AlUla Old City

Continuously inhabited from the 12th Century to the 1980s, when the Saudi government moved people out to new upgraded housing, recently the Old Town of AlUla has been renovated and turned into more of a tourist center for the new tourism boom happening. As in so many things in Saudi Arabia, it felt hip, new and fun with scenic old bones.

One night our group did an incense tour which dressed us up to act out the experiences of traders who for thousands of years carried frankincense, spices and gold across the Arabian Peninsula. (Think about those three kings who visited Jesus. Like I keep saying traveling in Saudi awakened many old stories that float around in my head.) We walked through the dark narrow passageways hearing stories and learning about the importance of incense and fragrances.

Next Stop: AlUla, a 7,000-year-old historic oasis renowned as the kingdom’s first UNESCO World Heritage site

“Set in the AlUla Valley amid the soaring sandstone and granite mountains of north-western Saudi Arabia's Hijaz region, this ancient desert oasis has supported human life for the past 200,000 years. The area's fertile soil and access to water amid the arid, mountainous desert helped multiple civilisations blossom. The Dadan and Lihyan kingdoms that flourished here between 800 and 100 BCE were followed by Hegra, an important city in the Nabataean civilisation whose capital, Petra, was located farther north, in modern-day Jordan.

Yet, it wasn't until 2019 when Saudi Arabia began issuing tourist visas for non-religious travel that foreign visitors were able to witness this long closed-off and unexplored valley. Today, echoes of AlUla's long and mysterious past are everywhere, and as archaeologists slowly begin to uncover the many burial mounds, tombs and rock inscriptions scattered throughout AlUla's numerous sites, this ancient oasis is finally starting to reveal its secrets.” (BBC)

Making a friend on the train

              

This adorable 14 year old Indonesian girl, I’m sitting next to on the train, just told me I looked so young. She said I looked about 20/21. Ahh thank you! I’ve always loved Indonesians since visiting there. Check out that sweet open smile!

King Fahd Fountain - Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Since 1985, the King Fahd Fountain has shot water 260 meters (853 ft) in to the air at 6pm every day, earning it the Guinness World Record for being the world’s highest water fountain. People gather for picnics and await the occasion. I was invited to have Saudi coffee, dates and cookies with one nice family and able to watch many others enjoy it. Jeddah is the entry point for people coming on religious pilgrimage to Mecca, so there are lots of people from all over the world there.

Exploring Jeddah

Jeddah lies on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia, and is the country's second-largest city. There is a lot of aspirational building and pedestrian public space along 30 km of the coast that includes parks, beaches, bike lanes and walking paths. There also is a beautiful old part of the city called Al Balad that is being beautifully restored. (Until recently it seems like Saudi Arabia was only looking forward and building new things vs maintaining history. Thanks to tourism where people want to see historical things, restoration is in progress.)

Like so much of the country, development is spread out and built along a 50 mile stretch of coast line. To see the sites it meant long drives to everything. To state the obvious, gas has always been cheap in Saudi, so people are car dependent and then things are built far apart. Luckily Ubers are super cheap, so once I found my bearings, I figured out what to see where to not be stuck in a car all the time.

What made it feel very different was that it is travel hub serving Muslim travelers going to the holy city of Mecca for Islamic pilgrimage. Millions of pilgrims from all over the world arrive here first. Most of those pictures are posted elsewhere in my Saudi album, but Jeddah’s description would not be complete without the reminder of that. Having been open to the outside has meant Jeddah has always been considered more open in general. Plus add coastal vibes, that always seem to open up a place.

I find the best places to chat up women in the Islamic world is the ladies room. So today in Medina, I started speaking to a Bangladeshi, who lives in London, here in Saudi on pilgrimage, and I say “I live in a Bangladeshi neighborhood in New York and she immediately says “Jackson Heights?” Yup! I live in a neighborhood that is known and home to people from all over the world!

Seeing rock art in Jubbah

 

Change of pace… it’s time to share another aspect of my trip… history. We visited Saudi historical rock art in Hail Province, which has been a global historical site since the nineteenth century. Arab ancestors left traces of their human experiences through drawings representing human and animal figures. It was registered on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2015. Jubbah is one of the most famous rock art sites in the Saudi Arabia. It is an oasis with remnants of an ancient lake that was once rich in vegetation, wildlife, and human habitation. Now, it is surrounded by a sea of shifting sands in al-Nefud Desert. Unlike paintings and engravings from the New Stone Age found in other parts of the world, the rock art in Jubbah is characterized by deep carvings. These display very prominent images that still retain their original features significantly. The engravings depict images of men and women, providing insight into the clothing people wore in the past and how they styled their hair. These artistic relics also display animals, hunting scenes, and weapons such as bows, arrows, sticks, and spears.

Jubbah is distinguished by passing through three different eras: the modern era, the Thamudic era, and the late prehistoric period. Thus, its rock art does not belong to one era or one civilization. (Saudipedia) It dates back to up to 10,000 years old.

New Year's Eve in Saudi

 

New Year, New Adventure. Starting off 2026 in Saudi Arabia has been amazing so far. Interestingly the Saudi’s recognize a different calendar, so there were no special activities or traditions on NYE. Instead, after a fancy dinner at a mountain top restaurant, we prepared for visiting Medina and shopped for our abayas (traditional female robes) at a busy local market. Towards midnight my group clicked glasses of non alcoholic beers and mocktails at the hotel cafe and made our own fun. One fun new thing was we read horoscopes and Chinese New Year zodiac predictions, which I think might have to be added to my annual NYE traditions.

Picnicking in Ha'il, Saudi Arabia

 

In Saudi, the long tradition of nomadic Bedouin culture still can be seen. One charming thing is that people love to picnic. They put out blankets and pitch tents right along the sides of the road and head out to camp in the desert. To get a feel for it, my group opted to spend an evening picnicking in a national park outside Ha’il. This is no stop-at-a-grocery-store-and-grab-a-loaf-of-bread-and-some-cheese kind of picnic. No, this is a full on multi plate dinner made on open fires, while we sat around an open fire in a huge tent lined with beautiful carpets and comfy pillows.

While the food was being prepped 2 of us opted to go walk around and check out the park and whole picnic scene. Right by us was another tent and when I looked over it was filled with a big group of Saudi youngish men.

Sidebar: throughout the whole trip, men in their throbes and keffiyeh (headscarves) continued to make me stop and take note. It’s all so beautiful and traditional and it really made my heart skip a beat over and over again. Keep in mind almost ALL the men were dressed this way. So imagine glancing over and seeing a group of men in a classic tent with Arabian carpets and think how my brain felt. Opportunity!!! Well, of course I immediately took out my phone and motioned asking if I could take a picture. The response was big waves and inviting us over to the tent. We were invited to join them for Saudi coffee and sweets and sat down to talk with them.

Caveat: all I ever want to do is speak to locals when I travel. In Saudi, the sexes are still pretty careful around each other, even if the laws have opened up to allowed more interaction with strangers. This meant I had hardly been able to talk to men on my women’s focused trip up to this point and with so many changes happening in society I was eager to hear people’s thoughts. This was my chance! I dove in! I used my brazen friendly open American way to ask tons of questions. I learned they were all cousins and they meet every couple of months to camp together and come from their homes in Qatar and around Saudi Arabia. At least 5 of them had gone to college in the US and had interesting thoughts of memories. They were excited about Vision 2030 and the aspiring goals for Saudi. By the time my guide wandered over and found us sitting there, the look on her face showed me that I wasn’t having a common occurrence. She left us to keep talking and after a bit we politely said our goodbyes. Sweetly one of them stopped by our tent later and offered us a dessert to try, hopefully giving a sign that they enjoyed the chance to speak to us as much as we did.

#ThisIsWhyITravel

Getting to know Saudi Soccer Ahead of the 2034 FIFA World Cup in Saudi

In the spirit of FIFA World Cup, I have my eye out for Saudi football spirit and fervor. Not only did Saudi Arabia qualify again for this year’s Cup, but they are also hosting in 2034. So I began manifesting a football sighting and BAM! they appeared! Hello members of the Al-Zulfi SFC (First Division - Second Tier). Thanks for giving me a reason to cheer on Saudi in June!

Next stop: Ushaiger

“Ushaiqer is located about 200 kilometers northwest of Riyadh, and it is one of the oldest settlements in the region. In the old times, it used to be a necessary stop for pilgrims coming from Kuwait, Iraq, and Iran and heading further west toward the holy sites of Islam.” (And to my delight, herds of camels can still be found along the route.)

“With modern transport, Ushaiqer lost its importance. What was once a thriving center of learning and trade is now a quaint cluster of mud houses and deserted narrow alleys. The idea of a “heritage village” brings to mind a place where one can observe a traditional lifestyle. Ushaiqer fits the bill in the sense that one can observe traditional architecture and visit a museum displaying ancient weapons, everyday utensils, embroidered clothing, and artisanal jewelry. The old section of Ushaiqer, however, is abandoned.” (Atlas Obscura)

With the new tourism arriving in Saudi Arabia, the village is being restored and property owners are turning their old houses into short term rentals for overnights. I bet that in 5 years it will be a lot more commercial.

If you haven’t ever thought about it, tourist routes need stops every two hours to use a bathroom and break up long drives. It’s always interesting to see which places get discovered. This was a sweet little place to stretch our minds and legs.

Visiting Boulevard City and World in Riyadh

 

My first night in Riyadh, I fought off jet lag to go to what sounded like the most exciting new thing happening, a visit to Boulevard City and Boulevard World. Part of Saudi’s Vision 2030 is an effort to broaden entertainment opportunities for its majority under 30 population. Prior to 2016, the more conservative rules left little room for public gathering fun activities. In those days the sexes were strictly segregated and the one common area, malls, were monitored by the religious police. Sporting events were for men only and most gatherings happened in private. Music was discouraged and movie theaters were banned.

Starting in 2016 things began to change and in very quick order activities began popping up all over the country. Boulevard World and Boulevard City are colossus amusement parks that have every entertainment activity you can think of from anywhere in the world. They combine dancing fountains, light shows, international food, amusement park rides, shopping, … really, everything!!!

Boulevard City aims to mimic Times Square with its billboards and use of them for ads and fun light displays. Look closely and you will see the TKTS steps, buskers and costumed characters. Since Saudi likes to build everything bigger BC has TWO Times Squares on either end!! You all know how much I love brand activations, so of course I ran right up to get free drinks and take selfies.

Boulevard World is nearby separated by a large parking lot. To get there I hopped on a gondola and floated over the cars to descend into Saudi’s version of Epcot, but bigger and better.

Boulevard World (BLVD World) opened in 2022 with the goal of “bringing the world together in one integrated destination and offering visitors a unique experience that blends cultures, adventures, and global flavors in a single place.” Today the zone features more than 1,600 stores, 350 restaurants and cafés, and 40 games and entertainment experiences dispersed in 24 country zones and it keeps growing every year.

In travel one can chose to approach slowly with a critical eye or instead just rush towards new places and experiences with reckless abandon. This was my first few hours in Saudi and I knew there was some craziness to idea of this place, but I opted to act like a little kid on Christmas morning and just embrace the miracle before my eyes. I raced from each fun activity to the next and through the country zones trying to embrace them like I actually was in Egypt or India or China… (Sadly I somehow missed the United States!?) The bright lights were so fun. And the people watching was incredible. This was my first real chance to experience Saudi life and gosh darn it, I had fun!

Look through the pictures to get a fuller idea of these places, but as you look try to remember just how new this is and not just another amusement park in the US that we all have been going to all our lives.

A few more thoughts about Riyadh

Most of my photos of Riyadh have been posted in different segments including architecture, the metro, NoHo Deli Boulevard City and World… but Riyadh is a growing capital city. In the last 10 years it’s grown from about 2 to 10 million. There is building happening everywhere. Between housing and creating new opportunities for locals and tourists as part of Vision 2030 there is lots to see. Highlights in this album were visiting the older market area and learning a little more about traditional dress items and going to Diriyah, an area on the outskirts of the city that was where the original House of Saud lived. With the ongoing effort to build out tourism and historical places, they are putting $62 billion Into development. They are also trying to build out the arts scene and have a $20 billion development happening in an old warehouse area to provide space to create and show art in Jax City.

The second city we went to was Ha’il. It’s the area near the ancient stone art drawings and where I met the girls at the World’s Biggest Coffee Shop and they are building the World’s Largest Slide, hoping for another Guinness record. We spent New Year’s Eve there. Shopped for our abaya’s the traditional robes for our visit to Medina. Outside of Ha’il is a big date market where we went to learn about the most important food item in the Saudi diet. 

Saudi Architecture

One thing I was interested in seeing in the Arabian Peninsula was big new architecture. Starchitects (star architects) are in demand and designing a lot of interesting buildings. I think many of you might see familiar styles here, because these same architects are building in your city too Before you tell me that it’s insane to build tall glass towers in the desert, I know. I’m just looking and sharing. No one ever seems to ask me my opinion. This is some of what I saw in Saudi Arabia. Later I’ll share what I saw in Abu Dhabi, which really blew me away.

Riding the Saudi Metro

 

I’m back in NYC and still dreaming of beautiful, clean, efficient, aspiring, architecturally significant Riyadh Metro. The metro system just opened in 2024. It cost $22 billion to build and covers over 176 kilometers, or about 110 miles, across six different lines. It is the world’s longest driverless metro system. There are a few knock it out of the park architecturally stunning stations that left me swooning. Overall traveling in Saudi, where there are so many huge investments being made, really reminded me of the possibility when an aspirational vision pushes forward beyond people’s wildest dreams. This is complicated because clearly there are many underlying issues behind Saudi money and labor practices, and building in a desert climate, that make every project questionable, but I can’t talk about the trip without admitting that all the new stuff adds to all my feels about the trip overall.

NY's NoHo is trending in Riyadh

 

Greetings from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where there is a NY deli chain named Noho Deli! Everything In Riyadh Is new so this Is such a sign that NoHo NYC cool is trending!

The guy at the register was so happy to meet me and told all the employees where I was from. He also told me that their pastrami sandwich didn’t have as much meat as “the famous deli.” I told him the amount at Katz’s was ridiculous! Anyhow, there’s nothing like a taste of home.

2025 End of Year Letter

Happy Holidays! 

 

Another year flew by, but the good thing about being guided by mantras like “live every day to the fullest” and “you only live once,” combined with my “fear of missing out,” is they drive me to action. 

 

I'm still working at the NoHo Business Improvement District and enjoying the daily surprises I encounter on the streets there (pop ups, experiential retail experiences, fashion, and many forms of artistic expression), as well as, the satisfied feeling of daily civic action that helps NYC flourish. I'm the Secretary of the NYC BID Association and helm the Mentoring Committee, so I get to help others connect so we all can all do even better to serve our neighborhoods. 

I also am still living in Jackson Heights, Queens, possibly the most diverse area in the world. The cultural vibrance there is perfect for a world traveler like me. I don’t need a plane ride. Instead, I can just walk a block or two to see whichever religious or cultural festival is happening. There are always new foods to try, traditional dress to appreciate, holidays to celebrate, parades to cheer on different ethnic groups, and over 165 languages to overhear in my zip code alone!  

 

As for travel, I rang in the New Year in Biggar, Scotland with the sound of bagpipes, a GIANT bonfire and the tastes of fresh haggis from the local butcher shop.  In March, I headed off to explore the Silk Road with a stop in Istanbul along the way. Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan were beautiful and so different. I enjoyed thinking about the vast amount of history and cultural transfer that has happened there. I came back just in time to fly to Las Vegas for a family reunion of my stepfather’s family, which was a chance to learn much more about the many legs of their Jewish diaspora around the world. I spent another summer week in Cape May with my sister’s family.  And went to the International Downtown Association Annual Conference in Washington, DC. Not a new place for me, but it was fun to look at things through a new urban planning lens and reminisce about my years of living down there.

Another highlight was my second year as a balloon handler in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. This year I was with Gabby’s Dollhouse, which I hadn’t heard of, but little kids on the route certainly had and lit up as we passed on the clear, beautiful fall day.

 

As a political person, this year has been very hard to watch. I have tried to protest what I can and have doubled down on local New York civic engagement where I can. I’m hoping our new NY Mayor can get things done and provide a different example for the way things can be done.

 

Wishing everyone a happy holiday and a new year filled with bright new opportunities!

Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

Year two of balloon handling for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade was a great success. This year my balloon was Gabby and Pandy Paws from Gabby’s Dollhouse. She brought great joy to little kids as we passed. There was perfect weather, huge crowds on the sidelines and lots of great energy!

IDA in Washington, DC

I really tried to limit my pictures this trip, but I always do so many things and I want to preserve the memories. So here goes… A trip to an International Downtown Association conference in DC, turned into 9 wonderful days hanging with work friends, and old DC friends and family, checking out new to me neighborhoods and the way old to me areas have changed.

I felt really blue and wary arriving in DC. It felt dystopian but I was warmed by little signs of resistance all over and the work me and my conference mates do focuses locally in a productive healing way so hearifn about their work seems like the ultimate antidote to these glum times. I did see my first group of ICE/Police/HSI, but thankfully didn’t have to watch them detain anyone.

I leave with renewed love for DC even if I feel a little down on our Democracy.

Visiting Lucy the Elephant

This year on my way to Cape May, NJ for the week, I stopped by to finally see Lucy the Elephant, located in Margate, also along the Jersey Shore, and she was even better than I expected!

Built in 1882, Lucy was created with the purpose of promoting real estate sales and attracting tourists to the area. (Clearly that is still happening.) Lucy is the oldest surviving roadside tourist attraction in America.