FORT LAUDERDALE’S THRIVE ART DISTRICT

MAY BE THE NEXT WYNWOOD – ONLY LESS EXPENSIVE AND WITH MUCH BETTER UNIVERSAL DESIGN TO BOOST WHEELCHAIR ACCESS

The Thrive Art District is just more than a mile (less than half hour walk) from the center of downtown Fort Lauderdale.

It is a hive of creativity nestled in the area of Historic Sistrunk, Progresso Village, and Flagler Village. 

It boasts upwards of 100 murals, cool mom & pop shops, places to get coffee, matcha and snacks plus a hip urban vibe.

Kudos to the developers for wheelchair ramps, barrier-free plazas and accessible parking.

The adaptive re-use of rundown warehouses space for local creative businesses did a great job of introducing accessibility for people with disabilities.

HOTEL ANTRE CHAPULTEPEC GUADALAJARA

PERFECT LOCATION, INCREDIBLE VALUE, 

TOP-NOTCH STAFF FOR PROSPEROUS VISIT

Hotel Antre Chapultepec staff is outstanding about explaining the price, departure times, etc. of the tours it sells from the front desk.

I wish it would affiliate with a better tour provider than Jalisco Tour Mendez.

Both daylong tours that I took spent an endless amount of time stopping at horrible restaurants and tourists traps that likely pay the tour company a kickback for depositing hapless tourists at their doorstep.

The base price of the tours is 25 USD -- at that low price, you get a tour that only rates about 2.5 on a scale of one to 5.

 

 

HOTEL ANTRE CHAPULTEPEC GUADALAJARA

PERFECT LOCATION, INCREDIBLE VALUE, 

TOP-NOTCH STAFF FOR PROSPEROUS VISIT

Hotel Antre Chapultepec’s room temperature control is fixed.

You have to ask the front desk to send a person up to set it.

That means you only have a choice of air conditioning on or off -- you cannot adjust it to you comfort.

Please, treat guests like adults, and remove the governor on the temperature settings that can only be overridden with a code used by management.

The breakfast buffet was about 14 USD -- very high by Guadalajara standards.

I checked it out and while it looked clean, it really didn't appear to be worth the money.

I could not justify paying more than 20% of my daily room rate on a breakfast that was not cooked to order and had no luxury items on the buffet tables.

HOTEL ANTRE CHAPULTEPEC GUADALAJARA

PERFECT LOCATION, INCREDIBLE VALUE, 

TOP-NOTCH STAFF FOR PROSPEROUS VISIT

The Centro Historico is a 20 minute walk -- or a rideshare under USD 5 with tip – from Hotel Antre Chapultepec.

Tlaquepaque and Zapopan are about a half hour (45 minutes with traffic) 10 USD rideshare trip to visit those historic and vibrant neighborhoods.

The room had a large desk for working and room enough for a small fainting couch by the large balcony.

I would gladly stay again. 

And I wish every major city had a centrally-located, cost-effective Hotel Antre.

HOTEL ANTRE CHAPULTEPEC GUADALAJARA

PERFECT LOCATION, INCREDIBLE VALUE, 

TOP-NOTCH STAFF FOR PROSPEROUS VISIT

The fabulous working class Santa Tere neighborhood, with dozens of outstanding foodie spots, is a 12 minute walk north of the Hotel Antre Chapultepec.

GDL is a gastronomic mecca -- with amazingly fresh and fabulous seafood for not being a coastal city.

With a smooth check in and bilingual staff, Hotel Antre sets you up for all the cultural delights that GDL has to offer.

Jalisco state also is ground zero for outstanding coffee production.

Several of the best coffee purveyors in all of Mexico are within walking distance of the property.

HOTEL ANTRE CHAPULTEPEC GUADALAJARA

PERFECT LOCATION, INCREDIBLE VALUE, 

TOP-NOTCH STAFF FOR PROSPEROUS VISIT

Hotel Antre Chapultepec’s daily maid service brought two large bottles of water and cleaned -- while honoring my request to not remake my bed.

The front desk arranged a tour for me and helped estimate the price of a car service.

The room has tons of outlets -- regular prong and USB -- for recharging.

Antre Chapultepec is in the heart of Colonia Americana -- voted the hippest neighborhood on earth (as judged by Time Out Magazine).

Endless upscale and down home restaurants, bakeries, shops, street art and early 20th century architecture are within easy walking distance.

HOTEL ANTRE CHAPULTEPEC GUADALAJARA

PERFECT LOCATION, INCREDIBLE VALUE, 

TOP-NOTCH STAFF FOR PROSPEROUS VISIT

The Hotel Antre Chapultepec is modern, perfectly-located and well-run.

I asked a lot of questions before my arrival and the staff answered each of them expertly.

The hotel is very near Chapultepec and its noisy bars and clubs plus it is on one of the city's busiest streets -- but I only heard a minor roar on my 10th floor, sound proofed room.

I had a fabulous balcony with southern exposure.

The room was large for a price well under 100 USD per day.

The walk-in shower had endless warm water.

 

A CONNOISSEUR'S GUIDE TO CIHANGIR - 19

Courtesy of Cornucopia, The Magazine for Connoisseurs of Turkey

The easiest way to get to Cihangir is to get to Taksim Square and then take the long street next to Istiklal Caddesi called Sıraselviler Caddesi, which takes you to the heart of Cihangir.

Walk along Sıraselviler Caddesi past the kebab shops, past Cihangir’s most popular nightspots and past the German hospital, and you will get to the neighbourhood’s main çay bahçesi (tea garden). 

Turn down the perpendicular Akarsu Caddesi and some of the other side streets away from Istiklal Caddesi and closer to the Bosphorus to find some of the neighbourhood’s treasures. 

Strictly by foot only. 

Wind your way downhill, and end up in Tophane. 

The small, former wooden mosque, the Cihangir Mosque (Pürtelaş Hasan Efendi Mh, Cihangir), can be reached by turning into Soğancı Sokak from Sıraselviler Caddesi and then into Güneşli Sokak.

The mosque is at the bottom of the street. 

Just behind the çay bahçesi (tea garden) – there is a connecting passageway – is the pale-green Firuz Ağa Mosque (Defterdarlık Yokuşu No. 53, Cihangir), surrounded by a square with some popular cafés.

A CONNOISSEUR'S GUIDE TO CIHANGIR - 18

Courtesy of Cornucopia, The Magazine for Connoisseurs of Turkey

Waiters air-kiss the cosmopolitan diners, who cross the room to greet their neighbours.

Smyrna and newcomer Journey are two of the more popular at any time of day. 

Continue straight from Firuz Ağa Mosque and you come out on Boğazkesen Caddesi, above the old Ottoman cannon foundry which gives the district of Tophane its name.

Istanbul Modern is on the Bosphorus shore, across the main road and tram line.

Start in Taksim, easily reached by metro and the funicular from Kabataş, or by taxi to the Cihangir mosque.

From İstiklâl Caddesi, thread your way through the narrow lanes behind Galatasaray Lycée.

A CONNOISSEUR'S GUIDE TO CIHANGIR - 17

Courtesy of Cornucopia, The Magazine for Connoisseurs of Turkey

Çukurcuma is Istanbul’s main antiques district. The meatball shop is on Faik Paşa Caddesi, just downhill from A la Turca, Erkal Aksoy’s museum-like carpet and ceramics shop at number four.

Three stories of town house are filled with fine furniture, rugs and objet d’arts, all displayed with the finesse of an expert interior designer. 

Cornucopia readers can be sure of a warm welcome. 

These days Pamuk lives in Cihangir, due left of the square with the green mosque. 

On Akarsu Caddesi you’ll find the Orhan Kemal Museum, dedicated to another of Turkey’s great writers. 

From there store fronts thin out and the cafes – still plentiful – become more and more local in character.

A CONNOISSEUR'S GUIDE TO CIHANGIR - 16

Courtesy of Cornucopia, The Magazine for Connoisseurs of Turkey

A little further along is Pilot, a pioneering contemporary art space housed in a converted 1970s nightclub. 

Opposite is a square with the pastel-green Firuz Aga Mosque and a few cafés that are always busy, including two where you strictly drink tea, lovingly known to the locals as the Cihangir cay bahcesi. 

Also try Firuez and Kardesler Kebap. 

Opposite these, you’ll find a branch of Selim Usta’s Tarhi Sultanahmet Koftecisi, an Old City institution. 

But for the indigenous equivalent you should turn right into Çukurcuma and the Cukurcuma Koftecesi, where lunch is summarised by our friends at Istanbul Eats as ‘like being part of the live studio audience of a sitcom with meatballs.

Three generations of an unusually tall family run a busy local restaurant with what seems like very little service industry experience but great intentions and strong will. 

Hilarity ensues.’ 

The meatballs are delicious.

A CONNOISSEUR'S GUIDE TO CIHANGIR - 15

Courtesy of Cornucopia, The Magazine for Connoisseurs of Turkey

The crowds flowing from Taksim Square tend to sweep visitors onto İstiklâl Caddesi; the cars and kebab shops that line the top of Sıraselviler Caddesi, one street to the left of the famous pedestrian thoroughfare, don’t exactly draw you in. 

But just out of sight is one of the most attractive parts of Istanbul.

After a couple of minutes’ walk from Taksim, its arrival is heralded by a great old-fashioned Istanbul patisserie, Savoy. 

Across the street and down the stairs is Otto, a fashionable café/bar in a shady tree-filled courtyard.

A CONNOISSEUR'S GUIDE TO CIHANGIR - 14

Courtesy of Cornucopia, The Magazine for Connoisseurs of Turkey

Health nuts can get their fill at the Balya Organik Health Food Store (Batarya Sokak, No. 16, Cihangir), which is quietly situated away from the rest of Cihangir's bustle on the a small side street coming off Defterdar Yokuşu, on the corner where the Witt Istanbul Suites, with stunning views of the Golden Horn and Galata Tower, are located. 

All the usual health food produce can be found there, and there is a pleasant outdoor café serving a small selection of light meals and drinks.

Cihangir is undoubtedly the place to do yoga with a few studios offering classes and tuition in both Turkish and English. 

Try Cihangir Yoga (Meclisi Mebusan Yokuşu No: 15, 4th Floor, Cihangir) and the Yoga Academy (Sıraselviler Caddesi, Soğancı Sokak, İttihad Sigorta Apt. Level 5, No. 17, Cihangir) (I have done a few classes at the first one but not the second one so not sure we should include it).

A CONNOISSEUR'S GUIDE TO CIHANGIR - 13

Courtesy of Cornucopia, The Magazine for Connoisseurs of Turkey

Just on the corner of Sıraselviler Caddesi and Akarsu Caddesi opposite the tea garden is Antre Gourmet Shop (Akarsu Caddesi No. 40, Cihangir).

Its inviting green exterior leads you inside a paradise of charcuterie, a huge selection of cheeses from regions all over Turkey and Europe, olives and olive oils. 

For pickles, Asri Turşucu (Aka Hamamı Sokak No 9A, Cihangir) has all the sour, crunchy and salty cucumbers, cabbage, peppers, garlic, okra, tomato that you may want. 

La Cave (Sıraselviler Caddesi, No. 109, Cihangir) sells fine wine from all over the world and other spirits but the prices are not modest.

A CONNOISSEUR'S GUIDE TO CIHANGIR - 12

Courtesy of Cornucopia, The Magazine for Connoisseurs of Turkey

Do not go to Cihangir for things you can buy on Istiklal Caddesi – Cihangir serves those who have a penchant for something a bit more special: vintage clothing and objects, designer finds, or the finest food and wine. 

For vintage lovers, Leyla Seyhanli (Altıpatlar Sokak No. 6, Cihangir), off Ağa Hamamı Sokak, which is parallel to Sıraselviler Caddesi, has a huge selection of top-quality vintage clothes, costumes, hats and even tapestries.

Berrin Akyüz (Akarsu Caddesi No. 22, Cihangir) offers causal and evening wear in lush fabrics, bold colours and interesting shapes. 

And, Opus 3A (Cihangir Caddesi 3/A, Cihangir) has a large selection of CDs and new records, including a classical music and jazz collection, as well as a collection of 1970s Turkish pop.

A CONNOISSEUR'S GUIDE TO CIHANGIR - 11

Courtesy of Cornucopia, The Magazine for Connoisseurs of Turkey

For a pizza craving, the thin-crust, wood-fired offerings at Miss Pizza (Havyar Sokak No. 7, Cihangir), on a side street off Akarsu Caddesi, should not be missed.

 Kitsch surroundings that call to mind 1970s sitcoms provide the dining area where pizzas served the traditional Italian way (with two to three toppings rather than ten) do not disappoint.

Or for a sweet treat, Mua Gelatieri (Firuzağa Camii Sokak No. 2, Cihangir), next to the mosque, serves authentic Florentine gelato.

The friendly Italian owner will let you taste as many as you like before making your choice.

A CONNOISSEUR'S GUIDE TO CIHANGIR - 10

Courtesy of Cornucopia, The Magazine for Connoisseurs of Turkey

Another great casual café on this street is Journey (Akarsu Caddesi No. 21/A, Cihangir), a two-storey establishment with a communal table on the second floor providing a friendly, buzzing atmosphere. 

Again, the menu, like many things in the neighbourhood, is Turkish-inspired but with a strong European twist. 

The roasted lamb shank, for example, is cooked in honey and served with mashed potato. The lamb pie is cooked in borek (traditional Turkish pastry) pastry with dill and peas inside. 

There are some interesting salads on offer as well, such as the celery and buckwheat (hard to find in Istanbul) salad served with coriander and spinach. 

All the meals are prepared with love.

A CONNOISSEUR'S GUIDE TO CIHANGIR - 9

Courtesy of Cornucopia, The Magazine for Connoisseurs of Turkey

For lunch or dinner, Akarsu Caddesi, perpendicular to Sıraselviler Caddesi, has hotspots such as Smyrna (Akarsu Caddesi No. 29, Cihangir).

Western-inspired cuisine is served in a former antique shop which has kept its antique furniture and bohemian charm (and is another great place to spot Cihangir’s famous faces).

Meyra (Akarsu Caddesi No. 36, Cihangir) – formerly Leyla and also popular with the city’s literati – which serves satisfying food all day long and does a mean breakfast.

A CONNOISSEUR'S GUIDE TO CIHANGIR - 8

Courtesy of Cornucopia, The Magazine for Connoisseurs of Turkey

For breakfast, pick up a delicious pastry at Savoy Pestanesi (Sıraselviler Caddesi, No. 181/183A, Cihangir).

Or stop for a longer meal at Van Kahvaltı Evi (Defterdar Yokuşu No. 52/A, Cihangir) after Sıraselviler Caddesi turns into Defterdar Yokuşu.

One of the most popular breakfast places in the city, not just Cihangir, Van Kahvalti Evi serves unbeatable kahvaltı tabagi (breakfast plates) using produce they source from local farmers. 

Some interesting options such as eggplant pancakes and kavut (roasted wheat flour with honey and walnuts) will add flair to your breakfast.

A CONNOISSEUR'S GUIDE TO CIHANGIR - 7

Courtesy of Cornucopia, The Magazine for Connoisseurs of Turkey

As you are walking along Sıraselviler Caddesi, you will come across many great food options.

If you’re in the mood for breakfast or brunch, lots of cafés serve these all day to accommodate their artist and expat community which sometimes don’t make it out of bed before 15.00. 

There are also lovely lunch spots and casual dinner eateries where you can enjoy a nice glass of wine.