Take a cue from your younger days and use summer's start for recharging your batteries. You might not be in school any longer, but you still deserve a break from the rat race. Why not tap into the energy of a great American city like New York, Miami or Los Angeles and let its urban rhythms provide the inspiration to carry you through the long, hot summer?
Here's a little power boost to get your creative juices flowing -- a mini primer of city highlights to help you plan your great summer escape:
NEW YORK
Just to be in Manhattan is to feel overwhelmingly, astonishingly alive. It's hard not to be re-energized with the island's infectious beat pulsating around you day and night.
Wake up refreshed
Lap of luxury: For one hundred years plus, the St. Regis (2 E. 55th St., at Fifth Ave.; 212-753-4500 or 800-759-7550; www.stregis.com; $595+) has catered to a well-heeled, aristocratic clientele. The classic, ornate décor oozes Old World elegance and refinement.
Sleep in style: With its fast up-and-coming NoHo location, its unobstructed floor to ceiling views from all sides, and a lot of buzz, The Bowery (335 Bowery, at 3rd St.; 212-505-9100; www.theboweryhotel.com; $325+) is a hot contender for hipster hangout of the year.
A restful value: Visit The Pod (230 E. 51st St., btwn Second & Third Aves.; 800-742-5945; www.thepodhotel.com; singles $89+, doubles $99+), where accommodations are simple but stylish and savvy. Rooms feature a hip bounty of things you'd never expect to find in this price class: LCD TVs, iPod docking stations, free WiFi access, and waterfall showerheads.
Eat well
Sleekly serving up sushi, sashimi, soups, salads and saketinis, Bamboo 52 (344 W. 52nd St.; 212-315-2777; www.bamboo52nyc.com) is a new Hell's Kitchen gay fave, with a great bamboo garden in back. Napa Valley super-chef Thomas Keller (The French Laundry) brings his elegant California flair to Per Se (10 Columbus Circle, at 60th St.; 212-823-9335; www.frenchlaundry.com/perse/perse.htm; fixed price menus $250), an exquisite and intimate nine-course culinary extravaganza blending New American and French cuisines, with fabulous views of Central Park. District (130 W. 46th St., btwn Sixth & Seventh Aves.; 212-485-2999, www.districtnyc.com; $16-24, fixed price menu $45) is a great pre-theater choice. The interior subtly replicates a stage, and the three-course pre-theater menu includes items like blue cheese pear beignet, charred lamb sirloin, and bananas flambé -- and they'll get it done in time so you don't miss your show.
Energizing evenings
Spend the day taking in the city's iconic buildings (don't miss the views from the top of Rockefeller Center, www.topoftherocknyc.com) and then spend the night exploring its smorgasbord of gay bars to suit every taste. Small East Village coolspot Eastern Bloc (505 E. 6th St., btwn Aves. A & B; 212-777-2555; www.easternblocnyc.com) gets crammed on weekends and has some of the city's cutest go-go boys. Still a Hell's Kitchen staple, Therapy (348 W 52nd St., btwn Eighth & Ninth Aves.; 212-397-1700; www.therapy-nyc.com) has two sleekly styled levels and a delish bar menu. Now that the Roxy's no more, promoter John Blair holds court for the circuit crowd at Saturdays @ Avalon (47 W 20th St., at Sixth Ave.; 212-807-7780; www.jblair.com).
Recharge the next day
Run by top lesbian chef Gabrielle Hamilton, Prune (54 E. 1st St., btwn First and Second Aves.; 212-677-6221; www.prunerestaurant.com; brunch $11-19) is upscale East Village bohemia at its finest: fantastic food, understated art-hipster clientele, and enough Bloody Mary variations to turn the already magical weekend brunch into a serious party. Then cruise some Greek gods?by visiting the largest art collection in the Western hemisphere. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1000 Fifth Ave., at 82nd St.; 212-535-7710; www.metmuseum.org; $20; closed Mondays) just opened its stunning Greek and Roman galleries.
MIAMI
Soak up the sights and sounds of this international oceanside playground, a city infused with every possible Latin flavor imaginable. You'll emerge rejuvenated from a dip into its sun-drenched splendor.
Wake up refreshed
Lap of luxury: There are plenty of chic boutique stops in South Beach, but The Setai (2001 Collins Ave; 305-520-6000; www.setai.com; rates: if you have to ask?) consistently drops the jaws of even the most jaded queens. A seductive Asian palate brings Zen-calm splendor to a 1930s deco landmark.
Sleep in style:
the hotel (801 Collins Ave.; 305-531-2222 or 877-THE-HOTEL; thehotelofsouthbeach.com; $150+) delivers on its stylish promise as the collaboration between famous gay fashionista Todd Oldham and well-known historical preservationist Tony Goldman. The rooftop pool and Spire Bar offer an exquisite view of the beach, and the whimsical room décor lends a sense of serenity.
A restful value:
The Greenview Hotel (1671 Washington Ave; 305/531-6588; www.greenviewhotel.com; $110+) offers a super-convenient Lincoln Road location, refurbished rooms that are IKEA-cute in basic blonde wood and white, and friendly staff. Complimentary breakfast is provided.
Eat well
Slip into casually sophisticated Santo (430 Lincoln Road; 305-532-2882; www.santomiamibeach.com; $23-30) for exquisite Asian and Latin-influenced dishes and stay late to watch its metamorphosis into a hip nightclub. Reservations are recommended to join the local movers and shakers who flock to Joe Allen (1787 Purdy Ave; 305-531-7007; www.joeallenrestaurant.com; $10-$28) on the west side of South Beach for consistently great pasta and seafood. Keep an eye on the muscle-bound parade at 12th Street Beach from a sidewalk table at the gay Palace Food Bar (1200 Ocean Drive; 305-531-7234), a longtime beachfront hangout. Get a taste of the beach's best Cuban cuisine on the cheap at Puerto Sagua (700 Collins; 305-673-1115; $5-$12).
Energizing evenings
Daytime is all about the surf and sand, but when night falls, Miami kicks it up a notch. Brace yourself for festivities that start late and end early (in the morning). In a scene that's very fickle, a pair of gay bars have kept the crowds coming for the long haul: Twist (1057 Washington Ave; 305/53-TWIST; www.twistsobe.com) is a mainstay during the week, with an expanded cruise bar, a small dance floor, and open-air porch upstairs; Score's (727 Lincoln Rd; 305/535-1111) outside tables are perfect for Lincoln Road people-watching. For the latest gay happenings around Miami Beach, visit www.sobesocialclub.com.
Recharge the next day
Start your day at the Front Porch (1418 Ocean Drive; 305-531-8300; $6-$11), attracting a very gay crowd for solid breakfast fare on the porch and sidewalk in front of the Penguin hotel. Spend an afternoon browsing the shops of Lincoln Road, stopping by Art Center South Florida (800 Lincoln Rd; 305-674-8278; www.artcentersf.org) along the way, an artists' colony with working studio spaces and exhibitions open to the public.
LOS ANGELES
Take a twirl through the scene in celebrity-studded Los Angeles, a heady mix of glamour and style sure to get the pulse racing. Invigoration should be guaranteed, because the City of Angels would never have to give money back.
Wake up refreshed
Lap of luxury: The Sunset Tower Hotel (8358 Sunset Blvd; 323-654-7100 or 800-225-2637; www.sunsettowerhotel.com; $260+) is West Hollywood's splashiest property, with its Art Deco design, luxurious rooms, and private-club atmosphere. Guests enjoy stunning views, Kiehl's bath products, and the services of a resident butler.
Sleep in style: Located in the heart of gay WeHo, Chamberlain West Hollywood (1000 Westmount Dr; 800-201-9652 or 310-657-7400; www.chamberlainwesthollywood.com; $159+) offers spacious suites, top-notch service, secure parking, and a rooftop-lounge pool area with 360-degree views. A great choice if you want to be able to walk (or take a short cab) to the nearby gay-popular venues.
A restful value: The San Vicente Inn and Resort (845 N. San Vicente Blvd; 310-854-6915 or 800-577-6915; www.gayresort.com; $79+) is West Hollywood's only gay men's guesthouse, offering tasteful, comfortable accommodations one block from the heart of the action on Santa Monica Boulevard.
Eat well
Mark's (861 N. La Cienega at Santa Monica boulevards, WeHo; 310-652-5252; www.marksrestaurant.com; $12-30) is West Hollywood's long-standing gay restaurant of choice, and the atmosphere and eye candy are exceptional. Request a booth up front or a table on the patio for the best people-watching. Cool blue accents and a fire-lit nighttime garden make O-Bar Restaurant (8279 Santa Monica Blvd; 323-822-3300; www.obarrestaurant.com; $12-$29) a glistening dining experience; upscale twists on home-style faves (lobster mac & cheese), fresh fish, and decadent desserts are menu staples. Toi on Sunset (7505 1/2 Sunset Blvd; 323-874-8062; www.toirockinthaifood.com; $7-$14) promises "rockin' Thai food" and delivers: the excellent, inexpensive dishes are served up against a backdrop of music memorabilia.
Energizing evenings
After giving your wallet a workout in the shops of Wilshire and Rodeo and strolling down Hollywood's starry Walk of Fame, head for an oversize martini or mojito at The Abbey (692 N. Robertson Blvd; 310-289-8410; www.abbeyfoodandbar.com). The West Hollywood bar, restaurant, coffeehouse hybrid is a gay weekend hotspot in any category. Sashay over to East/West 8851 Santa Monica Blvd; 310-360-6186 or 877-EWLounge; www.eastwestlounge.com) for a loungey night out, adding a touch of class to gay evening cocktails in WeHo. There's always trouble to found at veteran gay club Rage (8911 Santa Monica Blvd; 310-652-7055; www.ragewesthollywood.com), where drink specials are plentiful throughout the week.
Recharge the next day
The Griddle Café; (7916 Sunset Blvd at Fairfax Avenue; 323-874-0377; www.thegriddlecafe.com; $5-$12), located on Sunset about two miles from West Hollywood near Crunch Gym, is one of the best breakfast/brunch/lunch spots in town. Try Mom's French toast and enjoy the organic maple syrup -- it's on every table at no extra charge. The J. Paul Getty Museum's Getty Center (1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood; 310-440-7300; www.getty.edu/museum) spectacularly overlooks the city and the Pacific Ocean, making for a lovely, art-filled recovery in one of L.A. most iconic cultural spots.
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