http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34718 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34718 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34535 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34535 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34295 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34295 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34253 spicy coconut curry. The combination of Chutneyfied eggs, corn tortilla, black bean masala and spiced basmati rice that constitute Mumbai migas offer the visiting breakfaster an unusual Indian- Mexican dish, which is very tasty and a great way to start the day. Indeed a core aim of the Whip In’s new chef, Claudia Alarcón, is to “Whip Indianze comfort food classics” and her curried ratatouille builds upon the project started by the general manager Dipak Topiwala, the inventor of such delights as the South Asian Frito Pie: Beef, beer-curried chili, fritos, black bean masala, shredded cheese, sour
cream, and cilantro chutney. I must stop myself from further lyrical waxing about the food, because the Whip In is much more than just a place to eat. Run by the friendly and ever present members of the Topiwala family, the Whip In has been evolving since day one, back in 1986: starting as a convenience store and gas station the space now remarkably accommodates a café, pub, liquor store, music venue, and grocery market selling organic locally produced ready meals and other snacks. They have over 60 beers on tap, but if none of these satisfy your curiosity then just wander to the open fridges and select something exciting from the astonishing number of beers and wine available in the store (they will open it for you at the counter). The interior café is intimate and comfortable with a small stage for music, wooden bar stools line the length of the extensive bar, and there is also a large outdoor seated area, which gets packed on Friday and Saturday nights as people gather to relax, chat, and be entertained by bands playing on the Mariposa Music Garden stage. The number of services offered at the mighty Whip In makes it a nightmare for a reviewer to condense – unbelievably an onsite brewery is being added in 2012 - but the sheer diversity also serves up something for everybody in a lively, relaxed and extremely fun atmosphere.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34253 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34205 www.heycupcake.com/. If you are too stuffed to try a cup cake first time, look out for their super shiny trailers at four other locations across the city and their café.
Closing times vary and can be erratic, as they are often determined by the moment that daily provisions have been devoured, which is something I have always found reassuring. Picnic benches are laid out alongside the trailers and these offer a convenient spot for those seeking to watch the cool people making their moves up South Congress.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34205 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34204 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34204 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34201 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34201 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34018 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/34018 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33797 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33797 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33662 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33662 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33615 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33615 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33517 This is Burning Man, which describes itself as “an annual art event and temporary community based on radical self expression and self-reliance”. And radical it is! It’s also crazy, beautiful, safe, generous and buzzing with life, love and laughter. It’ll stretch you, for sure. But you’ll rise to it and surprise yourself. Trust me. You’ll experience (perhaps for the first time) the complete freedom to be and express yourself in whatever ways you feel like, whether that’s a squeak or a roar.
Given that freedom, and all the characters and creativity you’ll find at Burning Man, there could easily be a hundred life-changing possibilities a day. Dress up like Priscilla Queen of the Desert, or rip off all your clothes and paint yourself blue. Ride around under the stars on a giant neon spider. Climb up an intricately carved wooden temple and scrawl your deepest secrets on the walls, then watch the temple catch fire a few days later, taking your secrets with it forever. Jump on a pimped up bicycle and follow a troupe of fire dancers around, then ask them for a twirl. Or simply pluck up the courage to wander into a complete stranger’s camp and be welcomed with open arms for coffee and conversation. Then if you get tired, just take a seat on a huge red velvet sofa that just happens to be rolling past on wheels...
But for me, the most profoundly life-changing aspect of all was to discover what happens when you give people, en masse, pure unadulterated freedom. Far from anarchy or debauchery, what you actually get is something almost akin to an earthly paradise. Amazing!
There’s no crime, abuse, hassle or even any litter. Not a single cigarette butt or beer can is dropped during the event or left behind after it (following the philosophy of ‘leave no trace’). No money changes hands during the week, everything is freely given and received between friends and strangers. Nobody will push you into anything, leave you out of anything, look at you disapprovingly or give you cause to feel uncomfortable in any way. In fact I’m not sure I even saw anyone in a slightly bad mood, ever!
Somehow, in the absence of society’s usual rules and boundaries, what rises from the hot desert sands (apart from dust, which does get everywhere) is a quite beautiful marriage of liberation and personal responsibility, individuality and community, an outpouring of creative inspiration, expression, mutual support, pure joy and fun. And when you find yourself a part of that, something very, very unusual happens. You feel proud to be a member of the human race, which is a life-changing experience indeed! And you start to think hey, maybe we humans aren’t so bad after all, perhaps there’s hope for us yet. If we can do it in Black Rock City, why not the world? But even if we’re not quite ready to pull it off wholesale just yet, at least we still have Burning Man. Try it!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33517 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33512 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33512 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33470
This is Burning Man, which describes itself as “an annual art event and temporary community based on radical self expression and self-reliance”. And radical it is! It’s also crazy, beautiful, safe, generous and buzzing with life, love and laughter. It’ll stretch you, for sure. But you’ll rise to it and surprise yourself. Trust me. You’ll experience (perhaps for the first time) the complete freedom to be and express yourself in whatever ways you feel like, whether that’s a squeak or a roar.

Given that freedom, and all the characters and creativity you’ll find at Burning Man, there could easily be a hundred life-changing possibilities a day. Dress up like Priscilla Queen of the Desert, or rip off all your clothes and paint yourself blue. Ride around under the stars on a giant neon spider. Climb up an intricately carved wooden temple and scrawl your deepest secrets on the walls, then watch the temple catch fire a few days later, taking your secrets with it forever. Jump on a pimped up bicycle and follow a troupe of fire dancers around, then ask them for a twirl. Or simply pluck up the courage to wander into a complete stranger’s camp and be welcomed with open arms for coffee and conversation. Then if you get tired, just take a seat on a huge red velvet sofa that just happens to be rolling past on wheels...

But for me, the most profoundly life-changing aspect of all was to discover what happens when you give people, en masse, pure unadulterated freedom. Far from anarchy or debauchery, what you actually get is something almost akin to an earthly paradise. Amazing!

There’s no crime, abuse, hassle or even any litter. Not a single cigarette butt or beer can is dropped during the event or left behind after it (following the philosophy of ‘leave no trace’). No money changes hands during the week, everything is freely given and received between friends and strangers. Nobody will push you into anything, leave you out of anything, look at you disapprovingly or give you cause to feel uncomfortable in any way. In fact I’m not sure I even saw anyone in a slightly bad mood, ever!

Somehow, in the absence of society’s usual rules and boundaries, what rises from the hot desert sands (apart from sand, which does get everywhere) is a quite beautiful marriage of liberation and personal responsibility, individuality and community, an outpouring of creative inspiration, expression, mutual support, pure joy and fun. And when you find yourself a part of that, something very, very unusual happens. You feel proud to be a member of the human race, which is a life-changing experience indeed! And you start to think hey, maybe we humans aren’t so bad after all, perhaps there’s hope for us yet. If we can do it in Black Rock City, why not the world? But even if we’re not quite ready to pull it off wholesale just yet, at least we still have Burning Man. Try it!]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33470 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33366 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33366 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33365 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/33365 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32963 It also has two delightful cafes serving Viennese style food, wonderful cakes and gorgeous breakfasts. It's quite small and a refreshing change from some of the enormous museums in New York that can quickly exhaust you. Also it's not far from the marvellous Frick collection which is also fairly small and "do-able"]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32963 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32937 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32937 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32849 Beautiful room, fabulous host, AMAZING breakfast, good wifi, voip phone in the room, and excellent location in a great area and right near lots of public transport. I doubt there is a better place to stay in the city. I will definitely be going back.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32849 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32844 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/32844