Kate McCulley

Posted By Kate on December 20, 2009

I have a new regular blogging gig at a new travel site: TripVine!

TripVine is a new division of AOL Travel.  On their feature called The Insider, locals in 13 different cities write about their specific area of expertise.  I am their Boston nightlife writer.

Virtually everyone I’ve told has had the same reaction: “Wow, that’s perfect for you!”

It’s funny — although I was offered the nightlife position, I initially wondered whether I was the right person for the job.  After all, I do work a 9-5 job, so it’s not like I can be in a club every night until 2:00 AM. (Though I have been out until 4:00 AM on many a work night.  I’ll enjoy it while I’m young.)

But, you know what?  I do know Boston nightlife — very well.  I know all the places.  I’ve been to most of the places.  I’ve been scared out of Gypsy Bar and I’ve made friends at Saint.  I’ve  joined a bachelor party at the Hong Kong and chatted up MIT students at the Enormous Room.  I’ve heard live blues at Johnny D’s and live house in Kenmore.  I’ve been offered and denied cold tea in Chinatown.

My friends are always asking me for Boston nightlife advice.  And that’s what made me realize that not only could I write about Boston nightlife, I could do it for days.  This was perfect for me.

Several times a week — nearly every day, actually — I post information about my favorite places to go out, special events at bars and clubs, and Boston nightlife advice and suggestions.  I’m currently working on a multi-day feature for New Year’s Eve.

There have been plenty of rewards so far.  I’ve been contacted directly by club owners and event promoters, offered VIP tickets to events, invited to parties.  It’s been great!

My blog for TripVine is called Boston After Dark.  I’m having a lot of fun with it!

Whether you’re researching for your next trip or looking for tips in your own city, check out TripVine.  It’s a great source to hear about cool places from the locals that know their cities best.

Category: New Publications, Writing | No Comments »
Tags: boston, publications, travel, usa

Posted By Kate on November 27, 2009

Here’s a confession: I’m not a big fan of Thanksgiving food.

I’ll eat it, of course, and I do like much of it.  (And, before I get any further, my mom made a FABULOUS and DELICIOUS Thanksgiving dinner yesterday!)  I just don’t crave turkey, stuffing and mashed potatoes the way that so many of my fellow Americans do.

If it were on a menu in a restaurant, I would never choose it.  That’s probably the best way of doing it.

With most of my family in Massachusetts, I don’t leave the state for Thanksgiving very often.  In fact, I’ve only been away from this state for three Thanksgivings: Florida in 1993, Florence in 2004, and Buenos Aires in 2008.

The Florence Thanksgiving was in the middle of my semester abroad.  My mother and sister came to visit me for a week, and we decided to have Thanksgiving dinner at Il Latini.

Il Latini is a legendary restaurant in Florence.  You sit at communal tables and feast on a multi-course Tuscan feast. The food is unbelievable and the atmosphere is so much fun, with convivial waiters and the house wine a-flowing.

Here’s what we each ate on that Thanksgiving:

• Unlimited house wine (red)
• Plain crostini with olive oil
• Crostini with chicken liver mousse
• A plate of prosciutto
• A caprese — tomato, mozzarella and basil salad
• Primi (first course): pappa al pomodoro (Tuscan tomato, bread and white bean soup) for me and my sister, ribollita (Tuscan bread and vegetable stew) for my mother
• Secondi (second course): veal chops for me and my sister, rabbit for my mother
• Various pastries for dessert
• Cantuccini and vin santo — yellow Tuscan biscotti made with many egg yolks dipped into a very sweet dessert wine made from raisins
• No caffe, or espresso, as the three of us tend to be sensitive to caffeine late at night
• Limoncello shots to digest

Now, THAT’S how I would ALWAYS do Thanksgiving!  Tuscans know their food.

Category: Culinary Adventures, Travel Musings | No Comments »
Tags: europe, florence, food, italy, tuscany

Posted By Kate on November 13, 2009

More and more, people have been asking me what I think are the best-value destinations for travel right now.  (Keep in mind that best value does not mean cheapest!)

For this entry, I’m going to focus on destinations in Europe:

Iceland. This is the destination on everyone’s list right now.  Iceland is suffering an economic collapse worse than ours, and the country, once expensive, is actually affordable now.  The outdoor adventure activities and wild landscape make Iceland an otherworldly experience.

Ireland. Tons of deals have been springing up lately, especially through Aer Lingus.  Ireland is also one of the cheapest destinations to fly to from the U.S., and particularly the east coast.  So many highlights of Ireland are cheap as well – gorgeous countryside, listening to live music in pubs, some of the nicest people in the world…

London. Though it’s a very expensive city, right now the U.S. dollar is doing better against the British pound than it has in years.  London will never be a cheap getaway, but it’s as affordable as it’s going to be right now.  If you’ve been waiting, now’s your chance.

Budapest. If you’re a foodie, this might not appear on your list.  Well, it should.  I arrive in Hungary with low food expectations and I was promptly blown out of the water.  Goulash, hearty meat and game dishes, cold fruit soups, and sweet, sweet chestnut desserts.  And it costs a fraction of what you’d pay for a comparable meal in Paris or Rome.

Croatia. This is my GO NOW destination. Though Croatia has been a favorite of Europeans for a long time, it’s never caught on with mainstream American travelers in the way that Italy and France have. That all changes this summer. Get ready for an influx like never before: the Dalmatian Coast will be the new Amalfi Coast, and prices will be driven up exponentially.

Anywhere during the winter. Winter fares to Europe from the U.S. are the lowest in the winter.  And it’s something to think about – while you understandably wouldn’t want to sail the Greek islands in January, there’s nothing like walking the streets of Paris during a fresh snowfall, then going inside for a fabulous meal with a carafe of red wine.

What do you think?  Any other good European bargains to be had at the moment?

Category: Advice and Deals, Travel Musings | No Comments »
Tags: budapest, croatia, england, europe, food, hungary, iceland, ireland, london, travel, united kingdom

Posted By Kate on November 11, 2009

This weekend, my friend and I took a mini-road trip to visit our friend in Troy, New York, just outside Albany, where she is studying for the next four years.  Troy is home to RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute) as well as Russell Sage College.

Though we were there for less than 24 hours, the city made an impression on me.  Though this is somewhere I’d never visit on my own, I found it interesting to visit.

Here are the things that struck me about Troy:

• All local businesses.  Coming from Boston, that was refreshing. The only chain I saw was one CVS.
• Surprising ethnic diversity for its size and location. We got falafel on a street with tons of Egyptian businesses.  A few blocks away, it was all Caribbean businesses.
• Sadly, lots of businesses closing. It looked like the recession was hitting Troy hard.
• My friend pointed out that RPI sits on a high hill, an elegant, gorgeous university totally removed from the city going through tough times.  I cringed a bit.

But more than that, I couldn’t shake the sense that I had been there before.  It looked a bit like New Hampshire, or some of the mill towns in Massachusetts.

But that’s not it…

Was it a movie?  Was anything filmed in Troy or a similar-looking town?  Someone help me out, because it’s driving me crazy!

Category: Travel Musings | No Comments »
Tags: travel, troy, upstate new york, usa

Posted By Kate on November 10, 2009

Posing at Fenway Park with the Girls

Thinking about taking a trip to a new city?  How about Boston?

Sure, it’s no Vegas.  And if you go, don’t you have to spend your days learning about the Revolutionary War?

Not so fast.

Boston is smart.  Boston is trendy.  Boston, for lack of a better expression, is anything you want it to be!

I recently shared my top 10 tips for groups of girls traveling to Boston.  Sure, you could do the usual tourist activities: cheering on the Sox at Fenway Park; visiting the North End.  Or you could take a look at alternate Boston: gallavanting with drag queens, seeing some truly risque cupcakes, even competing against Ivy Leaguers in an alcohol-fueled spelling bee.  Not so boring, eh?

I LOVE sharing my Boston favorites!  Head over to Girls Getaway to check them out.

Category: New Publications, Travel Musings, Writing | No Comments »
Tags: boston, publications, travel, usa

Posted By Kate on October 30, 2009

XS Nightclub at the Encore Las Vegas

If there’s anything on which I’m an expert, it’s Las Vegas clubs!  I first became familiar with them during my days as a high-end concierge, then started traveling to Vegas to experience them myself.

Vegas clubs are amazing. They are fabulously styled — especially the one pictured above, XS at the Encore.  (Just look at the size of that chandelier!)  The DJs, for the most part, are some of the best in America.  I was lucky enough to hear the fantastic DJ AM spin at both PURE at Caesars Palace and Rain at the Palms before he passed away this summer.

And the club bathrooms…they’re amazing.  Don’t go to a Vegas club without checking out the bathroom.  I particularly love the ones at Tao and Tryst.

I’ve written a new piece on seven of the most popular clubs in Vegas — and the three best clubs for groups of women!

Head over to Single Minded Women to check it out.

And because I love to post this picture whenever possible…

We met Ice-T and Coco!

Just a typical night out in Vegas: me and my girlfriends hanging out at XS with Law & Order: SVU star Ice-T and his wife, Coco!

Category: New Publications, Nightlife, Travel Musings, Writing | No Comments »
Tags: las vegas, Nightlife, publications, travel, usa

Posted By Kate on October 29, 2009

I have a bit of an unhealthy obsession with maps. Plonk an atlas down in my lap and I won’t move for hours. (Seriously. Ask my family. They’ll gladly confirm.)

I love creating travel itineraries and maps, so I’m going to make this a recurring feature on KateMcCulley.com.

Ten Days in Italy

This is a perfect trip to Italy for a first-timer — it hits the three major cities and a few unique sites.  It can be accomplished easily if you take off a Friday, then the following week.

While you could spend months in Italy and only see a fraction of what you wanted to see, this is a solid way to spend a week.

10 Days in Italy

Day 1: Rome. Fly into Rome. Arrive early. Catch a few of the iconic sights: the Trevi Fountain, the Spanish Steps, Piazza Navoni, the Pantheon (outside of which you can grab some gelato!).  Have dinner in the nearby Jewish ghetto.

Day 2: Rome. Visit tiny Vatican City in the afternoon — first the Vatican Museums, then St. Peter’s Basilica. Climb to the top of Castel Sant’Angelo for an unbelievable sunset over the city.  I love a pizza place in Trastevere called Dar Poeta.

Day 3: Rome. The morning is devoted to the Colosseum and the Forum — buildings that have stood for thousands of years.  Make sure to protect yourself from the sun!  In the afternoon, if you love art, don’t miss the Galleria Borghese.  Beyond that, there are so many things this city has to offer — it’s up to you.

Day 4: Florence. Leave Rome in the morning and take the Eurostar to Florence. When you arrive, find the city’s most famous resident: David.  Head up to the Accademia to see him. Afterward, check out the markets in San Lorenzo.  Make your way to the Duomo and climb it for a 360-degree view of the city.  For the best introduction to Tuscan food you could possibly have, go to the world-famous Il Latini.

Day 5: Florence. Make this a heavy sightseeing day. Start with the Galleria degli Uffizi, then move on to Santa Croce to see the graves of Renaissance superstars. Make your way over to Piazza della Repubblica, then Piazza della Signorina for the legendary hot chocolate at Rivoire. Cross the Arno via Ponte Vecchio, then climb to Piazzale Michelangelo for the best view of the sunset.  If you have time, check out the hauntingly beautiful cemetery by Piazzale Michelangelo!

Day 6: Florence. Love art? Spend your time at the Palazzo Pitti or Bargello. Want to shop? Buy leather in the Santa Croce area — NOT from a market — gold on the Ponte Vecchio, designer clothing on Borgo Ognissanti, and affordable trendy clothing in San Lorenzo. And since this is the birthplace of gelato, you better eat!

Day 7: Pisa, Lucca and Florence. In the morning, take the hourlong train to Pisa. Get to the Leaning Tower, take the requisite photos, and LEAVE. Trust me — there’s nothing else to do there but spend way too much on souvenirs.  Take the same train line back to Florence — only stop in Lucca, a beautiful Tuscan hill town.  Shop in the markets, walk atop the walls surrounding the city, or grab a bike and explore.  Return to Florence for dinner.

Day 8: Venice. Leave Florence early for Venice. Once you arrive, take a water taxi or bus and get used to the confusing street layout, visit Piazza San Marco and feed the pigeons if you dare! See the Bridge of Sighs and climb the Campanile for the view.  Take a gondola ride and enjoy cichetti at a bar that evening.

Day 9: Venice. Visit any of the museums that catch your fancy. Or, if you’re museumed out, which you likely will be, relax and try to get lost in the streets. It’s a fun way to get off the very beaten path, and a friendly local will guide you if you get lost. In the afternoon, take a boat ride to Murano to see glass blown or Lido, if you’re there during the summer.

Day 10: Venice. Spend your final morning wandering the walkways of Venice and seeing what you missed. Catch an afternoon flight home.

Ten Days in Italy

There are so many ways to spend ten days in Italy.  You could tailor a trip for foodies, for art history fans, for devout Catholics, for nightlife mavens and more.

But if you’re in Italy for the first time and want to maximize your trip, this isn’t that bad of a way to do it.

Category: Travel Itineraries, Travel Musings | 4 Comments »
Tags: 10 day itineraries, europe, florence, italy, itineraries, lucca, pisa, rome, travel, venice

Posted By Kate on October 28, 2009

I used to think that Venice Beach was the most entertaining people-watching.  With bodybuilders, supermodels and every kind of street performer you can imagine, something always catches your eye.

Then I discovered the milonga – a tango salon, and a staple in Buenos Aires, Argentina — and couldn’t pull my eyes away.

The men dress nicely if a bit generically — button-up shirts with dress pants.  The women, however, could be wearing anything from short, ruffly dresses to off-the-shoulder sweatshirts with tapered jeans to tank tops and denim cut-off shorts over capri leggings.

No matter what, the women always wear a pair of killer heels.

But fashion aside, the most fascinating thing about the milonga – this one was a community center on Calle Armenia in the Palermo Viejo neighborhood — was how the dancers held each other.

Most of the partners hadn’t met.  But the moment the haunting, dramatic tango music began, they held each other like lovers about to be separated.  Hands wrapped around waists; foreheads leaned on shoulders; lips rested on ears.

They turned, swirled and kicked, their movements sharp, crisp and perfectly in sync.

Then the song ended and they would separate, the man bowing.  Within moments, both would be entwined with a new partner.

The intimacy was startling — it was like watching performers in a play.  But for many porteños, or Buenos Aires residents, it’s just another Tuesday night.

If you find yourself in Buenos Aires, skip the touristy tango show and find your way to a milonga instead.  You’ll be captivated.

Category: Arts and Culture, Travel Musings, Writing | 1 Comment »
Tags: argentina, arts, buenos aires, south america, travel

Posted By Kate on October 27, 2009

I love, love, love, love the fabulous city of Las Vegas, Nevada.  Seriously — I can’t express how happy this city makes me.  I have had the time of my life here so many times over with my best friends in the world.

Visiting as often as I do, I’ve learned how to plan the perfect girls’ getaway to Vegas.  I’ve put together a guide for first-timers and Vegas veterans alike.

Head over to GirlsGetaway.com to learn how to plan the perfect Vegas trip for you and your girls!

Category: New Publications, Writing | No Comments »
Tags: las vegas, publications, usa

Posted By Kate on October 26, 2009

Don’t expect to hit up Starbucks in Italy.  You won’t find one!

Coffee is a fabulously Italian ritual — and in a country that varies widely by region, it’s a surprisingly standard practice throughout the peninsula.  Locals stand at the bar and order a caffé.  Caffé is espresso, and it is drunk while standing at the bar, any hour of the day.  You can take it black or with one sugar.

Other coffee drinks are available — cappuccino, caffé latte, caffé machiatto.  But none of these are consumed after 10:00 AM in Italy.  It just isn’t done.

The moment you order a cappuccino in the afternoon — or worse, ask for it in a to-go cup — you immediately brand yourself as a tourist.

San Lorenzo, Florence

When I studied abroad in Florence in 2004, there was a bar — a casual café — called the News Café across the street from our school.  The clientele were a mix of Italian businessmen and women and American students grabbing a caffeine boost before class.  (Or, in my case, a glass of vino rosso before art history!)

Back then, when students ordered their afternoon cappuccinos to go, they would usually receive a strange look before getting their drink poured into a small, flimsy plastic cup with no lid.  I ordered them along with everyone else until I realized that no Italians were joining us.

Well, times change.

I returned to Florence a year and a half later with my sister to visit my friend James, who was studying there over the summer.  James lived around the corner from the school and the bar, and being the awesome guy that he is, he surprised us in the morning with giant cappuccinos in to-go cups with lids.

“Who on earth sells those?” I asked him.

“News Café,” James replied. “We get them all the time.”

Turns out the News Café had followed in the footsteps of many other Florentine businesses and acquiesced to the demands of the American students that permeated the city.

The next time you get a cappuccino craving at 10:01 AM, you can choose to commit a cardinal travel sin, or do it the Italian way — stand at the bar and sing out for a caffé!

Category: Cardinal Travel Sins, Travel Musings | 1 Comment »
Tags: europe, florence, food, italy, travel