Amsterdam becoming the car tipping capital of the world?

by Scott Carmichael on

Ever seen one of those little Smart cars? They may be pretty rare in the US, but in Europe you’ll have a hard time not being able to find the little buggers. Especially in the major cities of Europe, the small cars are extremely popular, as they are a breeze to park. In fact, they are so easy to park, that many owners can fit two of them in a single parking spot.

Smart car owners in Amsterdam may be starting to have second thoughts about their little cars, because of an alarming new trend.

“Smart Smijten” is the Dutch name for it, and it translates to “Smart Tipping” – the “sport” of tipping the vehicle into a canal. If there is one thing Amsterdam has no shortage of, it is canals. And since many owners park their car with the rear facing the water, it is easy for a couple of drunk hooligans to pick the car up from the front, and dump it into the canal.

Of course, the cars are a total loss when they have been in the filthy water, and the crane required to lift them out probably doesn’t do them much good either.

Apparently, the Dutch police have known about he phenomenon for some time, but tried to keep it quiet, to prevent copy-cat criminals. It is probably only a matter of time till other cities try to compete. So, if you own or rent a Smart (or other small vehicle), keep it away from any canals when you park!

Citizen M Hotels: Budget meets luxury?

by Abha Malpani on

Those of you sick of hostels, bed&breakfasts, and motels, wanting to go upscale on your accommodation when you travel without spending a fortune, this new brand of Citizen M Hotels might be just what you’re looking for.

Go to their website and you’ll find a great brand-building and marketing effort targeting the “mobile citizen” who is a new generation traveler, explorer, culture seeker, shopper and professional, looking for low-price luxury.

By its description, it seems more like a big apartment than a hotel. It has modern rooms up to date with all the technology you need including free movies on demand and free wifi, a living room to hang in, and a 24-hour canteen area for food and beverages.

Other than the fact that you can self check-in and you “shouldn’t pay for bits of hotel that you don’t need” (butler, chocolate on pillows?), it’s not clear how they manage to offer their so called low-price luxury rates, whatever they may be (not mentioned either).

Their first hotel has just opened at Amsterdam Schipol Airport and currently has two offers running: 1) become a Citizen and the first 100 to book with them will get a free room, 2) if you aren’t one of the lucky 100, throughout summer you can avail of their special room rate of €69 a night. Considering the fact that in Amsterdam any decent 2-star hotel is not available for less than €45 a night, for €69 if you are getting the luxury they promise, it’s not a bad deal.

In the future, they plan to spread this concept throughout Europe.

All-in-all, a unique concept — but no one has been here yet, so we’ll just have to see .

The Smartest (and Least Smart) Cities in the U.S.

by Willy Volk on

By analyzing Census data on educational achievement, Bizjournals developed a methodology wherein it ranked adults in nearly 16,000 cities, towns, villages, boroughs and unincorporated areas throughout the U.S. In the end, the methodology provided insight into the distribution of gray matter in America. Which big city proved to be brainiest? Seattle came out tops, with San Francisco and Austin followed close behind.

In terms of mid-sized communities, Arlington, Virginia, took first place. Ann Arbor, Michigan beat out the pack in the small cities category.

Of course, any time you rank the strongest, you necessarily have to rank the weakest. Which cities came in at the bottom?

For large communities, Miami edged out the competition. For medium communities, Santa Ana, California emerged the victor. For small communities, East Los Angeles took the top spot.

It’s important to note that whether a city is considered more or less smart should not affect your enjoyment of the place. Just because the city, as a whole, has less educational achievement doesn’t mean it’s dangerous, or boring, or not worthy of a visit. I just returned from Miami, for example, and I had an absolute blast! Moreover, Santa Ana has a rich history and lots of things to do.

If a community offers activities that you’re interested in, go for it! Don’t worry about statistics!

Get smarter:
* The Smart Traveler’s Passport
* World’s Most Expensive Cities
* The World’s Most Polite and Rude Cities