Qype: International Spy Museum in Washington

Washington - Arts & Entertainment - Museums


I had heard excellent things about the International Spy Museum, so I recently took my James Bond-lovin' father and my mother to this museum during their vacation in the DC area. While we found it to be an interesting idea to have a museum dedicated to espionage, we were slightly disappointed in the execution.

The museum experience begins with your selection of your cover ID, about which you are later quizzed. However, after that first exhibit, there is a lot of reading and fewer interactive exhibits. Near the end of the two hours that it took to walk through the museum, I was struggling to keep my eyes open.

Perhaps the coolest exhibit is the James Bond car. Other interesting exhibits include the displays of tools and gadgets used by spies of past and present.

Adult tickets cost $18 at the door, but you can purchase them online via the museum's website for $20. Purchasing the tickets online guarantees entry to the museum for the purchased date. If you do not buy tickets ahead of time, I would suggest going early in the day. Otherwise, the tickets could be sold out. To get to the Spy Museum via the Metro, take the red, green or yellow lines to Gallery Pl-Chinatown, and then exit the metro station at F and 7th streets. The museum will then be one block away.

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Qype: Ellen's Stardust Diner in New York

New York - Eating & Drinking - Restaurants - American


If you don't get the opportunity to see a Broadway show while visiting New York, Ellen's Stardust Diner is your next best bet. The wait staff of this 1950's themed eatery entertain guests with singing and dancing, and you never know what you might hear... some classics, some Gaga and definitely some show tunes. That waiter or waitress dancing on top of a table may just be Broadway's next big star! Members of the wait staff have gone on to perform on Broadway, London's West End and in regional and national tours in the states.

The food is a little pricey - but not outrageously - for what you are getting. However, you have to remember: 1. These are NYC prices. 2. These are Times Square prices. 3. You are paying for the atmosphere too. Some of the dishes are large portions, which could possibly be shared to cut costs. However, all the food looked delicious, and for dinner and a show the prices are worth it. My friends and I really enjoyed our Caesar Salad, Keish and grilled cheese sandwiches. The menu also features burgers, other salads and sandwiches, ice cream, milkshakes and homemade sangria.

As your waitress belts out Wicked's "Defying Gravity", she obviously is not taking your order or checking on your table. Therefore, the service is slow and somewhat unattentive, so I suggest you be prepared to order when your server is free and enjoy the show!

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Qype: Fairlane Town Center in Detroit

Detroit - Shopping - Shopping Centres


I am generously granting 3 stars to Fairlane Town Center, a shopping mall in Dearborn, Michigan.

The mall, which was once one of the nicest shopping centers in the Detroit area, has seen better days. Today it houses only three anchoring department stores: Macy's (previously Hudson's and then Marshall Field's), JC Penny and Sears. Other stores within the mall include Hollister, American Eagle, Victoria's Secret, Aeropostale, Bath & Body Works, Claire's, Express, H&M, Forever 21 and more. It is a large mall with 3 levels, but I've noticed the quality of the stores have gone downhill over the past 15 years or so. The mall started to turn around when it added American Eagle and Hollister about 5 to 10 years ago, but once Marshall Field's became Macy's and Lord & Taylor closed, there wasn't as much nice, higher end brands and designer apparel selection at Fairlane.

Fairlane does have a nice food court with a wide variety of fast food from asian to burgers to pizza on the upper level near Sears. There are several other restaurants and eateries located throughout the mall. Two restuarants, PF Chang (a nice Chinese chain restaurant) and Bravo (an Italian restaurant), were recently added with entrances outside the mall.

Also, the AMC Star Fairlane movie theater is connected to the mall. The entrance is outside the shopping center, and the theater usually keeps the entrance near the old Lord & Taylor locked. Therefore, moviegoers must enter through the JC Penny side of the multi-plex cinema. There are 21 auditoriums that showcase the latest Hollywood attractions. Tickets are only $5.00 Monday through Thursday, and matinee showings generally run cheaper than evening shows. Students used to receive a lower price with their student IDs, but I'm not sure that discount is still offered.

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Qype: Crave Lounge in Detroit

Detroit


Crave Lounge fuses a sleek, modern martini lounge and a chic sushi restaurant. You can lounge on couches, sip martinis at the bar, groove on the dance floor, enjoy sushi at one of the tables or relax in the garden, an outdoor lounge area that is heated during the winter months. While the kitchen closes earlier, the lounge is open until 2 a.m. on the weekends making Crave a great place to unwind with a late night drink.

The drink list includes beer, wines, sake, saketinis and martinis, which are reasonably priced. The tropical martini was quite good and is served with a tropical floating flower. Crave is known for their sushi, but their menu also features beef & poultry entrees, soups & salads, various other seafood dishes, asian inspired appetizers and desserts.

Crave is located along Michigan Avenue, near several other bars and restaurants. It is a nice escape from the norm. The atmosphere is upscale, allowing you to imagine yourself in a far-off and more exotic destination than Dearborn, Michigan. The service is friendly, and the food and drinks are of a nice quality without the hefty price tag of the equally swanky metropolitan lounges.

Check out my review of Crave Lounge - I am erinklema - on Qype