When GURU talks about “clean energy,” we mean it (”dirty minds,” too, but that’s for another time). And not just the kind you find in a certain organic energy drink. We told you about Bixi back in May, now we’re on board with the Zipcar. As much as we (and most gung-ho cyclists) would like to believe a bike can take you anywhere, some trips need four wheels: heading out to Ikea, spending a weekend in the country, taking your turn with your office car pool.
That’s where Zipcar comes in. “The car for people who don’t want one” is how they put it. By signing up through their site, you get hourly or daily access to cars across the United States, in Vancouver and Toronto in Canada, and all the way in London, England. No huge car payments, no monthly parking bill – even gas and insurance are included.
As with Bixi, you get a special card that allows you to unlock and lock your vehicle. And like Bixi, you’re doing more than saving money and getting around, you’re helping out the environment (but there’s no need to be smug about it!).
Zipcar’s so committed to eco-friendliness they encouraged people from 13 Zipcar-zealous cities to go on a Low-Car Diet by swapping their car keys for running shoes, bikes and rollerblades. You can check out their photos, videos and testimonials here.
The results of last year’s challenge?
Now if only some us more coddled urbanites would get around to actually earning our driver’s licenses, we’d be set…
Both New York and Montreal are artsy, fashionable and brimming with beautiful people – which explains all the traveling we do between the two – but can we really compare the American metropolis with Canada’s European beacon? We can try…
1. Chinatown / “Chinatown” The former is a patchwork of colorful characters, cheap accessories and authentic cuisine. The latter is sometimes referred to as “Chinastreet and “Chinahalfablock.” Adorable effort, Montreal!
NYC Chinatown
2. Central Park / Mount Royal One’s huge and hosts theater, concerts and a zoo… and is riddled with the corpses of murdered joggers, if Law & Order is to be believed. The other’s a weekly drum-fueled free love hoedown. It’s a tie.
Weekend on Mount Royal
3. LES / SLAM The trendy stretch of St. Laurent Above Mount Royal (I just made that up) has only gotten better thanks to galleries like Push, shops like Unicorn, and galleries/shops like Les Commissaires. You’re likely to spot all 42 members of Arcade Fire in both ‘hoods, but SLAM’s still got a ways to go in terms of grittiness.
LES
4. Coney Island / La Ronde Le freak, c’est chic. Until La Ronde replaces the Monster with actual monsters in the form of Fiji Mermaids and bearded ladies, Coney Island wins, baby, hands down.
Le Monstre
5. Williamsburg / Mile End When Hassidic Jews and hipsters collide, Montrealers like to keep things civil. Cheap rent, a peaceful coexistence and better bagels (yeah, I said it) put Mile End on top. Finally!
After an idyllic afternoon in the desert resort of Bab al Shams on my last day in Dubai, my girlfriend insisted on taking me to see the dancing waters of the Dubai Mall: reportedly the World’s Largest Fountain – the guru of all fountains. The spectacle is located right next to the Burj Dubai (see photo below) – the World’s tallest building. You think the Bellagio spectacle is extravagant? Watch this video I took.
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