Please Vote for my Santorini Fishing Village Photo in the Escape Travel Photo Competition

Vote Here! Below is the photo and thank you for voting!

Public Hotel Pool at King and Grove Williamsburg.

NYC certainly isn't the normal beach or summer location most people think of. In fact in the middle of summer it can be down right revolting with the humidity and heat. Therefore, one idea is to seek out somewhere cool to relax and unwind. Thrillist has found just the place in the new pool at King and Grove Williamsburg. Unlike the Pools at SoHo House, Gansevoort Hotel and The Empire Hotel, this pool is open to the public. Their menu offers refreshing local brews on hand, warm-weather cocktails and a tidy sum of delicious eats.

The Pool At King & Grove Williamsburg
160 North 12th St; between Bedford and Berry St;
Williamsburg; 718.218.7500

Australian Abroad Social Media Links

Here is a list of all of my social media accounts. Feel free to Follow and Like them all. Much appreciated.

Instagram- @ australianabroad

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Australian-Abroad/246556565366495

http://www.tripadvisor.com/members/AustralianAbroad1

https://twitter.com/#!/aus_abroad

http://aus-abroad.tumblr.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anaustralianabroad/

http://pinterest.com/ausabroad/

Have a Listen to my New Hip Hop Mix!

Enjoy!
http://www.mixcloud.com/AustralianAbroad/hip-hop-mix-1/

Generator Hostel Dublin: My Tripadvisor Review

A review of mine is now available on Tripadvisor. Feel free to take a look.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g186605-d2153102-r129895430-Generator_Hostel_Dublin-Dublin_County_Dublin.html

New Photos of Singapore and the New York White Christmas are up!

New photos are up on the following websites. Feel free to find me on Instagram as well @australianabroad. Thanks!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anaustralianabroad/

http://aus-abroad.tumblr.com/

Great video of Downtown NYC

New York has always been a mecca for skateboarding. This video captures some of the exciting street skating you can enjoy on Manhattan Bridge in Chinatown and the Lower East Side. 

Check out my Indie Rock and Electro Mix!

Enjoy!

http://www.mixcloud.com/AustralianAbroad/indie-rock-and-electro-mix-1/

New Photos of Cuba are up!

New photos are up on the following websites. Feel free to find me on Instagram as well @australianabroad. Thanks!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anaustralianabroad/

http://aus-abroad.tumblr.com/

Tips for the Best Brunch in NYC

EaterNY has a list of 15 hot new brunch spots in New York. Restaurants listed include Acme, and The Cannibal in Manhattan and The Good Fork in Brooklyn amongst others.

Some of my all time favourite brunch spots include the celebrity and model filled Cafe Mogador in the East Village, the bustling Peels on Bowery and the intimate 'ino in the West Village. Below are photos of the brunch dishes I tried at each location.

Cafe Mogador

Peels

'ino

My Tripadvisor Review Has Been Published: Edinburgh Castle

A review of mine is now available on Tripadvisor. Feel free to take a look.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g186525-d187653-r129895029-Edinburgh_Castle-Edinburgh_Scotland.html

Off to Boston in September to see the Yankees Play the Red Sox at Fenway Park

I just picked up tickets for Yankees vs Red Sox at Fenway Park with a return bus through Megabus. Got to love new exciting travel plans!

Great NY Noodle Town

EaterNY discusses one of Chinatown's most famous restaurants the aptly named Great N.Y. Noodle Town. As the article mentioned, it is a favourite of the city's best chefs including Jean-Georges Vongerichten and David Chang.

It was from Anthony Bourdain's travel show The Layover that I first came to hear of the restaurant. I visited in February this year and, as shown below, enjoyed the roast duck, shrimp fried rice and roast beef. The restaurant is affordable and a must visit when in NYC's Chinatown.

Great NY Noodletown 

28 Bowery, New York, 

NY 10013  

New Photos of Michigan Stadium and NYC are up!

New photos are up on the following websites. Feel free to find me on Instagram as well @australianabroad. Thanks!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anaustralianabroad/

http://aus-abroad.tumblr.com/

Australian Abroad Question of the Day

Where would you live if you could live anywhere else in the world?

Deal of the Day: Russian and Turkish Bath Admission

Save Local has a deal on today which gets you and a friend/partner one admission to the Russian and Turkish Baths in the East Village for only $35US. That's 50% off! The Baths have been around since 1892, and have served NYC as the place to experience an unexpected paradise. Their facilities include five saunas and steam rooms, a cold plunge pool, roof deck and a restaurant.

I have visited the baths many times myself and really enjoy detoxing and relaxing after a crazy week of sightseeing and indulging.

To find more about the Russian and Turkish Baths please visit their website.

My Tripadvisor Review Has Been Published: National Gallery London

A review of mine is now available on Tripadvisor. Feel free to take a look.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g186338-d188862-r129894777-National_Gallery-London_England.html

Tips for the Best Ramen in NYC

EaterNY has a great article on 7 of the best, all be it unknown, ramen restaurants in NYC.  The list includes the No Name Bar, Tsushima and the Brooklyn based Yuji Ramen.

From my experience in NYC I would also suggest trying Ramen Kuboya at 536 East 5th St between Avenue A and B and the always busy Ippudo NY at 65 4th Avenue between 9th and 10th St. Below are photos of the ramen dishes I tried at each location.

Ippudo NY                                                                                                 Ramen Kuboya

Have you had a wonderful ramen meal abroad?

Suits Season 2 and a NYC Pop Up Store

Mr Porter in conjunction with US original series, Suits, has opened up a Suits and Style Gallery/Store in the Meatpacking District of NYC. The gallery/store is open until June 17th at 72 Gansevoort St, New York and will feature outfits inspired by the sartorially inclined show.

For more details on the upcoming show and Mr Porter collaboration please visit their website.

YSL Sale Starting Now!

Racked NY has details on the YSL sale that is running from Tuesday, June 12 through Friday, June 15. Tues—Thurs 9am—6:30pm, Fri 9am—3pm. The sale features mens and women's jackets for $300, denim for $100 and pants for $150. The sale is at 317 West 33rd St between Eighth and Ninth Aves.

Happy Shopping!

New Photos of Paris and Jamaica are up!

New photos are up on the following websites. Feel free to find me on Instagram as well @australianabroad. Thanks!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anaustralianabroad/

http://aus-abroad.tumblr.com/

My Tripadvisor Review Has Been Published

A review of mine is now available on Tripadvisor. Feel free to take a look.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d632551-r129675985-Hilton_Garden_Inn_New_York_Tribeca-New_York_City_New_York.html

Australian Abroad Question of the Day

What are your 3 favourite pieces of clothing you can’t travel with out?

Check out my Downtown NYC Mix 1

http://www.mixcloud.com/AustralianAbroad/downtown-nyc-mix-1/

New Photos of Washington DC and Greece are up!

New photos are up on the following websites. Feel free to find me on Instagram as well @australianabroad. Thanks!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anaustralianabroad/

http://aus-abroad.tumblr.com/

Do Australians who Travel Abroad Live up to Their Stereotypes?

News.com.au Travel has an interesting report on what the rest of the world thinks of Australians who travel abroad. They have compiled a list of common Australian stereotypes including that Australians are:

• Dumb 
• Fat, loud and drunk
• Racist
• The world's worst tippers
• Easy-going and don't complain
• The world's greatest travellers

I would personally like to add one to the list:
Australians are the worst dressed travellers.

When heading back home to Australia from America, Europe or Asia, it is always easy to tell in the airport which are the Australians returning back home. They will be wearing thongs and board shorts for the guys and ugg boots and trackies for the girls. Why can't we wear blazers and comfortable chinos like the European men do? I understand it is a comfort issue, but come on, you left the beach four hours ago!

New Photos of New York are up!

New photos are up on the following websites. Feel free to find me on Instagram as well @australianabroad. Thanks!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anaustralianabroad/

http://aus-abroad.tumblr.com/

Summer Fun at the Brooklyn Crab

Opening this week is the massive Brooklyn Crab in Red Hook. The new complex has entertainment including bocce courts, real-deal shuffleboard, ping pong tables, cornhole sets, and most excitingly a full-on 18-hole mini golf course.
Their menu is obviously seafood themed with crabs, whole lobsters, fried calamari, oysters and clams available. Patrons can also enjoyed a long list of beers and spirits in either of the two bars.

Brooklyn Crab
24 Reed St, btwn Conover and Van Brunt St; Red Hook; 718.643.2722

Please visit Thrillist for more details.

Another Review of a NYC Attraction: Tenement Museum

Another review of mine is available on Tripadvisor. Feel free to take a look.
http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g60763-d104369-r129495069-Tenement_Museum-New_York_City_New_York.html

New Photos of Boston and Paris are up!

New photos are up on the top of the Australian Abroad blog and my following websites:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anaustralianabroad/

http://aus-abroad.tumblr.com/

Not Just Cats who are Having Lasers Shined at Them

While the previous post made a joke of cats fascination with lasers, The Economist has released a troubling article on the current trend in Canada and the United States for people/criminals to shine lasers at aeroplanes which are landing. The number of aircraft getting "hit" with lasers jumped 25% to 229 last year in Canada and from a staggering 2,836 in 2010 to 3,592 in 2011 in the United States. While the act can come with up to a C$100,000 ($98,000) fine and/or up to five years in prison under the Aeronautics Act in Canada many people are continuing to do it.

I say lets leave the laser pointing just for playing with cats. Endangering peoples lives is no joke!

Funny Travel Photo of the Week

New exhibition at The Hole Gallery

The Hole Gallery on the Bowery has announced the upcoming opening of the exhibition “Portrait of a Generation” where over 100 artists who make up the art scene here will pair up and exchange portraits with each other. Opening this Thursday the 7th of June the exhibition will run until August 10th, 2012. The works will be hung salon-style on the walls of Gallery 1 and 2, and include painted, drawn and photographic portraits.

The works will feature not just artists but also designers, writers and musicians including André Saraiva, Cynthia Rowley, Fab Five Freddy, Glenn O'Brien, Terence Koh and Yoko Ono.

For more details on The Hole Gallery please visit their website.

26 Chinatown Bus Companies Shut Down due to Safety Violations

A scary report from amNY has identified 26 Chinatown Bus companies who have been served shutdown notices Wednesday for alleged safety violations, including drivers without a valid commercial license and using vehicles not regularly inspected. The main companies shutdown include Apex Bus Inc., I-95 Coach Inc. and New Century Travel Inc.

I have personally used one of the companies who were shutdown, I-95 Coach, to travel from NYC to Savannah, Georgia. The bus I travelled on was not as modern as other buses I have used in the past. I much prefer the services of MegaBus which I have used to go to Boston, Washington DC and Providence, Rhode Island.

More details on the report can be found on amNY.

New Photos of London and Barbados are up!

New photos are up on the top of the Australian Abroad blog and my following websites:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anaustralianabroad/

http://aus-abroad.tumblr.com/