Globe Corner Blogs

Whenever I search for budget accommodations in New York City, I am constantly shocked at the prices. Recently The Pod Hotel in Midtown Manhattan started popping up as a possibility, but I always rejected it. The name kind of scared me and I was just a bit hesitant. For my latest short jaunt to The Big Apple, however, the relative bargain price was just too good to pass up and I booked a single room with a shared bathroom for two nights.

It was great! Highly recommended! What a deal! The Pod Hotel is conveniently located at 230 East 51st Street right next to a wine bar Le Bateau Ivre and is a close walk to the subway. It was easy to find, check-in was a breeze, and most of the elevators worked. When I opened the door to my “pod” I did have a bit of deja-vu as it looked quite a bit like one of the claustrophobic cabins I have shared while traveling by ferries. However this room was bright, spotlessly clean, equipped with a lot of storage space for such a small place, and quiet. Everything that I needed except for a bathroom. Continue Reading »

To Hellholes and Back

Allow me to repeat myself: Chuck Thompson is coming to the Globe Corner Bookstore! Author of Smile When You’re Lying: Confessions of a Rogue Travel Writer, Thompson will read from his latest book, To Hellholes and Back: Bribes, Lies, and the Art of Extreme Tourism. The event will take place on Tuesday, January 19th at 6pm in the bookstore. Not only will Chuck read, but he will also answer questions and chat with the audience about travel and writing.

I will admit that here at the Globe,  Chuck (we like to think we’re on a first name basis) has attained something akin to cult figure status. Smile is among the few books the entire staff has read – and loved. Hellholes is quickly following suit. For a staff who has blogged about *hearting* Chuck and even interviewed him, this is a very exciting moment. We hope you’ll join us and join the fan club!

Ohio - photo by Llalan

Two things you notice about Ohio when you visit the countryside are the sounds and the light. Coming home from a big city, the contrasts are stark.

Sometimes the lack thereof is enough to remind you where you are.  When I lay in bed at night I hear nothing but the ringing in my ears, the speedy rewind of the day’s incidental noises. My apartment in Boston is not in a loud part of town, but this is a different kind of quiet. This is the kind of silence that makes you think about yourself and your family, sleeping in the bedrooms below you, whether you want to or not. A snowplow scrapes along the road and I’m startled awake.

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