Issue: August 2014

Just one-mile long, downtown Boston’s iconic Newbury Street is a quintessential New England blend of upscale shopping and single-family brownstones. But it wasn’t always so. Many of the neighbourhood’s historic landmarks date back more than a century, when the Back Bay district was still an actual bay of water between Boston and Cambridge. Several prominent 19th century architects developed the filled land district in the former colonial capital with a vision to create Parisian-style avenues

The Street

Co-owner Andee Connors has worked at the store since 1994. Famous musicians such as Blondie, Bjork and Elvis Costello have visited. Connors says: “Everyone who works here is super-obsessive about music. So even if we didn’t work in a record store, we’d all be hunting down new, cool, weird sounds. Our customers are a great source too. We get tonnes of recommendations from folks all over the world”

Consume

New York is a city that needs no introduction, but it’s also one that will defy your expectations. Do you picture blinking lights, speeding cabs and bustling crowds when you hear its name? Midtown may fit that billing, but it’s only one pocket of a much wider experience, from verdant Central Park to the historic brownstones of Brooklyn, and the rarefied museums of the Upper East Side

Mapped

Adrian Mourby visits Lowell, Massachusetts, the birthplace of one of America’s most famous 20th century writers, Jack Kerouac – and the town the author once described as “the most interesting place in the United States”. Dawn comes quietly to Lowell, illuminating the huge rooftop sign over the Lowell Sun building. Jack Kerouac, the author who gave voice to America’s mid-20th century Beat Generation, worked here 75 years ago

Place

With incredible buildings such as the Willis Tower, Frank Gehry's Pritzker Pavilion and Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House, Chicago is known for its spectacular architecture, but the city has a lot more to offer. Visitors can explore world-class galleries and museums, including The Field Museum and the Museum of Contemporary Art, before indulging in a slice of the city's celebrated deep dish pizza

Place