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Jessica Marati

- http://toutlemon.de

Jessica Marati is a freelance writer and consultant specializing in sustainability, social enterprise, ethical fashion, cultural exploration, and travel. As a writer, she has journeyed to nearly fifty countries and reported on subjects ranging from surf culture in Costa Rica to meditation in Thailand to fashion weeks in Paris and Milan. She currently makes her home in Manhattan’s Lower East Side and blogs regularly at http://toutlemon.de.

The World Of The Great Gatsby: Long Island's Gold Coast

by Jessica Marati (RSS feed) on May 24th, 2012 at 4:30PM

The official trailer for Baz Luhrmann's new film adaptation of "The Great Gatsby" was released this week, inciting nostalgia across the Internet for the passion, parties and Prohibition-fueled recklessness of 1920s-era New York City. The film doesn't come out until Christmas but if you're hankering for a preview, try visiting Long Island's Gold Coast, where F. Scott Fitzgerald lived, wrote and based his famous novel.

Geographically located on the North Shore of Long Island, the Gold Coast's grand mansions and landscaped gardens beckon visitors to explore the lives of the magnates and tycoons that called them home. Former inhabitants include familiar names like the Vanderbilts, Roosevelts, Whitneys and Pratts, and nearly all of the estates are open to the public throughout the summer.

Gallery: Gatsby's Gold Coast: Famous Mansions On Long Island's North Shore

One Gold Coast must-see is Old Westbury Gardens, a traditional English manor home that you'll recognize from films like "The Age of Innocence" and "Cruel Intentions." Built in 1906, the estate was once inhabited by financier John S. Phipps, who outfitted it with lavish furnishings and artwork. Guests are welcome to tour the home's interior or stroll around the estate's rose gardens, walled gardens and pond.

The Gold Coast's residents weren't all as traditional as the Phipps. A trip to the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum reveals the eclectic nature of former inhabitant William K. Vanderbilt II. The 43-acre complex includes a marine museum, seaplane hangar, natural history habitats and a wide array of quirky ethnographic objects. The on-site planetarium is currently under construction, but it is expected to be one of the most advanced in the country once it is completed.

And if you're a true literature geek, you can't miss the Hempstead House or Falaise Mansion in Sands Point, a part of Long Island that Fitzgerald referred to as the "East Egg" in "The Great Gatsby." Both homes are surrounded by wildlife, nature trails and picturesque spots that are perfect for setting out a picnic blanket and giving the classic novel a re-read.

[image via Discover Long Island]

Hester Nights Brings Night Market Atmosphere To New York City

by Jessica Marati (RSS feed) on May 24th, 2012 at 7:00AM

A night market in "the city that never sleeps" might seem like a no-brainer, but somehow the concept has never really caught on in New York City – that is, until now.

Tonight marks the kickoff of Hester Nights, a stylish new night market from the team behind the Lower East Side's popular Hester Street Fair. The weekly Thursday night event will bring Hester's renowned selection of food vendors to the courtyard of the Hotel Eventi, a Kimpton property located in midtown Manhattan's red-hot NoMad (North of Madison Square Park) neighborhood. Offerings will include a mix of global foodie favorites like Taiwanese lunch boxes from Bian Dang, Jamaican jerk chicken wings from Spur Tree and French macarons from Macaron Parlour, as well as a lineup of film and multimedia installations focused on fashion and design. The Hester team has also announced that it will be curating a new lifestyle concept shop at the Eventi, which is slated to open later in the summer.

Hester Nights will run every Thursday, from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., until October 25. The Hotel Eventi is located at 851 Sixth Avenue.

Update: Due to thunderstorms, the Hester Nights opening event was moved to Thursday, May 31.

Photo Of The Day: Zebra Canyon

by Jessica Marati (RSS feed) on May 22nd, 2012 at 7:00PM

Most travel photography fans are familiar with the striking, sun-dappled images of Arizona's famed Antelope Canyon popularized on computer desktop backgrounds around the world. But few people are acquainted with Zebra Canyon, its less popular, less crowded but equally fetching neighbor in Utah, captured excellently in today's Photo of the Day from Flickr user oilfighter. Named because of its vivid pink stripes, Zebra Canyon is also referred to as a "slot" because of its narrowness – our intrepid photographer even had to leave his pack at the entrance!

Do your natural wonder photos belong here? Upload your favorite shots to the Gadling Flickr Pool and your image could be selected as our Photo of the Day.

I Can Has Perfect Hotel? With New Personalized Hotel Search Engine, Yes

by Jessica Marati (RSS feed) on May 22nd, 2012 at 9:30AM

Imagine a personalized hotel search engine that knows what kind of traveler you are (savvy bargain hunter), what kind of vibe you go for (boutique and unique) and what kinds of activities you enjoy (culture and wine, please) and then uses those preferences to predict the perfect property for you.

That's the aim of SimpleHoney, a new travel start-up from I Can Has Cheezburger founder Eric Nakagawa and GigaOm TV co-host Joyce Kim.

The premise is, dare we say, simple. Take a quick test to determine your "traveler type," then type in where you're going and when. The site will generate results and offers that fit your preferences, then direct you to the hotel website so you can book your room.

The SimpleHoney website, which was built on a beach in Oahu, is still in "beta," which means that not all features are active yet. At the moment, the site only lists properties in San Francisco and Hawaii, and the "traveler type" profile quiz is basic at best. Sign-up is free for early adopters, though a $100 membership fee – for "access to amenities, perks, experiences, and rates" – will go into effect once the site is further along.

Museum Month: The Tenement Museum In New York's Lower East Side

by Jessica Marati (RSS feed) on May 16th, 2012 at 1:00PM

Often, the sights that are just around the corner are the ones that you somehow never get around to exploring. You say that you'll go one day, but there's never a real rush. You tell yourself that it will always be there.

For me, that sight is the Tenement Museum, located in the heart of New York City's Lower East Side, a block and a half from the apartment I've called home for the past three years.

The Tenement Museum celebrates New York's immigrants by exploring the history of a single tenement building at 97 Orchard Street, built in 1863. From the outside, the museum doesn't look too different from the other apartment buildings on the block, including my own. But inside lies a rich tapestry of stories tracking the major immigration waves of the 19th- and 20th- centuries, starting with the Germans and followed by Eastern European Jews and Italians.

The Ultimate Wedding Season Packing List

by Jessica Marati (RSS feed) on May 11th, 2012 at 4:00PM

There comes a time in every man's life when they realize that (1) all of their friends are getting married and (2) all of their vacation days are spent hopping from ceremony to ceremony.

Welcome to wedding season, a period of time that can last anywhere from one summer to one decade... or indefinitely, depending on how popular you are. It involves lots of travel, lots of champagne toasts and lots of cover bands performing "At Last."

Packing for wedding season travel can be particularly tricky, but it improves with practice. Here, a handy list of essentials you may not normally think to bring along, from a wedding season vet.

FOR THE LADIES

An extra pair of flats or fancy sandals. Those heels might match your dress perfectly but they probably won't hold up to an all-night dance party. An extra set of flats or sandals, packed away in your purse, will be invaluable at 1 a.m.

A wrap. A nice, neutral shawl can get a ton of mileage, whether as a cover-up at the ceremony or as a scarf on the plane.

Waterproof mascara. Because love is a beautiful thing.

Video Of The Day: How Humans Have Fundamentally Changed The Earth

by Jessica Marati (RSS feed) on May 9th, 2012 at 6:00PM

Over the past 250 years, humans have impacted the Earth irreversibly. This three-minute short film, commissioned by the Planet Under Pressure conference, uses stunning visuals to show how population growth, combined with rapid industrialization and globalization, have contributed to a degree of global change on par with a major geological shift. In addition to being a feat of data imagery, the video is also a reminder for us of the need to tread lightly, both at home and in our travels.

Photo Of The Day: A Glimpse Of The Dargah

by Jessica Marati (RSS feed) on May 8th, 2012 at 7:00PM

Behind a lattice gate at the end of an alleyway in India lies the Sufi Islamic dargah shrine to Qutbuddin Bakhtiar Kaki, a renowned mystic, saint and scholar. Flickr user The Delhi Way offers us a tantalizing glimpse at what lies inside this sacred space in today's Photo of the Day, taken in the complex of Qutb on the outskirts of Delhi.

Does your hideaway photo belong here? Upload your favorite travel shots to the Gadling Flickr Pool and your image could be selected as our Photo of the Day.

VIA Rail Canada Debuts Mouthwatering New Train Menu

by Jessica Marati (RSS feed) on May 5th, 2012 at 12:00PM

On most rail systems in the U.S. and Europe, chips and cookies count as "train cuisine." But Canada's VIA Rail system is kicking it up a notch (boom!) with a new gourmet train menu on its legendary trans-continental Canadian route between Toronto and Vancouver.

The menu will include 78 brand-new dishes, which will be made to order with fresh ingredients and prepared on board by VIA Rail chefs. Certain menu items will be regional in nature, befitting the trans-continental voyage. Think dishes like French toast stuffed with cheesecake, roast beef ravioli sautéed with crispy bacon, and scallops and goat cheese sacchetti with truffles served a la nage in lobster bisque.

Sound inventive? The dishes were cooked up during a two-day Menu Creation Challenge, which roped in eight chefs to develop new dishes under the direction of Chef Martin Gemme. The results blow away the honey-roasted peanuts on Amtrak, that's for sure.

Photo Of The Day: Meet The Princesses

by Jessica Marati (RSS feed) on May 1st, 2012 at 6:30PM

Who is the fairest of them all? It's a tough question for guests aboard the new Disney Fantasy cruise ship, who spend their days surrounded by dozens of Disney's famed princesses. Flickr user David Lytle is one of the lucky few to experience the Disney Fantasy first-hand, snapping today's featured photo of Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Snow White as they greeted guests. In addition to characters in costume, the Disney Cruise Line vessel, inaugurated in March, features art nouveau design, European-themed dining and nightlife options, and a 1,800-square-foot water play area with an AquaDuck water coaster.

Does your enchanting travel photo belong here? Upload your favorite shots to the Gadling Group Pool and your image could be selected as our Photo of the Day.