journeyPod is your guide to luxury travel around the world. We give you VIP access to the hippest hotels, hottest nighlife and coolest restaurants.

As sip becomes hip, more and more wine bars are pouring onto the LA scene. This boom in intimate, dark places to sip Brunello di Montalcino and chat over Petite Syrah, is driven in particular by young people's enthusiasm for wine, and by a rise in wine popularity across all age groups because of greater availability and affordability.

Wine is undergoing a popularization in Los Angeles that's making it appeal to a wider range of ages and income levels. Wine bars are becoming a nightlife trend, following the martini and cigar-bar crazes of the last decade.

Many bars and restaurants in the area are making wine a priority.  BottleRock in Culver City is a wine bar and shop, offering many interesting, eclectic selections from around the globe.  At Lou they have a fun list that changes about every six weeks to reflect the changing seasons. The food is secondary, almost an afterthought.

The journeyPod pick for best wine bar in Los Angeles is Bin 8945. Bin8945 is so much more than a wine bar ---  it can be described as a hip, modern European bistro designed around the pairing of wine and food.  journeyPod sat down with owner, David Haskell, to discuss his new one-of-a-kind experience called Bin8945. 

Drink more wine: It's not just for special occasions; it can be a part of everyday life!  And as your sipping, enjoy the smooth sounds of My Virtual Band and their song, Red Wine.

journeyPod is your guide to luxury travel around the world.  Explore Dutch culture, design in holland, dutch architecture, and dutch designers.  We go inside our journeyPod Pick for most unique hotel in Amsterdam- The Lloyd Hotel.  It's the first hotel to offer 1 to 5 star rooms in the same building and often on the same floor!  The hotel also has a Cultural Embassy with art exhibits and museum displays.

Built in 1917 as a place for immigrants to stay before they took their long boat ride from Holland to South America, The Lloyd Hotel has stood the test of time.    

Photo credit thx to Medisetty

journeyPod is your guide to luxury travel around the world. We give you VIP access to the hippest hotels, hottest nighlife and coolest restaurants.

Believe it or not, people have been manicuring their nails for more than 4,000 years. Originating in China in 3,000 BC, nail color indicated one's social status -- according to a Ming dynasty manuscript, royal fingernails were painted black and red. The Egyptians also colored their nails, using red to show the highest social class. It is said that Cleopatra's nails were painted a deep red, whereas Queen Nefertiti went with a flashier ruby shade. In ancient Egypt and Rome, military commanders also painted their nails to match their lips before they went off to battle.

When you are in Los Angeles you have a choice of at least six nail salons on every block, in every neighborhood.  If you are ready for a truly unique experience and a different approach to manicures, head to the place where the celebrities trust their hands and feet--Jessica's Nails.

Amid the chic boutiques and busy restaurants of the Sunset Strip, an elegant canopy marks your arrival at Jessica Nail Clinic, a nails-only salon which is almost as famous as the people who come here.

Our journeyPod staff had the honor of speaking with owner, Jessica Vartoughian, while experiencing this truly different approach to nail care.  Afterall, Jessica has manicured Nancy Reagan, Princess Diana, just to name a few. 

Sit, back, and be pampered while enjoying the song Girls Night Out by group, One Minute of Mercy.

journeyPod is your guide to luxury travel around the world. We give you VIP access to the hippest hotels, hottest nighlife and coolest restaurants.

Celebrities pop up everywhere in Los Angeles. If you spend enough time here, you'll surely bump into a few of them. If you're in the city for only a short time, however, it's best to go on the offensive.

The Sunset Strip -- a 1 3/4-mile stretch of Sunset Boulevard is a good place to start.  That is where you will find The Comedy Store, where Rosanne, Robin Williams, and David Letterman rose to stardom; Dan Aykroyd's ramshackle House of Blues, where the rock stars still show up for an impromptu show; Johnny Depp's Viper Room, where River Phoenix overdosed in 1993; Whisky A Go-Go, where The Doors were once a house band; and the Rainbow Bar & Grill, where Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Marley became legends.

If you like the idea of a sidewalk cafes where you can sit and sip espresso under an umbrella while you watch the Rolls Royces and supermodels cruise by, The Sunset Strip is for you!

You can choose from a number of sidewalk cafe's including journeyPod pick, Cravings. The hard work of this family-owned business has stood the test of time for two and a half decades and has remained unmoved.

Pull up a chair and enjoy the good life while enjoying the fun sounds of group, Buck Brothers and their song "Girls, Skirts, Boots, Bikes."

journeyPod is your guide to luxury travel around the world. We give you VIP access to the hippest hotels, hottest nighlife and coolest restaurants.

If you are looking for the perfect girl's afternoon out in Los Angeles, journeyPod has found just the place.  A chic, little two-block strip of fashionable boutiques and outdoor cafe's nestled between Hollywood & Beverly Hills, Sunset Plaza's trendy bistros and boutiques line both sides of the adding a European flair to West Hollywood.

You might think that Sunset Plaza was a recent addition to the area, but in fact this small center was built back in the 1930's.

The little shops feature the latest and greatest styles and therefore,  attract celebs, as well as residents of the posh neighborhoods to the west. Armani A/X, H. Lorenzo, D&G, Nicole Miller and Oliver Peoples are all here.  But the journeyPod pick for best boutique in Sunset Plaza is On Sunset, co-owned by fashionista Shauna Stein and The Young and the Restless star, Lauralee Bell.

Besides the shopping, the people-watching here is the biggest attraction. There are more beautiful people (and supermodel wannabes) here than just about anywhere else in town, all part of the passing parade.

Grab your credit card -- we are going shopping!

Enjoy the fun sounds of group +nurse and their song, "Former supermodel cocktail waitress."

New York City can get quite hot in the summer! journeyPod recommends cooling off with an Italian gelato or enjoying the air conditioning and comfort of some of our favorite New York luxury boutique hotels!

The Blakely hotel located at 136 West 55th Street is a great find! Voted by Travel and Leisure as top hotel at $400 and praised by Zagat Survey as having "European flair without the attitude". Celebrity guests include Blvgari, Maroon 5 and Nick Lachey.

Dine at Abboccato, an Italian/Mediterranean delight located within the Blakely hotel. Check out Ovelia, the newest addition to the Astoria neighborhood, which also boasts some of the most authentic Greek food in New York. Let Chef Brad Farmerie amaze you with his innovative dishes at Public located in the Nolita neighborhood. For more of our favorite places to wine and dine visit our New York Destination Guide.

Check out the Alternative Rock sounds of New York band Melodrome and their smash hit "Yesterday".

 

 

journeyPod is your guide to luxury travel around the world.  Listen in for tips on New York City restaurants, NYC dining tips, and New York nightlife.  Learn where the celebrities dine in NY.  Hear from a top NY chef as he prepares American cuisine with fresh simple flavors.

We go behind the scenes at one of the top restaurants in NY- 7Square.  Checkout this new hotspot that has cooked up tasty treats for all the stars.  Stay with us at a trendy boutique hotel in Times Square.

Enjoy podsafe music from a top all girl band in New York.  We liked their song so much we decided to use it in our show intro.