From City Photo: New York.

Lela wrote this guest post about shopping in New York. She is a writer for HostelBookers.

It’s big, it’s crowded, and it’s fashionable and full of excitement. It is New York.

The first thought that may come to mind when visiting New York is shopping. Some of the best hotspots to shop in the world are in The Big Apple.

First things first, you probably need a place to stay, somewhere close to the city centre and cheap enough to not impact on your precious budget. HostelBookers presents a good selection of hotels at friendly prices that definitely fit the bill.

Barneys New York. Photo credit: Jim Henderson.

Here is a New York shopping guide to satisfy the shopping needs of every tourist. This chic city will bring out the fashion in the majority of its tourists. One may be determined to leave New York with a new look.

Consider shopping at Century 21. This store offers great deals that are hard to refuse, and consists of uniquely designed clothes for men, women, and kids. From casual to swimwear, this store has it all. To broaden the selections to choose from, 33rd street is known for the Manhattan Mall. The Manhattan Mall allows shoppers to visit some of the most well-known department stores and more.

See where most of the famous clothing stores originated in New York, such as Bloomingdales, and Barneys New York. Partake in the history of New York and what it is most famous for. Stop by some of the top brand name stores including Marc Jacobs, Prada, La Perla, Long Champ Paris, or Uniqlo USA. Shopping for fashion in New York will make every tourist leave feeling good with a brand new attitude. Of course, souvenirs can’t be forgotten. A trip to New York wouldn’t be a complete visit without beautiful trinkets and gifts to bring back.

Broadway is where any visitor can find countless souvenir shops and be content with the items that may be found. A few great places to stack up on souvenirs are the Grand Slam New York, Phantom of Broadway, or the New York Souvenir Center. These shops display an extravagant inventory of items from hats to t-shirts, decorative mugs, or toys for the kids. There are plenty of selections to choose from. Whether it is a gift for a friend, or a personal collection, it is ultimately the decision of the tourists to choose what stands out the most.

New York has an infinite number of museums to tour. Pick up a reproduction of a masterpiece of art from a recommended art shop or museum. Some of the most highly acclaimed facilities of art are Metropolitan Museum of Art Store, or the Museum of Modern Art. The souvenir could be a beautiful painting or sculpture that can’t be found anywhere else.

Photos can be a part of any souvenir collection. Take photos at some of the most scenic attractions. There are over approximately eighty-three attractions to view in New York. Some of the most popular are Ellis Island, Empire State Building, Grand Central Terminal, Chrysler Building, or Rockefeller Center and the Statue of Liberty. Experience other amazing places such as Columbus Circle, Times Square, Central Park, Wall Street, and Madison Square.

We love Paris anytime, spring, summer, fall or winter.

So we love this stunning video The Quiet City: Winter in Paris by Andrew Julian.

Las Vegas is a legendary city destination.  If you’re heading to Las Vegas, check out this fab infographic The Legendary History of Las Vegas by The Palms.com.

The Toronto CityPASS logo. Photo credit: CityPASS.

Looking for a way to save money on your next trip to Toronto?  Then, think about picking up a Toronto CityPASS booklet which will offer you savings and special line-skipping privileges.

Each Toronto CityPASS ticket booklet includes discounted admissions to the city’s best known attractions including the CN Tower, Royal Ontario Museum, Casa Loma, Toronto Zoo and the Ontario Science Centre.

The travel company says that CityPASS travelers can save some 43 percent off the cost of purchasing individual tickets.  Currently, the prices are Adult Toronto CityPASS booklets ($61.50 CAD) and child passes for ages 4-12 ($36.50 CAD).  Take a look at this informative video on the Toronto CityPASS.

The CityPASS admission to the CN Tower, one of Toronto’s architectural attractions, is a travel highlight. Travelers can visit the sky-high LookOut level which is located 1,136 feet (346m) above the ground, or step onto the tower’s Glass Floor and stare down 1,122 feet (342m).  The admission ticket to CN Tower also includes a 3-D film and a motion-theater ride.

Another historic Toronto attraction is Casa Loma, the castle-inspired mansion which was built by financier Sir Henry Pellatt between 1911 and 1914.  In many Hollywood movie shoots, this celebrated mansion has served as a location for films such as X-Men and Chicago.

Are you a city traveler across North America? Then check out the CityPASS booklets/cards which are available for other destinations including New York City, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Hollywood, Houston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Southern California and Toronto.

Find out more about city destinations and travel deals at CityPASS.com.

“I run to explore. I run to escape the ordinary. I run…to savor the trip along the way. Life becomes a little more vibrant, a little more intense. I like that.” ― Dean Karnazes, Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner

A Scandinavian design icon: The Kubus 4 candleholder designed by Modernist Danish architects, designers and brothers Mogens and Flemming Lassen. Photo credit: Story North.

Scandinavian design classics continue to be admired for their elegance and simplicity.

Take the classic design The Kubus 4 candleholder (above) designed in 1962 by Modernist Danish architects, designers and brothers Mogens and Flemming Lassen.

Fifty years later, The Kubus Bowl (below) was produced, as an extension of the Kubus candleholder. The bowl’s design was based on discovered original sketches from Mogens Lassen who was inspired by the Bauhaus school.

The Kubus Bowl based on discovered original sketches by Mogens Lassen. Photo credit: Story North.

“Intended as a rebellion against the ornate elaborate home, their candleholder was designed with almost mathematical precision, a sharp lacquered steel cubical frame with cylindrical candleholders on top,” says Story North, which specializes in home accessories and furiture from Scandinavia.

Today, the Lassen family owns the rights to the designs by the late Lassen brothers. The family business has carried on the legacy and production of their designs “as they believe that good design lives on through new generations.”

The Kubus 4 Candleholder and Kubus Bowl are both available in black or white at Story North.

Find out more about these and other Scandinavian designs at StoryNorth.com.

CityLife Auckland Entrance. Photo credit: Heritage Hotels.

We naturally love New Zealand and its hotels especially this one: CityLife Auckland.

Located on Queen Street, CityLife Auckland is close to city attractions including the New Zealand Opera so it’s a perfect hotel choice for Auckland city breaks.

We’re seeing street art in cities everywhere.  And we’re always wondering who are the street artists and what is their story.

That’s why we love this Dublin video le cool’s (Short) Guide To Street Art by le cool dublin.

LEGO Factory at LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Berlin. Photo credit: LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Berlin.

Euan McTear wrote this guest post about child-friendly cities in Europe.

Traveling with children can be very tricky, especially if taking a trip to a big city.

There are some cities in Europe where exploring with a child can be a real nightmare, however most cities are doing all they can to make themselves more and more family-friendly. Read on here and you’ll find a few of the most toddler-tolerant, wayne-welcoming and child-condoning cities around.

Dublin, Ireland

The Irish are one of the most welcoming people on the planet and that’s not just with adults. Dubliners will very happily stop to say hello to the little ones and will be quick to recommend their own favorite family-friendly spots. The city has many bars and restaurants and you’ll find that almost all of them make space for kids and have children’s menus.

The child friendly St Patrick’s Festival in Dublin. Video courtesy of Visit Dublin.

Barcelona, Spain

This lively city has plenty of things to do with the little ones. You’ll never be far from a play park as they are found on almost every street of the city so you can make the promise of a play stop for every museum visit to convince any tired children. Barcelona also has a theme park at the Tibidabo Mountain which looks out over the city from on high. There are rides for all ages, so everybody can take part!

Shark tunnel at Aquarium Barcelona. Photo credit: Paul Hermans.

Berlin, Germany

Berlin has a ton of things to keep children entertained – really a lot! At Kollwitzplatz, for example, you’ll find a huge play park, you could also check out the Zoo at the Tiergarten, the Science Museum with its interactive exhibitions and that’s all before you’ve even considered the LEGOLAND Discovery Centre Berlin (above)! The city also has many other museums where children are welcomed. There are few museums in Berlin that haven’t made the effort to make their museums even a little bit more child friendly over the last decade.

Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy. Photo credit: Italian State Tourist Board.

Rome, Italy

Children are generally not overly impressed by the famous landmarks that adults love so much. But in Rome there are simply so many important and well-known landmarks that even the children will recognize some of them. The Colosseum is of course one of them, but the Vatican, Spanish Steps or Trevi Fountain are all the kinds of sights that they’ll either already have heard of in school or that they’ll be able to appreciate a bit more when they learn more about them at an older age. Oh-Rome has apartments for rent in all these parts of the city as well as in the harder to reach parts too. So that is one option worth considering if looking to stay as close to the sights as possible.

So there you have it! Four of the most child welcoming cities on the continent, but do bear in mind that there are many more. Wherever you go, do a little research beforehand and find out about the child friendly activities on offer.

The LUXE Asian Grand Tour Box. Photo credit: LUXE City Guides.

Heading on an Asian Grand Tour soon?  Then you might fancy the LUXE City Guides Asian Grand Tour Box.  We love LUXE City Guides and have blogged about the travel guide publisher’s summer travel and Little City Travelers series.

As mobile travelers, we also love that LUXE City Guides offer mobile versions of their cool city guides. The publisher has travel guide apps available for city destinations worldwide which include a year of free updates sent directly to your mobile device.

Whether you’re a luxury business or leisure traveler, you’ll likely find the latest luxury city travel information in these Asia guides.  You can take a Singapore Airlines business class flight to Asia and bring along these inspiring travel guides to inform your first luxury city adventure.

The Asian Grand Tour Box features eight popular city destinations in Asia – LUXE City Guides to Bali, Bangkok, Beijing, Hanoi, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore and Tokyo.

Honoring the Year of The Snake, the stylish guide box highlights the Chinese zodiac symbols ­the dragon and the snake in black lacquer over a glossy, scarlet peony background with a red velvet LUXE logo.

“LUXE City Guides have no padding, no maps, no daft pictures and graphics, just super-curated, highly opinionated quickfire speed reads from resident editors and contributors who REALLY know their city, so you can spend time enjoying the city,” says the publisher. “Packed from concertina cover to cover with snazz, snark and snap, if it’s in LUXE, it’s IN.”