Books that explain Canada
Canada doesn’t seem so different from the US at first glance, but the differences soon become glaring. These are the books you need to read to understand Canadian culture and how it’s different from the US.
5 NYC tourist attractions you will never visit
Every time some article promises to share some hidden NYC attraction my ears perk up. And it’s just about always somewhere that requires some serious connections (or spy skills) to access. Let’s agree to stop pretending these are places tourists can go....
Best parks near Toronto — no car necessary
Get out of the city and visit these amazing parks near Toronto — without needing a car.
The Tesla World Tour
It’s difficult to imagine what the world would be like without Nikola Tesla. He’s one of the most famous scientists who ever lived and has over 300 patents. His inventions power our lives, yet he died penniless and alone. Living in hotels all of his adult life, he...
The story of Toronto’s St. James Town
When we first moved to Toronto, I quickly became fascinated by St. James Town. While most of Toronto’s highrises are brand new, these ones hailed from an earlier age. Clearly one that didn’t catch on. The low prices and easy subway access were pretty tempting, but...
NYC’s nerdiest day trips
Want to get out of New York? Here are my favorite spots to nerd out in the tri-state area. The Edison Museum What can I add when TMBG has it covered? Although you’ll be lucky if it’s as quiet as they lead you to believe. You can even walk there from NJ...
Canada’s Polite and Diffident Independence Celebration
By Molly Worthen The last Presidential election drove many liberals to muse about packing up and fleeing to Canada. Not many actually did so, but Cori Carl had already made good on the fantasy. She and her wife were committed New Yorkers but felt increasingly...
The toxic history of Niagara Falls, NY
Niagara Falls has millions of visitors every year, yet the cities it connects are full of poverty, crime, and desperation. Most people want to hear about the falls themselves, death defying adventures and amazing engineering. Or they want to know the best spot to eat...
When you could take a year off – with pay
A friend of mine in Brussels casually mentioned how she’d wanted to take a sabbatical, but the new government had changed the program. She’d hoped to take some time off to work on personal projects, but she worried about what would happen to people who relied on a...
Draft dodging in the days of the Vietnam War
Growing up in America in a post-Vietnam world, I had always assumed that draft dodgers had come to Canada illegally. Sure, Canada had turned a blind eye to it and allowed so many to stay, but it’s easy enough to live under the table for a few years. It was a surprise...
Canada’s Federal Government
As capital, Ottawa is the seat of Canada’s government. Canada has a Westminster style federal parliamentary democracy with a constitutional monarchy. It has one of the most stable democracies in the world and one of the most democratic nations. The provinces of Canada...
Abandoned Camp Evans, NJ
Growing up, everyone has that place they always wonder about. It lies unknown, forbidden, behind a stone wall or closed doors. Camp Evans was that place for me, a semi-abandoned military base behind a barbed wire fence and guards. There were signs warning of patrol...
Abandoned Fort Tilden
If you’re at the Flatbush Junction Target, you’re right at the start of the Q35 bus route. Take it to the end and you’ll find yourself at the entrance to what was once Fort Tilden. This old military base is now part of Gateway National Recreation...
Hudson River State Hospital
We went to Poughkeepsie to go to the Walkway Over the Hudson. That picture is from below because we never made it. Or, rather, we kept walking. While on the train up, we realized we would be so close to Hudson River State Hospital, so we may as well take a look. Even...
Our afternoon in Gary, Indiana
Gary, Indiana isn’t really known for being a nice place. I didn’t want to go to Gary just for ruin porn. I knew of it as a symbol of what happened to company towns when the company goes bust. I’m fascinated by the idea of an era when company...
The Queen of Religious Resorts
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]We tend to forget about it, but New York is a beach town. Coney Island is hardly the only beach New Yorkers can easily get to without a car.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Ocean Grove is one...
People I want to get a drink with
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1460555343254{padding: 30px !important;background-color: rgba(0,0,0,0.1) !important;*background-color: rgb(0,0,0) !important;}”]We all have those people we’ve been quietly stalking online for years....
