Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread

[Dr. Blackheart]

Piccolo Forno is a good spot a couple of blocks NW from there through Washington Square.

It is and there are a number of great Italian restaurants there. However, North Beach is historic and a landmark.

That said it was getting a little worn and dusty and I can see why the end of the era is approaching. Hopefully, someone buys it and restores its tradition. Classic

[pbiflyer]

It’s sad but I’ve seen a number of those kind of restaurants close when the original owner or maybe second generation pass away. Kids don’t want to run it. Sometimes they’re sold and the new owners change it. Other times they just close.
Time marches on sadly.

[shoothoops]

It is and there are a number of great Italian restaurants there. However, North Beach is historic and a landmark.

That said it was getting a little worn and dusty and I can see why the end of the era is approaching. Hopefully, someone buys it and restores its tradition. Classic

I can’t speak first hand but what I’ve heard is the opposite of that a bit. The place was refurbished and looked good. But food quality, increased menu prices, staff quality decline since Lorenzo passed away. Mismanagement type of thing more than an aging location. And if those things are true, then the old classic being your grandparents feel would be lost with that. As food quality, strong family customer service etc…was their calling as it wasn’t a trendy spot, but it was a bit of a past power broker spot. (Neither of which are often my thing, but I respect and understand the appeal.)

[Dr. Blackheart]

I can’t speak first hand but what I’ve heard is the opposite of that a bit. The place was refurbished and looked good. But food quality, increased menu prices, staff quality decline since Lorenzo passed away. Mismanagement type of thing more than an aging location. And if those things are true, then the old classic being your grandparents feel would be lost with that. As food quality, strong family customer service etc…was their calling as it wasn’t a trendy spot, but it was a bit of a past power broker spot. (Neither of which are often my thing, but I respect and understand the appeal.)

I mean the 2nd generation is 50 but Leo has other interests like the winery and real estate. Was the restaurant "maintained"? Yes but it wasn't really modernized and trendy which a lot of North Beach places are doing. Tourism kept the coffers full but that iconic appeal was why it didn't modernize. When that tourism base dried up, the rest of your recap about the decline is true about a past its prime clientele, service, etc.

It was time. But it's still sad. That said, it will be gobbled up which is the purpose for the long close.

[shoothoops]

I mean the 2nd generation is 50 but Leo has other interests like the winery and real estate. Was the restaurant "maintained"? Yes but it wasn't really modernized and trendy which a lot of North Beach places are doing. Tourism kept the coffers full but that iconic appeal was why it didn't modernize. When that tourism base dried up, the rest of your recap about the decline is true about a past its prime clientele, service, etc.

It was time. But it's still sad. That said, it will be gobbled up which is the purpose for the long close.

They did a recent remodel. Being trendy was never their thing and they didn’t have to be trendy. My understanding is their problem was regular customers not being as satisfied as they were in the past, separate from being trendy or tourism.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Thanks to everyone who gave Philadelphia suggestions. That city was a ton of fun, I was not expecting to enjoy it that much. My conference ended up being a block from Reading Terminal Market so I ate there every day for lunch. I also found Middle Child Clubhouse and that was possibly the best breakfast sandwich I've ever had.

[21Jumpstreet]

Thanks to everyone who gave Philadelphia suggestions. That city was a ton of fun, I was not expecting to enjoy it that much. My conference ended up being a block from Reading Terminal Market so I ate there every day for lunch. I also found Middle Child Clubhouse and that was possibly the best breakfast sandwich I've ever had.

Love to hear it!!

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Has anyone ever gone to the Olympics before? Best practices for tickets/accommodation etc.

[drewm88]

I lived at Lasalle and Division for 6 years. I absolutely adored the area/location…except for Marathon weekend.  It’s been more than 5 years and I still have the sound of cowbells on an early Sunday morning ringing in my ears 

Only North American city I’ve found to be anything like Chicago was Toronto.

Marathon day was one of our favorites. Although we lived on an earlier part of the course so we probably had smaller crowds and a shorter duration.

[drewm88]

Any Miami recommendations? We’ll have maybe 1.5 days available and are staying in Brickell.

[21Jumpstreet]

Any Miami recommendations? We’ll have maybe 1.5 days available and are staying in Brickell.

Little Havana & Calle Ocho - have a sammy, a mojito, and catch some music.

Take a guided tour of Wynwood Walls.

[Hards Alumni]

Any Miami recommendations? We’ll have maybe 1.5 days available and are staying in Brickell.

My wife and I took this tour:

https://www.viator.com/tours/Miami/Little-Havana-Cultural-and-Historical-Food-Tour/d662-19736P3

We loved it, and never felt pressured to do anything that wasn't on the tour.

Also, just walk the strip of art deco buildings that go alongside Miami Beach.  You don't have a ton of time, but these are the two things I can suggest.

The sand on Miami beach is very coarse... so it will exfoliate the hell out of your feet if you decide to walk along the water!

[ATL MU Warrior]

Any Miami recommendations? We’ll have maybe 1.5 days available and are staying in Brickell.

If you’ve never been, definitely spend a good chunk of time on South Beach. I’d hit the beach itself and also visit Lincoln Road.

I’d also recommend visiting Miracle Mile in Coral Gables and/or Coconut Grove. Neither of those would require more than a couple of hours to walk around. 

For a unique spot to have a drink or two, I’d recommend Bougainvillea’s Old Florida Tavern in South Miami.

[shoothoops]

Any Miami recommendations? We’ll have maybe 1.5 days available and are staying in Brickell.

When? Where are you staying? Have you been there before?

It sounds simple enough but make sure you get on the water via boat or beach.

1) Art Deco District runs between 5th st and 23rd st, going South to North, and  along Collins Ave, (A1A) Ocean Drive (East), and Washington Ave (West). Stroll this district for architecture. Espanola Way is between 14th and 15th streets. (Havana 1957 and A La Folie Cafe) Alma Mexicana at 14th and Washington. La Ventana Columbian Cafe is at 7th and Washington. La Sandwicherie 14th street between Washington Ave and Collins Ave. (They also have locations in Brickell near the Brickell City Centre, and Coral Gables) South Ponte Park Pier and Lummis Park South Beach are good spots. Walk through Lincoln Road too.

2) Brickell. Brickell Key Park is a nice little park with skyline and bay views and shade. Brickell City Centre is a 3 story trendy shopping and dining spot. Mary Brickell Village is a smaller open air alternative. (North Italia and Mister 01) A few rooftop spots are more views than food and drink imo. Rosa Sky or Sugar. The Taco Stand on 25th is good. The Underline is Miami’s version of the Highline. It’s a work in progress. You can check it out in Brickell and have a drink or something along the Miami River.

3) Little Havana (Calle Ocho) El Pub for Empanadas. (4 miles West) Lots of dining establishments.

4) If you are near Coral Gables or Coconut Grove, or The U (4-6 miles SW) Casola’s at 17th ave and 24th street. (It’s an old school dive) If you want higher end Italian try Fratellino. Crandon Park in Key Biscayne is good too but you won’t have time.

Metromover and the Trolley are free and available in Brickell to get around.

That’s a start.

[4everwarriors]

Ring up #22. He might have a soft spot for a fellow alum, aina?

[ATL MU Warrior]

When? Where are you staying? Have you been there before?

It sounds simple enough but make sure you get on the water via boat or beach.

1) Art Deco District runs between 5th st and 23rd st, going South to North, and  along Collins Ave, (A1A) Ocean Drive (East), and Washington Ave (West). Stroll this district for architecture. Espanola Way is between 14th and 15th streets. (Havana 1957 and A La Folie Cafe) Alma Mexicana at 14th and Washington. La Ventana Columbian Cafe is at 7th and Washington. La Sandwicherie 14th street between Washington Ave and Collins Ave. (They also have locations in Brickell near the Brickell City Centre, and Coral Gables) South Ponte Park Pier and Lummis Park South Beach are good spots. Walk through Lincoln Road too.

2) Brickell. Brickell Key Park is a nice little park with skyline and bay views and shade. Brickell City Centre is a 3 story trendy shopping and dining spot. Mary Brickell Village is a smaller open air alternative. (North Italia and Mister 01) A few rooftop spots are more views than food and drink imo. Rosa Sky or Sugar. The Taco Stand on 25th is good. The Underline is Miami’s version of the Highline. It’s a work in progress. You can check it out in Brickell and have a drink or something along the Miami River.

3) Little Havana (Calle Ocho) El Pub for Empanadas. (4 miles West) Lots of dining establishments.

4) If you are near Coral Gables or Coconut Grove, or The U (4-6 miles SW) Casola’s at 17th ave and 24th street. (It’s an old school dive) If you want higher end Italian try Fratellino. Crandon Park in Key Biscayne is good too but you won’t have time.

Metromover and the Trolley are free and available in Brickell to get around.

That’s a start.

Casola’s. Outstanding for late-night post-drinking pizza binge. Don’t believe I ever went there in 8 years other than that.

[shoothoops]

Casola’s. Outstanding for late-night post-drinking pizza binge. Don’t believe I ever went there in 8 years other than that.

Yep. Miami nostalgia. Carlos and Augustin now. (RIP Ramon) Always a a strong sample game there too.

[pbiflyer]

When? Where are you staying? Have you been there before?

It sounds simple enough but make sure you get on the water via boat or beach.

1) Art Deco District runs between 5th st and 23rd st, going South to North, and  along Collins Ave, (A1A) Ocean Drive (East), and Washington Ave (West). Stroll this district for architecture. Espanola Way is between 14th and 15th streets. (Havana 1957 and A La Folie Cafe) Alma Mexicana at 14th and Washington. La Ventana Columbian Cafe is at 7th and Washington. La Sandwicherie 14th street between Washington Ave and Collins Ave. (They also have locations in Brickell near the Brickell City Centre, and Coral Gables) South Ponte Park Pier and Lummis Park South Beach are good spots. Walk through Lincoln Road too.

2) Brickell. Brickell Key Park is a nice little park with skyline and bay views and shade. Brickell City Centre is a 3 story trendy shopping and dining spot. Mary Brickell Village is a smaller open air alternative. (North Italia and Mister 01) A few rooftop spots are more views than food and drink imo. Rosa Sky or Sugar. The Taco Stand on 25th is good. The Underline is Miami’s version of the Highline. It’s a work in progress. You can check it out in Brickell and have a drink or something along the Miami River.

3) Little Havana (Calle Ocho) El Pub for Empanadas. (4 miles West) Lots of dining establishments.

4) If you are near Coral Gables or Coconut Grove, or The U (4-6 miles SW) Casola’s at 17th ave and 24th street. (It’s an old school dive) If you want higher end Italian try Fratellino. Crandon Park in Key Biscayne is good too but you won’t have time.

Metromover and the Trolley are free and available in Brickell to get around.

That’s a start.

That is a nice list.  I certainly second the bolded ones (others are good too, but those are go to suggestions).  Love Espanola  Way and Havana 1957 and walking Lincoln Road Mall.  Only go to the original Havana 1957 on Espanola, not the now sadly chain ones.
In Brickell, I am not a fan of Mary Brickell Village anymore. Was better before Covid, but haven't been in a year and half, so maybe better.
Two solid restaurant choices in Brickell are: (both are owned by the same folks, so same menus:
Crazy About You - https://www.crazyaboutyourestaurant.com great water views.
Dolores But You Can Call Me Lolita - https://www.doloreslolita.com/ - Sit outside, nice views of the skyline.

I like Blackbird Ordinary for a place to drink. Trendy and dive bar all in one. Inside is dark and a throw back to classic bars.
On the Miami River, American Social is a good place to sit, relax and have a drink while watching the boats go by. Sad note, that is where Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez was drinking before he crashed his boat into the jetty (so don't drink and boat).

Downtown Miami - Take the people mover from Brickell
Perez Art Museum is world class, Science museum is nice as well.
It is touristy, but an experience is Bayside Market - you will feel you are in a different world and you can get boat tours out of there if that is what you are looking for.

Calle Ocho -Drink a cuban coffee or a cafe con leche from a window somewhere. Domino Park to watch old cuban men play dominos, bay of pig memorial.

Café La Trova was just rated a top 25 bar in the world. Not been, but there is that. https://www.cafelatrova.com/

Toward Coral Gables is Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. A beautiful old mansion on Biscayne Bay https://vizcaya.org/

If you do make it to South Beach, Clevelander is a staple. on 14th is one of my favorite bars in the world - Mac's Duece Club. Was truly a dive bar. Since the owner (who tended mark at age 99) died, it can be hit or miss.

Wynwood district has some great art, food, bars, breweries (though I am not a huge fan of Wynwood brewery). The Wynwood Marketplace is a fun open air market with good food. https://www.wynwood-marketplace.com


Let us know specifics. As others have said - Mojito, Cuban Sandwich, Cuban Coffee, Tres Leches for dessert.

[MU82]

Interesting stuff on the growing inconvenience of travel in the daily email newsletter from the NYT's David Leonhardt:

The next time you take a trip within the U.S., I encourage you to try a thought experiment: Imagine how long the same trip might have taken a half-century ago. Chances are, it would have taken less time than it does today.

The scheduled flight time between Los Angeles and New York, for example, has become about 30 minutes longer. Aviation technology has not advanced in ways that speed the trip, and the skies have become so crowded that pilots reroute planes to avoid traffic. Nearly every other part of the trip also lasts longer than it would have a few decades ago, thanks to traffic on the roads and airport security. All told, a cross-country trip could take a few more hours today than it would have in the 1970s.

Shorter trips also take more time. Auto traffic in almost every metro area has worsened, and the country has done little to improve its rail network. In 1969, Metroliner trains made two-and-a-half-hour, nonstop trips between Washington and New York. Today, there are no nonstop trains on that route, and the fastest trip, on Acela trains, takes about 20 minutes longer than the Metroliner once did.

The speed at which people can get from one place to another is one of the most basic measures of a society’s sophistication. It affects economic productivity and human happiness; academic research has found that commuting makes people more unhappy than almost any other daily activity. Yet in one area of U.S. travel after another, progress has largely stopped over the past half-century.

This lack of recent progress is not a result of any physical or technological limits, either. In other parts of the world, travel has continued to accelerate. Shanghai’s airport is almost 20 miles from its city center, and the trip on a high-speed train takes less than 10 minutes. La Guardia Airport and Times Square are significantly closer together — yet good luck making the trip in less than 30 minutes.

Why is it more difficult to get around the U.S.? Above all, it’s because our society has stopped investing in the future as we once did.

For decades, government investment in highways, mass transit, scientific research, education and other future-oriented programs has grown more slowly than it once did — and has often failed to keep pace with economic growth. And the private sector tends to underinvest in these same areas because any individual company has a hard time making a profit from early-stage investments.

This shortfall of investment affects far more than travel. It affects economic growth, public health and both racial and gender inequities. The long American investment slump is one of the causes of our modern malaise, with rising income inequality, declining life expectancy, and deep frustration about the economy even when it’s growing.

Leonhardt's words were accompanied by this graphic:

[pbiflyer]

Wait, do you mean by PBI-ATL trip that has grown by 40 minutes over the years isn't due to continental drift? 
It is interesting that on smooth travel days, flights can get in 30 minutes early. Lots of padding.

[JWags85]

Wait, do you mean by PBI-ATL trip that has grown by 40 minutes over the years isn't due to continental drift? 
It is interesting that on smooth travel days, flights can get in 30 minutes early. Lots of padding.

Yea, my wife and I get in “arguments” about that all the time.  I fly a lot more than her and usually refer to flight time. And she always thinks about the listed times on the app/ticket.  And I’m like no, it’s no 3 hours flight time from Milwaukee to Newark.  Or New York to London is not 7+ hours. 

It’s even more amusing when you have an airline like United that has a fantastic, dynamic app.  You push back from the gate on time and get into departure queue and all of a sudden you’re already tracking 15 min or so early for arrival on the app tracking the flight, before you’re even in the air

[4everwarriors]

Pretty sure its all due ta global warming, aina?

[Uncle Rico]

Pretty sure its all due ta global warming, aina?

It’s why snow crabs have disappeared

https://www.yahoo.com/news/billions-crabs-went-missing-around-180012346.html

[DegenerateDish]

It’s been a while since I’ve flown out of here, but Logan has become America’s worst airport.

[dgies9156]

It’s been a while since I’ve flown out of here, but Logan has become America’s worst airport.

Are you surprised? It's run by Massport!

Logan has been the world's worst airport for years.