IQ’s Neighborhood Guide to Hell’s Kitchen, NYC
Traveling IQ
by Ivan Quintanilla
1M ago
Photo: Gabby Jones/NYC Tourism “It’s worse than the hottest part of hell. It’s hell’s kitchen.” That’s what a police officer allegedly said some 150 years ago about the neighborhood I call home. At least that’s one of the theories on how Hell’s Kitchen got its steamy name. Much has changed since then. Like most of New York City, Hell’s Kitchen has been gentrifying over the 25 years I’ve lived here, with all the pros and cons that accompany that journey. And yet the neighborhood still maintains a grasp on its grit, alongside the rising glimpses of glamour. *Read my Hell’s Kitchen guide publishe ..read more
Visit website
Touring Thailand with Out Adventures
Traveling IQ
by Ivan Quintanilla
4M ago
Photo courtesy of Tourism Authority of Thailand I’ve won a roundtrip airline ticket to Thailand! Now what? Planning a journey, by myself, to such a faraway destination seemed overwhelming and, for a moment, I considered not even claiming my prize. Then I found a perfect solution for a traveler searching for trip guidance with a bonus of community. The LGBTQ+ travel company Out Adventures hosts three gay group tours to Thailand each year and has 15 years of experience planning Thailand itineraries. In any given year, they run about 50 different trips all over the world. Out Adventures took ..read more
Visit website
Andaz Mexico City Condesa Hotel: A Rooftop Oasis in CDMX
Traveling IQ
by Ivan Quintanilla
5M ago
From my rooftop roost at the Andaz Mexico City Condesa I can see the full urban expanse of Mexico City, a valley elevated some 7,000 feet in the sky, hemmed in by a mountainous horizon. It is a bird’s eye view like no other, in one of the most sought-after neighborhoods of CDMX, the popular abbreviation for Ciudad de México.  La Condesa neighborhood has long been beckoning visitors to roam its Parisian-inspired boulevards, peruse its art galleries, and savor its sidewalk cafes. And now, with the opening of the Andaz Mexico City Condesa this year, one of the tallest buildings in the area ..read more
Visit website
IQ Talks Travel on New Podcast
Traveling IQ
by Ivan Quintanilla
5M ago
I had the pleasure of being featured on Episode 2 of the new podcast, “Of A Certain Age.” We discuss LGBTQ+ travel destinations including Thailand, South Africa, and cruising with VACAYA; as well as tips on travel safety and, most importantly, where gay European pornstars vacation. You can listen on all platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The post IQ Talks Travel on New Podcast first appeared on Traveling IQ ..read more
Visit website
Dream Job Alert: Las Vegas Margarita Tester
Traveling IQ
by Ivan Quintanilla
6M ago
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com Do you want to visit Las Vegas, drink margaritas and make $4,000? Well, apparently, now you can. The website OnlineCasino.ca is hiring an Official Las Vegas Margarita Tester. According to the job description online the “ideal candidate will rate margaritas according to several criteria, including the flavor, presentation, and quality of ingredients alongside the setting and overall experience.” Entries are open to residents of the United States and Canada. But hurry up, North Americans! Applications close next Sunday, October 1.  Apply here. And remember me ..read more
Visit website
Tempo by Hilton Sets a New Pace for Times Square
Traveling IQ
by Ivan Quintanilla
7M ago
A New York minute moves fast. But this year, a new hotel brand invites you to set your own pace at the most visited corner in the Western Hemisphere.  Last month, Tempo by Hilton Times Square debuted at the freshly reimagined crossroads of 47th Street and Broadway. It does not get more centrally located than the spot that welcomes 400,000 people daily! The 661-room hotel occupies the new TSX Broadway tower, along experiential retail and transformative entertainment spaces, all sitting atop the newly raised Palace Theatre.  If you hadn’t heard, Broadway ..read more
Visit website
Hacienda del Mar Los Cabos Resort
Traveling IQ
by Ivan Quintanilla
8M ago
Hacienda del Mar Los Cabos Resort Looking for a cookie-cutter Cabo experience? Look elsewhere. Hacienda del Mar Los Cabos Resort blends luxury and culture on a stretch of pristine beachfront, where the Baja California desert meets the Sea of Cortez.  As you enter the sprawling 11-acre resort you’ll think you’ve stepped into a 19th century Mexican village, populated with homes built in the traditional hacienda style. In truth, the resort began construction in 1995 but was inspired by the country’s iconic colonial architecture. Today, it is a modern oasis in the desert–quite literally–and e ..read more
Visit website
VACAYA’s Greatest Asset: the Supremely Friendly Guest
Traveling IQ
by Ivan Quintanilla
9M ago
Photo by Gabriel Goldberg “I’ve been on other gay cruises where I’ve sat in a jacuzzi with ten people and no one talked to each other. On VACAYA everybody in the jacuzzi knows everyone by name within five minutes,” said my new friend Thomas from New Jersey who I met through my new friend Terry from Illinois who I met through my new friend Nick from North Carolina. I have yet to meet a stranger on a VACAYA vacation. And I’ve now been on three.  In February, I joined VACAYA’s Caribbean cruise out of Fort Lauderdale to kick off the company’s fifth birthday, with what would end up being about ..read more
Visit website
Sol Mexican Cocina Brings Baja-Cuisine to New York City
Traveling IQ
by Ivan Quintanilla
9M ago
Were the gods speaking to me through the live musician? Just as the waiter asked for our drink order, an acoustic version of Harry Styles’ “Watermelon Sugar” fluttered into my ear: that summer feelin’…It’s so wonderful and warm. What choice did I have but to order the Watermelon Margarita at Sol Mexican Cocina, the newly opened Baja-inspired restaurant in New York City’s Flatiron neighborhood. And much like the intervention, the drink was divine.  The first New York foray for California-based Xperience Restaurant Group has settled into an expansive 8,800-square-foot space, with a second ..read more
Visit website
How to Find Local New York City Drag
Traveling IQ
by Ivan Quintanilla
9M ago
Photo by Greta Hoffman on Pexels.com Want to support local drag? Don’t know how to navigate through all the bars, brunches and drag performers that shablam daily through New York’s queer and queer-friendly spaces?  See The Queens (STQ) is a new platform connecting New Yorkers to the city’s local drag scene.  Searching by date, time and neighborhood, users can find all types of shows and even get event recommendations based on their preferences. Drag performers can also be booked directly for private parties through their profiles on the website.  Related: Athena Dion is Creating ..read more
Visit website

Follow Traveling IQ on FeedSpot

Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
OR