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I was tooling around Everlane's website during some of the big sales they were having recently and found this lovely weekender in the men's section — it looks great for everyone, though.
It's $85, made of recycled polyster with a water-resistant finish, and has a trolley sleeve, huzzah! While it's been sold out for a month or so, they're taking pre-orders for early February.
As always, I wish the drop were more than 9″ so I could tuck it under my arm, but if your arms are skinnier than mine then it's probably not a problem.
It comes in black, “warm quartz” and “warm charcoal,” all for $85.
This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!
Sales of note for 8.30.24
- Nordstrom – Summer Sale, save up to 60%
- Ann Taylor – 30% off full-price purchase; $99 jackets, dresses & shoes; extra 50% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50-70% off everything + extra 20% off
- Bergdorf Goodman – Final Days Designer Sale, up to 75% off; extra 20% off sale
- Boden – 20% off
- Brooks Brothers – Extra 25% off clearance
- Eloquii – Up to 60% off everything; extra 60% off all sale
- J.Crew – 40% off sitewide; extra 60% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – Extra 20% off orders $125+; extra 60% off clearance; 60%-70% off 100s of styles
- Lo & Sons – Summer sale, up to 50% off (ends 9/2)
- Madewell – Extra 40% off sale; extra 50% off select denim; 25% off fall essentials
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Rothy's – End of season sale, up to 50% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear in the big sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 25% off regular-price purchase; 70% off clearance
- White House Black Market – Up to 70% off sale
Sales of note for 8.30.24
- Nordstrom – Summer Sale, save up to 60%
- Ann Taylor – 30% off full-price purchase; $99 jackets, dresses & shoes; extra 50% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50-70% off everything + extra 20% off
- Bergdorf Goodman – Final Days Designer Sale, up to 75% off; extra 20% off sale
- Boden – 20% off
- Brooks Brothers – Extra 25% off clearance
- Eloquii – Up to 60% off everything; extra 60% off all sale
- J.Crew – 40% off sitewide; extra 60% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – Extra 20% off orders $125+; extra 60% off clearance; 60%-70% off 100s of styles
- Lo & Sons – Summer sale, up to 50% off (ends 9/2)
- Madewell – Extra 40% off sale; extra 50% off select denim; 25% off fall essentials
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Rothy's – End of season sale, up to 50% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear in the big sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 25% off regular-price purchase; 70% off clearance
- White House Black Market – Up to 70% off sale
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And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
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- What small steps can I take today to get myself a little more “together” and not feel so frazzled all of the time?
- The oldest daughter is America's social safety net — change my mind…
- What have you lost your taste for as you've aged?
- Tell me about your favorite adventure travels…
Anonymous
Maybe a fun Q considering this morning’s discussion: how much do you have saved for retirement, and how much in a 529? (And what timeline?)
2030 college: $132k in 529s
turn 59 in 2037: $2.13M
Anon
Not the same #s as you, but similar ratio of 529 to retirement savings.
Anonymous
Oof. Also 2030 college, $50K in 529s. I’ve got two more years until 59 (2039), but only $950k in my 401(k), which I had been really proud of until your post.
Senior Attorney
Anonymous at 2:20 p.m. you should be proud!! And it’s not my place to be proud of you, but I am anyway! :)
Anonymous
Yes! You’re doing great.
TDS
Besides numbers/timeline, I wonder if people would add if they feel secure/on track or what they envision their retirement lifestyle to be like. Also, do you expect your children to contribute to their college educations (work, loans, etc)? I’m frankly poorer than most of this board … the kids will have to contribute partially/minimize college expenses & I can be happy with a simple lifestyle in a low-cost of living area. On track for (ambitiously) 1M by 65, which I think is much better than my peers but doesn’t feel substantial enough.
Anon
Women in my family live shockingly long (mid-90s for the generation that never exercised and cooked with lard; at least they were Baptists so they didn’t drink or smoke), so I don’t think I will ever feel that there is “enough” money. I’m just trying to not have a house payment as a requirement to even thinking of retiring.
Do kids even work now? Sort of kidding. I was at RA in college which paid for my room, so I’d expect my kids to do that or at least make a reasonable effort to work or apply for scholarships (which can eat up some time, but it’s a nice resume line that you funded college through the XYZ merit scholarship). So far with kids though, a lot of my brilliant theories did not test well IRL. What I would tell them is that any college funds not used will be theirs for any grad degree or further study and that maybe they should be frugal when they look at colleges or use some funds to study abroad. IDK what my exact situation will be then — they may need to work or look at starting in CC or judiciously using AP credits to try to graduate sooner.
Anon
They absolutely do, but it doesn’t stretch nearly as far now.
Anonymous
My oldest daughter is a junior in college. She goes to a State University and has a scholarship that covers tuition but not fees. We pay her fees (which are a few thousand dollars each semester) as well as her rent, cell phone, and car insurance. She works an on-campus student job and is responsible for paying her utilities, rental insurance, and for her food.
Anon
To answer one part of your question: yes, we absolutely expect our son to contribute to college costs. We’ve showed him the scholarships that are available through our local State U and told him he needs to try to maintain a 3.5 average in high school if he wants to go to college (this will qualify him for a partial tuition scholarship at State U). We also expect him to work in the summers (including the summer before his senior year and the summer before his freshman year) and during the school year in college. My husband waited tables and I worked fast-food stands in the campus food court; those were formative experiences and we feel he should have those as well.
My husband and I both knew people who had their educations completely paid for by their parents (or grandparents), and didn’t take college seriously as a result. Most dropped out; some barely graduated and knocked around until they latched on to something they could do for a living. I think kids have to have some skin in the game other than “mom and dad will be angry if I flunk out.” Generally, something’s more valuable to our son when he works for it and I don’t think college will be any different.
TDS
I hope it helps to have some work experience on their resumes after graduation, too. Even if completely unrelated to their degree, at least it demonstrates that they know some basic norms of the workplace (punctuality, using professional/polite/calm language in all situations, how to use a copy machine or keypad or take the initiative to figure them out, that you have to comply with the dress code even if you don’t like it and shouldn’t waste your capital on that, etc). Real basic stuff that college professors or parents can’t really impart, but some young adults need to practice. Also gives them the opportunity to meet people that otherwise might not be in their social circle and get a broader worldview.
Anon
Thank you, on behalf of your son’s future employer. I interview and a hire a lot of lawyers right out of school, and there is a world of difference between those who went straight through college / law school with no work experience, and those who worked *somewhere* before applying with us. If given a choice, I’d pick those with work experience any day of the week, especially work experience in customer service / retail / food service. Way more valuable to me than a 4.0 GPA.
anon
+1 to all this, especially your penultimate sentence. It’s shocking how few lawyers (and not just young ones!) don’t realize this is a service industry. I find the best associates are those who have work experience in customer service / retail / food service as well.
Anon
Regarding “skin in the game” I think my own parents did it right. I was not allowed to work because my job was “learning and getting good grades” but each semester was paid for with a loan in my name. Once my grades were available, they paid the bill. If I’d done poorly, I would have had to pay it myself.
Anonymous
(Im actually the OP – yeesh, sorry to all I offended)
– one kid probably won’t go to college (autistic) (but he has his own 529 accounts anyway)
– oldest kid I feel behind on because odds are she’ll go for grad school — when she was a baby we were really lucky to be living in NY state ($10k yearly for 529s) and get some inheritance so we could max it.
– retirement – also feel behind because my husband and I probably won’t work at this level beyond 2030 and we’re expecting my autistic son to live with us forever. 4 living grandparents so caregiving will also probably take a toll.
Anonymous
I work in accessibility for a college, and we have student orgs for students on the spectrum, though that spectrum is HUGE! Just adding a note that college happens (sometimes with a long ramp-up via community college, or a specialized, faculty-led program) for students with autism.
Anon
Can you tell me more? And which college you are at (or some hints — I know that there is something like this at Marshall University, maybe others)? I have a child who is ASD-1 and doing well in mainstream classes, but with COVID happening on the heels of her very, very late diagnosis, I feel really lost and that she regressed a lot with her social skills and independence.
Anon
I am on track to retire comfortably in 2038 and have not saved nearly as much as many of you. But we both have hefty federal pensions (joined as fetuses and are now pretty senior) and my dad saves a good amount in 529s for college in 2026 and 2029. Once upon a time, I’d love to have promised the kids four years at any school of their choosing. Not with current prices, I don’t, and I’d strongly advise against their taking out the equivalent of a mortgage for undergrad education. I expect them to work on summer breaks if nothing else to fund some specific things (maybe car, maybe cell phone, we’ll see).
After watching my mother die of a *horrible* degenerative disease in her 60s, which is what happen to her father, I’m adamant that I won’t work longer than I have to and that I won’t save all the fun until retirement. A federal pension is key to making both those statements possible as unlike a retirement account, it won’t run out if I surprise myself and live to 100. If the government implodes on us and takes my pension with it, I don’t think our retirement accounts will fare any better and we’ll all have bigger problems, anyway.
It also helps that my kids will be nearly 30 when I hit minimum retirement age, owning luxury brands does not interest me, and I don’t pay for beauty services beyond haircuts. As a result, I don’t envision a major lifestyle downshift. I won’t ever be rich, but I won’t ever be poor. This is a happy place to exist and I feel very very fortunate. How lucky are we even to have this conversation?
Alana
Just writing to say that I sincerely appreciate your perspective! Gratitude is an important part of well-being. My parents died earlier than expected (6 years ago and 4 years ago, respectively), which has me thinking about retiring earlier than planned. By the time they retired, both were ill and didn’t live long afterward.
NJ Mom
2026 college: $100K in 529 (1 kid-diorced and responsible for 50%)
2044 retirement: $1.5M
Anon
I guess what’s the fun or use of this exercise without context? Most of the answers posted will be far, far above what the average person has in any of these accounts.
TDS
What context would make this interesting for you? I asked some questions above.
Anon at 2:48
Your questions above at least give some context to answers. If that had been the OP, I wouldn’t have read the thread but also wouldn’t have actively complained about it.
As phrased (and as many of the answers show), the OP is soliciting answers that are just numbers and nothing else. It’s very easy to find information about average retirement savings or how much experts declare will be enough, so I genuinely don’t understand what these random numbers adds to anyone’s understanding of the world. Given that, the OP seems like a flex or anxiety soothing.
Anon
Yeah, I think these exercises are a combination of humblebragging and anxiety-soothing for people who are high net worth and want to be reassured about how wealthy they are. My husband and I make a fraction of what some people have reported as their HHI. So obviously our balances are very low compared to many of the people who would post up their numbers. These questions always feel weird and competitive to me in a yucky way. Like some kind of d*ck measuring for competitive upper-class women, or something.
anonshmanon
same.
anon
$51K across 401(k) and Roth IRA, age 28
no 529 because I likely won’t be able to have children due to health issues.
Anon
529 for 1 kid who will go to college in 2036: $50k. Some family contributions in there but mostly us.
Retirement accounts (age 36): ~$500k. We started saving relatively late and did not have employer contributions until our early 30s but are saving very aggressively now.
HHI $150k, LCOL.
We have no firm retirement plans. I will likely retire/quit early and DH loves his job and plans to keep working until 70-75 if he is able to. It’s so hard to predict what will happen, but we anticipate needing very minimal savings so long as we can live independently, due to the fact that we own our home outright and live in such an affordable area. But obviously nursing care is very very expensive and we may need it for many years (women in my family regularly live to be almost 100 but with dementia for the last 10-15 years). We try to just save as much as we comfortably can and not worry about it, because it’s impossible to feel like you have “enough,” I think.
Anon
Is the point of this just to flex?
Anon
My 401K statement arrived in the mail yesterday (maybe a lot of people’s), so maybe that is prompting this?
Anonymous
I have no idea. That’s what it feels like.
Anonymous
I think it’s in response to the ongoing discussion about how people are affording vacations and the speculation that it’s by skimping on retirement savings. Also definitely bragging.
anon
Not the OP but I’m going to assume good intentions here. I personally wish more women spoke more openly about finances so welcome the discussions here and elsewhere as I think the view that finances shouldn’t be discussed only harms women.
Anon
Discussion of finances != dropping a number with nothing else.
Anonymous
Right? Also a reminder that personal median income in the U.S. is something like 45K. I know lots of us are higher earners, but this is so income related and situational. With no context, it’s like asking a group of high earners what kind of car or square foot home they’ve been able to acquire so far. Kind of gross if you ask me.
anon
Somewhat relevant: https://www.newsweek.com/wharton-students-dont-have-clue-how-much-average-american-earns-1671223
Anon
That was crazy. $800k???
Cornellian
ha! I remember telling a wealthy friend in college that minimum wage going up was going to be so helpful and she was like “oh, is it like 60K now??” in the mid 2000s. I hope my kid is never that out of touch
Anonymous
+100. Not my idea of fun, but good for you, I guess? Want to share our weights and SAT scores next?
Anonymous
Lol yes obvi
Anon
It’s a d1ck measuring contest.
Sloan Sabbith
this is not a fun question for those of us that don’t make a biglaw salary, just saying. all these questions do is remind certain people how rich they are and the rest of us how we are not….
Anon
+1
Anonymous
Kids go to college in 2032, 2034 and 2036
$150k* in 529s
Turn 59 in 2042 & 2043; about 1.6M in retirement, 600k of that is Roth
* kids will have additional money for college from grandparents so we are not laser focused on college savings.
Anonymous
No kids, so no college
Turn 72 in 2046: $158k in 401(k)
No spouse, so I got all this by myself and suicide is an option.
Anon
Suicide can be surprisingly hard. If you’ve lost your cognitive abilities you would need help, which is illegal. It’s my mother’s request to die if she develops dementia so I’ve looked into it, but it’s very complicated. I don’t want to go to jail and a doctor cannot assist suicide if someone is physically healthy.
anon
I’ve also looked into for similar reasons. Grandparents made it clear they only want to live as long as it’s on their terms and they know who they are. Grandfather watched his sister’s decline due to dementia and is adamant he doesn’t want that for himself even though the family is prepared to ship in for memory care. I got nowhere, it gets into illegal territory really quickly and I’m not sure what to do from here to honor his wishes.
An
Move to Oregon.
Anonymous
I answered with our #s but I also want to add the following:
My grandmother just died at 92 with almost a million dollars. She was lived in a poor farm town in the dust bowl. She and her husband were farmers and saved every single penny.
My MIL and FIL are 81 and 84. They are sitting on 5+M after working two upper middle management jobs until age 60. MIL laments every single day that she did not spend more of it. They retired early and sat around not going on trips and now they are too old. It is so depressing.
So DH and I have been saving, but also living. I refuse to sit on $5M in my 80s regretting that I never went to Italy or bought that sports car. Life’s too short.
TDS
Well, MIL/FIL may live into their 100s and need the money yet … but if MIL really wants to spend it on some pleasures then they aren’t TOO OLD to spend it — maybe extensive international trips are out of the question but I think there’s a lot of places willing to take her $$$. Perhaps hire a travel companion for any assistance needed and go to the nearest luxury resort to gamble/shop/lounge by the pool/have someone drive you on a cart around the property/go to a private showing at a gallery using a mobility scooter? Perhaps hire a 5-star chef to come to their home and create a menu especially for them? IDK, but I’m sure you can come up with plenty of ideas. Otherwise, maybe she is getting something out of lamenting? Sounds like they can afford to treat her depression if that’s the underlying problem.
There’s no need to spend the rest of your life being miserable because you have too much money!!
Anonymous
Different poster but easier said than done. Yeah MIL CAN go to some random resort in Virginia or Maine or someplace and just sit if she’s intent on spending money but let’s be real what she’s lamenting is the things she didn’t see – whether that’s Paris or whatever; she’s not going to get that sitting in some random resort in the US. And yes there is an age after which it gets really hard to do those things whether you have the money or a travel companion or not. I’m one of the rare ones on this board – and in IRL – that didn’t travel through my 20s-30s despite a high income because I was REALLY focused on money, investing, that 8k I’d spend on a fancy Europe trip could grow to x if I just invested it etc and just really focused on working hard so I could slow down later.
Well seeing the way one parent has completely slowed down [and just has no confidence] in his 70s and how the other parent spends her time complaining about that and also worrying about him and doesn’t feel comfortable going anyplace with him, nor traveling without him AND the fact that I’ve developed my own heart problem that may need surgery has scared the heck out of me. I’m 41 and am now actively like I MUST TRAVEL; IDK how that lines up with the timing of any surgery if that happens soon rather than say in my 50s but in either case I feel like I MUST TRAVEL. There isn’t endless time to travel the way you’d want to and while this board ALWAYS has stories of the 80 year old still hiking in the Alps and working 60 hrs/wk as a cardiologist, that’s just not the reality for most people – even people who have strived to work out, eat well etc.
TDS
My thoughts were really more that life is also too short for regret. It’s too short to spend more time on what you don’t have/have lost/didn’t do … like if I could go back in time I would actually do EVERYTHING differently, but I’ll be darned if I don’t make the most of every minute I have left. I genuinely hope these people can still find some joy somewhere or would actively look towards that if at all possible.
Anon
Yeah, travel has become a real issue for my 72 year old dad. He doesn’t have serious health conditions, (he’s overweight and has some things that are controlled with meds like high blood pressure, but nothing that would make you think he’s disabled and unable to travel). But he’s really gone off travel in a big way in the last few years. He’s uncomfortable on long airplanes flights (even in first class), he can’t really walk very far, he gets tired easily. Of course, if someone held a gun to his head, he could travel. But there’s been a steep drop-off in his enjoyment of trips, and so he doesn’t really want to do it anymore. In my experience, this happens to most people between the ages of 70 and 80, with women and physically fit people generally being towards the later end of that age range, but I think it’s very rare for people in their mid-80s to travel a lot.
Senior Attorney
Man, it’s a balancing act. My dad is 95 and is going to run out of money within two years, which keeps me up at night. Hubby and I are sitting on a good nest egg plus a pension, and he is of like mind with you — buy the Maserati, rent the villa in Italy for a week while we can enjoy it to the fullest. But it still makes me a little nervous.
But also I agree with TDS that barring health conditions, 81 and 84 shouldn’t be too old at all to travel and enjoy their money. We have friends in that age group that are still traveling and living up a storm!
Senior Attorney
And I stand corrected. I know a lot of people really slow down at that age. We are certainly not going to wait, as I said.
Lily
2037 and 2039 college: $35k in 529s
Turn 60 in 2046: $300k in 401(k)s (mine and husband combined)
Cornellian
I have one freshly five year old who should finish high school in 2045. I have ~23K saved for him, contribute 250/month. When I initially did the calculation I was hoping to pay for instate tuition (not board and fees or private school) and will reconsider at the earlier of him starting kindergarten and us deciding to have a second kid.
I have stepped back from my private side lucrative job to a more modest government position and will probably make a move to more part-time work at some point well before traditional retirement (perhaps before 40). But to keep things consistent with the question, I’ll turn 59 in 2046, and I have a million invested (plus a not-yet-vested pension that may contribute something like 18K yearly starting in the 2050s).
Cornellian
I read through some other comments that posted while I was considering my answer, and think it might be helpful to add:
-I now contribute~25K to retirement a year (crossed in to six figures this year) but used to contribute more pre-kid.
-kid has no known health issues, so I don’t have that additional complication.
-just got married and he makes a bit less than me, I imagine HHI will end up being like 190K this year in Austin. So definitely privileged but not the MD/BigLaw Partner-type household.
-no parents, no inheritance on the table. I don’t want to leave my kid one either, honestly, but I certainly don’t want to burden him with my care. As others mentioned, it’s a fine balance.
Anon
Do you mean 2035? A child who is 5 now will be 28 years old in 2045. Hopefully your son will be done with high school just a bit before then :)
Cornellian
Man I am dumb. But yes!
Anon
I have a 62L backpack now that I think of as my weekender. I haven’t travelled except in a car since COVID. If I fly to go to a national park or other cool place (I’m a bit camped out in my area and want to try other places when the world reopens), do I check my backpack (and maybe put in an Ikea bag to keep clean and to keep the 500 straps from tangling) and then put my stuff in a carryon + personal item? I figure I don’t want to check the stuff b/c it’s harder to replace than the bag (which I could probably make do at a local outfitters) than the stuff.
Anon
Many backpack makers make a light bag that fits over the backpack so it doesn’t get torn up/straps caught/etc as checked baggage. Osprey calls theirs the Aircover (I think it used to be called the AirPorter). I’m not at all sure how you’d fit a 62L pack’s worth of stuff, sleeping bag, pad, etc in a carryon + personal item, and then you’d still have the carryon to have to stow somewhere while you’re camping. I’d just pack it all in your pack and use a pack cover or big duffle bag to put the whole mess in.
Cat
so many airlines now let you see that your bags are on the plane via their app or email notification that honestly I know before I even step into my seat that my bag is loaded on the plane.
I’d buy a backpack cover and check the whole thing.
Anonymous
There’s a really good recent post on a YouTube channel I follow about exactly this. Look up Homemade WanderL*st, the episode is How to Fly With Your Backpacking gear (on a Plane). She goes into a LOT of detail on each piece of gear and how how to contain your backpack safely if you send it through baggage. Read the comments too because there were some helpful notes about water filtration systems not making it through the freezing temps in baggage.
Anonymous
our first plane trip in 3 years is coming up soon — any tips for a 3 hour flight? i’ve heard the ventilation system is great while in flight but not on the tarmac, so we know to mask up well then…
anon
Air travel is the same now as it was then except people wear masks and if you’re traveling internationally you may have to show a vaccine card or negative test. You have to wear your mask the entire flight except when eating and drinking so you won’t be doing anything different when you are taxiing vs airborne vs in the terminal.
anon
Yeah, it’s fine. I haven’t flown internationally yet since the pandemic, but domestic (US) is NBD. The only problem is the non-maskers or half-maskers.
Cat
it’s fine, have been traveling frequently both domestic and international. I usually wait to eat & drink until after most people have finished for minimal “mutual unmasked” time.
pugsnbourbon
Still a greyhound bus in the sky for everyone in economy :)
Anonymous
The biggest difference I found was in the terminal — food service had both changed (remote ordering systems on the table) and deteriorated significantly and finding a place to wait felt harder. I flew at a time when there were not a bunch of flight cancellations, but that seems to be creating some additional havoc.
Anonymous
3 hours – you are fine. :)
Mask up. Don’t eat. Disinfect hand rests. Done
Anon
Oooh, I like the look of this. Am I missing the link? I guess I can just go look it up myself.
TDS
Just click on the pic (takes you to the link)
Anonymous
Question – is there any European city that I could do a one week getaway to this July or Aug that would be relatively quiet/uncrowded? I know there are crowds everywhere in Europe so I don’t expect any place to be empty especially as people catch up on vacationing but what I’m trying to avoid since we don’t know where the pandemic will be at that point is the massive crowds and tour groups that you get in the summer in London, Florence, Rome, Paris etc.
In terms of what I’m looking for – a direct flight from DC/the east coast; and then ideally I go stay in a luxury hotel in said city. All I really need is a place with a nice city/downtown, a nice old town with pretty churches or architecture I can admire both outside and inside, luxury hotels, and cute cafes/restaurants where I can grab my coffee and just roam the city. Doesn’t matter to me if others say that city is boring. I’ve been so few places in Europe [really just London and Paris] that I’m not picky about where I go. Problem is it needs to be a city as this is a short solo trip and I’m not super comfortable driving alone to country towns in Europe; though I have no problem in a country with a great train system grabbing a train to a smaller city an hour away to explore. I’m not really a nature person so I’m not looking for lakes or hiking.
All I can think of is some combo of Zurich/Geneva with a stop in Bern; or Amsterdam which I wouldn’t think would be that quiet. Thoughts?
Anonymous
Maybe go somewhere in Ireland? It’s tiny and between buses, trains or cabs you could get to a small town or village pretty easily from Shannon airport. Luxury hotel might be a problem though.
Anonymous
Quebec City comes to mind here, even though it’s not Europe.
Senior Attorney
Ooh, good answer!
Senior Attorney
Treviso, Italy is a lovely small city about an hour by train from Venice. We stayed here and it was tiny but comfortable and we loved it: https://www.locandapontedante.com/ You can sit outside with your coffee or wine and watch the world and the river go by.
Senior Attorney
Note the photos don’t really do the rooms justice. They’re a great combination of old stone walls and comfortable modern fixtures.
IL
Milan might fit your criteria. I really enjoyed the architecture and the fashion but for whatever reason it rarely gets a mention. It is more of a working city than a tourist city, which might be what you are looking for.
Anonymous
Lisbon
NYCer
Amsterdam won’t be quiet, but I still think it is a great option. Check out Hotel Pulitzer.
Anonymous
August is the Italian holiday, so any place in Italy that might appeal to native holidaymakers will be bursting.
July is everybody else’s Italian holiday time.
In July or August you want somewhere that is NOT A SUMMER DESTINATION. That’s it.
Vienna. Munich, Innsbruck, Salzburg…. Go to a winter city.
Find somewhere where nobody in their right mind would pack a bikini, and you’ll be fine!
Helsinki. Munich. Copenhagen
Anon
Vienna, Munich, Innsbruck, Salzburg, Copenhagen are all very popular summer destinations for American and European travelers. Helsinki is less crowded but that’s just because it’s a little more off the beaten path.
Ses
+1 and adding Frankfurt
Anonymous
I enjoyed a short stay in Frankfurt; the river is gorgeous, and there are some nice historical hotels.
Anon
I spent some time in Brussels during a summer and I loved it! It has lovely neighborhoods, parks, and cafes. I don’t recall there being huge crowds of people, maybe due to its reputation of being sort of boring. It’s also a short train ride to many smaller towns like Bruges!
Senior Attorney
I keep saying this, but Iceland is lovely in the summer if you don’t mind cold weather (low 50s to high 60s — like So Cal winter). The Canopy by Hilton hotel is right in the middle of town and lovely (not at all Hilton-y, if you’re worried about that). There are lots of great day and overnight trips from the city.
Flats Only
Here’s an idea. If you have Amazon Prime, watch Richard Ayoade’s “Travel Man” videos – he takes a bunch of short mini-breaks to European cities – episodes are under 1/2 hour each and it makes a good dreary-day binge watch. Also subscribe to Scott’s Cheap Flights. Once you’ve watched the show you can be ready to jump when cheap flights to a city that interests you pop up.
Anon
Madrid
Madrilian
I was going to say that. If you do not mind hot weather (around 35ºC). A bit less hotter in August than in July and totally empty of madrilians that run away.
Anon
Europeans tend to soak up sun to prep for winter. Plus many of us don’t have direct access to seaside, so we tend to flock to beaches in summer. Or to all-time-favorite spots like Paris, Rome, Barcelona, Prague, Budapest (cities with history, architecture, ideal for roaming around, plus cheap flights).
I have lived in a few European countries to know the horror it used to be in summer before vs lesser evil after COVID. You should not be greeted by heavy masses, even in 2022.
Still, I would second the recommendation of other to avoid the above and go to:
Nordics – Denmark or Sweden
Scotland – but not a direct flight and you would need to drive, although, Edinburgh is lovely and could work for you
Spain – north coast is not getting much love in summer
France – why not try Bordeaux and a few coastal small cities as day trips. France has a decent train system, which would allow you to travel efficiently.
Germany – all is fair game
Switzerland – Zurich and they have decent train system to get to other cities. I always thought of Switzerland as place for retired people, but Zurich is amazingly diverse, with great restaurants and architecture. Would be top of my list.
Poland – usually gets bad rep because of WW2, but it has amazing foodie scene, direct trains from Warsaw to beautiful cities of Gdansk (my personal favorite), Krakow, Wroclaw. Warsaw itself in spring/summer is a treat.
Hungary – Budapest is not crowded for the last 2y (and I have been living here for the last 2y, so trust me on this), it is doable.
Austria – Vienna will be packed, but the other cities are fine and worth visiting.
Lithuania – Vilnius is never crowded, fully walkable, but might be too small for a week.
Ukraine – depending on their security status, but Kiev and Lvov are worth visiting. I would avoid in 2022 though, because Russia.
Anonymous
You need an city with an industry or lots of public office or finance jobs, where tourism is not the main revenue overall, or a winter city. Maybe look for the places in Europe that has held Winter Olympics?
KJ
Gothenburg, Sweden. Great food. Lots to see and easy to navigate on foot!
Anonymous
If you wanted to get a message across to your college [where you graduated from nearly two decades ago] but you aren’t some big influential donor, how would you do that? Is Twitter the only way? I am not interested in making a public statement, but more letting someone know some things I’m seeing that aren’t flattering to the school. Who is that someone though? A dean? I’m not that type of person usually who feels they must have an opinion on everything but just what I’ve seen here is disturbing enough that I feel like I should say something?
Anon
Tell me!
Anon
Spill some tea! Vaguely if you want but now I’m very curious.
Anon
Unless you have a giant twitter following, that’s probably one of the least effective ways.
anon
I’d first ask myself what I wanted out of it because it’s highly unlikely anything you say or do as one person is going to change anything. If it’s just to make yourself feel like you did what you needed to do, then fine, but don’t be disappointed when you get no response or there is no action taken.
That said, most colleges/universities have a public or university relations office. That’s where I’d recommend you start. Pull a high ranking person off the directory list and email away.
FormerlyPhilly
VP of advancement, Dean of school/college, provost (if academic issue like quality of graduates), president or board of trustees. Depends on the issue.
Via email not twitter.
Anonymous
Try the alumni giving office. They are probably the only people who will take your call.
I do want to chastise my law school’s alumni giving office and ask for my recent $50 donation back after receiving a really distasteful solicitation letter they sent with a quote from a doctor who got a full ride on an endowed scholarship to the law school saying how much he appreciated the alumni donations that made it POSSIBLE for him to transition from pediatric oncologist to justice fighter. I don’t blame them for giving him a scholarship, but the solicitation was both misleading and gross.
Anon
Why was it misleading?
Anom
Probably because as a pediatric oncologist he had the funds to pay for it himself. Versus a kid in their twenties who was first in their family to graduate college, etc. If that wasn’t the case that he had funds, then the description is misleading.
Anon
I was in a similar situation and emailed the alumni giving office. It was a pretty public issue (University of Florida stuff). I just wanted to be a part of the chorus of voices they were hearing from.
anon
My alma mater has a VP of alumni (or something like that) that is able to voice alumni concerns in the aggregate to leadership. Not sure if individual concerns are influential, but when a lot of alumni write in with the same concern, that gets heard.
Anon
Take it to the top and contact the president. Having worked there and seen it firsthand, our univ president had the ability and staff to make immediate changes. Lower level staff – even VPs- never bring up anything controversial. You’d get a formulaic letter back at best.
Anon
I missed the goals thread this morning. I used to make big lofty goals (weight loss, working out, spending/saving, career change!) and I’d always fail them and feel terrible about myself.
In 2021 I made a resolution to floss my teeth every night. It’s specific and achievable and a good habit and I did it. I flossed 365/365 days. I also washed my face (not with a makeup wipe) and brushed my teeth every single night because I was already in there flossing my teeth. Once I was on a streak with this I didn’t want to break it so I kept going.
I was already an ok flosser but the every single day no exceptions thing made a big difference.
So I made it my goal again in 2022.
Achievable goals are the best kind to have. Please join me in flossing!
Senior Attorney
I feel like flossing is maybe a bridge too far, but I have been a little lax about evening toothbrushing so I have made that my goal for 2022 (no exceptions for any reason) and so far I am 19 nights out of 19 for the year, so yay!
Anon
Keep the streak! You’ve got this!
Anon
Question for all you non-flossers: do you just not get food stuck in your teeth? I floss at last 2x per day, because there’s always stuff stuck in my teeth if I don’t. Part of this is having a permanent retainer on the bottom, but I get stuff stuck other places too. I have floss in multiple rooms of my house, my desk at work, and every purse, it’s so annoying to feel like stuff is stuck in my teeth after eating.
Anon
I’m OP. I use toothpicks during the day if I have food stuck in my teeth that I can see or feel. Flossing for me is more about plaque/ gum health.
anon
No, not really. And if I do, I grab a toothpick, but that’s maybe once every two weeks on the high side. Even with my very lax flossing, my dentist says my teeth are in great shape. Yay genetics!
Curious
+1. Just got lucky. I do floss more now.
Senior Attorney
I use the little green-and-white barbed toothpicks that I get from my dentist as needed. And I’m the opposite of anon at 5:11 p.m.: I’m genetically a gigantic tartar depositer and flossing doesn’t really make a dent, so I don’t bother.
anonshmanon
My jaw is on the small side and doesn’t have enough room for all the teeth, so much so that I had one tooth removed because it was being pushed into growing at a weird angle. Still, most of my teeth are really close together, and there is only one place (between two crowns) where food gets stuck. Everywhere else, food doesn’t really get in, except the occasional popcorn shell-bit. It’s hard sometimes to get the floss in and out.
Patricia Gardiner
Interesting how different we all are. No, almost never! Only like if I eat popcorn – and then I can almost always get it out with my teeth!
Anon
The median 401k balance for people between 45 and 54 is $46,000, and the mean balance is $135,000. You are hitting above both of those marks. Only about 230,000 people in America have over a million in their 401ks, according to Fidelity.
Senior Attorney
OMG that’s shocking. It seems to me that the move away from defined-benefit pensions and to putting the responsibility on workers to maintain 401(K)s has been a gigantic failure.
Anon
The average employer match is 4.3%, which is the problem. You could argue that pensions are unsustainable and don’t make sense in fluid workforce where people change jobs, but it would seem like a 10% match (especially for middle class workers) would be the start. Alternately, move away from a percentage match, a system that means low-paid workers get very little, to a dollar amount match.
Senior Attorney
Yup. Swear to God, the social Darwinism in this country today rivals Victorian England.