Yelp Maps Show Where To Find Hipsters, Cheap Eats

by Libby Zay on

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Yelp, the go-to place for restaurant reviews, is now mapping trending topics in major cities. By pulling frequently used keywords from reviews, data visualizations show where the dim sum hotspots are in San Francisco and where hipsters congregate in New York (Williamsburg is a big red cluster, go figure!).

At first the maps seem to do little besides confirming stereotypes. But for travelers exploring new cities, the tool could come in handy. Filter locations by “cheap” and find hotbeds of budget dining in Los Angeles. Or use “view” and “romantic” to locate a neighborhood with some ambiance in Philly. Other helpful keywords include “kosher,” “brunch” and “espresso.” Yelp’s World Map site currently covers 16 cities, mostly in the U.S.

[via Gizmodo]

Behind-The-Scenes At Disney’s Haunted Mansion

by Libby Zay on

If you’ve ever wondered what goes on behind-the-scenes at Disney, well, it’s not always very glamorous. The photo above from Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion shows that on the other side of the spine-tingling ride is a simple, stale command center with some ancient monitors. The picture, from 2002, was found on an anonymously run Tumblr chronicling areas of the attraction that aren’t typically seen by guests — and judging by this photo, that’s for good reason. The only thing scary here is how low-tech and boring everything seems.

[via BoingBoing]

BART Stations Are Quiet Again Today

by Libby Zay on

As BART workers continue to strike for the first time in 16 years, there’s still no word on when the Bay Area‘s transit system will be back in order. While most days the train is lively and hectic – especially when this naked man accosted riders – right now things are eerily still. BuzzFeed has an amusing compilation of then and now photos, showing side-by-side comparisons of BART before and during the strike. Meanwhile, economists estimate the shutdown is costing more than $73 million per day.

Brookland! America’s Hippest Theme Park

by Libby Zay on

Upright Citizens Brigade’s latest parody video takes a shot at Brooklyn hipsterdom. The comedians turn trendy neighborhoods like Williamsburg into Brookland!, the place where adults who don’t want to grow up can eat pizza every day — while playing kick ball. Arcades and candy stores are on every corner, subways and taxis turn into roller coaster rides, and the proper skateboard age rises up and up. It all seems pretty amusing until the comedians point out seasons passes start at $57,000.

Cruise Survival Skills: Falling Overboard

by Chris Owen on

Over the weekend, a passenger sailing from Stockholm to Helsinki survived seven hours in the frigid Baltic Sea after falling overboard. That he accidentally fell off and lived to tell about it is unusual; most don’t. While its something that does not happen often, we checked in with the Coast Guard on what to do to increase your odds of survival.

We begin on the Baltic Queen ferry just off the Finnish island of Aland. The water is a chilling 16ºC (60ºF) when a 36-year-old Estonian man falls overboard on Friday night. His absence is not discovered until the next day when the ferry docks. Security cameras show the man falling from the vessel and enable Finnish sea rescue to find him two hours later. Suffering from hypothermia, with a body temperature of 26º C (78ºF), he should be dead.

Actually, he is lucky that he did not die immediately when hitting the water. “When a person falls in the cold water, their body responds to the initial shock with an instantaneous gasp for air, which if their head is underwater may cause the person to swallow water and drown,” says U.S. Coast Guard Safety Specialist Walt Taylor in Coast Guard Cold Water Safety Tips.

The best way to survive falling overboard? Don’t.Most stories of passengers going overboard do not end well. But on a big ship cruise, falling off is difficult to do. In “Death By Cruise Ship,” we tag suicide by cruise ship – alcohol/drug-induced shenanigans close to the edge of the ship and sitting/standing on the guard rail of a balcony stateroom – as common ways to fall off, all of which are avoidable.

But what if for one reason or another you fell off, did not die on impact and wound up in the ocean, watching your cruise ship sail away. What to do? Experts recommend treading water, screaming and waving your arms frantically. The best odds of being rescued are right when it happens and someone might happen to see you.

If the ship sails off without you? “Floating on your back takes the least energy. Lie on your back in the water, spread your arms and legs, and arch your back. By controlling your breathing in and out, your face will always be out of the water and you may even sleep in this position for short periods,” says WildernessSurvival.