Have you ever heard of La Démence? It’s a party that takes place in Brussels. This will be its 26th anniversary. Our London-based correspondent Jonas Rask told us about it and even found an airline discount that will come in handy if you make European connections.
Brussels-based La Démence has its 26th year celebration weekend starting 30th October, and you can expect 3 full days and nights of complete and utter debauchery. It’s Europe’s most fun gay party event – for its sheer mix of muscle queens, country bumpkins and drag queens and its international atmosphere. Expect quite a few flights being booked solid with Eastern European hotties travelling to town. Brussels Airlines also offers 10% off its entire Europe and Middle East network (use code: DEM2015 on the booking page). Hotels are already booking up.
If you can’t make this weekend, head over to the site for their other parties and events including an annual gay cruise.
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Every issue of ManAboutWorld is packed full of essential and inspiring travel information including City Seen, a round-up of new (or new to us) hotels, restaurants, attractions and events brought to us from global gay destinations by our correspondents.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS Hyatt Centric The Loop Chicago
The first of a new Hyatt lifestyle brand that aims to be at the center of where you want to be, the 257-room hotel set in a historic building stakes its claim in Chicago’s premier business district. It couldn’t be more perfectly placed if we picked it ourselves. Oh, that’s right, we did. From museums and architecture boat tours to the Magnificent Mile and every kind of restaurant you can imagine — the Windy City is yours for the taking. The renovated 1920s-era Art Deco skyscraper (with some stunning views) offers bright, modern rooms with free WiFi, flat-screen TVs and iPod docks, mini-fridges and coffeemakers. Upgrade for a city view room with separate sitting area. Hotel amenities include a decent fitness center, the Cochon Volant (flying pig) French restaurant, with a casual yet crisp air, a bakery and a rooftop bar with fab views.
DALLAS, TEXAS Cafe Momentum For a unique dining experience that will also make you feel good about yourself, head over to Café Momentum, a non-profit restaurant designed to provide troubled youth with valuable skills that will prepare them to enter the workforce and teach them responsibility, hopefully setting them on the right path for the future. Under the guidance of Chef Eric Shelton, the “interns” here work as servers, dishwashers, cooks, and even do the laundry for the clothes worn here by the workers. Not only is this place a great opportunity to see some terrific service to the community in action, but the food is good too!
MIAMI, FLORIDA 1 Hotel South Beach
Opened amid a flurry of new hotel brand launches around the world, 1 Hotel South Beach has been living up to its hype and has been garnering a lot of favorable press and attention among hotel critics and guests alike. This months-old oceanfront resort boasts spacious, light-drenched rooms (700 square feet on average) and an eco-consciousness baked into its DNA: the very comfortable mattresses are hemp-blend, there is a fleet of electric Teslas at your disposal (distance parameters apply), there are no bottled waters or disposable shampoo bottles and the entry key is made of wood! Also in tune with the major hotel trend of experiential travel, you’ll find a range of experiences on offer from kayaking in a nearby mangrove (which we did … it was amazing!) to stargazing and more. Tom Colicchio’s Beachcraft restaurant is delicious and well worth visiting even if you don’t stay at the hotel. Hotel development plans call for an 18,000-square-foot fitness center and a spa.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK Whitney Museum of American Art My god, where do we start? The Whitney is a triumph of art and architecture and it represents an emphatic exclamation point on the development of a part of town that was once best known for its slaughterhouses. The Meatpacking district’s cobblestone streets are now dotted by chic boutiques, tony bistros, camera-toting tourists and the starting point of the fabulous High Line elevated park. The industrial-looking Whitney sits at the very beginning of the High Line and offers views from every level of the museum both inside and outside. The art is, of course, simply stunning. The current exhibit, America Is Hard to See, includes a who’s who of modern American art works from the early 1900s through the present, opening with one of Marsden Hartley’s iconic images of gay love and war. Start on the 8th floor and make your way down to the 5th floor via the stairs to enjoy the unexpected views from each level. Check this link out for free tours.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA Cockscomb Restaurant Open since December 2014 and set in a former shoe factory in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood, the suggestively named restaurant is the brainchild of Top Chef winner and James Beard Award-winning chef Chris Cosentino along with partner Oliver Wharton (who’s known for his nightlife-related projects in Las Vegas). Bring your carnivore friends. You’ll find meat-centric fare with a Spanish accent and lots of pork dishes like crispy pig’s ear and wood oven-roasted pig’s head and more daring offerings like sweetbreads and bone marrow and offal. We love the exposed concrete walls and high ceilings and the local artwork though it can be a bit loud when it’s crowded, which is like every night. But that’s ok. Start with a Negroni aperitif and work your way through some of the fabulous Spanish wines on offer and you will become one with the joyful din. After, head over to one of the many gay bars clustered in the SoMa area including Powerhouse on the weekends (if you’re feeling naughty).
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The Modern, the sleek restaurant inside the Museum of Modern Art, was boosted from one-star to two, and more the sixty restaurants received one star throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The article said, “The rankings are to be announced Wednesday night at a reception at the Manhattan Classic Car Club. (Michelin is a tire company, after all.) Unlike in past years, Michelin declined to release the ratings to reporters under a news embargo to help them prepare for the announcement. But those grand plans took a detour, as several restaurants, informed of their awards, posted the news on Twitter and other social media. So Michelin agreed to release the news in the afternoon.
The Michelin Guide New York City 2016, which lists nearly 900 restaurants, goes on sale Thursday for $18.99. For the complete ranking: michelinmedia.com.”
For more about where to stay, eat, and what to do, download ManAboutWorld on the iTunes App Store or Google Play. We support iPads, iPhones and Android devices. There are a few FREE publications in all of the apps, and you can click here to register for a FREE three-month subscription.
Elizabeth, the UK’s beloved queen, returned to Buckingham Palace last month as the longest-reigning British monarch. Every August and September, royalty fans worldwide have a unique opportunity to tour the grand public rooms of Buckingham Palace. Soven if you are not invited to one of the queen’s elegant garden parties, you can certainly spend a weekend in London and you too can live like a king or queen.
Man about town and ManAboutWorld correspondent Jeff Guaracino tells you how to plan on your own royal visit next year.
A visit to the palace is extraordinary — even when Elizabeth is not in residence. This year’s tour, which ended Sept. 28, is called A Royal Welcome, and takes you through the public rooms of Buckingham Palace to experience what it is like to attend an event at the invitation of Her Majesty The Queen. Ticket prices are about 20 pounds (about $30.50) and benefit the Royal Trust Collection. A walk through the gardens ends your trip (after you depart the gift shop!). Check the site and start planning for next year’s tour.
As you enter the palace, you follow in the footsteps of heads of state, prime ministers and all the other guests from every walk of life by entering the palace’s state rooms through the grand entrance. Your can imagine yourself arriving to the palace as a royal as you pass by an Australian stagecoach, displayed at the grand-entrance portico, where Her Majesty departs and returns to Buckingham Palace by carriage for ceremonial processions.
The palace ballroom is set for a state banquet, with the table dressed with silver-gilt centerpieces and a candelabra from George IV’s magnificent grand service. It is the showstopper of the tour. You can almost hear the music and the toast — it’s a real treat to see the event from the queen’s perspective right behind her chair.
ManAboutWorld correspondent Paul J. Heney,his partner and their two growing boys brought back this report from Baltimore after a recent visit. No kids? No worries! You don’t need progeny to enjoy this article or learn practical and important trip-planning information about Baltimore, like the use of Old Bay. You don’t know what that is? Read on!
WHERE
Baltimore has always seemed to me to be a bit misplaced — it has that “big city with a small town feel” that so many Midwestern cities tout. But this metropolitan area of 2.7 million people is strategically placed on the East Coast, about 45 minutes north of our nation’s capital. It’s easily accessible from New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. And its modern airport has always gotten our family through efficiently. It’s not much more than an hours flight from places like Chicago or Atlanta, so it’s a nice option for a long family weekend.
WHY GO TO BALTIMORE
Baltimore’s famed Inner Harbor is the center of its attractions, and the density of things to do in such a small area makes it an ideal vacation spot for families of all shapes and sizes. The collection of museums, variety of restaurants, and waterfront activities can quickly fill up a weekend, making you wish you’d planned a few more days in this aptly named “Charm City.”
Weather is generally pleasant from spring through fall, although humidity can occasionally be overbearing in the middle of summer, so be forewarned. Baltimore has a great variety of festivals (including gay celebrations) throughout the year, so you may wish to check out the calendar at VisitBaltimore.combefore planning your visit.
GAY FACTOR
While neighboring Washington, D.C. may get more media attention for its gay life, Baltimore holds its own with its queer vibe. The “gayborhood,” if you will, is the lovely Mount Vernon neighborhood, just north of the city center, and its environs are quite LGBT popular and friendly. There are numerous theaters, art museums and gay establishments dotting this area. And who can forget that Baltimore is the beloved home of iconic director John Walters? Fellow Hollywood writers Barry Levinson and David Simon also grew up in the city. Annual LGBT-oriented events in the city include:
According to Tom Noonan, President and CEO of Visit Baltimore, his organization has an LGBT Tourism Advisory Committee that includes many of the city’s family-focused attractions, including the National Aquarium, Maryland Zoo in Baltimore and the American Visionary Art Museum. Noonan noted that there is a Baltimore LGBT Visitors Guidehttp://issuu.com/baltimoregaylife/docs/baltimorelgbtguide2014?e=1223151/7404635 that is produced by GayLife, the local gay monthly. The Visitors Guide offers a wealth of knowledge, with sections on accommodations, restaurants, nightlife, shopping, congregations, neighborhoods, and even a wedding guide.
For more about where to stay, eat, and what to do, download ManAboutWorld on the iTunes App Store or Google Play. We support iPads, iPhones and Android devices. There are a few FREE publications in all of the apps, and you can click here to register for a FREE three-month subscription.
Madrid is both vibrant and international, a melting pot like New York andLondon, and worthy of the comparison. But what does it mean to be aMadrileño? It’s not Andalusia, the country’s southernmost region and the birthplace of flamenco; it’s not San Sebastian, the gastronomical mecca to the north. Yet, you’ll find their influences in the city’s nightlife, style and food. Think of Madrid as a sort of world stage where the best of the country has come to play, cook, perform, and do whatever it takes to stand out. From the bullfighting in Pamplona to the lyrical language of the Catalans in Barcelona, you’ll find it all in the streets of Madrid. Despite a stubbornly high unemployment rate of 24%Spain’s economy is among the fastest growing economies in Europe. Tourism is thriving and American travelers benefit from an exchange rate that is much more favorable for U.S. dollar holders than it has been in a long time ($1.10 per euro as of press time).
FIVE NEIGHBORHOODS TO KNOW
If Barcelona is Spain’s daytime city, where you spend sunny days touring Gaudí architecture and splashing around on perfect beaches, then Madrid is its older, cooler brother who only goes out at night. It’s a nighttime city, but that doesn’t mean you need to stay holed up in bars. Like other metropolises of its size and magnitude, Madrid is rich with interesting neighborhoods. It’s estimated that more than half a million LGBT people live in Madrid, with many of them domiciled in or frequent visitors to these top neighborhoods.
The first neighborhood savvy gay travelers need to know is Chueca, Madrid’s quintessential gayborhood. Centrally located Chueca is where you’ll find the highest concentration of gay bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes, saunas, shops and, well, gay people. If a vibrant neighborhood with immense gay nightlife options is what you want, this is your top choice.
Malasaña is the gay hipster neighborhood just west of Chueca and bordered by the popular shopping street,
Madrid muscle bears
Fuencarral. While Chueca might be seen as a neighborhood of gay stereotypes, Malasaña is more diverse with LGBT people of all types giving it a more open feel. It’s become very popular in the past decade and is filled with unique shops, restaurants and bars. Malasaña is where you’ll find a tattoo shop next to a gin bar across the street from a building decked out in graffiti-like street art where they’re serving up sushi. Given its proximity and central location, you’re still in walking distance to all the gay venues next door in Chueca but with a more intimate and unique style.
Located on the southern edge of central Madrid, La Latina is another neighborhood to know, and an up-and-coming place that’s now one of the true hipster neighborhoods in Madrid. La Latina boys are quick to tell you that Malasaña has become too mainstream. It’s where you’ll find the best tapas, diverse nightlife, a bigger immigrant community and the Rastro — the largest weekly Sunday market in Spain. La Latina is just a 20-minute walk from Chueca and most other main areas.
Sol is the most centrally located neighborhood in the city. It’s where the tourists are most prevalent, and gay-focused establishments are fewer. You’ll see concerts and demonstrations in Puerta del Sol and Callao plazas.
On the eastern side of central Madrid is Retiro, close to the gorgeous Retiro Park, a greenspace of magnificent sculptures and monuments. If you’re looking for a quieter, more outdoor-fitness-focused atmosphere, Retiro would be a good choice: it’s packed with outdoor walking and jogging paths, and an outdoor fitness area where hot shirtless guys (and some women) work out.
¡VAMOS A MADRID!
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Menacing pirate ship or sleek black Turkish yacht?!
Travel problems: There comes a time when even the best-planned travel can go wrong. And it is usually not your fault. When travel chaos happens, remember to focus, resolve and resume. ManAboutWorld correspondent Jeff Guaracino shares his secret.
Travel problems happen: Last month’s column alerted readers to expect the unexpected, like lost luggage, stolen items, missed connections, hotel mix-ups and tourist traps. The difference between a dream trip and a lost dream trip depends on how you react to the travel problem. It is not what happens, but rather what you do next. If you have a travel problem:
Focus. Above all, take action but don’t panic. Be very specific on what you need to do now to resume your trip as planned. Don’t get distracted. Resolution or viable alternatives will be your mantras.
Lost or stolen credit card? Cancel it now. You are not liable for charges made after you cancel your card. If you don’t know your credit card number (who does?), don’t worry! The credit-card issuer can find it for you by asking you questions, including your Social Security number. Don’t know the number to call? Google it. You just need to know the bank’s name that issued your credit card, like TD Bank or Citibank. Credit cards offer more protection than debit cards. Your credit card can also offer lots of perks in travel drama like lost-luggage protection, overnight-card replacement or referrals to reputable businesses.
Lost or stolen credit card? Cancel it now. You are not liable for charges made after you cancel your card. If you don’t know your credit card number (who does?), don’t worry! The credit-card issuer can find it for you by asking you questions, including your Social Security number. Don’t know the number to call? Google it. You just need to know the bank’s name that issued your credit card, like TD Bank or Citibank. Credit cards offer more protection than debit cards. Your credit card can also offer lots of perks in travel drama like lost-luggage protection, overnight-card replacement or referrals to reputable businesses.
Missed airline connection? Get on the next available flight. If you are waiting in line to talk to an airline customer-service representative, call the airline on your cell phone. The main goal is to get to anyone who quickly can rebook your flight ASAP. Airline seats are hard to find since flights are flying full. If you wait in a long line of pesky travelers ahead of you all trying to get to the same place, you will lose time to snag that last seat.
Hotel doesn’t have your reservation? Take a printed receipt of your confirmation from the hotel or take a picture of it on your phone. Like airlines, hotels can “oversell” and may want to “walk” you to another hotel. “Walk” is an industry term for when the hotelier intentionally oversells its hotel with the expectation that some people will not show up and the hotel can keep the rate. Insist on being “walked” one night only and to a hotel that is equal or better than the one you book. Immediately post your experience on Trip Advisor. Right now! Hotels are afraid of negative reviews. Be specific and not emotional in your review.Continue reading “Facing Travel Problems: Focus, Resolve, Resume!”
Human pony play participants ride in carriages through Folsom Street Fair in San Francisco
Folsom Street Fair, the biggest, most legendary leather fetish party in the world is getting ready to takeover San Francisco on Sunday. The annual celebration of leather, fetish and BDSM communities brings hundreds of thousands of people to SoMa. The city is expecting some 400,000 to take over 13 city blocks to “indulge their fetishes, shed their clothes, dance, play and gawk,” according to SFGate.The official Folsom entertainment, which takes place across five stages, will be provided by artists like Ladyhawke, Missing Persons and DJ Vin Soul. But we all know the real show happens in the street.
Now in its 8th year, the street fair takes place on Folsom Street between eighth and 13th streets. For more information about Folsom, visit their website here.
A few tips for first-timers from our friends at SFist: You May See Some Things You Can Not Un-See; You Do Not Have To Wear Leather, Or Be Gay; Leave Dogs And Kids At Home; Do Not Try To Drive Through Town On Sunday; Ask Before Taking Photos (or touching!)
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Our beloved NomadicBoys and their infamous teaspoons
The July/August issue’s Memento was “our indispensable teaspoon” submitted by the peripatetic NomadicBoys, our roving correspondents and a handsome, gregarious, adventurous (and perhaps sticky fingered?!;) gay couple telling tales of their travels. In this section of the magazine our correspondents and readers share something they may have, well… acquired on the road that become an object they can’t leave for home without. Do you have such a memento you’d like to share? Let us know!
Aboard the Trans-Siberian railway, the fierce old ladyProvodnitsas, train attendants look after each carriage snarling at your every move. The samovars, tea urns, dispensing hot water allow you to produce tea/soup/coffee from sachets. These obviously need a teaspoon to stir them, which Madame Provodnitsa loaned to us. We never gave it back. This simple treasure has not only become a memento of our Trans-Siberian adventure but also an indispensable tool during our travels. Along with our Swiss army knife, this simple teaspoon has unlocked the pleasures of our favorite fruit (papayas) on the beach in the Maldives or at the Kuang Si Falls in Laos. This little spoon has become so important to us that we’ve now “acquired” a second one! Too bad for Madame Provodnitsa. If only she would smile more. Follow the NomadicBoys, Stefan Arestis and Sébestien Chaneac, at nomadicboys.com.
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With Pope Francis gallivanting around the United States, we visited Vatican City, an independent city-state surrounded by Rome and HQ of the Roman Catholic Church. It’s home to the pope and a countless treasures of iconic art and architecture.
A visit to Rome is not complete without a visit to the pope’s hometown, Vatican City and particular the Vatican Museums. We engaged in a a self-guided tour but you can also take a gay-oriented tour of the Vatican by our friends at the gay tour operator Quiiky. They point out some of the most LGBT-oriented art hidden in plain site.
Here are a few photos from our trip.
WIth that, it’s time to get back to your TV (or via a livestream like this at CNNGo) and watch the Pope’s arrival in Washington, D.C and travels to NYC and Philadelpia.
Entrance to the Sistine Chapel. No pictures allowed inside
Detail from a door at the Vatican
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The LGBTQ Travel Expert. Educator. Speaker. Author. 