There’s no denying that cost of living has gone up pretty much everywhere around the world, but it’s especially escalated in New York City. And while New York has always been considered ‘expensive’, food prices are going up astronomically.

First New Yorkers witnessed the death of the ‘pizza principle’ – a basic economic rule that’s been in operation for the last sixty years or so that practically means a slice of pizza and a subway ride always cost about the same – and now pizza is much more expensive than a subway fare.

Next on the hit list is sushi, the Japanese delicacy, as it’s the most expensive it’s ever been in the city that never sleeps. According to Bloomberg, New York’s Masa – an opulent Japanese restaurant – now has the most expensive tasting menu in New York and features one of the top five most expensive Micheline-starred meals in the world.

If you’re wondering how much Masa’s ‘omakase meal’ costs, it’s a whopping US$950 per person. And that price doesn’t include sales tax or any drinks you may want to accompany your meal.

And Masa isn’t alone in its steep sushi prices. There are multiple Japanese restaurants in New York – like Yoshino, Ginza Onodera, Shion 69 Leanord Street, Noz 17 and Noda – where you will have to pay at least US$400 per person for a high-quality sushi dish.

In comparison, the most expensive sushi platter in Sydney is about AU$340 per person and that’s an outlier; most other high-end Japanese restaurants in Sydney don’t charge anything near AU$340 for a sushi dish.

However, don’t lose all hope if you’re a New Yorker who loves sushi or if you’re planning to visit New York and want to eat good-quality Japanese there for a reasonable price. There are still some places where you’ll only part with about US$98 per person for a superb omakase menu; such as Sushi Kai located in New York’s East Village.

But if you really want to save money, maybe skip the sushi altogether and get yourself some pizza. Yes, as aforementioned, pizza has also gone up in price in New York, but a slice will only cost you, on average, US$3.14. Which when compared to Masa’s sushi menu is a total saving of US$946.86…

• Essential Sushi Etiquette Rules Every Man Should Know
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The post Sushi In New York City Is The Most Expensive It’s Ever Been appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

In any man’s wardrobe, a rugby shirt is an absolute staple. Whether they’re built to be tugged at for 80 minutes during a gruelling match or made for casual wear, men’s rugby shirts are an essential piece of sports attire, embraced both on and off the field.

Initially, rugby players wore white button-front shirts, white trousers, and a bow tie for their games. It’s as if they were getting dressed up for a candlelight dinner, not to play a rigorous sport while rolling around in the dirt. It took a few years for the O.G rugby players to hang up their tweed shirts and ditch the bowties, but once they did, thankfully, they began rocking team shirts and jerseys.

Shortly after it debuted, rugby shirts became a sought-after piece of sports apparel, recognised for their durability without compromising comfort. Now, these shirts are almost worn more off the field than on as it’s highly versatile piece of clothing and offers different looks.

The post 15 Best Rugby Shirts For Men appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Australian property owners and investors have been having a great time over the last few years.  According to data from CoreLogic, the average Australian homeowner became $131,000 richer last year, as the median price of real estate across the country grew over 22%.

Sydneysiders have been having an even better time than the average Aussie, with some suburbs witnessing upwards of 30% growth just throughout the course of last year. Right now, the median house price for most of Sydney is a little over $1.3 million, so suburbs with solid infrastructure and houses for sale below $1 million are becoming increasingly popular.

While growth has definitely eased up a bit in the first few months of this year, the good news for tentative investors watching from the sidelines is – according to Gavin Rubinstein, founder of Ray White TRG and leading sales agent of luxury property in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs – there’s still plenty of room for growth in Sydney’s housing market.

Here are our top picks for the best Sydney suburbs to invest in right now, as guided by the experts.

1. Bellevue Hill – The “Jewel in the Crown”

Rubinstein told DMARGE that Bellevue Hill is the most desirable suburb in Sydney.

“Each year there are less and less opportunities to purchase a home in this pocket of Sydney.  I’ve seen times when the values have jumped over 30% within 12-months.” 

Rubinstein adds that Bellevue Hill will always represent blue-chip real estate, calling it the “jewel in the crown” of Sydney, because of its central proximity to private schools, beaches, shopping precincts, transport and the CBD. 

2. Avalon Beach

Real estate entrepreneur John McGrath detailed his top picks in the McGrath Report for 2022. According to the report, McGrath reckons Avalon Beach is a great opportunity.

He said that the prices in Avalon Beach “are up and they won’t stop soon” as the onset of remote work continues to let people ditch the commute and live where they want. The charming retail village, surf, sun and coffee put the suburb amongst Australia’s best choices for a coastal lifestyle. 

3. Camden

Located just west of Campbelltown, McGrath says that Camden is another suburb that could be a good investment in Sydney. He says it’s well placed to appeal to empty nesters and young families who want to enjoy a more rural lifestyle while also enjoying exposure to one of “Sydney’s fastest growth corridors.” 

4. Homebush

McGrath predicts that once WestConnex is completed, Homebush will become just a few minutes drive to the CBD. He believes that this reduced commute time combined with the wealth of facilities at Sydney Olympic Park will all substantially drive up property values throughout the rest of this year.

5. Rydalmere

North Sydney-based mortgage brokers, Shore Financial, released a State of Sydney Report that crunched the numbers across 600 Sydney suburbs to figure out where the best growth opportunities could be found in 2022.

According to the report, Rydalmere, which is located 21 kilometres form the CBD, situated right next to Parramatta in Sydney’s west — is predicted to grow a staggering 17.4% throughout the rest of this year.

6. Coogee

According to Brett Warren, the Director of Metropole Properties, Coogee, a coastal paradise located to the south-east of Sydney’s CBD is a no-brainer for anyone looking to invest in the property market. Warren believes that the recently completed public transport infrastructure projects combined with the suburb’s growing median income (approx. $2300 a week) will make Coogee more accessible and desirable in 2022.

7. Kingsford

Continuing on, Warren says that Kingsford, a suburb located just 7km from the CBD is primed for solid growth in 2022. He says that its proximity to the University of New South Wales and its wealth of cultural amenities along Anzac Parade and Gardners Road will set the suburb up for a boom this year.

8. Kensington

Warren also thinks that Kensington, another suburb in Sydney’s south-east is set for high growth over the coming months. He believes that the suburbs impressive list of landmarks including the main campus of the University of New South Wales, National Institute of Dramatic Arts (NIDA) and the exclusive Australia Golf Club. The recently completed south-east light rail project will also benefit growth in Kensington.

How much will Sydney house prices grow in 2022?

An article on the best Sydney suburbs to invest in wouldn’t be complete without an overall market prediction thrown in.

NAB is predicting that there will be a significant slowdown in 2022 as the boon of lower interest rates fade. Despite this, the bank still believes Sydney will continue to post, “strong outcomes” in 2022. 

Commonwealth Bank (CBA) has officially forecasted the Sydney housing market to grow roughly 6-7% throughout the rest of this year. While this is definitely less than the 27% growth witnessed in some suburbs this year, CBA is confident that Sydney will continue to make “solid growth” throughout the remainder of 2022.

DISCLAIMER: Not all properties in the aforementioned suburbs will make great investment properties as certain locations and neighbourhoods are subject to random conditions that can cause significant differences in long-term performance.

• Best Australian Real Estate ETFs… For When You Can’t Afford A House
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The post Best Sydney Suburbs To Invest In 2022 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Former bachelor star Abbie Chatfield is known for her “electric personality, unfiltered opinions and unfaltering confidence.” And boy did she bring all three to the fore during a recent trip to Italy.

The influencer/podcast host first sparked a moral panic by drinking at the main airport bar (rather than the business class lounge, to which she was entitled), a decision she said she made because the “vibes” were better, but which some Twitter users called privileged.

Lmao the end of Abbie Chatfield’s Insta stories where she’s like ‘rich people experiences are boring’ like,,, I WISH I could fly to Italy to even experience what she got lol idk feels weird

— Gabs (@Gxbriellemxry) April 2, 2022

Then, in Venice, while staying in a hotel where her room apparently cost $15,000 a night, Chatfield wondered whether she could have got better food in Sydney.

Boohoo Abbie chatfield you’ve been stuck in a business class lounge and now a $15k/night hotel in Venice Italy while the rest of us are getting ready for our 9-5 jobs tomorrow. PLS shut the fuck up about how the rich experience is boring

— Della (@Dellalovesssss) April 3, 2022

“Lesson learnt from this trip: Rich people and ‘rich’ experiences are boring,” she wrote on one Instagram story.

“Just FYI. Get me to a gelato shop stat.”

She came to this conclusion after jokingly asking her followers if they thought the food she was eating at a luxurious restaurant in Venice was as good as Tottis, an (admittedly, very nice) Italian restaurant in Bondi.

It also came after she noticed her menu didn’t have prices on it, while her partner’s menu did.

“So we’re at the boujee restaurant and my menu didn’t have prices on it,” Chatfield said.

“I was like f**k – I’m the breadwinner. The patriarchy strikes again.”

She then asked her partner, Konrad Bien-Stephen: “This or Tottis?”

“Did it have burrata?” says Bien-Stephens.

“No, so Tottis,” replied Chatfield.

Her complaints prompted backlash from some on Twitter. One wrote: “Just own it! This is not a ‘haha I’m so relatable’ thing.”

People are being brutally murdered and tortured in Ukraine and all Abbie Chatfield can talk about is how much her $15,000 a night Venice hotel’s food isn’t great…her privilege is showing.

— Tyler (@rapidashVGC) April 4, 2022

Some suggested she was acting spoilt…

love Abbie Chatfield but her whole Europe trip has been her getting super expensive experiences then complaining that they’re boring and she’d rather the poor equivalent and I feel like it’s worse than just enjoying the luxury experience?

— lav baj (@lavosaurus) April 2, 2022

… while others said those upset about it ought to get a life.

so many sunday twitter think pieces on abbie chatfield like babes pls stop analysing someone else’s insta stories and just be hungover like the rest of us

— G (@georgiamil) April 3, 2022

Chatfield isn’t the only one who’s had this experience (with the menus). Argentinian-born blogger Agustina Gandolfo went viral after talking about it happening to her at a fancy Milan restaurant with her boyfriend, footballer Lautaro Martinez.

Gandolfo’s complaint sparked debate online and even in Italian newspapers about the ‘blind menu’ concept, which many people believe to be outdated.

“If there is a couple at table we have the habit of giving the blind menu to the woman. It is not discrimination but a form of gallantry,’ Rossella Cerea, a manager at a three Michelin-starred restaurant, told La Repubblica.

On the other hand, another restauranteur told The Times the concept was outdated, saying: “We are in 2021 and it is not possible to believe that a woman will not pay at a restaurant. And even if she doesn’t pay, why shouldn’t she know the prices of the meals?”

In other news, Chatfield eventually found some burrata in the end, while out and about in Venice.

Her experience in the hotel restaurant, though, raises an interesting travel question: how staunchly should you hold your own values when you flit across the globe?

RELATED: Instagram Models Are Driving Luxury Hotels Crazy – Here’s Why

The question is made even trickier by the fact that, within cultures, different people have different values. There are generational (and all sorts of other) divides and disagreements about how much tradition is “good” or worth holding onto (as this “sexist statue” in southern Italy showed last year).

Also, as one social media user pointed out, it’s not just in Italy this can happen. Apparently, it’s a thing in some Sydney places too (“this happened to me at Prime in Sydney less than three years ago,” the TikTok user wrote. “It happens at a lot of boujee places and I ALWAYS mention it and make it uncomfortable.”).

Food for thought.

• Iconic Italian Beach Scene Sparks Age-Old Debate 
• This ‘Attempt To Blackmail’ A Luxury Italian Hotel Shows How Entitled Travellers Have Become
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The post Are Italian Restaurants Sexist? Australian Influencer Sparks Debate appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

A plaid shirt is a basic essential that should be included in every man’s wardrobe. Though plaid shirts hold a special place in Americana fashion – most notably featuring on just about every Beach Boys album cover – this design dates as far back as the 1800s, as they were hugely popular in the U.K. However, the plaid shirt still maintains to be quintessential in men’s fashion as it offers next-level versatility and comfort.

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If you’re looking to update your range of basics, we’ve uncovered some brands producing some of the best men’s plaid shirts on the market. Whether you’re heading into bottomless brunch or bougie post-work drinks, these quality shirts are guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.

The post 15 Best Plaid Shirts For Men In 2022 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Drinking whisky (like the magnificent bastard you are) is an art that needs to be enjoyed. Not only is there a whole world of whisky to learn about, with several countries around the world producing bottles with their own unique tastes and textures, but just being able to relax in a chair (an Eames, ideally), savour the taste, and enjoy a cigar or two is every gentleman’s idea of paradise.

But the whole look can be ruined if you drink your whisky from the wrong glass. Yes, when it comes to drinking the oesophagus-burning good stuff, there are distinct rights and wrongs with regards to glassware. You can’t simply reach for any old tumbler in your cupboard. Instead, you need a proper whisky glass. Don’t argue with us.

When shopping for whisky glasses, you’ll likely come across the terms old fashioned and double old fashioned. The naming comes from the classic whisky-based cocktail, but with regards to the ‘double’ prefix, this type of glass is usually two ounces (60ml) larger than its single rocks glass sibling.

The larger size lends it to be better suited to cocktails with ice, whereas the single rocks glass is what you want when you’re sipping on a neat pour. It’s not wrong per se to drink a neat pour from a double glass, it will just look slightly out of proportion.

However, there are also other whisky glass variations, with official titles, that have their own respective properties. Old fashioned tumblers have a wider opening at the top, which whisky boffins claim doesn’t focus on the aromas of the spirit so well.

In order for your sense of smell to be truly satisfied, you should be looking for glasses such as the Glencairn, developed by Glencairn Crystal in Scotland, UK. The Glencairn glass fuses together the best of everything in whisky glassware, with a heavy bottom akin to the old fashioned rocks glass, with a curved upper to focus the aromas, similar to a nosing copitas glass.

Mini Glencairn glasses are commonly used at distilleries for serving samples.

Whisky Glasses FAQs

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Here are the best whisky glasses for whisky worshippers to add to their collections.

The post 8 Best Whisky Glasses appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Plaid has always been a staple for formal wear; however, this versatile print lends itself to casual attire too, achieving the perfect off-duty look. Mix and match these bottoms with a blazer, a linen shirt, smart dress shoes, or cool sneakers, and you can create a range of outfits. Plaid pants have also been tied to various subcultures, from preppy fashion to grunge; this item of clothing is exceptionally adaptable.Plaid emerged from the 1700s from Scottish culture, with the kilt being the first example showcasing this check pattern. However, this tartan print shifted from a Scottish symbol to military wear with the Jacobite uprisings against the English monarchy. It made its way to America by the 18th Century, with buffalo plaid shirts becoming all the rage and by the 80s, the garment had become heavily affiliated with the “MTV Generation”. Now, this stylish pattern is synonymous with smart-casual wear, as plaid pants are often the to-go attire for any work-related event.

Men’s plaid pants FAQs

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To ensure you have the best possible shopping experience, we’ve rounded up which brands produce the best plaid pants for men. We have discovered many styles, ranging from slim fit neutral bottoms to funky bold patterns, guaranteed to spice up your formal wear. So, get shopping as plaid is the ultimate fad.

The post 15 Best Plaid & Check Pants For Men appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

When upgrading your snow apparel and equipment, snowboard bindings may not be the first thing that comes to mind. Often it’s overlooked as boots, clothing, and a stellar snowboard takes priority. However, a great pair of snowboard bindings are essential when it comes to choosing the right gear. It can make or break your time on the slopes.

Snowboard bindings are the connection between you and your board. They act as a steering wheel for you to control your board with ease, keep your feet comfortable, and absorb vibrations while you cruise down the mountains. Snowboard bindings are just as important as the rest of your winter get up, as they transfer energy from your legs and feet straight to the board and have the power to enhance your riding experience.

Features of good snowboard bindings

But what are some key components to look out for when choosing snowboard bindings? It will depend on your riding style as bindings usually come in three types, all-mountain, freeride, and freestyle. Also, you’ll want to make sure your bindings offer the proper built-in technologies offering stability, including ankle straps, supportive highbacks, tool-free adjustment, and forward lean adjuster.

Snowboard bindings FAQs

Some more helpful DMARGE stories about snowsports:

• Best Ski Clothing Brands
• Best Ski Goggles
• Best Snowboard Helmets

Reviewing all these key technologies to find the perfect snowboard bindings can seem like a lot, but we’ve got you covered. Listed below, we’ve assembled some brands offering the best snowboard bindings, bound to give you precision, making you and your board feel like one.

The post 8 Best Snowboard Bindings 2022 appeared first on DMARGE Australia.

Mountain bike shoes are specifically designed to help improve your grip on the pedals, and to offer a greater amount of protection from an onslaught of debris (and if you were to ever fall off, of course). The rough terrain and athletic, full-body movements of mountain bike riding demand the kind of shoes that will keep the rider firm on the pedals and absorb any unpredictable bumps along the way.

Like the development of their mountain bikes, brands apply the same amount of resources and attention towards developing the best mountain bike shoes. From performance brands such as Five Ten and Shimano to the casual styles of brands like Ride Concepts and Lake, there are mountain bike shoes for all types of riders.

Flat pedal shoes & clipless mountain bike shoes

The two most common types of mountain bike shoes are flat pedal shoes and clipless. Neither is necessarily better than the other, as both serve a specific function and depending on what kind of rider you are will inform which style of shoe you need to buy.

Flat pedal mountain bike shoes are exactly what the name suggests, positioning your feet flat on the pedals. These are the perfect shoes for beginner riders as the grip of the soles tends to be thicker and is more resistant to any mud or dirt you may pick up along the way. Flat pedal shoes also tend to be more affordable than their clipless counterparts and are styled more like a casual sneaker.

Understanding the Boa dial

A common feature that is always seen on the best mountain bike shoes, is the Boa dial. They usually appear along the bridge of the shoes, but can also be up near the tongue, and give you the freedom to adjust the fit. By twisting the dial, you either tighten or loosen the laces making for a personalised fit that allows you to go beyond the original construction of the shoes for extra comfort during your rides.

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The post 15 Best Mountain Bike Shoes appeared first on DMARGE Australia.