Matador Network's Blog, page 1297

How to do a weekend on Long Island

It’s not that Long Island has a bad reputation, it’s just that most people can’t tell you anything about it. Outside of those in the tri-state area, most Americans’ knowledge is limited to Billy Joel songs, reruns of Everybody Loves Raymond, a woman who harasses people at the deli counter claiming to hear people’s dead relatives, and a railroad. You’ve probably met a lot of people from Long Island, and only a few were fist-pumping meatheads with “Strong Island” tank tops. But aside from the fabulous, exclusive Hamptons (which are only kinda Long Island), it’s right down there with rural Oklahoma as a place you’d think to visit for vacation.

But the Long Island you’ll discover if you take a trip east of Brooklyn and Queens is a serene, seaside place full of lush nature, wineries, breweries, beaches, and plenty of seaside charm. For a relaxing weekend escape, it’s one of America’s greatly underrated getaways, even if you live nowhere near New York City.

Photo: Oheka Castle

A castle to begin your weekend bliss.

Breezing east out of Queens — technically part of Long Island but, like the Hamptons, not really — the trees get thicker as the traffic gets thinner through Hempstead and Hicksville. About 40 minutes into the drive, you’ll arrive at the gates of the century-old Gold Coast mansion known as Oheka Castle. At 109,000 square feet, it’s the second-largest private residence in the nation, a venerable Versailles of America with palatial gardens and a grand main house filled with ornate ceilings and towering chandeliers. It was the creation of German banker Otto Hermann Kahn (hence the name O-He-Ka) who built this palace on a hill to show up the New York high society who shunned him because he was Jewish.

Kahn also commissioned Seth Raynor, the premier golf architect of the era, to design a par-71 golf course on the grounds because the local country clubs would not let him in. It’s still there, now the members-only Cold Creek Country Club. Oheka also has an entire bar devoted to Kahn’s frequent guest Charlie Chaplin, complete with photos, posters, and hand-written letters.

The mansion was a military academy and then an abandoned flophouse for decades after Kahn died. Then in the 1980s, developers restored it to its former glory, and in 1987 Oheka, reopened as a wedding venue. It now serves as a 117-room hotel with a long gravel drive where weddings still dominate the weekends, as well as a cool place to call home while on Long Island if you’re willing to splurge.

Photo: Osteria Leana

Bars that feel like they came out of a Billy Joel song.

Staying at Oheka Castle will make you not want to leave, but getting out and seeing the surrounding towns is well worth it. Your best bet for a first night is charming Oyster Bay, known as the hometown of Long Island’s favorite son, Billy Joel. The small downtown is lined with bars where you’d expect to see blue collar workers and dads catching a break. Small, unpretentious places that seem like the sort of joints that inspired much of the Piano Man’s music.

The town is dotted with little local restaurants that serve Long Island wine whose chefs are as good as you’d find in trendier places in Manhattan. Wild Honey is a New American spot, located in the center of downtown, where a seafood-heavy menu is served in a relaxing, intimate environment. Down the street, you’ll find Osteria Leana, a little Italian gem with housemade bread and pasta that pairs a constantly rotating menu with local wines. Dinner in Oyster Bay followed by drinks strolling through downtown in the summer is both serene and delicious, leaving you full, calm, and completely removed at the end of your first day.

Photo: Harmony Vineyards & Art Gallery

Wine tasting in luxe private vans and jazz at night.

If going wine tasting in Long Island sounds about as appealing as going wine tasting in Staten Island, you’re in for a real surprise. Long Island is one of the most up-and-coming tasting regions in the country, home to world-class vineyards on par with popular destinations like Napa and the Finger Lakes but without the crowds.

Begin your second day by heading through lush summer greenery down Route 25A past Huntington and Smithtown, and you’ll find the waterfront winery at Harmony Vineyards. Here, you can taste wine under the sun on a sprawling patio while looking out at vineyards that stretch to Long Island Sound. Though the weather may beg for white, the Cabernet Sauvignon and the Red Blend are the go-tos here.

From Harmony, head about 45 minutes through the Rocky Point State Preserve to the Riverhead Long Island Railroad station. It’s the gateway to the North Fork Region where you’ll find the highest concentration of wineries and breweries on the island. During summer, the area runs the North Fork Link, a fleet of luxury vans with WiFi and power plugs that stops at seven wineries, as well as the Riverhead Cider House and Long Island Vodka Distillery. It’s a free hop-on-hop-off service running every 30 to 45 minutes and allows you to have a full day of wine tasting without the need to drive.

After dining at one of the wineries, finish the evening back in Stony Brook, a village whose name belies its serenity. The Grist Mill, situated beside the pond across from town’s main center, gives Stony Brook a calming soundtrack of lapping water. A short walk away is the Jazz Loft, a combination jazz museum and live music venue set in an old stone building, parts of which date back to the 1850s.

The ground floor is full of jazz posters, instruments from legendary musicians, and other jazz memorabilia. It’s also got a full research library with rare master recordings, rounding out perhaps the largest private collection of jazz artifacts on public display. Once you’ve perused the collection, head upstairs to the small music venue, where almost-nightly performances are held on a three-level bandstand made of floorboards from the Roseville Ballroom.

Photo: Joe Trentacosti/Shutterstock

Wander through a meditative maze before hitting the beach.

Stony Brook is also a fine starting point for day three, which you can begin with a head-clearing, energizing stroll through the Avalon Park Nature Park and Preserve. This hiking path and botanical garden are set on an old spy trail from the American Revolution, leading hikers to a tranquility circle — a sort of pagan labyrinth surrounded by trees designed to help visitors meditate while navigating their way around. The entire trail is either paved or situated along boardwalks that cross duck-filled ponds, and it takes less than an hour to walk.

Summer weekends are incomplete with a trip to the beach, and conveniently Long Beach is right on the way back to NYC. Twenty miles from downtown Brooklyn doesn’t seem like someplace you’d find a breezy seaside escape, but the 2.1-mile boardwalk here feels every bit the picture of northeastern beach town lined with shops, arcades, and bars slinging cold beers. The sand itself is softer and whiter than you’ll find in some parts of Florida, and while it rarely gets mentioned when discussing northern beach locales, its shoreline is one of the best. A little further north, you can hit Lido Beach and Point Lookout Park for a more natural beach experience. Just make sure to eat before you go since nowhere there sells food; the famous Gino’s pizzeria is never a bad decision.

Photo: The Garden City Hotel

Finish with a steak dinner aged in pink Himalayan salt.

A long day of beaching will have you a little peckish, and though there’s no shortage of fantastic restaurants on Long Island, the best new restaurant is at the Garden City Hotel in Garden City. You’ll drive past stately Victorian mansions and brick homes before arriving at the hotel famous for being a hangout for jockeys from nearby Belmont Park.

Here, you’ll find the Red Salt Room steakhouse, celebrity chef David Burke’s latest New York endeavor that’s already among the best steakhouses in the state. The space is done up in red salt blocks (please, no licking) and dark colors, giving you the feeling of eating in a salt steak-aging room. Burke uses pink Himalayan salt to age his steaks in the actual aging room located onsite. It creates intense flavor in his prime cuts of meat and makes for a satisfying end to a relaxing weekend. With Sunday traffic dying down after a late dinner, it’s a fairly painless ride back to New York. Or you can splurge on a night at the Garden Hotel before a Monday flight home out of ISLIP or any of New York City’s airports.

Long Island isn’t New York City — not by a long shot. It’s quite the opposite, actually, and makes for a perfectly calming escape from city life no matter where you call home. It might not have the sexy connotation of a Martha’s Vineyard or a Napa Valley, but it’s got all the charm and less of the pretension. If nothing else, it’ll give you a new appreciation for a place you previously knew nothing about — and something to talk about when you inevitably meet someone who grew up there.


More like this: The 18 best trips for 2018

The post Why Long Island is the relaxing weekend escape you never thought about taking appeared first on Matador Network.

2018 world's best airlines announced

While everyone has their preferences when it comes to air travel, it’s indisputable that some airlines are simply better quality, offer more amenities, and have friendlier crews than others. There are so many categories relating to airline excellence — it’s actually quite staggering — but Skytrax has compiled its annual rankings to help you determine which airlines you should probably be flying in the future. Whether it has the best cabin cleanliness, best economy service, or best airline spa facility, Skytrax has all the important areas covered. Here are some standouts from the 2018 World Airline Awards.

The most coveted award is, of course, World’s Best Airline. This year, the honor goes to Singapore Airlines, followed by Qatar Airways, ANA All Nippon Airways, Emirates, EVA Air, Cathay Pacific Airways, Lufthansa, Hainan Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, and Thai Airways. A trend immediately becomes obvious — there is a noticeable absence of European and North American airlines as the top 10 is dominated by services from the Middle East and Asia.

Perhaps of greatest interest to many fliers is the Best Low-Cost Airlines list. For the 10th year in a row, AirAsia has taken the top spot, with Norwegian, EasyJet, Jetstar Airways, and AirAsia X following closely behind. When it comes strictly to long-haul budget options, however, Norwegian takes the crown. It also won Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe.

Arguably as important as cost is the cleanliness of your flight experience. When it comes to sanitation, ANA All Nippon Airways won the top spot in the World’s Best Airline Cabin Cleanliness category. These rankings were determined by passenger reviews of the cleanliness of seat areas, tables, carpets, cabin panels, and washrooms. EVA Air, Asiana Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Japan Airlines also received recognition for their cleanliness, as well.

For many travelers, friendliness might be even more important than cleanliness. While all cabin crews are supposed to wear a sunny demeanor, there’s no doubt that some are in better spirits and offer more attentive service than others. In the Best Airline Cabin Crew category, Garuda Indonesia came in at number one, trailed closely by Singapore Airlines, ANA All Nippon Airways, Thai Airways, and EVA Air.

Most of us fly economy class, so we naturally wonder: what airline takes the best care of its economy passengers? Although Japan Airlines won Best Economy Class Airline Seats, the overall award went to Thai Airlines, which also took home the distinction of having the best economy-class catering. Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates, and ANA All Nippon Airways also placed in the top five.

Just like in sports, the World Airline Awards recognizes those who have really upped their game. The criteria for World’s Most Improved Airline focus on the airline’s change in its global rating and performance improvements across different categories. This year, China Southern Airlines was named the world’s most improved airline, followed by Philippine Airlines, Fiji Airways, Ryanair, and Japan Airlines.

H/T: Skytrax

More like this: The 9 coolest things airlines are doing this year to improve flying

The post The definitive ranking of the world’s best airlines of 2018 was just announced appeared first on Matador Network.

Augmented reality meets zip-lining

Always been curious about zip-lining but too afraid to actually take the plunge? Or just don’t feel like flying all the way to the United Arab Emirates where the world’s longest zip-line is located? Now you’re in luck. Thanks to virtual reality, you can experience UAE’s famous zip-line right in London. The Jebel Jais Flight recently took the title of world’s longest zip-line, perched on the UAE’s tallest mountain in the emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. Now, the zip-line has partnered with London’s own longest zip-line to make it more accessible to visitors than ever.

Visitors will climb about 35 meters to the top of a tower in London’s Archbishop Park. There, they’ll have two unforgettable experiences. The first is a classic zip-line experience with views of the River Thames and the London Eye. The second time around, guests will be blindfolded with a set of augmented-reality goggles. You’ll immediately become fully immersed in the Hajar Mountains in Ras Al Khaimah and find yourself flying not above a park in London but the desert peaks of the Middle East.

The Ras Al Khaimah emirate has been focusing on promoting itself as an adventure destination for thrill-seekers. Ziplining and other adventure experiences are designed to increase awareness of this relatively unknown emirate. Indeed, its zip-line has made the Hajar mountain range accessible to tourists for the first time. With London’s new virtual-reality experience, more people than ever will be introduced to the landscape of Ras Al Khaimah and (they hope) be inspired to visit in person.

You can book your ticket for London’s virtual Jebel Jais Flight on Zip Now London’s website until September 9.

H/T: Lonely Planet

More like this: Flight of the Gibbon: Thailand’s awesome zipline canopy tour

The post You can now ride the world’s longest zip-line in virtual reality appeared first on Matador Network.

9 abilities Wisconsinites have

We may not be the most famous state in the US, and we are aware that our big sister to the south usually gets the attention. However, through creativity, pride, lots of brandy and beer, and the ability to always see the positive side of life, Wisconsinites show time and time again that sometimes the sidelines are where it’s at! Here are nine abilities people from Wisconsin have over everyone else.

1. Being modest.

Despite the lack of respect and recognition we receive on the national stage, people who have a good eye are starting to notice our shine. Take Vogue’s recent feature of Milwaukee as a perfect example.

2. Taking advantage of every possible second of summer.

With festivals like NEWaukee Night Market and the lesser-known but equally excellent Northern Wisconsin State Fair, Wisconsinites know how to take advantage of the short amount of time they don’t have to wear mittens.

3. Using creative slogans to reflect our unique identity.

Whether representing city pride with MILWAUKEEHOME or Milwaukee’s Latino community with cuatro uno cuatro, or showing off the entire state’s beer heritage with Drink Wisconsinbly, Wisconsinites know how to flaunt all sides of their heritage and reflect their values with just a few clever words.

4. Appreciating the little things in life.

The way we talk about “up north,” you would think it was paradise. We’re as content as can be with only cold beers, sunsets for miles, and a body of water.

5. Supporting Wisconsin teams through thick and thin.

Even though many of the statewide teams are among the best in their leagues, sometimes, taking it all the way can be difficult. But even when the teams are down, Wisconsin fans support their hometown heroes. We will show up no matter what — usually with a beer in hand.

6. Knowing how to order (and make) a proper Old Fashioned.

We all know that putting whiskey in our state cocktail is preposterous.

7. Avoiding people from the Windy City.

We appreciate their business in Door County and the Dells. But we also like putting ketchup on our hotdogs and avoiding traffic, so we are happy to have places to flee them.

8. Finding a way to shine despite being in a big shadow.

All those skyscrapers in Chicago may cast a big shadow, but that doesn’t mean we don’t find our own ways to hold on to a piece of the glory. Brandy may have been introduced to the world stage in Chicago, but we made it famous. Al Capone may have been active in the streets of our big sister farther south, but he came to Wisconsin to get away from it all.

9. Looking on the bright side.

Aaron Rodgers may be getting older, and every injury seems to take us further from the next championship ring, but at least he said he might want to play until he’s 40 and stay with the Packers. And the huge amount of snow last April may have slowed down the blooming of flowers, but at least we got to extend the snowmobile and ice-fishing season.


More like this: 10 misconceptions the world has about Wisconsin

The post 9 abilities people from Wisconsin have over everyone else appeared first on Matador Network.

New suspension bridge in Whistler

If hiking or skiing in the Whistler Blackcomb area was starting to feel a little mundane, this new suspension bridge is now open to give you that adrenaline rush you’ve been craving. Earlier this month, the Peak Suspension Bridge opened to the public in British Columbia. The bridge is 427 feet long, and it’s situated at the peak of Whistler Mountain at an elevation of about 7,200 feet, making it one of the highest in the world.

Photo: Whistler Blackcomb

Visitors can also enjoy the new West Ridge View Point, a viewing platform on the Peak Suspension Bridge that looks over the western edge of a valley-facing cliff. The platform offers 360° views from the peak, extending 41 feet out from the West Ridge. The bridge and viewpoint are accessible by the Peak Express chairlift, which is just a short walk from the Roundhouse Lodge. Or, if you’re feeling adventurous, you can take one of several hiking trails that lead to the mountaintop.

Returning visitors to the mountain will also find other new features, such as the new gondola and lift upgrades, an expansion of the Whistler Mountain Bike Park, and renovations to the Roundhouse Lodge. There are also plans to construct a 163,000-square-foot indoor water park and wave pool at the base of the mountain, a night skiing area, a tree-top ropes course, and more downhill mountain biking trails.

H/T: Urbanized

More like this: The 9 scariest bridges in the world you can walk on — if you dare

The post This new, insanely long suspension bridge in Whistler is a must for thrill-seekers appeared first on Matador Network.

10 abilities Arizonans have

We Arizonans have some serious superpowers at our fingertips. These abilities were obtained from living life on a varied terrain, our Wild West history, our unsavory cast of political characters, and our predictably tough weather. Here are 10 skills people from Arizona have over everyone else in the US.

1. We can tell whether or not that snake is lethal from a mile or so away.

Truth be told, we give them all a wide berth. But we’re still standing, so we think that’s key to surviving in the Southwest.

2. We can decently pronounce pretty much all Spanish street names and towns.

Even though we have to admit we don’t know what most of them mean. Calle Chitalpa? Corte de Voleo? Anyone?

3. We can go through a 16-ounce container of body lotion in a day.

We’re well aware that our lizard elbows aren’t turning heads, so we try to keep them smooth and silky. And that requires a lot of product.

4. We are comfortable wearing too-short shorts in 30-degree, snowy weather.

And Pendleton wool flannels when it drops to about 80 degrees.

5. We can whip up a mean salsa.

In five minutes, using three or four ingredients from our garden, any one of us can whip up salsa hot enough to make out-of-towners reach for the water jug after one bite.

6. The strongest among us can withstand monsoon season using only a swamp cooler.

This, of course, depends on:

Where we live
Square footage of the dwelling
Season length and intensity
Absolute necessity

7. We can patch adobe.

With our hands. Blindfolded.

8. We can eat a Sonoran Dog without dropping the toppings on our lap or using a fork.

Unless we’re having a bad day and it’s well above 100 degrees out, not one single tomato will fall onto the styrofoam plate. We can sit back, drink our Mexican coke, listen to mariachi, and take a siesta while keeping everything tidy.

9. We can pick tiny cactus needles from a four-year-old kid’s butt using a magnifying glass and tweezers.

Or better yet, a comb, all while watching daytime television and filing our unemployment claim.

10. We learned to drive a four-wheel-drive vehicle and manually lock the hubs outside in the rain.

But we don’t know how to use the blinkers.


More like this: 9 things the rest of the US can learn from Arizona

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Best trail-running festivals

Until recently, attending a summer festival typically meant pitching a tent in a field and enjoying a few days of music, theatre, art, food, or some combination of these activities. The most exercise you’d get all weekend would be dancing, and you certainly wouldn’t find a 40 mile run on the agenda.

That’s now changing. The tried-and-true festival formula is evolving and more festivals are including wellness and fitness elements in their line-ups. Few, however, promote health and fitness to the same extent as trail-running festivals. Leading the festival fitness revolution, these festivals are springing up all over the world and, like the runners who attend them, aren’t showing any signs of slowing down.

Anyone can attend a trail-running festival.

A post shared by Love Trails Festival (@lovetrailsfestival) on Jun 16, 2018 at 12:44am PDT

Although “trail-running” festivals sound like they’re for seasoned trail-runners only, nothing could be further from the truth. Most festivals will offer a variety of different runs, with the distance and terrain varying from long, hilly, and rocky for experienced runners to short, on-trail, and relatively flat for beginners.

This variety makes trail-running festivals ideal if you’re trying out trail-running for the first time. And if you’re a complete newcomer to running, every run has guides, coaches, and mentors who have plenty of tips and advice on everything from equipment to running techniques. Alternatively, if you don’t want to run at all, the talks, food, and other activities offered will easily keep you entertained.

A trail-running festival is a perfect opportunity to explore new terrain.

A post shared by SportPursuit (@sportpursuit) on Jul 19, 2018 at 11:45am PDT

Most runners tend to stick to familiar routes and run them over and over. This repetition is great for speed training, but seeing the same scenery time after time can get boring.

Trail-running festivals have a remedy for this boredom: a chance to explore some of the most exciting trails the world has to offer, without the hassle of having to research and plan a route yourself. Most trail-running festivals will have been conducting rekkies, or reconnaissance, for months in advance, with experienced trail-runners unearthing the most sublime and challenging trails in the area — or even just the best route to the pub!

Trail-running festivals aren’t just about running.

A post shared by Finbarr Mcdonald (@finnaz92) on Apr 14, 2018 at 5:37am PDT

As any runner will tell you, there’s more to running than…well…just running. Yoga, pilates, and strength training, as well as hill and speed runs, are all vital parts of any runner’s training regime. Most trail-running festivals will incorporate these, as well as other activities, depending on their location.

At Útilív Adventure Festival in the Faroe Islands this September, if festivalgoers aren’t worn out after running from eight to 40 miles over the islands’ ruthless terrain, they can hike, surf, or kayak along the rugged coastline. Or, for mountain lovers who want more of a balance, the North Face Mountain Festival in Italy at the end of July includes equal opportunities to climb, hike, and run some of Trentino’s most awe-inspiring alpine trails.

When you’re not running, you can take inspiration from other runners’ stories.

A post shared by Love Trails Festival (@lovetrailsfestival) on May 10, 2018 at 12:20am PDT

The scenery and landscape aren’t the only sources of inspiration offered at trail-running festivals. While these are undoubtedly breathtaking, nearly all trail-running festivals also include a mix of talks and classes to inspire and educate festivalgoers, and some, such as Útilív Adventure Festival, host film nights, showcasing popular trail-running documentaries and films.

Maybe it’s because they offer a chance to sit down and relax with a beer, but talks, workshops, and films are often highlights of a festival, inspiring festival-goers to push themselves to new limits, or even just rethink how they approach exploring their own hometown. In the UK in early July, the Love Trails Festival had workshops on everything from zero-waste living to running photography, as well as talks on sustainability and environmental issues, mindful running, and how to plan a training schedule.

It’s not just for health and fitness nuts.

A post shared by Love Trails Festival (@lovetrailsfestival) on Jul 22, 2018 at 12:57am PDT

As sports go, running doesn’t have the best reputation. Sometimes associated with pushy school gym teachers, or elite, hyper-driven marathon runners, running is generally seen as a serious sport for fitness-focused athletes.

Again, this is just another myth; at trail-running festivals, the attitude is far more likely to be “run hard, party hard” than “make sure you get a good night’s sleep,” and no activity illustrates this more than the “beer-mile” race that some trail-running festivals host. This involves either individual runners downing a beer, running a quarter of a mile, downing another beer, and so on, or a team of four dividing each quarter of a mile between them. Either way, it’s normally the only time runners at a trail-running festival will get competitive.

You still get all the perks of a classic summer festival.

A post shared by Love Trails Festival (@lovetrailsfestival) on Jul 4, 2018 at 11:07am PDT

Camping in the great outdoors, listening to great music as the sun sets, and feeling inspired to change the way you live when you get home are just some of the best things about summer festivals — and trail-running festivals are no exception to that. After any trail-running festival, you’ll find yourself exhausted, and not just because of the running.

You’ll be worn out from dancing, meeting exciting runners, and from being constantly inspired, whether it’s to push yourself harder on a three mile run or to take part in an ultra-marathon. Whatever you do with your time at a trail-running festival, when the time comes to go home, you’ll already be counting down to next year.


More like this: Why midnight running will be your new exercise obsession

The post Why Trail Running Festivals are the next big thing appeared first on Matador Network.

7 coolest subway stations

We don’t generally elect to spend more time in the subway than is absolutely necessary. And who can blame us? Subway stations are usually dingy and dirty, be it merely garbage-strewn or completely rat-infested. But select transit hubs across the globe have made commuting not only tolerable but also enjoyable with their beautiful designs and innovations. Here are seven of the coolest subway stations around the world with amazing architecture and design that are worth hopping off at whether or not they’re your actual stop.

1. T-Centralen — Stockholm, Sweden

Photo: SvetlanaSF/Shutterstock

T-Centralen is the beating heart of Stockholm’s metro system. It’s where all three of the city’s metro lines converge and plays host to one of the most beautiful subway platforms in the world. The blue-line platform is where you’ll find all the aesthetic action, honoring the line it services with bright blue details resembling Roman laurel wreaths against a white, cave-like backdrop. The color is thought to be not only pleasing to the eye but also soothing for commuters in the face of stress-inducing transit — at least according to art guide Marie Andersson.

Photo: Heracles Kritikos/Shutterstock

T-Centralen is not the only station in Stockholm worth seeing. Another standout is Radhuset, which has a similar cave-like structure to T-Centralen but features a volcano-like, rust-red coloring.

2. Avtovo — St. Petersburg, Russia

Photo: Pikoso.kz/Shutterstock

It’s easy to confuse Avtovo with St. Petersburg’s Marble Palace. The vision of architect Yevgenii Levinson, it’s one of the most palatial metro stations ever designed. Passersby will find white-marble columns and walls, crystal chandeliers, and intricate mosaic work that pays homage to the Leningrad Blockade of WWII. The stately interior is what most people fawn over, but even Avtovo’s exterior is pretty majestic with its columns and cupola. If you plan on visiting, note that it can get pretty crowded during rush hour, so be sure hit the Kirovsko-Vyborgskaya Line station outside peak hours for optimal viewing.

3. Toledo Metro Station — Naples, Italy

Photo: luckyraccoon/Shutterstock

From a distance, the inside of the Toledo Metro station looks like it was glitter-bombed by an arts-and-crafts-happy kindergarten class, but the shimmery effect is actually the product of Bisazza glass mosaic tiling and LED lighting. The blue-purple color scheme is meant to evoke a seascape, making you feel like you’re traveling underwater rather than underground. The Toledo Metro station is one of several Art Stations in Naples and opens onto a famous shopping thoroughfare called Via Toledo. There’s a chance you’ll pass through en route to a souvenir-shopping spot, but if you’re not one for buying international trinkets, you can still appreciate this dazzling station for the roughly one euro it costs to ride the Naples Metro.

4. Formosa Boulevard MRT Station — Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Photo: Sean Pavone/Shutterstock

There are grand cathedrals the world over whose stained-glass windows don’t hold a candle to this station’s “Dome of Light,” said to be the largest colored-glass installation in the world. The dome is the work of renowned Italian artist Narcissus Quagliata, who shipped the piece to Taiwan all the way from Germany. It’s so breathtaking that the three-level metro station is a popular wedding venue. Whether you want to say your vows under the dome or simply stop by to marvel at it, you can find this spectacular station at the intersection of the MRT red and orange lines.

5. BurJuman Metro Station — Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Photo: Leonid Andronov/Shutterstock

Formerly known as the Khalid Bin Al Waleed Station, this cool-looking Red Line stop opened in 2009 and was later renamed for the BurJuman mall found just outside the station. A nautical-themed transit hub, this particular station is famous for the bright blue, jellyfish-like lighting fixtures that hang from the ceiling (along with its reputation for being absolutely spotless). The work of Czech artist Jitka Kamencová Skuhravá, the funky fixtures get their otherworldly glow from a 150W projector, LED lights, and RGB-based optical fibers, which come together to make the deep-sea-inspired lights look amazing.

6. Komsomolskaya — Moscow, Russia

Photo: Balakate/Shutterstock

One of the busiest stations in the entire Moscow Metro system, canary-yellow Komsomolskaya is beautifully decorated with Corinthian columns, a Baroque ceiling, ornate chandeliers, friezes, and mosaics. An architectural marvel, it has even garnered awards for its design, including the grand prize at the 1958 Brussels World Fair.

Photo: Marco Rubino/Shutterstock

Komsomolskaya is in good company when it comes to stunning stops on the Moscow Metro. Equally impressive are the Mayakovskaya, Kiyevskaya, and Park Pobedy stations, all of which mirror architect Alexey Shchusev’s majestic vision for Komsomolskaya. There’s so much to see beneath the streets of Moscow that you could easily get swept up in the metro’s design elements and miss your train.

7. Arts et Métiers — Paris, France

Photo: Mariontxa/Shutterstock

If you ever read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and wished you could have been aboard the Nautilus with Captain Nemo, put the Arts et Métiers subway station on your list of must-sees in Paris. Redesigned in 1994 by Belgian comic-book artist Francois Schuiten, this station has a distinctly steampunk-submarine aesthetic inspired by Jules Verne’s science-fiction classics. Schuiten plastered the station walls with riveted copper sheets and included fun decorative details like peepholes. Museum-worthy in its own right, the station also exits to the Musée des Arts et Métiers, or “Arts and Trade Museum,” which partnered with the RATP transit authority and Paris Métro to give the world a truly unique metro station.


More like this: Paris’ abandoned metro stations might be getting a snazzy makeover

The post 7 coolest subway stations from around the world that are worth stopping at appeared first on Matador Network.

College education of world leaders

Have you ever told somebody what you studied in college, and received funny looks because it has nothing to do with where you ended up professionally? Now imagine being a world leader, responsible for the smooth governance of an entire country, and telling people that you didn’t actually major in politics or international relations, but in aviation mechanics. Many world leaders find themselves in this position, having studied a diverse range of subjects often completely unrelated to their eventual careers in politics. The following maps, provided by SavingSpot, give an interesting insight into the educational backgrounds of leaders around the world.

Photo: SavingSpot

Photo: SavingSpot

Photo: SavingSpot

The degrees of Europe’s world leaders are as varied and diverse as the nations within the continent itself. While several obtained law degrees, including the leaders of Portugal, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, and Greece, many others have unorthodox backgrounds. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has a doctorate in quantum chemistry, Andorra’s Antoni Marti is a trained architect, and Stefan Löfven was a welder before his election to Sweden’s highest office.

Photo: SavingSpot

Photo: SavingSpot

While many Asian leaders also hold law degrees, several come from military backgrounds, including the leaders of North Korea, Laos, Qatar, and Thailand. This trend can also be found in Africa, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and Egypt all having past military experience. There are, however, some pretty surprising outliers. The President of Zanzibar, Ali Mohamed Shein, has a Ph.D. in clinical biochemistry and metabolic medicine, and Gabian leader Adama Barrow holds a real estate diploma.

Photo: SavingSpot

Pierre Nkurunziza, President of Burundi, might be the best case study for proving world leaders can come from any educational background. He holds a bachelor’s degree in physical education, possibly making him the first world leader who’s also qualified to be a gym teacher.

H/T: SavingSpot

More like this: This map video shows every European ruler since 400 BC

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JFK security lines are slowest in US

If you’re someone who’s always in a rush, or just chronically impatient, you might want to avoid flights out of New York’s JFK Airport. According to market-research company J.D. Power, New York’s busiest airport is also the nation’s slowest when it comes to security lines. The study found that the average waiting time at JFK is 19.02 minutes, compared to the overall average of 15.32. Also among the slowest airports were Orlando (MCO), Toronto Pearson (YYZ), Los Angeles (LAX), and Montreal-Trudeau (YUL), with wait times of 18.85, 18.70, 18.68, and 18.06 minutes respectively.

Because many airports were built before the availability of cheap air travel, and before 9/11, they simply aren’t equipped to deal with the number of passengers currently flooding through the security lines. In an email, J.D. Power travel-practice lead Michael Taylor said, “There just isn’t the space in most of their terminals to handle the TSA hardware and accommodate the increasing number of passengers.” Orlando’s airport, for example, was built to hold 26 million flyers annually, but currently sees nearly twice that many.

Some Canadian airports are particularly slow, as there are strict regulations applying to people crossing into the US — such as the added step of passport control — making the security process more cumbersome.

To eliminate the element of surprise when it comes to security lines, download the MyTSA app, developed by Customs and Border Protection. By using data crowdsourced from other app users, the app gives passengers real-time information on security wait times.

H/T: The Points Guy

More like this: Here is another item that TSA does not want you to carry on the plane

The post JFK security lines are the slowest in the country appeared first on Matador Network.