Skip to Content

the four seasons

Lux Tip: Commute with Classical Music

Filed under: Lux Tips

Oh, the drudgery of the morning commute. You shuffle into the subway or bus station, or are methodically siphoned onto the gridlocked highway by a stoplight you've stared at for more hours of your life than any work of art. You find yourself surrounded by the half asleep, the angry, and the irritable uncaffeinated. You all glare at each other. Your mind fades in and out of your anxieties about the day, your dreams from the night before, and the state of the stock market.

One way to make the commute seem a little nicer? Try classical music. I recommend Vivaldi. Suddenly, listening to "The Four Seasons," your entrance onto the subway platform is grand and significant. The people all look more dignified, everyone moves in a subtle dance, and even the cars on street seem to be engaged in some kind of delightful comedy of manners.

You are in a movie, and this is your soundtrack. You feel more like you are exactly where you should be, and your mood brightens accordingly. Music also wakes up your synapses and makes you more alert. Even if you just zone out and let yourself get lost in the emotion of the music, when you get to wherever you're going, you'll feel refreshed.

It's just another easy way to make life more lux for cheap or free.

Win-Win Vacations: Luxe Travel Meets Big Donations

Filed under: Journeys, Auctions, Charity

We've seen the rise of "voluntourism" and eco-tourism of the luxe variety (think private bugalow in Figi, not hippie yurt). But giving back and luxury travel have rarely been an oft-cited pair. Until, that is, CharityFolks.com came on the scene, crafting unique travel plans including exclusive meet-and-greets like an evening with the cast of The Sopranos, then sending along the proceeds to charity. Each trip functions as an auction, so you'll need to get your virtual paddle up if you want to claim jaunts like a weekend at the Newport Jazz Festival, or luxe accommodations at Vail. The site hosts more traditional charity auctions as well, which have been written about here in the past, but if you planned to stay at the Four Seasons whilst touring Provence anyway, why not do it through an organization that will then donate on your behalf to UCLA's Jonsson Cancer Center?


Join Luxist on Facebook!

Featured Galleries

Langham Yangtze Shanghai
Robb Report Limited Edition Series
Singita Sweni Safari in Kruger National Park
Temple Guiting Manor
Peter Gogolak in Darien, Connecticut
Life at the Sherry-Netherland
Art Work Partners, Fine Art In Stone
Just Don't Call It 'Wolf's Lair'
Spring Island