Buffalo's recent resurgence is marked by a $230 million expansion of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and $180 million in waterfront development, showcasing a commitment to arts and infrastructure.
"Tucked in south central Wisconsin, just 3.5 hours north of Chicago and 1.5 hours from Milwaukee, Green Lake has earned the nickname of the 'Hamptons of the Midwest.' Families have been summering there since the 1800s, when the shoreline was dotted with a handful of rustic resorts."
The underlying logic is simple: the further away a visitor comes from, the longer they tend to stay - and longer stays mean more money flowing into the local economy through lodging taxes, restaurant bills, and retail spending.
With more than 140 wineries spread across 11 glacial lakes, the Finger Lakes Region is home to one of the most distinctive wine regions in the U.S. The long, cool growing season of upstate New York produces bright, expressive wines, with riesling at the forefront, alongside chardonnay, pinot noir, cabernet franc, and sparkling wines. Last October, the region's growing influence was recognized when Wine Enthusiast named Finger Lakes Wine Country the "American Wine Region of the Year."
While remote work has expanded opportunity and demand for high-amenity, walkable communities, it has also intensified housing shortages in desirable regions. Zoning reform alone will not solve the housing crisis, warning that regulatory changes must be paired with coordinated public-private investment to deliver meaningful supply.
Since 2023, Casa Susanna's chef Efren Hernández has been pouring care and craftsmanship into his cooking at Casa Susanna in the hamlet of Leeds, just over two hours north of the city. And during summertime, the menu definitely celebrates the area's peak produce. But it's dishes like brick-red chicken posole, and the hallmark tetela - right now stuffed with mantequilla beans and Alpine cheese and served with salsa morita - that make a case for a winter visit.
With its floor-to-ceiling glass walls and timber-clad ceilings, it was the only place in the ice hockey rivals' lives where curtains didn't have to be drawn. It was here, in the season finale (titled The Cottage) that the heat of their rivalry finally cooled into something meaningful.
Vermont actually resembles California - not because of its beaches but due to its distinct regions. For example, Burlington correlates to the Bay Area. And in the Northeast Kingdom, where I grew up, we classified everything below White River Junction as 'Southern Vermont.' Down there, half the towns seem to channel Boston or New York City, kind of like Santa Barbara to L.A., which makes the Kingdom something like Humboldt County - rural and spectacular, with a recalcitrant outlaw streak.
Mount Airy isn't trying to be everywhere else-and that's exactly why it stands out. It offers a true sense of place, rooted in tradition but evolving with purpose, where the pace slows down just enough to remind you what travel is supposed to feel like.