll also learn about the neighborhood’s history and how it got its flavor.

Past to present, the evolving influences of the residents are revealed, from immigrant life in the tenements, the once Little Aftica that is now quiet Minetta Lane, to the literary crowd that frequented Le Figaro Cafe, as are the architectural roots such as “piazza-esque” Washington Square with its Arc de Triomphe archway and secret door.

Over the three hours, you’re treated to six sidewalk and NYC restaurant tastings; more if you join a weekend tour. Foods of NY has excellent relationships with the restaurants so you can meet the chefs, tour the kitchen, ask questions and take pictures (be sure to bring your camera). If you’re lucky, you might also have a star sighting.

Along the way, the guides point out popular shops, restaurants and clubs to come back and visit, and you get a cheat sheet so you don’t have to remember it all or write it down. They’re infinitely more informative than a tourist book since they live in the neighborhood and know the best spots; a great way to escape the midtown trap during the rest of your NYC visit.

They also have food tours through Chelsea Market, Meatpacking District, Chinatown and Nolita; well worth the $49 for three hours of delicious food and a rare, insider’s scoop on the city.

Check out these related articles to make the most of your visit:
The Best Street Food In New York
Five of the Best NYC Wine Bars
Make the Most of Sunday Brunch
Comfort Food at its Finest in NYC
A Cultural Cuisine Tour of NYC

I was a guest of the fine folks of Foods of New York Tours, however the opinions expressed here are solely my own and not influenced in any way by their hospitality.

The exhibit is a collection of works by German scientist turned artist, Carsten Holler, that alter ordinary amusement park rides into experiences where the audience is subject, transforming long accepted perceptions of the space around us and how we fit into it.

There’s a 102 foot slide, a signature Holler installation, that winds from the fourth to the second floor, acting as a transportation chute through the gallery and providing an alternative way for taking in the exhibits. Waivers, helmets and elbow pads are required.

To The Washington Post, Holler describes a slide as “a non-surprising environment, completely predictable, yet when you put yourself in it, you have to let go, losing control. You have no means of mastering the situation.

About the New Museum installation he goes on to say, “I’m proposing to look at the world, at what other experiences you can have, how you can experience your whole outside environment outside your body.”

On the slowly turning Mirror Carousel, riders are surrounded by mirrors and lights, adding an unusual and immersive element to the traditional merry-go-round. Riders are the focal point on this super slow speed carousel forcing a new view of self in relation to the outside world.

Other experiential exhibits include the Double Light Corner, where flashing lights give the feeling of moving space, the Experience Corridor where visitors are welcome to try various experiments, and the Psycho Tank, a sensory deprivation pool in which you float weightless in an “outer body experience” sans clothes.

Holler turned to art in 1993 bringing science to his disorienting art-experiments and inviting visitors to explore the traditional in new ways.

For more information, visit the New Museum website.

Flickr: Cea

Nonetheless, these travel tips will help you save money, time and aggravation.

It may not seem glamorous, but one of the best ways to save money is to make sure your online booking is correct at the time of purchase.

Avoiding mistakes will eliminate change or cancel fees, and a potentially higher flight cost later.

Simple human errors during the booking process that end up costing more later happen all the time: typos, misspellings, rushing, distractions.

Hey, we’re all busy. But save yourself with these five mistakes to avoid when booking online:

1. Check city and airport selections:
When starting your travel search, make sure to type in the entire destination name and review and select airports from the drop down menu carefully. All too often the search tool will automatically read the first three letters and default to an airport code rather than a destination city.

Airlines and online travel agencies (CheapOair, Expedia, Orbitz, etc) dish up results differently, so be on the look out for flights with varying departure and arrival airports. Also, to display the lowest cost flight, an airport nearby the one you selected may pop to the top of the list. Check both departure and arrival flights before moving on in the booking process.

2. Check that names are spelled correctly:
This is an area ripe for accidental typos. Of course you know how to spell your name, but typos can happen and security in some countries are actually particular that the ticket name match the id used exactly. Be sure they match to avoid problem getting through security.

3. Check that travel dates are entered correctly:
This is particularly true with mobile apps when it can be tricky to scroll the calendar forward. It seems like a no-brainer, but when in a hurry it’s easy to make the mistake of clicking on the calendar month that opens up and forgetting to scroll to the desired travel month.

4. Check itinerary before you hit purchase:
Do a final check of all travel details before hitting the purchase button, including your credit card number. Also if you’re booking connecting flights, make sure you’ve left enough time between flights to get through the airport, less than an hour is cutting it close. If you rushed through the process, this is the time to slow down and really pay attention.

5. Check the confirmation post purchase:
Don’t just acknowledge that it hit your email inbox. Actually crack it open and confirm that it is exactly what you wanted to book. This is your last chance to make changes without penalties. In most cases you have 24 hours to contact the airline or online travel agency to make an adjustment without incurring change fees or additional costs.

Take responsibility during the booking process, you’ll save time, money and aggravation.

flickr: Ho Jon Lee

Over the last several years, New York street food has evolved into quite the gourmet culinary experience with new and diverse food trucks popping up around Manhattan and the burroughs, raising the bar in street cuisine. This year alone brought new entrants with specialties including lobster rolls, organic ice cream, artisanal grilled cheese, uniquely flavored slushes, specialty cupcakes and Korean BBQ.

And last weekend they all vied for bragging rights as the city’s best street vendor at the 7th Annual Vendy Awards. Held on Governors Island, this year drew the event’s largest crowds, eager to taste and cast their votes. The most coveted award, the Vendy Cup, is decided by a panel of experts. The remaining five categories are awarded by popular vote.

For the ultimate in NYC sidewalk dining, make your way to the 2011 Vendy Award winners:

Vendy Cup
Top honors went to Solber Pupusas for their traditional Salvadoran corn patties stuffed with meat, cheese and veggies. Owners Reina and Rafael have been vending for 12 years and were a Vendy Finalist in 2008. You can find their Central American and Caribbean specialties around Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Flea, Smorgasburg and Red Hook ball fields and get updates on twitter: @solberpupusas

People’s Taste Award
Popular vote went to Souvlaki GR, moving up in status from 2010 Rookie of the Year for their killer souvlaki. Quite a recommendation from New Yorkers as their truck has been on the road for a mere 400 days. To try their traditional Greek pork pita souvlaki with tyro kefteri (spicy feta & dill) and greek fries find their location on twitter: @souvlakitruck

Rookie of the Year
Also a new entrant to the competitive NYC street food scene is Korilla BBQ, this year’s Rookie of the Year winner for their juicy Korean BBQ and top notch kimchi. For unique BBQ, try Korilla’s Ribeye of the Tiger, Porkinator, Wonderbird or Tofuture specialties. Find their location on twitter: @KorillaBBQ

Best Dessert
There are no shortage of dessert options on New York’s streets and this year saw quite a number of new entrants in the all important confection category. The 2011 Best Dessert Vendy went to newbie Wooly’s Ice, who beat out some tough competitors with their unique twist on ice cream. Their delicious, refreshing and healthy Taiwanese and Hawaiian inspired ice is exquisitely flavored and shaved super thin and fluffy.
Find them in front of 79 Elizabeth Street and on twitter: @WoolysIce

Best of New Jersey
It just wouldn’t be complete if the Vendy’s didn’t recognize the 6th burrough and the growing food truck trend across the river in Hoboken. Winner of the first ever Best of New Jersey Vendy award went to the Taco Truck for their all-natural, authentic Mexican street food, most notably their tasty tacos al pastor and corn on the cob. They roam around Hoboken, Jersey City and Newark, follow them at @TheTacoTruck

flickr: kthread

It’s a slow roll out.

Starting Tuesday, cell phone service will be available at six subway stations as a “pilot program”. So, if you’re lucky enough to be a regular subway rider at the pilot stations and be either a T-Mobile or AT&T mobile customer (no word on Verizon yet), then subway cell service is in your immediate future.

AT&T and T-Mobile customers will be able make calls and go online via their cell and smart phones on platforms at stations along the 14th Street corridor, including the A, C, E, F, L, M, 1, 2, and 3 platforms and at the C and E 23rd Street station platforms.

The MTA is throwing in a surprise….it’s not quite clear from the announcement whether mobile service will work between stations or be limited to the platform….but we’ll find out in a few days.

In addition to having quick access to the outside world in the event of an emergency and instant alerts on service (which never seem to be broadcast well over the PA), the promise of data access while riding the subway is exciting.

For the rest of us New Yorkers and Big Apple tourists who ride the subway outside of the “pilot program” stations, we have to wait another several years. The plan is for all underground subway stations to be up and running with mobile access by 2016.

Flickr: Paul Lowry

Source: Gothamist

If you’re looking for something to do this weekend, then head to the TT Underground gallery in the East Village, NYC for the last few days of the Ghost exhibit.

The gallery has been running a solo exhibit of Ghost’s new work, a painting series titled Then and Now. The brilliant colors are easily recognizable as the legendary NYC subway graffiti artist, yet something new emerges. The synthesis is best captured in this excerpt by Barrie Cline from the TT Underground:

“…there is something of the old intensity–a visual measure of the lengths he was and is willing to go- that marks this recent abstract work. Something has broken through and broken free. The mastery and confidence is there, even the taunting, graphic lines of the old character/letter mutation, but something has happened in this push though into complete abstraction.

Kaleidoscopic forms that both forge and break their ties to graffiti undulate in front of a moody, murky atmosphere that conjures the dark smudge of old New York or an unconscious at home in dank spaces of the cities’ underground.

The urban, otherworldly space he has created, fore grounded by the glimmering, twisting forms viscerally pushing to the front, signal a startling originality and immediacy characteristic of GHOST’s infamous work of old—embarking on completely new territory.”

TT Underground is located on 91 2nd Avenue – Lower Level, in the East Village

HT: Vandalog

It’s not surprising then that our memory of a destination is indelibly shaped by our culinary experiences: a particular dish, spice, drink, or even a restaurant.  Most travelers associate a place with a certain food: Chicago is deep dish pizza, Morocco tagine, Montreal bagels (sorry New Yorkers), Granada tapas, and so on.  

It makes sense really since drinking and eating are social activities, and when on vacation, they become expectations rather than guilty indulgences. 

With that in mind, here are five wild culinary experiences that will impart a lasting memory of the travel destination and make for great stories with which to regale your friends. 

Pay it forward: Ogori is a Japanese word meaning to treat somebody else to food and that’s the philosophy at Ogori Cafe in Kashiwa, Japan…with a twist. Patrons can only buy food for someone else, but the trick is that each person is ordering for the person behind them so you never know what you’ll end up with until the food arrives. Trying to stack the deck in your favor will be shut down quickly by the staff, so don’t even bother. Have an open mind and be generous to the patrons behind you, you’ll be surprised by people’s kindness and even meet some folks along the way. 

Dining Aloft: Diners at Soneva Kiri Spa Resort, on the Thai island of Kood, have a slew of interesting options, but The Dining Pod is the most innovative of the lot. At 16 feet above ground and constructed of woven rattan, it’s like eating in a cocoon with amazing panoramic views of Kood’s lush tropical rainforest. Parties up to four board the pod and are elevated to the lofty height for a remote and exclusive dining experience served by a flying waiter harnessed to a zip line.

The most eccentric: Kenny Shopsin, owner and chef of Shopsins in New York City, is a legend in and out of the Big Apple for his eccentric menu, gruff attitude towards patrons and wacky food philosophy. Shopsins menu has a mind blowing 900 items at any given time including Slutty Cakes and Blisters on My Sisters. But the real experience is Kenny himself. Be prepared to follow his “house rules”, which can change at any time based on Kenny’s mood, or you won’t be served. This except from Kenny’s book, Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin, says it all: 

“Customers in this country have been raised to believe that they are “always right.” Their neuroses are coddled and their misbehaviors tolerated for their patronage and their money by every restaurateur in America. But not by ME. My approach at Shopsins is the exact OPPOSITE of “the customer is always right.” Until I know the people, until they show me that they are worth cultivating as customers, I’m not even sure I WANT their patronage.”

Under the sea: As if the tranquility and beauty of the Maldives with coral reef and sparkling turquoise lagoon aren’t enough, guests at the luxurious Conrad Resort and Spa on Rangali Island are treated to the unique experience of dining under the sea. Ithaa, the resort’s all-glass restaurant is located 16 feet below sea level where diners enjoy not only world-class Maldavian-Western fusion cuisine, but 180 degree reef and marine views.

Ice Bar: Las Vegas holidays are notoriously wild…the pact among friends of “what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” comes to mind from several of my jaunts there. When things get too hot at the tables, head to minus5 ice bar, made completely of ice, it’s sure to cool you down. Don your Eskimo gear on the way in and have a blast exploring the icy architectural masterpiece while sipping a vodka cocktail in custom designed ice glasses made from New Zealand artesian water.

Source: unusual-restaurants.com

Photo credit: Ithaa undersea restaurant courtesy of Conrad Maldives Rangali Island; The Dining Pod courtesy of Soneva Kiri Resort

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If you’re looking for a break from the office grind, then head over to Broadway and 44th to catch the “show” before the cops break it up. He’s scheduled to be there from 2PM to 5PM today.

His designs are painted directly on the models’ bodies and they then become walking street art as they meander through Manhattan. He’s hit up Times Square a number of times in the past. About a month ago he ran into some problems with the police. Although the crowd was psyched, the police arrested him for public lewdness since the models were completely naked prior to the artistic rendering. His last time out he solved for that problem with g-string clad models.

To Golub, it’s an extension of his art and his test of freedom of expression. If you can’t get there today to see Golub’s painted beauties, don’t worry, he’s sure to show up again. He’s painted nudes and topless models in Times Square over two dozens times before. In the meantime, check out this video courtesy of Art Info to see the artist at work.

Flickr: John Ramspott

Well, now there’s an app for that.

TaskRabbit connects you to people who will run those dreaded errands for you, for a fee. The service recently launched in New York City, after success in San Francisco, and New Yorkers are taking to it quickly. Jobs are piling up and there’s a waiting list of runners to be vetted and added as “TaskRabbits”.

No job is too big or too small to find a TaskRabbit match. In addition to the mundane jobs you’d expect to find when searching the iPhone app (house cleaning, home maintenance, painting, laundry, IKEA furniture assembly, grocery shopping), here are some of the more interesting tasks recently completed by a New York TaskRabbit:

1. Help us BBQ

2. Test our mobile website in Manhattan for 10 minutes

3. Pick up beer in DUMBO and deliver to SOHO

4. Change my Facebook profile picture at exactly midnight

5. Get a mani or pedi on us to test our coupon service

6. Meet me at Brooklyn Bridge with flowers for my wife

The TaskRabbit iPhone app is cleverly designed, making posting a job, selecting a task rabbit and payment extremely quick and easy, which is essential for busy New Yorkers looking for immediate results.

Here’s how the app works:

1. Sign up: It’s free, although requires a Facebook account for login (if this freaks you out, head over to their website for email login instead)

2. Post a Task: Provide all the detailed instructions for what you need done and how much you’re willing to pay. The app lets you voice-record a description and upload pictures, so you don’t even have to type (if you’re that lazy). Or, you can sort through other tasks posted and copy one using the spinning carousel. You can also use their guide to see what similar tasks are going for and set your price accordingly. And there’s a real-time map to easily specify task locations.

3. Select a TaskRabbit: TaskRabbits bid on how much they’ll do the job for and you can either have a runner auto assigned based on availability and price, or review offers and TaskRabbit profiles first. TaskRabbits are pre-qualified and background-checked before being hired as runners.

4. Payment: Credit card information is entered when you post your job/profile and TaskRabbit makes the payment for you (after a cut) once the task is completed.

It’s that simple and matches happen quickly, so even your most urgent needs can be met.

TaskRabbit has extended a special offer for Scene by Laurie readers. When posting your task, input the promo code SBLREADERS to get $30 off your first task. So get hopping and report back on your experience.