Hudson Heights in Upper Manhattan

12 August 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, New York City Reading Time:  26 minutes

George Washington Bridge, Hudson River and Hudson Palisades as seen from West 187th Street and Chittenden Avenue © Beyond My Ken/cc-by-sa-4.0

George Washington Bridge, Hudson River and Hudson Palisades as seen from West 187th Street and Chittenden Avenue
© Beyond My Ken/cc-by-sa-4.0

Hudson Heights is a residential neighborhood of the Washington Heights area of Upper Manhattan, New York City. Most of the residences are in apartment buildings, many of which are cooperatives, and most were constructed in the 1920s through 1940s. The Art Deco style is prominent, along with Tudor Revival. Notable complexes include Hudson View Gardens and Castle Village, which were both developed by Dr. Charles V. Paterno, and were designed by George F. Pelham and his son, George F. Pelham, Jr., respectively.   read more…

Big Sur in California

9 August 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks, Environment Reading Time:  13 minutes

California Highway 1 near Ragged Point © flickr.com - Fred Moore/cc-by-2.0

California Highway 1 near Ragged Point © flickr.com – Fred Moore/cc-by-2.0

Big Sur is a rugged and mountainous section of the Central Coast of California between Carmel Highlands and San Simeon, where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. It is frequently praised for its dramatic scenery. Big Sur has been called the “longest and most scenic stretch of undeveloped coastline in the contiguous United States,” a “national treasure that demands extraordinary procedures to protect it from development” and “one of the most beautiful coastlines anywhere in the world, an isolated stretch of road, mythic in reputation.” The stunning views, redwood forests, hiking, beaches, and other recreational opportunities have made Big Sur a popular destination for about 7 million people who live within a day’s drive and visitors from across the world. The region receives about the same number of visitors as Yosemite National Park, but offers extremely limited bus service, few restrooms, and a narrow two-lane highway with few places to park alongside the road. North-bound traffic during the peak summer season and holiday weekends is often backed up for about 20 miles (32km) from Big Sur Village to Carmel.   read more…

Norfolk in Virginia

7 August 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  10 minutes

USS George Washington in Norfolk Naval Station © U.S. Navy - Mate 3rd Class Summer M. Anderson

USS George Washington in Norfolk Naval Station © U.S. Navy – Mate 3rd Class Summer M. Anderson

Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. In 2017, the population was estimated to be 244,703 making it the second-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Beach. Norfolk is located at the core of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, named for the large natural harbor of the same name located at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. It is one of nine cities and seven counties that constitute the Hampton Roads metro area, officially known as the Virginia Beach-Norfolk-Newport News, VA-NC MSA. The city is bordered to the west by the Elizabeth River and to the north by the Chesapeake Bay. It also shares land borders with the independent cities of Chesapeake to its south and Virginia Beach to its east. Norfolk is one of the oldest cities in Hampton Roads, and is considered to be the historic, urban, financial, and cultural center of the region.   read more…

Boca Raton in Florida

2 August 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Miami / South Florida Reading Time:  18 minutes

Boca Raton is the southernmost city in Palm Beach County, Florida, first incorporated on August 2, 1924 as “Bocaratone,” and then incorporated as “Boca Raton” in 1925. The 2015 population estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau was 93,235. However, approximately 200,000 people with a Boca Raton postal address reside outside its municipal boundaries. Such areas include newer developments like West Boca Raton. As a business center, the city also experiences significant daytime population increases. It is one of the wealthiest communities in South Florida. Boca Raton is 43 miles (69 km) north of Miami and is a principal city of the Miami metropolitan area, which had a population of 6,012,331 people as of 2015.   read more…

Burlington in Vermont

22 July 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  13 minutes

Chittenden County Trust Company Building © Beyond My Ken/cc-by-sa-4.0

Chittenden County Trust Company Building © Beyond My Ken/cc-by-sa-4.0

Burlington is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Chittenden County. It is located 45 miles (72 km) south of the Canada–United States border and 94 miles (151 km) south of Montreal. The city’s population is at 42,000. Burlington is situated on the eastern shore of Lake Champlain, north of Shelburne Bay. It was built on a strip of land extending about 6 miles (9.7 km) south from the mouth of the Winooski River along the lake shore, and rises from the water’s edge to a height of 300 feet (91 m).   read more…

San Francisco Cable Cars

1 July 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, San Francisco Bay Area Reading Time:  14 minutes

© Runner1928/cc-by-sa-3.0

© Runner1928/cc-by-sa-3.0

The San Francisco cable car system is the world’s last manually operated cable car system. An icon of San Francisco, the cable car system forms part of the intermodal urban transport network operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway. Of the 23 lines established between 1873 and 1890, only three remain (one of which combines parts of two earlier lines): two routes from downtown near Union Square to Fisherman’s Wharf, and a third route along California Street.   read more…

Elvis Presley’s Graceland in Memphis

24 June 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Museums, Exhibitions, Palaces, Castles, Manors, Parks Reading Time:  18 minutes

© PaddyBriggs

© PaddyBriggs

Graceland is a mansion on a 13.8-acre (5.6 ha) estate in Memphis, Tennessee, once owned by the singer and actor Elvis Presley. His daughter, Lisa Marie Presley, has been the owner of Graceland since the passing of her father. It is located at 3764 Elvis Presley Boulevard in the vast Whitehaven community, about 9 miles (14.5 km) from Downtown and less than four miles (6 km) north of the Mississippi border. It was opened to the public as a museum on June 7, 1982. The site was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on November 7, 1991, and declared a National Historic Landmark on March 27, 2006. Graceland is the second most-visited house in the U.S. after the White House, with over 650,000 visitors a year.   read more…

Montpelier in Vermont

17 June 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General Reading Time:  8 minutes

Vermont College of Fine Arts © Hannahmorris/cc-by-sa-3.0

Vermont College of Fine Arts © Hannahmorris/cc-by-sa-3.0

Montpelier is the capital city of the U.S. state of Vermont and the seat of Washington County. As the site of Vermont’s state government, it is the least populous state capital in the United States. The population is at 7,600. However, the daytime population grows to about 21,000, due to the large number of jobs within city limits. The Vermont College of Fine Arts, the annual Green Mountain Film Festival and New England Culinary Institute are located in the municipality. The Vermont History Museum, operated in The Pavilion by the Vermont Historical Society, and the Vermont State House are attractions. The majority of businesses in the downtown area, mostly retail, are locally owned. The city was named after Montpellier, a city in the south of France.   read more…

Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles

10 June 2019 | Author/Destination: | Rubric: General, Greater Los Angeles Area, Environment Reading Time:  6 minutes

© panoramio.com - Ameer Attia/cc-by-3.0

© panoramio.com – Ameer Attia/cc-by-3.0

The Hollywood Hills is a hillside neighborhood of the same name in the central region of the city of Los Angeles. The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains. The neighborhood touches Studio City, Universal City and Burbank on the north, Griffith Park on the north and east, Los Feliz on the southeast, Hollywood on the south and Hollywood Hills West on the west. It includes Forest Lawn Memorial Park, the Hollywood Reservoir, the Hollywood Sign, the Hollywood Bowl and the John Anson Ford Theater.   read more…

Return to TopReturn to Top