Enlightenment Available in Upstate New York

by Iva Skoch on

During a recent trip up the Hudson river (Carmel, NY to be precise,) friends took me to The Chuang Yen Monastery, home of the largest indoor Buddha statue in the Western hemisphere. I must say the complex of buildings is quite impressive, especially the one that houses the 37-foot tall Buddha Vairocana and 10,000 small Buddha statues. The hall can accommodate 2,000 people.

For those advanced in Buddhism, this is what they say about him: “Vairocana is regarded as the highest form, a god of light whose reflection throughout the universe is represented as endless. His wisdom is the Wisdom of the Dharmadhatu. The Dharmadhatu is the Realm of Truth is which all things exist as they really are. Vairocana’s wisdom is also referred to as the All-Pervading Wisdom of the Dharmakaya, the absolute Buddha nature.”

There you have it. Almost as mind-boggling as Heidegger.

Photo of the Day (7/25/07)

by Adrienne Wilson on


There’s no guessing what kind of prizes are available here if you win this carnival game. How big is the prize you ask anyway? It’s big… It’s a “BIG ASS PRIZE.” This game vendor was captured at Coney Island in New York by shadixpn during Memorial Day weekend when I’m sure the place was crawling with children and kid-at-heart adult types looking to win a big stuffed toy.

Best Beer Garden in New York

by Iva Skoch on

I admit that by being Czech, I am slightly biased when proclaiming that The Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden has the best outdoor garden of any bar in New York…but really, it does.

First of all, it is huge (big asset in New York.) Secondly, it has real Czech beer (and authentic food, which I realize could be a drawback to some). Thirdly, they host all kinds of events in the summer, from movie screenings to jazz concerts.

To many Manhattanites, the Bohemian Hall is way too far, which is another reason it has remained authentic. After all, you do have to cross a bridge to get there. It is in Astoria, Queens but only a few subway stops from Midtown Manhattan. Not that this place is ready for an influx of “tourists” but when you get sick of those $14 cocktails in SoHo, this might be a good change of scenery…

The Best U.S. Cities for Singles

by Justin Glow on

You may recognize this “Singles” map from the February 2007 issue of National Geographic. It ranks the number of single women versus the number of single men in metropolitan areas, and you may be surprised at some of the results.

Girls, looking to travel to a bachelor-heavy area? The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana metro area, for instance, has the highest population of single males, with 40,000 more than single women. On the flip side, guys, the New York-Newark urban area has 185,000 more single women than men.

What I find particularly interesting is Texas. Dallas, Austin, and Houston all have more single men than women, while San Antonio has more single women. With the influx of military personnel in San Antonio, I would have figured the opposite.

One for the Road: The Slow Food Guide to NYC

by Kelly Amabile on

We haven’t really talked much about the Slow Food movement here at Gadling — we leave that to the experts, our friends over at Slashfood. But it’s worth a mention, especially now, while I’ve got this great Slow Food Guide to NYC in my hands!

Founded in Italy in 1986, Slow Food is an international movement dedicated to preserving regional cuisine and products from around the world, while also advocating for sustainability and biodiversity in the food supply. The NYC guide is organized first by “cuisines”, then by “special foods & nightlife” and finally by “food shops, markets and producers.” The listings in each section highlight establishments throughout the city that serve food in line with the Slow Food mission. My mouth is watering with slow food goodness…ya gotta love a book with special “tribute” sections devoted to delectables like pickles, tamales, smoked fish and New York Cheesecake!

Other books in this series are Slow Food Guides to Chicago and San Francisco. None of these guidebooks are brand new, so you may run into some outdated info. But they’re still plenty useful for travelers looking to savor slowness while eating their way through these cities. Bon Appetite!