Two If By Sea: Mandarin Oriental Links Luxury Travelers For An Iconic New York-Boston Adventure

I've lived in New York for more than a decade, and during a recent visit to Japan, I saw three major differences in how public spaces are utilized to the best of their potential in Tokyo.

New York is one of 23 states where recreational marijuana is now legal. Travelers aged 21 and older may possess up to three ounces of cannabis (24 grams of concentrated cannabis) and consumption is permitted in most public spaces where smoking and vaping are allowed. Limitations still apply and you might feel more comfortable saving your dispensary haul for the end of the day – nodding off on the subway isn’t going to do you any favors. Get a bite of the Big Apple high life and revel in some post-hike hashish at these cannabis-friendly Airbnbs in New York State.

As a flock of noisy jet skiers circle the Statue of Liberty on a warm October evening, Matthew Rhys looks out at the horizon. “There’s a Welsh word, hiraeth, which is loosely translated to ‘a longing for home,’" he says. “But it's something slightly more than that. It's a longing for something that can never be again.”

Breeze Airways is adding a new route from Long Island, New York.

My family of four has been to the Legoland New York theme park for day trips, but we'd never stayed on the property before since it's only a 90-minute drive from my home in New York City.

The head of Airbnb, the world's largest vacation rental platform, issued a warning to travelers considering a trip to New York City over the next year.

A-list stars including Olivia Ponton, Martha Stewart, and Kate Bock attribute their stunning complexions to NYC based dermatologist Dr. Dhaval Bhanusali. His non-celebrity patients, meanwhile, fly into town from all over the world for the sole purpose of an appointment with him and to experience his newest innovation: Aesthetica Skin Lab - at his Hudson Dermatology and Laser Surgery practice.

In the spring of 2023, the New York City portfolio of Moxy Hotels expanded into another borough with the opening of Moxy Williamsburg, where it is courting more than guests. The Moxy brand property is the partner of the WNBA basketball team, New York Liberty, through an agreement that began this past June.

The Danish chef Mads Refslund first began working on Ilis, his new restaurant in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, in 2016. After years of high-profile jobs at places like Manhattan’s Acme and Shou Sugi Ban House in the Hamptons, Refslund, a co-founder of Noma, wanted a permanent space where he could create an immersive culinary experience. The open kitchen, and its live fire grill, is at the center of the 4,800-square foot room on Green Street. The space has 17-foot ceilings with wooden beams and exposed brick walls; custom rosewood tables and leather banquettes frame the perimeter (though a few counter seats provide the best vantage of a meal coming together). “This is about transparency,” Refslund says. The name Ilis is a portmanteau of sorts, with meaning “fire” in Danish and meaning “ice.” It’s a nod to the dichotomous spirit of the restaurant — serious cooking with laid-back dinner party vibes. The menu allows guests to choose from a selection of primary ingredients, say New England scallops or Pennsylvania wild duck, and, in some cases, style of preparation (raw or grilled, for example). The seasonal cuisine is informed by Refslund’s Scandinavian upbringing, as well as his travels to Japan and Mexico City. But, the chef says, “hopefully, it will just become a New York restaurant,” a reflection of the city he now calls home.

Born in California, Alex Brightman is a two-time Tony nominee and writer living in New York City. He loves watching baseball and basketball when he's not on stage. Right now you can see him as Richard Dreyfuss in “The Shark is Broken” on Broadway.

“Fire Island is a very special place, especially for queer people,” Jimi Urquiaga, a.k.a. Missleidy Rodriguez, told me. While that might seem like a statement of the obvious, Urquiaga has experienced the island from an atypical vantage point: for the past two summers, they've been packing up their life in New York City as a costume designer, producer, creative director and drag queen to come work at the Pines’ plant shop, CAMP. Urquiaga called me on their break, sitting behind a desk at the plant shop, with a view overlooking the bay. “So that’s the fantasy,” they said with a laugh after describing their surroundings.

In a mere half-decade, Istanbul, where the whispers of Byzantine antiquity meld with the rhythm of a bustling metropolis, has unfurled architectural marvels that continue to captivate and astonish. This metamorphosis greets visitors upon arrival: The colossal Istanbul Airport, unveiled in 2018, presents columns that echo Ottoman splendor, juxtaposed against modern art installations like the evocative Wish Tree and the kinetic Istanbul in Motion mural. Remarkably, this nexus ushers in over 90 million travelers annually, eclipsing even the iconic Hagia Sophia's draw.