- Best of 2007 Lists (the definitive meta-list by Fimoculous)
- Master List of Online “Best of 2007″ Music Lists (a meta-music list by LargeheartedBoy)
- Updates to the Master List of Online “Best of 2007″ Music Lists (updates to #2 by LargeheartedBoy)
- 40 Best Raps of 2007 (top hip-hop tracks by CocaineBlunts)
- 15 Best Candies of 2007 (delish sugar treats by CandyAddict)
- 50 Best Websites of 2007 (multiple categories list by Time & – oh look – who’s a top news site?)
- 30 Best Albums of 2007 (top rated by the critics and aggregated by Metacritic)
- 25 Best Careers of 2007 (so choose wisely, my friends, by BizTech)
- Most Hated Companies of 2007 (the most widely & heavily criticized, by BloggingStocks)
- 100 Best Products of 2007 (because there can never be enough products, a list by PC World)
- 22 Best Music Videos (some silly choices by MusicForKidsWhoCan’tReadGood)
- 25 Best Books of the Year (fiction, non-fiction and more by Publishers Weekly)
- 100 Best Films of 2007 (a mix of new and re-releases by TimesOnline)
- 18 Best American Hospitals of 2007 (a incredibly paradoxical list by USNews)
- Best Global Brands of 2007 (aka the biggest brands in the world, by Interbrand)
- Best of NYC 2007 (best of the Big Apple, by the VillageVoice)
- Best Biblical Books of 2007 (a “completely objective” book list by BiblicalFoundations)
- America’s Best Restroom of 2007 (congrats to Jungle Jim’s, by ABR)
- Best Parks of 2007 (for the adventure seekers, by National Geographic)
- Best Industrial Design Products of 2007 (with slick imagery by RedDot)
- Top 10 Depression Blogs of 2007 (a useful, if sombre, list by PsychCentral)
- 2007 China Best Call Centre (the best operators ‘who will be with you shortly’ by CallCentres)
- Top 100 Luxury Blogs of 2007 (an elite assortment by International Listings)
- Best of What’s New in 2007 (products, inventions, and gadgetry compiled by PopularScience)
- Top 60 Japanese Buzzwords of 2007 (vernacular awesomeness by PinkTentacle)
Best of the Best
While most of the sites listed below are blogs, we included a few portals as well. We couldn’t pass those sites up, as they offer a gateway into everything luxurious.
- 20ltd: This site is more than a blog – it’s a virtual calendar filled with luxury goods, backed by incredible music. Yes, it’s a shopping site, but it sells only 20 uber-exclusive luxury goods at a time and you cannot purchase the items anywhere else. Yes, it’s a travelogue, but the focus is on the goods and the artisan. Yes, it’s a jukebox, and yes – you can dance naked at home while shopping.
- Goldarth’s Review: Watches, wines, and wonderful getaways – you can find all this and more at Goldarth’s Review. Visit the “luxury news” category to get gadget previews, or visit their other categories to learn more about luxury real estate, antiques, yachts, and more.
- High Chic: From cars to cigars and real estate, High Chic has it all. Luxury is a lifestyle, and this site doesn’t let you forget it.
- JustLuxe: A luxury portal that serves as a guide to the best in luxury living. Wear it, swim in it, live in it, and breathe it in – it’s all deluxe.
- Luxury Reviewer: This blog is an offshoot from Trendhunter, which is “an explosion of cool fueled by a community of 16412 Trend Hunters.” While TrendHunter brings the latest and greatest trends to the Web, Luxury Reviewer covers life in excess.
- Robb Report Luxury Portal: Although this site isn’t a blog as such, we can’t omit the constantly updated information provided within various themes on this site. The site incorporates compelling editorial, photography, and classified advertising from each of Robb Report’s luxury publications, presenting a one-stop resource for everything from fine wines to wealth management, vacation homes to motorcycling, and private aviation to high-end home entertainment.
- Street Peeper: Street fashion from Amsterdam to “Elsewhere.” The list of bloggers, photographers, and general contributors is enough to make you drool with anticipation over what these on-the-edge individuals will bring to the site. This site makes The Satorialist seem dated (see #36 below).
- The Real Estalker: There are real estate blogs, and then there are high-end semi-stalking celeb real estate blogs. This site is one of the latter, and a very good one at that. In fact, “Mama” calls her site some “good real estate pornography.”
- We Make Money, Not Art: Count on Régine Debatty, a new media art curator, to bring an interesting take on the intersection between art and design and technology. She’ll keep you informed, enlightened, and entertained.
- World Hum: While many travel sites focus on the destination, World Hum focuses on the journey. Why spend money on the mundane, when this blog will show you how to get a real rush from your ramblings.
Art collecting and gallery hopping are esteemed luxurious pastimes. However, if you’re unsure about emerging trends, historic issues, where to go and what to buy, the following blogs will fill you with artistic confidence.
- Absolute Arts: This is the artists’ art blog, with news, reviews, and thoughts about art around the world. The bloggers are artists, collectors and dealers, and they all carry a great deal of respect for each other and for the world that they deliver to you through this site. The site also includes an opportunity for artists to create portfolios, so you can browse for an unknown who might – one day – become the next Van Gogh.
- Akrylic: Articles, essays, and criticism on contemporary art and related topics. Almost all the articles included on Akrylic have been previously published in international art periodicals, so this blog provides a great summary for readers.
- Art Addict: Paige West, art curator and gallery founder, writes about her thoughts and tips on collecting contemporary art within a global venue. Don’t expect harsh critiques, as West prefers to stay positive. On that note, you can count on her frank perspectives on those places and artists that she highlights.
- ArtForum Diary: One of the best blogs for pushing you straight into the art world, with insider social news as well as hot art trends. Depend on this site to keep tabs on all your friends while you’re vacationing on your private island.
- Artopia: John Perreault is a critic, curator, poet, and artist who makes astute observations on popular mainstream and off-the-beaten-path art. Although he veers off-course at times, his insights and choices are stimulating.
- hatchets and skewers: artist, curator, art critic, and musician Jeffry Cudlin serves as the Director of Exhibitions for the Arlington Arts Center and writes for the Washington City Paper. His insights into his interests as well as on art provides the reader with a professional and creative perspective on the art world.
- Modern Art Notes: Tyler Green, art journalist, provides detailed artist reviews to entries about his travels. Let him be your eyes and ears on the latest openings and art happenings. ArtsJournal.com, a daily digest of arts, culture, and ideas sponsors his blog.
- Steve Roach & The Art of Law…: “A blog about the intersection of art, law, auctions, collecting, financial planning, and finally, my life.” Roach is a lawyer who handles trusts and estates at a Texas auction house, and his perspectives on art collecting will provide you with a solid base for this hobby/investment.
- The Intrepid Art Collector: Lisa Hunter, author of The Intrepid Art Collector, gives collectors insights into adventures in the art market.
Automobiles
Don’t count on finding blogs that focus specifically on Bentleys, Lamborghini’s, or Jaguars. You might find some discussions or ratings about these vehicles at larger automotive sites, so you’ll need to content yourself with those offerings for now. Or, you can peruse the following blogs for ideas about other choices in the luxury car market…
- Automobiles De Luxe: Gunnar Heinrich brings his enthusiasm online in this blog about luxury and exotic automobiles.
- Automotive.com Luxury Blog: Do you crave Alfa Romeos? Or, perhaps you’d prefer something simple, like a Lamborghini. Automotive.com provides up-to-date information on these luxury cars and more at their luxury car blog.
- AutoSpies: This blog lays claim to the ultimate insider’s guide to the world’s finest vehicles. Discover a huge selection of car photos from various auto shows, along with upcoming releases.
- BenzInsider: This site’s main focus is bringing its visitors the latest and most interesting stories about the Mercedes-Benz Car Group (Mercedes, Smart and Maybach), which includes news, reviews, rumors and more.
- BMW Blog: A blog written by a BMW lover, a self-professed “car nut” who owns a few BMWs and who is addicted to “pretty much anything light and fast.”
- eMercedesBenz: eMercedesBenz is an independent blog dedicated to covering the latest Mercedes-Benz news, information and rumors.
- Exotic Car Rental Blog: This blog is maintained by DFW Elite Auto Rental, a business that has the largest collection of exotic and classic cars for rent in the United States.
- Jalopnik: Don’t let the name throw you off. This blog showcases new designs and technologies in the automotive industry, as well as the gadgets and accessories that enhance the driving experience.
Fashion
You can check to see if you were noticed by the paparazzi on the sites below. Otherwise, you can catch up on the latest trends and then see how long it takes for the knock-offs to reach the mega-malls.
- B-Tique, Lifestyle & Fashion: The authors – two fashion professionals – believe their names aren’t that relevant, as their content will speak for itself. This blog offers enough photos that you’ll never need another fashion magazine. Click on the small images to see a larger detailed shot.
- Daily Candy: Don’t you dare book that trip to LA (or any other major city for that matter) without reading about the local hot haute hints provided by this blog. This is the best insider’s guide to what’s hot, new, and undiscovered — from fashion and style to gadgets and travel.
- Fashion Tribes: Blog and podcast from the experts on fashion, beauty, lifestyle, and pop culture.
- Fashion Wire Daily: Hardcore, down to business, hot news about the fashion industry. You can take this site to the bank. On average, FWD posts 10 stories and 50 photos each day in categories like fashion, beauty, and runway.
- Go Fug Yourself: Whether you pray for this type of publicity is up to you, as this site entertains about four million viewers per day. The peons love this site, which is filled with celeb fashion (or celeb strangeness), and edited with a keen sense of the absurd.
- High Snobiety: It isn’t all Vogue, you know. Find the best in street wear at this blog.
- Hint Blog: Hint Fashion Magazine offers more than haute fashion trends and collections for both genders – they also dish up the latest fashion news with this blog.
- Style.com: More of a portal than a blog, you still can rest assured that this site is updated daily with the best from the likes of Vogue and W. Don’t miss Men.Style.com or Men’s Vogue if you’re a guy (or if you just want to look at the guys in their posh threads).
- The Sartorialist: Selected as one of Time Magazine’s “Top 100 Design Influencers,” this blog will put you on the street across the world to view haute fashion and fashionistas. However, if Street Peeper remains strong (see #7), that site will give The Sartorialist a run for its money.
- WhoWhatWear: This new site runs on the philosophy of “We don’t care who you date or if you eat. We only care about what you wear.” You’ll find large images (great for copying trends) and a forum devoted to who was wearing what and when.
Fitness
If you’ve eaten far too many European chocolates, you might need a little physical fix. While many luxury fitness camps and spas host offerings on the Web, only a handful provide blogs that promote their philosophies. Those blogs are noted below.
- Camp Biche: At Camp Biche, clients learn how to live the good life while absorbing a week-long, structured regimen in southwestern France. The blog merely mirrors the camp’s philosophy, which promotes eating as a great pleasure and physical exercise as bliss.
- Lift: Simply the hottest and trendiest gadgets for the sports fitness enthusiast. You don’t need a gym – you just need to play harder!
- NYC personal trainer Joe DiAngelo: Joe DiAngelo has become one of New York’s most coveted fitness experts and personal trainers. If you can’t hire him, then you can at least read his blog and compare his notes to your own personal trainer’s ideas on fitness.
- SPAPARAZZI Spa Blog: Brenda Lopez (aka The Spa Lady) is a spa industry professional and founder of Getaway Spas. She offers simple solutions that you can implement everyday to bring yourself back to a place of tranquility, solace, healing and renewal.
- Susie’s Spa Blog: After years of answering spa questions in Luxury SpaFinder Magazine as well as writing pieces about and for the spa community through the “Spa Finder Insider,” Susie is excited to throw off editorial constraints and offer opinions on anything spa-related.
- Truth In Cosmetic Surgery Blog: If your body looks ten years younger because you went to Camp Biche (see #38) and you want your face to catch up, you might want to peruse this blog for more information about your options. John Di Saia, M.D., a board certified plastic surgeon in San Clemente, California, brings a “No Spin; Bottom Line” alternative to “all the BS out there” on plastic surgery. His perspective is a luxury.
Food & Wine
You may enjoy the following blogs so much that you’ll actually venture into your kitchen to cook. On the other hand, you’ll find enough restaurant ideas that you may never venture into that kitchen, ever. The wine cellar, however, is another story…
- A Self-proclaimed Foodaholic: Marie Antoinette had the right attitude – we all should eat cake, and hopefully it’s some very, very rich cake. But, this blog goes far beyond cake with tantalizing photos and recipes that you can hand to your chef (provided he/she doesn’t take umbrage with your suggestions).
- Chez Pim: Chez Pim chronicles her globetrotting adventures in the world of all things edible, from vibrant street-side fares in Asia to the refined world of Three Michelin Star restaurants in Europe.
- Gourmet’s ChopTalk: From this main link on gourmet food and travel, you can wander through cooking, travel, restaurant, gear and gadgets, and other blogs that bring you the finest gourmet offerings.
- Delicious Destinations: This lighthearted blog, brought to you by Gourmet Station, offers up ideas about food, gift giving, entertaining and culture.
- Dr. Vino: A Ph.D. dissertation on the political economy of the wine industry in France and the United States led to this blog’s birth, where you’ll find good value wine recommendations and diverse perspectives ranging from politics to economics to sports and – occasionally – some pop culture.
- Pinot Blogger: Although this blog focuses on the birth of Capozzi Family Winery in the Russian River Valley, Josh Hermsmeyer writes a smart, technologically savvy and insightful blog that will enrich any wine enthusiast.
- The Wine Collector: Steve Bachmann, a 45-year-old entrepreneur, launched Vinfolio in 2003. This turnkey, white-glove wine store does everything for the serious collector as well as avid wine enthusiast – from buying, selling and cellar management to more in-depth collector services.
- Vinography: Simply the best wine review site on the Internet.
- ZagatBuzz: Initially started as a hobby, Zagat Survey is now the world’s leading provider of consumer survey-based dining, travel and leisure information, with more than 250,000 voters participating worldwide. Now you can gain access to ZagatBuzz, which is categorized by major U.S. cities and by this link to the “Best of” the Buzz.
Gadgets
Sure, when you say the word, “gadgets,” you might think electronics. But, if you’re rich, you may believe that ‘gadgets’ represent anything that costs less than a million or so dollars. Therefore, the blogs below exhibit everything from electronics to handbags and from ‘thingmazigs’ to paintball panzers.
- Born Rich: The goal of this blog is to “help you spend all your hard-earned money on the snootiest thingmazig around.” Topics range from art to gadgets to surfboards and more.
- David Report: The David Report blog covers the latest and most interesting news concerning art, design, fashion, architecture, media, brand development and communication, travel and lifestyle trends. The trends aren’t the most expensive per se, but they’re the hottest items and ideas on the market.
- Gizmodo: Sure, this blog entertains news on ordinary gadgets, but – on the whole – this site also brings on the gadget bling. It’s all about shiny new toys!
- Hunt and Gather: This blog is for the primal male, one who seeks the walnut-grained LCD television and the printed Eco golf tees and ball markers. This is the luxury site for testosterone-based gadgets, gifts, gear, grooming, garments, and more.
- Lussorian: Want to find the most expensive deck of cards in the world? How about the most expensive bed on the planet? You can find both of those items and more at this blog.
- Luxist: There’s an emphasis on estates, journeys, and decor, with handbags playing an active role as well at this blog. Nice way to keep up on fringe merchandise.
- Luxury Design: This UK site brings jewelry, furniture, fashion, and cars to the Web, all with enticing images and discriminating taste.
- Popgadget: Popgadget is a lifestyle magazine that embraces technology as a regular and essential part of women’s lives. Be the first in your city to own a Woofer Speaker System for cat people or a handgun blow dryer. This is luxury at its most essential.
- Sybarites: A sybarite, by definition, is a person devoted to luxury and pleasure. Items included in this blog are considered only for quality and meaning – not for price.
- Pricy-Spicy: The item searches for this blog appear to be a hobby, but the writer has great taste. This blog offers perspectives on top-of-the-line merchandise, along with clues as to where to purchase the items.
Hotels
If you want luxury accommodations, don’t count on the first place you find off the Interstate. Instead, treat yourself to the best world-class hotels that you’ll discover through the following blogs…
- Concierge.com: Subscribe to Concierge.com’s feeds to learn about travel bargains to luxury resorts and hotels, and to learn about travel tips from Condé Nast Traveler’s consumer news editor Wendy Perrin, among other top-notch travel information.
- Drake and Cavendish: This link will take you to the luxury hotel blog on the Drake and Cavendish site. You’ll learn about new hotel openings, green hotels, and the best places to stay worldwide.
- Helium Report: Helium Report is the leading independent source of objective information on vacation home alternatives, but you can also learn more information on fractional ownership and private jets.
- Hotel Chatter: Frank and detailed appraisals about luxury hotels around the world. This blog not only provides a terrific resource, it’s fun to read.
- Hotels of the Rich and Famous: Do you want to know where Matt Damon and Madonna stay when they’re on the road? You can find this information and more at this blog, which is devoted to hotels, stars, and wealthy hotel goers.
- The Informed Traveler: The Informed Traveler is a blog devoted to luxury travel, published by the travel specialists at Five Star Alliance. The Informed Traveler is an independent source that talks about upscale travel and lavish hotels.
Odds and Ends
The following blogs didn’t fit under the other topics, but they are considered essential luxuries.
- Air Taxi Blog: Air-taxi operators offer competitively priced point-to-point transportation between local and regional airports at their customers’ convenience. Sometimes called fly-on-demand, air taxis are frequently the most time- and cost-effective way for business people to get from one suburban or rural community to another on short notice. This blog covers this information and more.
- Blog of a Book Slut: Forget the New York Review – Jessa Crispin has made a name for herself by staying abreast of the national literary scene with short and emphatic blog entries that keep readers up-to-date on subjects like film adaptations of literature, the current government’s meddling with libraries, and – according to Forbes – “smarmy comments from smarmy writers.”
- Big Business Jet: If you own or crave a Boeing Business Jet, the Bombardier, the Gulfstream and more, then this blog is up your gilded alley. Big Business Jet is sponsored by Greenpoint Technologies (GTI), the aviation industry’s leading provider of interiors for VIP, corporate, government, commercial, and head of state clients.
- Janus Thinking: Although Janus Thinking is a commercial marketing and sales consulting business site, the blog presents interesting news and insights into luxury markets. Their sister company, Allied Diamonds, believes that people who buy diamonds should not just be diamond customers, but rather they should be diamond connoisseurs.
- Jessica Duchen’s Classical Music Blog: No, you’re not required to attend the opera and you don’t need to adore Mozart if you’re rich; however, a little knowledge about the classics is a good thing so you won’t be tagged as nouveau riche. Jessica Duchen, the author of this blog, has held editorial jobs on several music magazines and spearheaded the creation of the UK’s first independent piano magazine. She’s created ‘literary concerts’ for the stage, she’s written several books with music themes, and she married a violinist. How can you go wrong, especially when The Times stated that “Everything she writes is worth reading…”?
- Living the Luxe Life: Stacy Brice, a self-professed “voluptuary,” brings tidbits about small and large, the free, the inexpensive and the obscenely expensive yummies our world offers us all to her readers. As long as it’s comfortable or brings comfort, you’ll find it here.
- Rotor Sales Blog: If you have an itch for a helicopter, you can find the crème de la crème of rotors on this blog. The pictures alone may make your heart race.
Real Estate
If land is king, then homes are crowns. The blogs listed below will provide you with ideas on real estate investments, home improvements, emerging markets, and more – all in the throne of luxury.
- BawldGuy Talking: Jeff Brown, of Brown and Brown Investment Properties, reaches first-time buyers to million-dollar property owners with this blog about real estate investing blog and “Purposeful Planning” articles.
- Flipping Rich: Sunny Yee and Derrik Dyka’s Flipping Rich investment blog brings “interesting” investing ideas to their readers.
- Home Improvement Ideas: Luxury housing trends, technologies, and products are tracked through this blog. The tips and advice are unusual, and the merchandise is fantastic.
- Luxury Home Digest: This blog imparts information about trends, markets, furnishings, tastes (including fine wines) and relevant gossip. The editor, Roberta Murphy, is a real estate broker in the coastal San Diego market, but the majority of categories go well beyond this niche market.
- Luxury Portfolio: Based in Chicago with representation in London, Luxury Portfolio represents decades of experience in the high-end market. By presenting a gallery of the finest luxury properties and brokerages, they are ensuring that the Luxury Portfolio brand is being recognized throughout the world as the luxury standard of excellence.
- Luxury Real Estate: Robert Lockard brings hot real estate news and luxury markets to readers through this blog, which is sponsored by the Luxury Real Estate site.
- Nubricks: Nubricks scans the globe to blog about the most promising international property development ideas and concepts. They track both offline and online property resources, as well as taking to the streets of world cities and resorts to get a hands on view.
- Offbeat Homes: Need an idea for that second or third home? This site will crank your creative urges!
- Open House Blog: Mary Clare Fleury at the Washingtonian offers up some peeks inside the luxury real estate market in DC. You can use this blog to compare your home with those that Fleury picks out, or you can use it to wish upon a star.
- Overseas Property Blog: This international real estate investment blog has been offering free, reliable international property news and research since March 2005. The contributors offer objective in-depth analysis of global real estate markets and property investment products.
- The Private Islands Blog: Private islands for sale, island resorts and exotic islands world-wide brought to readers by “The Islomaniac,” president of the Islomaniacs Society and Owner of Coldwell Banker Morrison’s Private Islands.
- Unique Homes: This blog is sponsored by Unique Homes, the leading luxury real estate magazine, and it brings the latest news and information on the luxury real estate industry to your computer.
Social Networks
All of these sites promise “exclusive” or “elite” clientele as members who are willing to bring you into their fold – provided, of course, that you have connections and money. Since we’re not members, we can only offer descriptions that we found on these sites.
- ASmallWorld: Erik Wachtmeister founded ASMALLWORLD as a private online community for “like-minded individuals,” where members can participate in travel suggestions, feedback, forum discussions, and other topics of common interest. Membership is by invitation only.
- CCC Alliance: “Designed initially as a private forum for families to share best practices and combine their buying power, CCC Alliance has developed into a dynamic peer network, collaborative purchasing organization, and source of insight and opportunities.” If you become a member, you can collaborate regularly on wealth management, family office matters, and more. You must set up an interview to become a member.
- Diamond Lounge: A decadent environment in which to hang out, have fun and even do business, all with an unparalleled level of privacy. Members also have access to exclusive private business and social events and exquisite high-end merchandise. You must be invited by a trusted VIP member or submit an online application that will be reviewed by an Independent Committee.
- Tiger 21: More than a networking site, Tiger 21 is a peer-to-peer learning group for high-net-worth investors with a minimum of $10 million in assets to invest. But, if you join, you’ll discover that members talk about kids, philanthropy, homes, travel, and toys as well as investments.
Travel
The hotel comprises just one part of luxury travel. The following blogs will help you decide where to go, what to do, and how to do it all with panache.
- Arthur Frommer Online: Comments, opinion and advice from the founder of Frommer’s Travel Guides.
- A Luxury Travel Blog: Dr. Paul Johnson , Managing Director of The Dedicated Partnership Ltd. tourism marketing company, focuses on the finer aspects of travel. This blog serves as a gateway for the discerning traveler, providing information on the most luxurious hotels and resorts, the finest restaurants and news from within the luxury travel industry, among other tidbits necessary for the discerning traveler.
- Globorati: Every weekday, Globorati delivers fresh, up-to-the-moment intelligence for the jet-set traveler. Their goal is to change the way luxury travelers get their information, and to inspire them toward embracing new possibilities.
- Gridskipper: Sometimes it isn’t all about money. Sometimes it’s all about decadence and urbanity. This blog’s writers scour the globe for “chic hotels, hot restaurants, sweet nightlife, and pretty people.”
- Inside Luxury Travel: Varun Sharma hosts a television show entitled (appropriately) “Inside Luxury Travel.” His blog is a diary from his travels with insights into his everyday luxurious life.
- Luxury Travel Magazine: This magazine’s blog showcases the world’s most exclusive escapes, and provides expert recommendations and inspiration for discerning travelers. The site’s founder and editor, Christine Gray, is a former Beverly Hills “travel agent to the stars” and consultant to the 1980’s TV show “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.”
- Tango Diva: Tango Diva gives women their wings through sharing insight, direction, and inspiration so that they can become active, knowledgeable participants in life. Teresa Rodriguez Williamson, a former Richard Simmons employee, began this travel blog after a decade of some very interesting adventures.
- Vagablond: Discover the best in luxury travel, food, wine and shopping, all delivered by a team of editors, writers and designers who are frequent travelers and who live and work all around the globe.
- World Extravagant: This is a simple little site that offers tons of information about luxury travel and travel news. The writers also touch on real estate, yachts, and private islands.
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