…is not something you’re likely to get anytime soon.

I’ve written about strange places before, but few places on the planet are quite as strange (or so it would seem, from what little we, on the outside, know about it) as North Korea. And there are few places in North Korea as strange as its capital, Pyongyang. And… perhaps the strangest place in Pyongyang is the one that does not exist (or so I’m guessing the official line goes by now): the Ryugyong Hotel. Read more »

I’m not quite sure what it is that fascinates me about abandoned structures (ghost malls, disused freeways, etc.) and dying remote outposts (like Resolute, Nunavut). Maybe it’s the potential to explore the mystery behind the downfall of a place. Maybe it’s apocalyptic fear. Maybe it’s a melancholy over the crushed hopes and dreams of the developers who created these places. At any rate, whenever I hear about something like the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, I have to learn more. Or more specifically, I have to see pictures. Read more »

5. Subway

OK, there’s really nothing that great about Subway, but at least you know what you’re getting. But really, Subway’s only worth going to if the following four places are all closed!

4. D. Brian’s

Notable for “Downtown’s Largest Half Sandwich”… only newbies and true chumps order the $1.50 extra full sandwich, as the “half” is really just full-size bread with one edge of the crust cut off! The service can be apathetic and/or tyrannical… but it can be worth it.

3. Quizno’s

They may be overpriced, but… “THEY GOT A PEPPER BAR!!!!” Enough said.

2. Jimmy John’s

Alas, poor Jimmy John’s. Bumped from your all-too-brief (but, in its time, rock-solid) position at #1 by…

1. Potbelly Sandwich Works

Even though my wife habitually refers to it as “Pork Barrel,” it is in fact the best and cheapest sandwich around. My favorite is the “Wreck,” and hot peppers are a must! And be sure to keep your eyes open for live music being performed in the “hay loft.”