On a warm Friday evening earlier this month, Nijerah Battle and Najah McLean walked about two miles from their homes in the Marion Gardens public housing complex here to a Girl Scout meeting...No girls in green uniforms. No cookies in sight.

A bit more than 10 years ago, Tracey Scott Wilson descended to the lobby of her apartment building to find a teetering tower of packages addressed to her. It seemed not only that all the manuscripts of her novel had been rejected, but that all 30 had arrived back on her doorstep the same day.

Michelangelo "saw the angel in the marble" and carved until he set him free. Agostino Malatesta, a sculptor in Trenton, saw his painful past and frightening future and carved to set himself free. Played to perfection by Dan Lauria (of the television series "The Wonder Years"), Agostino — the central character in William Mastrosimone's play, "A Stone Carver" — is a bereaved Italian widower whose unkempt but beloved house is under threat of demolition for a highway ramp.

“This will all be ready for the Queen tomorrow!” Niels Bjørn Friis’s proclamation sounded like it was coming from a breathless servant in some fairy tale. But in real-life Denmark, real-life workers were buzzing around the dusty cobblestone streets of the pedestrian town of Odense, preparing for a very real-life queen to arrive in fewer than 24 hours.

It's something of a partisan issue. The British Virgin Islands pride themselves on not having "sold out" like the U.S. Virgin Islands. They like to keep it real, keep it pristine, keep hotels just a few stories high and cruise ships at a minimum. So when a new resort opened on the 230-acre Scrub Island, it was a hot topic.

“You can say I walk in one moccasin and one shoe,” says Sagkompanau Mishoon Netooeusqua. That’s modern life for this descendant of the Montauk Tribe and member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation, whose reservation abuts the tony hamlet of Southampton, New York. Also known by her non-traditional name, Chenae Bullock, she had a pre-COVID calendar that saw her flying to Atlanta for a corporate digital strategy session one morning and back to New York for a sacred smudging ceremony in full Native regalia the next.

The hushed Arctic island of Greenland is more than glaciers. Welcoming Inuit communities, surprising culinary depth, and bracing panoramas make the land of the midnight sun a singular experience any time of year. But you’ll need a few tips before pulling on your anorak.

Because the “before times” style of travel planning is over. Some destinations are so iconic, even if reality bears no resemblance to the idea of the place, people will engage in magical thinking and pinch their pennies, pack their bags, and go there anyway. For many Americans, Hawaii is that place.

When I think about my happy place, an economy seat on a long-haul flight ranks close to last on the list. But leave it to the Finns, the people responsible for the happiest country in the world, to make air travel not only equitable but thoroughly enjoyable across every ticketing class. Finnair may be a century old, but it’s one of today’s most design- and climate-forward airlines. With a brand-new business class cabin design and spiffy upgrades to premium economy and economy class, they have not compromised on a sleek Scandinavian design aesthetic in order to go green. Quite the opposite. They’re using innovation and style to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while increasing passengers’ comfort and in-flight happiness.

Once home to little more than a few empty army barracks and an 18th-century fort, Governors Island in New York Harbor may soon become the glitziest spot in New York City. This summer, a sprawling Italian day spa and a Tulum-inspired beach club opened among the 172 acres of rolling green fields that long sat quietly in the waters between lower Manhattan and western Brooklyn, a short ferry ride away from the urban jungles.

From the moment I landed in Stockholm, Sweden’s dedication to all things sustainable was clear. Looking to refill my reusable water bottle before even descending to baggage claim, I quickly found a public fountain. Above it, a clean blue-and-white sign proclaimed, “The drinking water at Stockholm Arlanda Airport comes from Lake Mälaren. The water is environmentally friendly, fresh, of high quality. What’s more, it’s good!” And, honestly, it was.

COPENHAGEN - The Danes are known for their brilliantly creative design aesthetic — from ergonomic lounge chairs to perfectly sloped spoons. So why should their hotel design be anything less than dreamy? Travelers can rest their heads in spots as singular as a converted post office, a 14th-century castle, or a floating hotel on Copenhagen’s central canal.

The Geldingadalir volcanic eruption began, startlingly, on March 19 along Iceland’s gray and brooding southwestern coast. Startling, even for a country accustomed to volcanic activity, because nothing like this had happened on the Reykjanes Peninsula in more than 800 years.

Istanbul's Spice Bazaar may be a global tourist trap, but isn't nearly as rage-inducing as the squawking group tours inside the Grand Bazaar. Here, a remnant of authenticity lives on in this 17th century building, created by commission for Sultana Turhan Hatice. Visually-arresting piles of spices and Turkish delight, and rows of pushy men, make for a wild afternoon of souvenir shopping and colorful conversation.

Averting the crowded apple orchards and bumpy hay rides of autumn, I opted for a high-end weekend in Bucks County. This quaint corner of Pennsylvania is the very definition of the "country" to the proverbial "town," where New Yorkers, Philadelphians and others have come to escape their hectic workaday lives for over a century. After my own frenzied day in Manhattan, Friday night found me in Holicong, Pa., for a luxurious stay in the 1740 Manor House at the Inn at Barley Sheaf Farm.

Some of America’s most iconic tastes, sounds, and sights were created along the 127-mile New Jersey shoreline, from Sandy Hook to Cape May. From the thrilling strains of a carousel’s calliope to the sweet froth on an egg crème, the best of the past is still within reach on these boardwalks and in these seaside towns.

San Miguel de Allende may be the destination-wedding capital of North America, but this colonial town gives women plenty of reasons to visit besides getting hitched. In fact, countless creative entrepreneurs have taken to these cobblestone streets to chase their dreams (not the least of whom was Frida Kahlo, who hosted intellectual salons here).

"I drink with guilt, so I feel guilty most of the time," goes the saying for tipplers like me with Irish and Jewish heritage. Good news for us, it's Negroni Week, a time for cocktails mixed with a bit of charity. So instead of tying myself in knots over a few indulgences, I'll tie a few on.

“No Snow Talk” is printed on a flimsy sheet of paper and tacked up on the wall behind a blonde, dreadlocked bartender. That’s a hefty edict here at The Slot Bar in North Lake Tahoe, where snow is what’s on everyone’s mind all day, every day, and into the night. The 500-square-foot dive bar in Olympic Valley, CA was named in honor of a ski run at Squaw Valley Ski Resort, the site of the 1960 Olympics.

ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin — The indigenous Potawatomi once referred to it as "the chosen spot," a serene crystalline lake surrounded by towering cedar trees. Today, Elkhart Lake is the name of not only a stunning body of water in central Wisconsin but also the quirky little town of 900 residents that surrounds it. Just 20 miles west of the shores of Lake Michigan, this village is chockablock with styles and experiences, from a sprawling Gilded