GET OUTTA TOWN!
With the financial world – heck, the whole world – seemingly about to collapse on itself and terrifying headlines now commonplace, it sure would be nice to get away. You probably won’t have money to spend, but just in case there’s a few bills still tucked inside the mattress, Media City takes a look at which of the travel pros can help set you free.
The digital age has made timeliness nearly impossible for a monthly magazine, but the October issue of Condé Nast Traveler hits a trifecta of relevance with its “Asia Now” feature package. To begin with, more Americans are traveling to Asia than ever before. It’s also one of the few places where the dollar hasn’t been devalued. And with all the layoffs coming on Wall Street, young I-bankers will have plenty of time to travel, particularly to places where they can stretch their severance packages. Be sure to read the piece “Etiquette 101: China” before going, though, lest you end up offending your host by eating all the food on your plate.
Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel is just what we need in these tough economic times. This month’s issue features New Orleans on the cover – a curious choice given that it’s hurricane season. Nevertheless, we enjoyed the easy-to-navigate piece on the Big Easy. We also liked the article on house-swapping, which can seem like an odd endeavor but is actually a cheap alternative to staying in an overpriced luxury hotel.
Travel & Leisure touts 25 “emerging” destinations where the dollar still buys more than a hot dog. This seems to be code for any place that is hot, sandy and well off the beaten path, but there are some recognizable locations on the list. There are even a few European destinations affordable enough to overlook the exchange rates. The magazine also offers some tips for “packing like a pro.” No, there is no way to hermetically seal your suitcase, but Ziploc baggies will come in handy.
National Geographic Traveler chronicles a pair of families traveling together through Spain and Morocco. The cover package highlights the dual trends of the family vacation shifting to more exotic locations, as opposed to standard destinations such as Disney in Orlando, and multiple families traveling together-an intriguing idea for those with the means, and patience, to do it. Also inside is a look at York, England, a city the mag is touting as the “most haunted in the world,” with over 500 alleged ghost sightings. Sounds like hooey to us, but if nothing else, the town does brisk business in packaging tours of its Gothic buildings and landmarks to visitors looking to be spooked.
New York celebrates its 40th anniversary with a mammoth 300-page issue. A collection of pieces surveying the city’s history since 1968 drags at times, but we liked the interview that got Michael Bloomberg and Ed Koch in the same room, as well as pieces by Woody Allen – who contemplates existential angst in New York – and Jay McInerney, who reflects on yuppie cokeheads in the 1980s. And, of course, we liked the profile on The Post’s very own Liz Smith, in action at a table at Michael’s, explaining why celebrities aren’t what they used to be.
The New Yorker offers up an analysis of Barack Obama‘s “Appalachian problem,” laying out the challenges he faces with voters in Virginia. In one respect, we admire this publication’s habit of focusing on one small part of the political tapestry and showing why it’s important. Still, for an article that pitches itself as a discussion of the crucial “swing state” issue, we wish they had done a bit more to illuminate what’s going on in Pennsylvania and Ohio.
As the Wall Street bailout collides with the election season, Time‘s cover story “Who Can Lead Us Out of This Mess” doesn’t come up with a whole lot of answers. Still, Time isn’t necessarily to blame, as neither of the presidential candidates has given us much to go on. Slightly more gripping is the piece “Three Men and a Bailout,” with informative sketches of Hank Paulson, Ben Bernanke and Tim Geithner, president of the New York Fed, who some insiders say could be Treasury secretary someday.
While Newsweek calls Obama “Mr. Cool,” outlining the risks of his detached, academic image with voters, it calls John McCain “Mr. Hot,” arguing that his impulsiveness and excitability may not serve him well in times of crisis. Fair enough, but we’re not totally convinced how crucial it is that McCain has invoked Teddy Roosevelt as his inspiration and that Obama prefers Franklin D. Roosevelt.