Plainfield, formally known as the Village of Plainfield, is a small suburb of Chicago known for its rich history and sense of community. The area is home to over 44,000 people, and is close to both major cities and untouched nature. But is Plainfield, IL, a good place to live? We’ve got you covered.
If you’re looking at homes for sale in Plainfield or are just curious about what the area has to offer, this Redfin guide is for you. Here are 10pros and cons to consider before moving to Plainfield, IL.
5 pros of living in Plainfield, IL
There’s a lot to love about living in Plainfield. Here are five of the best.
1. Affordable cost of living
Plainfield has a relatively affordable cost of living compared to other cities in the United States. Housing costs, in particular, are on par with the national average, which makes it an attractive option for those looking for an affordable place to live near a major city. For example, the median sale price of a house in Plainfield is $429,900,
Renting is also more affordable than a majority of the country; the average one-bedroom apartment costs $1,750, which is $200 below the national average.
2. Community and culture
The community in Plainfield is tight-knit and enjoys celebrating together. Community events are common, with festivals, parades, and other public gatherings being organized throughout the year.
Consider visiting Settlers’ Park for concerts and movies during the summer, or strolling through the local farmers’ market on Sundays. During the winter, there are plenty of holiday events, including parades, light festivals, and holiday markets.
3. Natural beauty
Plainfield is blessed with a variety of natural spaces, including parks like Settlers’ Park and Lake Renwick Preserve. There are also numerous trails for biking and hiking, such as the Van Horn Woods, along with opportunities for fishing and boating along the DuPage River. These spaces offer residents plenty of opportunities for outdoor recreation and relaxation.
4. Historic downtown
Downtown Plainfield is the heart of the city. The area is rich in historic charm, featuring buildings with history and significance. There are also a variety of small, locally-owned shops, boutiques, and restaurants, providing residents with unique shopping and dining experiences. And if you prefer to drive, there is free parking most days of the week.
5. Location
Located about 35 miles southwest of downtown Chicago, Plainfield is a commuter city that offers the advantage of a small-town feel with relatively easy access to big-city amenities. The access to cultural institutions, diverse food scene, major sporting events, and a wide range of job opportunities in Chicago can be attractive to many people.
5 cons of living in Plainfield, IL
Plainfield has a lot of benefits, but it also has a few downsides. Here are five to keep in mind.
1. Limited public transportation
Plainfield doesn’t have a local public transportation system, and instead offers bus routes to and from Chicago and other nearby cities. The limited public transportation means the area is car-dependent, which can be a drawback for those who prefer to use public transit or don’t own a vehicle. Walkability is also an issue outside of downtown.
2. Minimal nightlife
As a smaller suburban town, Plainfield lacks the nightlife scene you might find in larger cities. It doesn’t have a large selection of bars, clubs, or late-night eateries, and most establishments close earlier in the evening. If you thrive on nightlife, you’ll likely have to commute to Chicago for evening adventures.
However, if you’re looking for great local restaurants, there are plenty of options, including Sovereign, Backroads Burger & Bar, and Urban Kitchen.
3. Winter weather
The winters in Plainfield can be harsh and unpredictable. Temperatures often drop well below freezing, and the area experiences significant snowfall. If you’re not a fan of cold weather, snow shoveling, or driving in winter conditions, this could be a major drawback. The winter season can also be quite long, typically lasting from late November until March.
Summers are not as hot as some other parts of the US, but they are quite humid. The best weather is typically in the early summer and fall.
4. Relative affordability
While Plainfield is an affordable city relative to the US average, it’s actually much more expensive than nearby cities, such as Chicago and Aurora. The median house price in Chicago is $340,000, nearly $100,000 less than Plainfield, and the median house price in Aurora is $307,000, over $100,000 cheaper than Plainfield. This can be a drawback for those on a tighter budget.
5. Population growth
Over the past two decades, Plainfield has been experiencing a significant increase in population. From 1990 to 2021, the city’s population increased from 4,557 to over 44,000. While this growth has led to better amenities, it can also lead to overcrowded schools, increased traffic, and strained public resources. Rapid growth can also impact the small-town feel that many residents value and are used to.
Denver, Colorado, is a city renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty and abundant outdoor recreational opportunities. For those considering a move to Denver, whether in search of a home for sale or an apartment for rent, you’ll be excited to discover the city’s numerous popular parks. In this Redfin article, we will explore eight beloved parks in Denver that offer a wide range of amenities and activities for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers alike.
1. Rocky Mountain National Park
Located just a short drive from Denver, Rocky Mountain National Park is a true gem of the region. Spanning over 415 square miles, the park showcases awe-inspiring mountain peaks, pristine alpine lakes, and diverse wildlife. Visitors can enjoy hiking on the park’s extensive trail system, which offers trails for all skill levels, from easy nature walks to challenging summit climbs. Additionally, activities such as camping, fishing, and wildlife watching make Rocky Mountain National Park a must-visit destination for outdoor adventure.
2. City Park
Nestled in the heart of Denver, City Park is a vibrant urban area that offers a wide array of recreational opportunities. Spanning 330 acres, the park has lush green spaces, scenic lakes, and stunning views of the city skyline and the Rocky Mountains. Visitors can enjoy picnicking, playing sports, or taking a leisurely stroll around the park’s pathways. City Park is also home to the Denver Zoo and the Denver Museum of Nature & Science, making it an ideal spot for anyone to explore and learn.
3. Washington Park
Washington Park, also known as Wash Park, is a beloved destination for outdoor lovers in Denver. This 165-acre park is home to beautiful gardens, two scenic lakes, and ample open space for picnicking and recreational activities. The park boasts an extensive trail system that is perfect for walking, running, or biking. Visitors can also rent paddle boats or kayaks to enjoy the serene waters of Smith Lake.
4. Red Rocks Park and Amphitheater
Renowned for its breathtaking natural amphitheater, Red Rocks Park is a unique and iconic destination in Denver. The park’s towering red sandstone formations create a stunning backdrop for concerts and events held at the amphitheater. Visitors can explore the park’s trails, which offer views of the surrounding landscapes, or participate in outdoor yoga classes and fitness activities. Red Rocks Park is not only a place for outdoor recreation, but also a place where music and nature converge.
5. Cherry Creek State Park
Located southeast of downtown Denver, Cherry Creek State Park is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts seeking water-based activities. The park features an expansive reservoir where visitors can go boating, paddleboarding, and fishing. Additionally, the park offers miles of trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding, as well as spacious picnic areas for gatherings. With its blend of water-based fun and natural beauty, Cherry Creek State Park provides an escape from the city without venturing too far.
6. Sloan’s Lake Park
Sloan’s Lake Park is an urban park situated around Sloan’s Lake, one of Denver’s largest natural lakes. The park offers a 2.6-mile trail that encircles the lake, providing scenic views of the water and the Denver skyline. Visitors can enjoy activities such as jogging, biking, and rollerblading, as well as picnicking and birdwatching. Sloan’s Lake Park is a tranquil retreat where residents and visitors can unwind and appreciate Denver’s natural beauty.
7. City of Cuernavaca Park
Nestled in the historic Highlands neighborhood, City of Cuernavaca Park is a charming community park with a range of amenities. The park features a playground, basketball court, and open fields for various sports and recreational activities. Its shaded picnic areas and barbecue grills make it an inviting spot for gatherings and outdoor meals. With its welcoming atmosphere and family-friendly facilities, City of Cuernavaca Park is a favorite among locals.
8. Cheesman Park
Cheesman Park is a beautifully landscaped urban park located in the heart of Denver. The park’s lush green spaces, flower gardens, and scenic paths make it an ideal place for relaxation and leisurely walks. It also offers stunning views of the nearby Denver Botanic Gardens and the downtown skyline. Cheesman Park provides a peaceful retreat where residents can connect with nature and enjoy the serenity of their surroundings.
A final note on parks in Denver
Living in Denver, Colorado, you have access to an array of popular parks that cater to outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers. From the majestic Rocky Mountain National Park to the urban oases of City Park and Washington Park, there is no shortage of natural beauty and recreational opportunities in this city. So, whether you’re seeking adventure, relaxation, or simply a place to connect with nature, Denver’s parks have it all.
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information and offers.
Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card overview
The Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees) is the issuer’s first foray into the world of premium travel rewards cards and knocks it out of the park. With an annual fee that undercuts the competition and plentiful perks that are easy to understand, the card is nearly a no-brainer for travelers ranging from luxury seekers to the more budget-minded. Chase and Amex, take notice. Card rating*: ⭐⭐⭐⭐½
* Card rating is based on the opinion of TPG’s editors and is not influenced by the card issuer.
Over the last couple of years, premium cards like The Platinum Card® from American Express and Chase Sapphire Reserve have taken center stage with major updates, including adding new perks and statement credits — along with increased annual fees.
However, the Capital One Venture X stole the limelight when it launched in November 2021 with some incredibly valuable perks. Plus, with an annual fee of just $395, the Venture X is more affordable than its main competitors. The card also offers up to $300 in annual statement credits toward bookings made through Capital One Travel, which makes up for the majority of its annual fee.
If you’re considering the Venture X, here is everything you need to know before clicking that “apply” button.
Official application link: Capital One Venture X with 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Capital One Venture X welcome offer
The Venture X card’s sign-up bonus is 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
According to TPG’s latest valuations, 75,000 Capital One miles are worth $1,388, thanks to the outsized value you can get from transferring Capital One miles to the program’s airline and hotel partners.
Even if you don’t want to navigate the complexities of transferable points, you can still use your Capital One miles directly for travel at a rate of 1 cent per mile — making the sign-up bonus worth $750.
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Related: How (and why) you should earn transferable points
Earning miles with the Capital One Venture X
The Venture X accrues miles at the following rates:
10 miles per dollar on hotels and car rentals booked via Capital One Travel.
5 miles per dollar on flights booked via Capital One Travel.
2 miles per dollar on other purchases.
This simplicity builds off the $95-per-year Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card (see rates and fees), a product that has been around for over a decade. In that way, the Venture X represents the best of both worlds — high earning potential on travel purchases, specifically, but a solid everyday earning rate that’s easy to keep track of.
Read more: Credit card showdown: Capital One Venture vs. Capital One Venture X
Redeeming miles with the Capital One Venture X
Capital One miles can be redeemed in several ways, but transferring miles to travel partners probably represents the most lucrative opportunity.
Transfer miles
Over the years, Capital One has made significant improvements to its mileage program, including shifting from solely fixed-rate redemptions to adding a host of airline and hotel transfer partners, most of which now convert at a 1:1 ratio.
Here is the full list of transfer partners and their respective transfer ratios from Capital One:
Transfer partner
Transfer ratio
Aeromexico Club Premier
1:1
Air Canada Aeroplan
1:1
Air France-KLM Flying Blue
1:1
Avianca LifeMiles
1:1
Accor Live Limitless
2:1
British Airways Avios
1:1
Cathay Pacific Asia Miles
1:1
Choice Privileges Hotels
1:1
Emirates Skywards
1:1
Etihad Guest
1:1
EVA Infinity MileageLands
2:1.5
Finnair Plus
1:1
Qantas Frequent Flyer
1:1
Singapore KrisFlyer
1:1
TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go
1:1
Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
1:1
Virgin (Atlantic) Red
1:1
Wyndham Rewards
1:1
Leveraging transfer partners offers several sweet-spot redemption opportunities, including economy flights to Hawaii for just 7,500 Capital One miles by transferring to Turkish Miles & Smiles and redeeming for United flights, and business-class flights to South America for 50,000 Capital One miles transferred to TAP and redeemed on United.
Fixed-value redemptions
Capital One offers several fixed-value redemption options if you consider simplicity more important than cent-per-point value:
Book travel: You can book travel directly through Capital One Travel at a value of 1 cent per mile.
Pay off travel purchases: You can pay off travel purchases made in the past 90 days on your card statement without worrying about the complexities of loyalty programs. You’ll again get a flat value of 1 cent per mile.
Redeem for gift cards: You can use miles for gift cards at the same rate of 1 cent per mile.
Redeem for cash back: You should do everything possible to avoid this option, as it will only provide a redemption value of 0.5 cents per mile.
You should never use the last option here since it slashes the value you get compared to travel redemptions.
Capital One Venture X benefits
While a $395 annual fee might initially seem like a deterrent, it’s easy to see how the Venture X’s perks can offset the yearly cost with minimal effort:
Statement credit: Up to $300 back in statement credit annually for bookings made through Capital One Travel.
Anniversary bonus: 10,000 bonus miles every account anniversary, starting on your first anniversary (worth $100 toward travel).
Lounge access: Complimentary access for cardholders, authorized users and up to two guests per visit to Capital One Lounges .
Authorized users: Up to four authorized users can be added at no charge, and they also get the same guest access as the cardholder for the Capital One Lounge and Priority Pass.
Access to luxury hotels: The Capital One Premier Collection offers cardholders free breakfast, on-property credits and room upgrades (if available).
Rental car status: The primary cardholder and authorized users receive complimentary Hertz President’s Circle status**.
Global Entry or TSA PreCheck: Up to $100 in statement credits for either TSA PreCheck or Global Entry.
Trip delay reimbursement: Up to $500 per person for reasonable expenses
Cellphone protection: By using the card to pay your monthly wireless bill, you’re eligible for up to $800 in coverage per claim. A $50 deductible applies per occurrence.
Primary rental car insurance: for damage caused by collision or theft to a rental car.*
Purchase, extended warranty and return protection: warranties extended by an additional year; returns up to $300 per item and $1,000 per account.*
* Benefits available on Visa Infinite cards. **Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through December 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.
Which cards compete with the Capital One Venture X?
With a $395 annual fee, the Venture X falls within the premium travel cards category. Two main competitors come to mind; however, both of these cards come with significantly higher annual fees — $550 for the Chase Sapphire Reserve and $695 for the Amex Platinum (see rates and fees).
If you want loads of benefits: The Amex Platinum has a complicated assortment of benefits and perks, including at least 10 different built-in statement credits allotted in time frames ranging from monthly to every four years, making them difficult to keep track of. While you can offset the card’s hefty $695 annual fee with these included credits, it is a lot to manage — not to mention some of these perks might not be useful for certain card members. For more information, read our full review of the Amex Platinum.
If you want more travel and dining rewards: The Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders earn bonus points at similar rates to the Venture X when booking through the Ultimate Rewards travel portal, with 10 points per dollar on hotel and car rental purchases and 5 points per dollar on airfare. However, they also earn 3 points per dollar on other travel and dining, which beats the Venture X. The annual $300 travel credit on the Sapphire Reserve is easier to use. For more information, read our full review of the Sapphire Reserve.
For additional options, check out our list of the best premium travel cards.
Read more: The best premium credit cards: A side-by-side comparison
Bottom line
With simple rewards and overall solid value, the Venture X has mass appeal, especially for those searching for (or switching from) a premium travel rewards card. In addition, there are a lot of under-the-radar perks on the card, including Visa Infinite benefits with an extensive list of trip, luggage, car rental and purchase protections.
Add in a growing network of airport lounges, no-fee authorized users, Capital One’s robust transfer partners and a luxury hotel program, and you have a card that is nearly a no-brainer.
Official application link: Capital One Venture X with 75,000 bonus miles after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum Card, click here.
For Capital One products listed on this page, some of the above benefits are provided by Visa® or Mastercard® and may vary by product. See the respective Guide to Benefits for details, as terms and exclusions apply.
Additional reporting by Ryan Wilcox, Eric Rosen and Christina Ly.
Known around the world as a hub for outdoor activities, Denver is one of the few major cities that is able to offer residents and visitors alike the opportunity to get lost in some of the most pristine nature in the country and enjoy the fine dining, great nightlife and social benefits that come with a large local population.
Check out the hidden gems listed below and find your new favorite Denver hangout today.
Source: facebook.com/theplimoth
The best places to eat in Denver
Over the past decade, Denver has become a hotspot for innovative chefs and the dishes that help make their names. Here are eight of the top restaurants in Denver.
The Plimoth
The Plimoth perfectly encompasses everything you want in a neighborhood eatery. A warm and inviting interior paired with an expansive outdoor seating area make the Plimoth a great place to grab a bite in the Skyland neighborhood. This foodie’s paradise features a creative menu that constantly evolves to reflect what’s in season and what’s on the minds of the talented folks making the food.
Comal Heritage Food Incubator
Comal Heritage Food Incubator was founded with the goal of serving as a “platform for economic development for aspiring immigrant and refugee women entrepreneurs to learn the skills to find a great job in the industry or launch their own business…” It’s hard not to support a noble cause like that. Even better, the from-scratch food being churned out of this sustainable kitchen is top notch. With a menu that changes daily, your guess is as good as ours as to what you can expect, but rest assured, it will be better than whatever you’re making at home. You can find this hidden gem in South Globeville.
Jovanina’s Broken Italian
Jovanina’s Broken Italian is an undeniably cool Central Business District spot for great food and charming Italian decor. This place is so cool, in fact, that it has a basement speakeasy called Sotto Voce that used to serve as a gathering space during prohibition. So, looking to impress that special someone next date night? How does authentic Italian food followed by a nightcap in an exclusive speakeasy sound?
Q House
Q House is a hip hideout that’s small, welcoming and always crafting refined Chinese offerings in the kitchen. From duck lo mein to chicken wings and so much more, It’s entirely possible that every item on the menu is an undeniable home run. The team at Q House takes it up a notch by pairing their delicious plates with creative cocktails, purposefully selected wines and beer from all over the world. With a combo like that, you really can’t go wrong at Q House.
Woodie Fisher
Boasting one of the most awe-inspiring interiors in the Denver restaurant scene, Woodie Fisher is a Ballpark District restaurant serving up an eclectic selection of upscale plates. Take a look at the menu and it’s easy to see that their food draws inspiration from all around the globe. Soaring ceilings, tasteful greenery and a kitchen staff/front-of-house team that are second to none make this beautiful brick building a great option for a more upscale evening.
HOJA
By utilizing local and organic products whenever possible, the team at HOJA has created a sustainable spot to seek out fresh food and delicious drinks in the Platt Park area. The food selection skews more breakfast/lunch in style but they offer up craft cocktails in addition to great vibes until 8:00 PM Thursday – Sunday. Whether you’re starting your day with a breakfast burrito or capping it off with a passion fruit marg, if you find yourself at HOJA, you’re in for a good time.
WongWayVeg
WongWayVeg is a vegan food truck that can often be found in the South Park Hill area of Denver. This truck can be hired to cater weddings, baby showers and any other type of social or professional gathering. This woman-run truck serves up burgers, burritos barbecue and more all in peerless vegan form. If you’re in the market for scratch-made vegan comfort food, check out their website and track down the WongWayVeg truck today.
The Corner Beet
The Corner Beet is a North Capitol Hill-based restaurant that utilizes organic and locally-sourced ingredients wherever possible. This gem features a bright and airy interior, a great location and food that not only tastes good but has you feeling good after you eat it, too. Offering up everything from coffee and smoothies to salads and cocktails, this hip neighborhood shop is an ideal place to kill a few hours, grab a bite and watch the Denver locals go about their day.
Source: facebook.com/retrogradednvr
Four great places to grab a drink in Denver
Looking for a local watering hole to sip on a tasty cocktail? These four spots are the perfect place to grab a drink with some friends.
Retrograde
Retrograde is a small speakeasy hidden in the back of an ice cream shop. This little lounge serves up inventive cocktails with unique flavors under space-themed names. The great thing about Retrograde is that, if you encounter a wait while trying to get in, you can enjoy a scoop of some ice cream from the Sweet Action ice cream shop.
Run for the Roses
Run for the Roses is a secluded and swanky underground lair located at Dairy Block. This cozy lounge is the ideal spot to end your night with a classic cocktail made by a top-tier mixologist. If you’re hitting the town with a larger group, make a reservation ahead of time as Run for the Roses has private space available for more sizable parties.
The Wild
The Wild aims to be the premier spot in Downtown Denver for coffee, cocktails, wine, beer and spirits. As soon as you step inside, it’s easy to see they’ve accomplished just that. Sit down and enjoy a small plate paired with the libation of your choice and enjoy all that this perfectly curated space has to offer.
Forget Me Not
Forget Me Not is an elegant cocktail bar in the Country Club neighborhood. This hip spot features velvet couches, a beautiful bar under a big chandelier, great outdoor seating and colorful cocktails that taste as good as they look, and that’s saying something. If that’s not a recipe for a great night on the town in Denver, what is?
Source: facebook.com/novelstrandbrewingco
The best spots for a cold beer in Denver
There’s no denying it, Denver is a beer city. Here are four of the best spots to grab a cold one in the Mile High City.
Novel Strand
A brewer-owned and operated brewery, Novel Strand is as legit as it gets. Nestled in the heart of Baker, Novel Strand Brewing Company specializes in unique beers with flavors that you aren’t likely to find elsewhere. Always experimenting with new methods and ingredients, the creative folks behind this brewery are constantly “changing their DNA,” and that’s just the way they like it.
Cervecería Colorado
Cervecería Colorado operates under the noble idea of building bridges, not walls. That said, the bright muraled walls of the Cervecería Colorado building will likely be the first thing you notice when you pull up to their Highland location. Here you’ll find Mexican-inspired craft beers influenced by traditional flavors and executed with imagination. Stop by and sip on a cold one while breathing in the fresh Rocky Mountian air from the patio.
Crooked Stave
Crooked Stave was founded over a decade ago by the science-minded, creative brew guru, Chad Yakobson. Chad takes a progressive approach to brewing that “blends science and art through creativity and passion.” Pouring everything from sours to Mexican lagers to IPAs, if you’re a beer lover, this is the place for you. Stop by, kick back and crack open a sudsy creation with a few friends. Life in Denver doesn’t get much better than that.
14er Brewing Company and Beer Garden
“Uniquely crushable craft beers” serves as the driving principle behind River North Art District-based 14er Brewing Company and Beer Garden. This industrial space often hosts food trucks to accompany its killer selection of brews. Benefitting from an expansive beer garden, 14er is an ideal spot to get together with a large group or enjoy a little personal time over a pint. Regardless, 14er is inviting and always a good choice for a quality hang.
Source: facebook.com/sondercoffeeco
Locally owned coffee shops in Denver
With so much to do in Denver, you’re going to want to stay caffeinated. These are four of the best coffee shops and cafes in Denver.
Sonder Coffee and Tea
Sonder Coffee and Tea is a cute and airy Cherry Creek coffee shop that has a truly great atmosphere. offering up exactly what you’re looking for in a morning pick-me-up spot, Sonder Coffee and Tea has kombucha and iced tea on tap as well as creative cold brews and pastries that can make all seem right in the world. That may be an exaggeration, but you really can’t go wrong with anything on the menu here.
Middle State Coffee
Middle State Coffee is a plant-filled, industrial-style space serving up some of the highest quality caffeinated cups of goodness in the Baker area. More than a simple coffee shop, Middle State also offers subscription and wholesale services in addition to strong Wi-Fi and stellar waffles. If you need a pick-me-up, you can always count on Middle State Coffee to provide quality fuel for your day.
Kaladi Coffee Roasters
With locations in Denver and Englewood, Kaladi Coffee Roasters is beloved by Colorado locals. Founded over 20 years ago, Kaladi sources only the highest-quality beans and leverages custom equipment to create coffee that simply tastes great. Regardless of how you take your morning cup of joe, if you’re filling up with Kaladi, you’re starting your day on the right foot.
Blue Sparrow Coffee
Blue Sparrow Coffee is a coffee-lovers coffee shop. Beautiful space, talented baristas and a menu that reflects the interests of the passionate people behind the scenes make this cafe truly one of a kind. Stop in for a house-made chai, refreshing matcha or fresh pastry to get your day going. With nitro cold brew, kombucha and CBD lattes on offer, there’s something at this shop for everyone. Stop in and see for yourself.
Source: facebook.com/lostlakedenver
Where to watch a live show in Denver
There’s no shortage of gifted performers in Denver. Catch a show at one of the following venues and soak up some local talent.
Lost Lake Lounge
Lost Lake Lounge hosts local and touring acts in an intimate venue with a killer sound system. Dive bar vibes meet next-level stage talent in this locally loved live music venue. Closing in on a decade in the Congress Park area, Lost Lake Lounge has become a staple in the community and has given local creatives a place to take the stage or kick back and enjoy a show.
Denver Comedy Works
As one of the most celebrated comedy clubs in the country, Denver Comedy Works is probably too high profile to be considered a hidden gem, but still worth mentioning here nonetheless. To put it simply, if you’re a comedy fan in the Denver area, Denver Comedy Works is your best bet to get your laugh on. Check out the schedule and get your tickets to a show today.
Mercury Cafe
Mercury Cafe is an undeniably funky performance venue that provides stage time for musicians, poets and people of all practices with a story to tell. Offering organic eats alongside soulful performances, Mercury is a welcoming space that embraces the people and passions that make Denver an entirely unique mountain city.
The Lodge at Woods Boss
Small enough for intimate gatherings but large enough to accommodate an audience of up to 100 people, The Lodge at Woods Boss is a live performance venue and event space located within Woods Boss Brewing. The owners say the space was designed with celebrations and special occasions in mind, and that vibe comes through strong from the second you enter the space. Sign up for an open mic night or catch an acoustic show with a cold beer.
Source: facebook.com/impropercity
Enjoy the great outdoors in Denver
Going to Denver and not enjoying the great outdoors is like going to the beach and not getting sandy, you just can’t do it.
Improper City
Improper City is a beer garden that hosts food trucks in its expansive outdoor area. If you like your daily dose of nature to be paired with a delicious taco and cold drink, Improper City is the spot for you. The outdoor patio is dog and kid-friendly, so don’t be afraid to invite the whole family for a day of delicious food and refreshing drinks under the Denver sun.
Sloan’s Lake Park
As the largest lake, and second-largest park, in Denver, Sloan’s Lake Park is a beacon of natural beauty in the West Highland section of Denver. With a path encircling the lake, Sloan’s Lake Park is a great place to get your steps in away from the hustle and bustle of the city surrounding this serene oasis. Sloan’s Lake also plays host to the Colorado Dragon Boat Festival, if you’re lucky enough to be in town for that, it’s a must-see.
Denver Trail System
Denver boasts over eighty miles of off-road, multi-use recreational trails within the city limits. With so much space to run, pedal, rollerblade and more, there’s no excuse to not get out and explore the different areas of the city connected by the expansive trail system.
Washington Park
Known locally as “Wash Park,” Washington Park is located southeast of downtown Denver and features sporting facilities, flower gardens, walking trails and so much more. Surrounded by residential housing, Washington Park serves as a meeting place, workout center and communal hub for the area and is always buzzing with activity. Feeling down on a slow day? head to Wash Park for the type of spiritual pick-me-up only the great outdoors can provide.
You can do it all in Denver
Whether you’re a foodie looking for your next great meal or an outdoor enthusiast hoping to find home in a place with parks and other opportunities for recreational activities nearby, Denver has something to offer everyone. Stop by any of the local spots listed above and enjoy the best of what the Mile High City has to offer.
This is a guest post from Sierra Black, a long-time GRS reader. She writes about frugality, sustainable living, and getting her kids to eat kale at Childwild.com.
When my husband and I first got married, we bought a house in the suburbs and promptly had a baby. Buying that house meant buying a piece of the American Dream — but we both figured out pretty quickly that it wasn’t our dream.
I will never forget coming home from the hospital with that precious little girl and looking around my huge suburban home with a sense of confused dread. “What happened to my apartment?” I said. “What happened to my life?”
Big problems I stayed home with our baby for a year, living on savings, and then went back to work full time. The baby went to daycare for ten hours a day, and most of my salary went there with her.
I was driving 40 miles north every day to work at a newspaper, while my husband drove 40 miles south to his research job at a major university. He’d leave the house at 8 a.m. and often come home after midnight. On a “good day” he could get home for dinner with me around 8 p.m.
Meanwhile, I’d come home exhausted with a cranky kid, only to have my boss call during our late dinner to tell me that something on my beat was on fire (sometimes literally) and I had to go cover it. On the weekends, instead of hanging out with friends or having adventures, we got to mow our lawn, clean the ten rooms of our lovely home and try to balance our finances.
We were exhausted, miserable, lonely and broke.
We lived like this for two years, and then things started to fall apart. First I left my job to have a second child. Having become a stay-at-home mom, I was starting to get serious about cutting the fat from our budget. I started with the small things:
canceling our Netflix subscriptions
scaling back on dining out
buying store brand groceries
It felt like I was bailing out a leaky boat with a teaspoon. Something bigger would have to change.
Big decisions We started talking seriously about moving. The housing market was starting to head south, but an opportunity popped up to buy a house near his office from a friend who’d moved to California.
We decided to go for it.
The move has saved us over $1000 a month. We sold one of our cars, and drive the other one only about 10% of what we used to. Our mortgage is slightly lower, and since the new place is a little smaller, the utility bills are less. It’s also much easier to clean than the huge, drafty house we had before.
We save money in less tangible ways too. We live in a vibrant neighborhood now, where people create and share a lot of community resources. We’re able to barter or swap for everything from clothing to childcare to soup, something we could never do in our sterile suburban neighborhood. This network of community resources saves us at least $200 a month.
Even more precious than money, this move saved us time. My husband spends more time with his children now. He walks to work, and comes home every day for lunch with the family. The reduction in our expenses also bought us the ability to live on one income indefinitely, giving me the gift of time with our girls. That in turn allowed us to choose homeschooling for our children.
Our financial picture is far from perfect. We still have large debts, and I pinch pennies to afford small treats like a paperback book or an ice cream outing. But for the first time, I have a clear plan to achieve our financial goals. I’m seeing our debt go down every month while our savings go up. And I’m enjoying every day of it as I get more time with my family, and spend less time maintaining a suburban home and lifestyle.
Big returns Moving is not for everyone. Many people love their homes and make huge sacrifices to stay in them. But if you’re trying to get your finances under control, I encourage you to look at your life and consider the big stuff as well as the small.
Making big changes is difficult. Staging our house for sale, selling it in a down market and then moving with two small kids was a series of daunting, painful tasks. The move was financially counter-intuitive: we sold our house at a loss and took on new debt to pay for our moving costs. But the rewards matched the effort. We’re getting a huge return on the investment we made in this change, one that far outpaces the savings we saw from cutting every magazine subscription we had.
Just in case you’re inspired to follow my particular example, here’s a recent guide to how to downsize your home.
J.D.’s note: Sierra’s experience reminds me of the advice that Elizabeth Warren gives in her book, All Your Worth. She urges readers to get the big stuff right so that the little stuff matters less.
Purchasing airfare can be a complicated process, and it can take considerable skill and patience to find the best possible ticket prices. To demystify the process and help you snag a great price on your next trip, we gathered 11 of our tried-and-true strategies for finding the best prices on airfare.
Every situation is unique, so you may not be able to apply every single one of these strategies every time you fly. Your mileage may vary based on your desired route(s) or planned date(s) of travel.
Regardless of where or when you’re going, bookmark this story so you can easily reference these strategies for finding cheap airfare.
Start with Google Flights
When shopping for a flight, the first thing you’ll want to do is figure out which airlines operate a given route and get an idea of the average prices.
Instead of visiting each airline’s website individually, start by searching a site like Google Flights that will produce results from numerous airlines. Google Flights is a robust search tool that not only shows you pricing based on your date and route but also displays alternate pricing via a date grid and price graph that can help you save money.
You can even set up tracking alerts to receive email notifications if the price for your desired route drops.
Related: What you need to know about using Google Flights for award flight searches
Keep in mind that Google Flights is not a booking platform, so you can’t actually make a reservation or pay for your ticket through the site. When you click on a flight you want to book, it will take you to that airline’s website to complete your booking.
Check carriers that don’t appear on third-party sites
One of the main weaknesses of online search engines is that they often won’t list the flights of all carriers, such as Southwest and some ultra-low-cost carriers, like Allegiant and Frontier.
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The best way to find out which of these carriers serves a particular airport is to search for the route map on each airline’s website (or Google the airline name with “route map”). Once you know about any alternate carriers, you can check their pricing and compare it to the pricing you found for the airlines listed on Google Flights.
Search one-way and round-trip flights
More often than not, round-trip tickets are cheaper than purchasing two one-way flights, but we all know there are exceptions to every rule.
For example, JetBlue and Southwest typically price their tickets on a one-way basis; a round-trip flight is simply the sum of the two one-way prices. Occasionally, though, you may get the best round-trip deal by pairing two one-way tickets, potentially on two different airlines.
Remember, Google Flights is a terrific tool to show you when separate one-ways could be the cheapest option.
Just be aware that booking two one-way flights does carry some risk if you need to cancel or change your trip. If you book your outbound and return flights on different carriers and both charge $200 change or cancellation fees, you’ll be hit twice if you need to adjust your travel plans. Changing both ends of a round-trip flight booked on a single airline would only incur that fee once.
Related: How to avoid airline change and cancellation fees
Search one seat at a time
There’s a little-known quirk in how airlines price seats that can result in much higher prices when searching for multiple passengers versus a single ticket. Airlines place their inventory in fare classes (sometimes called “buckets”) that aren’t always clearly visible to consumers.
For example, there might be only three seats left in a fare bucket for $300 each, and the next higher bucket might be $400 per ticket. However, if you were to search for four seats, everyone would fall into the $400 fare bucket.
By searching for a single seat, you’ll see one of the three remaining $300 tickets. With a little trial and error, you’d then know to book one reservation with three tickets at $300 each and another reservation for the fourth ticket at $400. In this example, applying this simple strategy would save you $300 from what you’d pay by booking all four seats on a single reservation.
To make this a bit easier, many airlines will even tell you how many are left at that price, like this example from Miami International Airport (MIA) to New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) on Delta.
If you had searched for three or four tickets, the price of that one-way flight jumps to $249.30, an increase of $56 per passenger. This trick also works when you need to book multiple award flights that aren’t all available at the lowest mileage levels.
Search alternate airports
Sometimes the cost of a flight is just so high that it can make sense to use your second or perhaps third choice of airports. Many airlines allow you to search all airports in a region by specifying the destination as the city (e.g. New York City) instead of a particular airport.
For example, the New York area has three large airports: John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and LGA. However, you’ll find even more flights if you expand your search to nearby Long Island McArthur Airport (ISP), Westchester County Airport (HPN) and Stewart International Airport (SWF).
When you use Google Flights, for example, you can enter your origin and destination cities instead of a specific airport name. This opens up more – and possibly cheaper – flight options.
Leverage elite status
Having elite status won’t get you discounted tickets, but you might be able to use it to save money another way. Having elite status with most carriers will allow you to stand by for earlier flights or perform same-day confirmed flight changes.
This could allow you to book a discounted flight at an inconvenient time, only to change it to the flight you want at no additional cost. Even if you don’t have elite status, the charge to stand by or make a same-day confirmed flight change might be less than the fare difference between the flight you want and the cheapest option that day.
For details on the major airlines’ elite status programs, check out the following guides:
Use the right credit card
The right credit card can offer you significant savings on airfare in a variety of different ways. For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express offers 5 points per dollar on all airfare purchases made directly with the airline or through the Amex travel portal (up to $500,000 in annual purchases), worth 10 cents per dollar spent, according to TPG’s latest valuations.
Related: The best credit cards for airfare purchases
Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders can earn 5 points per dollar on flights booked through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. You can also use your $300 annual travel credit toward airfare purchases because they typically code as travel.
Other cards, including the Chase Sapphire Preferred, the American Express® Green Card and American Express® Gold Card, also have elevated points earnings for flights.
Check first class
Don’t ask us why, but once in a blue moon, you may find that a first-class ticket can be very close to the price of one in economy class — or sometimes even less. Some possible explanations are that people forget to check the price of first class and that many companies don’t allow their employees to book first class, even when it’s less expensive. Also, discounted first class fares might exist when only full-fare economy class tickets are for sale.
Related: Are first-class tickets worth the splurge?
Either way, always check the price of a first-class ticket before paying for an above-average economy class fare. When you factor in the additional miles you will receive as well as the free baggage allowance, lounge access and in-flight amenities, it may justify a modest premium in fare.
Look for coupons and other offers
Like any business, airlines occasionally offer coupons and other discounts. For example, your Amex Offers could feature airline rebates, or you could save money with an all-you-can-fly pass like those offered by Frontier. Other low-cost carriers like Southwest often offer flight deals that can save you hundreds of dollars on airfare.
Buy miles
When faced with an expensive fare and a shortage of miles, consider buying the miles you need for an award ticket, especially when they are on sale. It rarely makes sense to purchase miles without a bonus and without a specific award in mind, but when you can save money by purchasing miles and immediately redeeming them for an award flight, it can be a great idea.
Reprice, reprice, reprice
Many airlines allow you to rebook your airfare if the price drops after you book your flight. For example, if the price of your Southwest flight drops after your initial booking, you can rebook your flight and receive a credit or a cash refund, depending on your fare type.
Delta Air Lines, American Airlines and United Airlines also have a “no-change-fee” policy for most flights and fare types. Once you book, check for fare drops on a regular basis and snag that refund if the price drops.
Bottom line
Purchasing airfare can be a complicated endeavor, with so many carriers competing for customers and adjusting prices frequently.
Thankfully, there are several simple strategies you can use to minimize your out-of-pocket expense for booking flights. Even if you pick two or three of these as a starting point, you’ll be well on your way to finding the best flight prices for your next trip.
Cleveland, Ohio, is renowned for its vibrant cityscape and rich history, but it’s also a city that embraces its natural beauty through a plethora of parks. If you’re in search of a home for sale or an apartment for rent in Cleveland, OH, you’ll be excited to discover that the city is home to a multitude of stunning green spaces. In this Redfin article, we’ll explore the most popular parks beloved by Cleveland locals.
1. Cleveland Metroparks
Cleveland Metroparks is a vast network of parks that spans over 23,000 acres, providing residents and visitors with an abundance of natural beauty and recreational opportunities. With over 100 miles of trails, you can explore scenic forests, tranquil rivers, and picturesque lakes. Popular parks within the Cleveland Metroparks system include the Rocky River Reservation, which offers stunning views of the Rocky River and features an extensive trail network, and the North Chagrin Reservation, home to the renowned Squire’s Castle and Buttermilk Falls.
2. Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Just a short drive from downtown Cleveland lies Cuyahoga Valley National Park, a true gem of the region. This expansive park encompasses over 33,000 acres of diverse landscapes, including rolling hills, lush forests, and beautiful waterfalls. You can enjoy hiking, biking, and horseback riding on the park’s extensive trail system, or explore the Cuyahoga River by canoe or kayak. The park also hosts a variety of events and programs throughout the year, such as guided hikes and wildlife presentations.
3. Edgewater Park
Situated along the shores of Lake Erie, Edgewater Park offers a stunning beachfront escape within the city limits. The park features a mile-long sandy beach where you can relax, swim, or soak up the sun. Picnic areas, grills, and playgrounds make it a perfect spot for a fun outing or a leisurely afternoon with friends. Edgewater Park also offers breathtaking views of the Cleveland skyline, especially during sunset, making it a popular spot for photographers and nature lovers.
4. Wade Oval
Located in the heart of University Circle, Wade Oval is a picturesque park surrounded by some of Cleveland’s top cultural institutions. The park’s expansive green space serves as a gathering place for concerts, festivals, and community events throughout the year. You can relax under the shade of the park’s trees, enjoy a picnic on the lawn, or take a leisurely stroll around the pond. Wade Oval is a vibrant hub of activity and a testament to Cleveland’s thriving arts and culture scene.
5. Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve
For those seeking a unique natural experience, the Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve offers a peaceful retreat amidst the industrial backdrop of Lake Erie. This 88-acre park features a variety of habitats, including wetlands, meadows, and woodlands, which provide a sanctuary for numerous bird species and wildlife. You can explore the park’s trails and observation decks, which offer panoramic views of the lake and the city skyline. The Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve showcases the resiliency of nature in an urban environment.
6. Rockefeller Park
Rockefeller Park is a historic park located along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive in Cleveland. This 275-acre park features beautifully landscaped gardens, tree-lined boulevards, and scenic waterways. One of the park’s highlights is the Cultural Gardens, a series of thematic gardens that pay homage to different ethnic and cultural groups in Cleveland. You can stroll through the gardens, admiring the ornate statues and vibrant displays of flowers, or enjoy a peaceful picnic in the park’s shaded groves.
7. Forest Hill Park
Nestled in the charming neighborhood of Cleveland Heights, Forest Hill Park offers a serene escape from the urban hustle and bustle. This 235-acre park has rolling hills, wooded areas, and a lake. You can enjoy a walk or bike ride along the park’s trails, have a picnic in one of the designated areas, or let children explore the playgrounds. Forest Hill Park also hosts community events and concerts, bringing neighbors together in a beautiful natural setting.
A final note on parks in Cleveland
Cleveland is home to a diverse range of parks that offer an escape from the urban landscape and a chance to connect with nature. Whether you’re looking for scenic trails, beautiful gardens, or serene lakefront views, Cleveland’s parks have a lot to offer. So, lace up your hiking boots, pack a picnic basket, and explore the natural wonders that await you in these ten popular parks in Cleveland, OH.
Felix Baumgartner broke a world record by free-falling 23 miles and breaking the sound barrier in the process.
If you think he was nervous, you should have talked to his life insurance agent.
Many skydivers might believe that getting life insurance is impossible or super expensive.
If you are a skydiver, you might be pleasantly surprised to learn that is farther from the truth.
Just because you like to jump out of perfectly good airplanes, does NOT meant that you cannot get live insurance.
Here’s what you need to know.
What if you already have life insurance?
The good news is that if you already have life insurance, you’re good to go.
You’ll be automatically grandfathered into your policy. Take me for example. I have no intentions of jumping out of a plane and didn’t 2 years ago when I took out my 30 year term policy.
If I were to jump out of plane next year, and my chute didn’t open, it would be a really bad day, but my wife would be protected.
Unlike other circumstances, the life insurance company would still pay out the policy.
What do insurance companies look for regarding skydivers?
If you don’t have life insurance in-force and you’re looking to take out a new policy, here are some of the questions they will have regarding your skydiving activities.
Number of skydives per year
Are you a member of a skydiving club?
Are you willing to accept an exclusion? (note: this is NOT recommended!)
It’s best to upfront when the insurance companies asks for specifics in how often you jump per year.
A healthy 30 year old can get a $250,000 30 year policy from Lincoln Benefit Life for $340/yr.
Now let’s say that the same individual is in a skydiving club that jumps around 40 times a year.
Because of this he automatically gets moved from Preferred Plus ratings to Preferred.
His policy at preferred ratings will cost him $415/yr through Lincoln. He will also have to pay a $3 flat extra fee per thousand dollars of insurance coverage.
This would add $750 ($3 X 250) to his base rate of $415, making his total annual premium $1,165.
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Getting a Quote
Using an independent life insurance agency, allows you to have the ability to work with all the top carriers that will underwrite skydivers.
Working with an independent agent has several benefits. The biggest is that it saves you time and frustration during the life insurance policy hunt.
Sure, you can spend hours on the phone talking to dozens of companies and answering the exact same questions over and over.
The search for an affordable high risk activity life insurance policy can make you want to pull your hair out, but that’s where we can help.
The other advantage is that we know which companies view skydivers more favorably. The better they look at skydiving, the lower your monthly premiums are going to be.
Other factors
Your adventurous hobby isn’t the only thing that the insurance company is going to look at, several other factors that are going to be used to calculate your premiums. One of the biggest contributing factors is your age. The younger that you are, the less risk you’re going to be. If you want to save money, don’t wait any longer to apply for your life insurance policy.
Another factor is your health. If you have any high risk factors such as chronic conditions or diseases, your monthly premiums are going to be higher because you pose more of a risk to the company.
Your basic health like weight and blood pressure can also make your premiums go up. If you’re looking to save money on insurance premiums, an excellent way to do that is by shedding a few pounds. Regular exercise and a good diet can work wonders on your waistline and your wallet. It’s a win-win.
Your Options
When searching for life insurance, you have several different types of policies to choose from, the three main types are term, permanent, and no-exam life insurance. Each of them has pros and cons.
The first type is term life insurance. These plans tend to be the cheapest because they are only effective for a set time. They are sold in a variety of lengths, 5,10,20, 30 years and just about everything in between. Once that set time is up, you no longer have coverage and you’ll have to reapply for a difference plan.
Permanent life insurance (also called whole life insurance) is exactly what it sounds like. These policies will remain in force for as long as you continue to pay the monthly premiums. You’ll never have to reapply or get a new policy. These policies tend to be more expensive, but they also generate a cash value as you continue to pay the premiums through the years. You even decide to look into a return of premium rider. If you ever need it, you can take out a loan on the cash value, which is a nice feature.
The last of the big three is no-exam life insurance policies. These are the most expensive of the three and are normally a “last resort” for most people. As you can probably guess by the name, these life insurance plans don’t require the applicant to take a medical exam to be gain coverage. These plans are great for anyone with a serious health condition or disease that would cause them to be denied a traditional policy.
Life Insurance and skydiving
If you enjoy skydiving, that shouldn’t keep you from getting the life insurance coverage that you and your family deserve. There are dozens of companies that will offer you an affordable life insurance policy that won’t force you to give up one of your favorite hobbies. One of the worst mistakes that you can make (aside from forgetting your parachute) is to not buy life insurance. If something tragic were to happen to you, your family would be left with thousands of dollars in debt and no way to get through that difficult time.
It seems almost every airline, hotel chain and credit card issuer has launched its own premium credit card, enticing customers with luxury travel perks paired with hefty annual fees. Many of these cards offer solid value, especially if you’re loyal to the underlying brand.
There are two long-standing titans of the premium card market. Of course, we’re talking about The Platinum Card® from American Express and the Chase Sapphire Reserve. The former built the market for premium rewards cards decades ago, while the latter is responsible for growing its mass appeal.
Since the Sapphire Reserve debuted in 2016, competition between these two cards has been fierce. Today, we will look at how they stack up against each other and whether you should consider adding one (or both) to your wallet.
Related: The best travel credit cards
Welcome offer
When considering a new card, especially one with a $500-plus annual fee, most people first look at the welcome offer to see how much of that annual fee they can start recouping immediately.
With its $695 annual fee (see rates and fees), the Amex Platinum is currently offering new applicants 80,000 Membership Rewards points after they spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months of cardmembership. However, it’s worth checking to see if you’re targeted for a higher offer of up to 125,000 points through the CardMatch tool (offer subject to change at any time).
TPG values Membership Rewards points at 2 cents each, making the initial welcome offer of 80,000 points worth $1,600 alone. Since Amex only allows you to earn a welcome offer on each of its cards once per lifetime, it might be tempting to hold off on applying for the Amex Platinum in hopes that you may be targeted through CardMatch for a higher bonus at some point in the future.
Meanwhile, the Chase Sapphire Reserve offers a sign-up bonus of 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 in the first three months from account opening.
TPG also values Ultimate Rewards points at 2 cents each, making this bonus worth $1,200. That’s significantly lower than the Amex Platinum offer, though the spending requirement to earn the bonus is also lower.
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Winner: The Amex Platinum takes the lead in this first category, especially if you are targeted for an elevated offer through CardMatch.
Related: The best time to apply for these popular cards based on offer history
Earning
Long after your bonus has been earned and spent, you’ll want a card to help you quickly rack up valuable transferable points.
Both of these cards get that done but in very different ways. Your best option depends on which other Chase or Amex cards you currently have in your wallet and how the bonus categories on those other cards overlap with the Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum.
Here are the bonus categories for these two cards:
Bonus multiplier
Amex Platinum
Chase Sapphire Reserve
10 points per dollar
N/A.
Lyft rides (through March 2025.)
Hotels and car rentals booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal.
Chase Dining purchases made through the Ultimate Rewards portal.
Peloton equipment and accessory purchases of $250 or more, with a maximum of 50,000 points (through March 2025).
5 points per dollar
Airfare booked directly with airlines and airfare booked with American Express Travel, on up to $500,000 on these purchases per calendar year.
Prepaid hotels booked with Amex Travel.
Airfare booked through the Ultimate Rewards portal.
3 points per dollar
N/A.
Travel and dining.
1 point per dollar
All other purchases.
All other purchases.
Chase offers a broader range of bonus categories, including everyday purchases like travel and dining.
While the Amex Platinum does pull ahead on airfare booked directly with airlines (with a terrific 10% return), the Chase Sapphire Reserve pulls ahead for dozens of other travel expenses, including most hotels, ride-hailing services, parking fees, tolls and tours. It also has an equally broad 3 points per dollar spent on dining that the Platinum can’t match.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve is the best for earning thanks to its favorable everyday bonus categories that help you earn more points in the long term.
Related: Best reward cards for each bonus category
Redemption options
With Chase Ultimate Rewards and Amex Membership Rewards tied at 2 cents apiece in TPG’s valuations, it’s worth looking at the different transfer partners to decide which ones best suit your needs.
Let’s start with the Chase Sapphire Reserve. In addition to 11 airline and three hotel transfer partners, Sapphire Reserve customers get a 50% bonus when redeeming points for travel directly through the Chase Ultimate Rewards portal. This gives you an absolute minimum redemption value of 1.5 cents per point, meaning you can book a seat on any flight that’s for sale, even if there isn’t award space available.
That said, you’ll often get a better value by transferring your points to the loyalty programs of airlines and hotels instead. All Chase partner transfers are at a 1:1 ratio, and most of them are instant. Ultimate Rewards has a real edge for hotel bookings because of its partnership with World of Hyatt, where you can book an award night for as low as 3,500 points per night.
On the airline side of things, popular redemption options include United MileagePlus, Southwest Rapid Rewards, British Airways Avios, Virgin Atlantic Flying Club and Air France-KLM Flying Blue — though the last three also partner with Amex Membership Rewards. The same holds true for Air Canada Aeroplan — though if you also hold the Aeroplan Credit Card, you can enjoy a 10% bonus on certain transfers from Chase Ultimate Rewards to your Aeroplan account.
Finally, you also have the Pay Yourself Back option with the Sapphire Reserve, allowing you to use points to cover certain purchases at higher values:
1.5 cents per point for select charitable donations (through Dec. 31, 2023.)
1.25 cents per point for purchases at gas stations and grocery stores (through Sept. 30, 2023.)
1.25 cents per point to cover your annual fee (through Sept. 30, 2023.)
Again, though, the best redemption option will typically come from maximizing Chase’s transfer partners.
Meanwhile, Amex Membership Rewards has a whopping 20 transfer partners, but not all are worth your attention. Some have transfer ratios below 1:1, have longer transfer times (which means you risk watching your award space disappear) or simply don’t have reasonably priced redemption options.
Some of the best are ANA Mileage Club, Air Canada Aeroplan and Avianca LifeMiles, each of which offers attractively priced options for booking Star Alliance tickets. Cathay Pacific Asia Miles, British Airways Executive Club and Delta SkyMiles are also popular transfer options.
However, if you opt to use your points directly through American Express Travel, you won’t get nearly the value you do through Chase. Flight bookings are a flat 1 cent per point, while hotel reservations clock in at just 0.7 cents apiece. As a result, you’re typically much better off with the transfer options.
Winner: Chase Sapphire Reserve comes out on top for redemption options since it offers a 1:1 transfer ratio for all of its airline and hotel partners, the Pay Yourself Back feature and more flexibility with its 50% bonus for travel booked in Ultimate Rewards.
Perks and benefits
The Chase Sapphire Reserve and Amex Platinum are two of the most valuable rewards cards on the market, but they’re also two of the most expensive. You’ll pay a $550 annual fee with the Sapphire Reserve and a $695 annual fee with the Amex Platinum.
So, what do you get in exchange for that upfront cost? For starters, both cards feature airport lounge access and additional travel and food delivery credits, among other benefits. Let’s take a look below at the most popular and valuable perks available (note that enrollment is required for select benefits):
*Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Not all vehicle types or rentals are covered, and geographic restrictions apply. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by AMEX Assurance Company. Coverage is offered through American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
**Eligibility and benefit level varies by card. Terms, conditions and limitations apply. Visit americanexpress.com/benefitsguide for details. Policies are underwritten by New Hampshire Insurance Company, an AIG Company.
This is by far the trickiest part of the comparison, with many different pieces to unpack. It’s also the one where your own personal preferences may sway you to one card or another.
For starters, the Sapphire Reserve still has an edge over Amex regarding the $300 annual travel credit. Not only is it a higher amount than the up-to-$200 airline fee credit that comes with the Amex Platinum, but it’s also much less restrictive. It will automatically apply to a broad range of travel purchases. In contrast, the $200 Amex airline credit only applies to select fees such as seat assignments or checked bags — and you’re limited to a single airline you designate each year.
Regarding ride-hailing services, some people see the up-to-$200 in annual (U.S.) Uber Cash (broken into $15 a month, with a $20 bonus in December) that comes with the Amex Platinum card as a cash-like credit. However, not everyone uses a ride-hailing service or places an Uber Eats order in the U.S. once a month, which means the 10 points per dollar spent on Lyft rides with the Sapphire Reserve might be a more valuable option.
On the flip side, if you live in a smaller city or never order food, you might find the DoorDash partnership with Chase useless.
The same can be said of certain perks on the Amex Platinum — including statement credits with Saks Fifth Avenue, Clear and select digital entertainment providers. If you already use these services or merchants, it’s like money back in your pocket. If not, you may find they aren’t a real value-add relative to the annual fee.
Meanwhile, the Amex Platinum is widely considered the most comprehensive card for airport lounge access. Although the Priority Pass Select membership that comes with this card no longer allows you to access participating restaurants (you can with a Chase-issued Priority Pass membership), the access to Amex’s wide collection of Centurion Lounges and Delta Sky Clubs on same-day Delta flights should be enough to make up for that.
Meanwhile, the Sapphire Reserve only offers Priority Pass access, they are expanding their network of Chase lounges, with the first U.S. location open in Boston.
Another area where Amex excels is by offering Gold elite status with both Marriott and Hilton to Platinum cardholders. Chase offers no equivalent benefit.
Chase has historically been the leader in travel insurance, with generous terms. Amex has partially closed the gap, adding a suite of travel protection benefits to the Amex Platinum card (see here for more).
Winner: Amex Platinum is the clear winner when it comes to perks and benefits, which include its $1,400-plus in annual statement credits, expanded airport lounge access, travel protections, and elite status with Marriott and Hilton. However, if you’re looking for a more flexible travel credit, comprehensive protections and fewer lifestyle perks, the Sapphire Reserve could be a better option.
Related: How long it takes to receive statement credits
Bottom line
The Chase Sapphire Reserve and The Platinum Card from American Express are two of the most popular premium rewards cards on the market. However, they offer slightly different value propositions.
Between hotel elite status and Centurion Lounge access, the Amex Platinum is better suited for those looking to enjoy a more luxurious travel lifestyle. If you frequently purchase airfare qualifying for 5 points per dollar, this card deserves a spot in your wallet.
The Sapphire Reserve, by comparison, is a premium card that’s simple enough for beginners and pros alike. The $300 annual travel credit is automatically applied to a wide range of purchases. Plus, you earn 3 points per dollar on travel (excluding the $300 travel credit) and dining and these categories are broad enough that you won’t be scratching your head trying to decide if you’re swiping the right card.
However, some may even find that it makes sense to carry both cards. If you can take advantage of all the annual statement credits and luxury perks, these cards can actually complement each other well.
Official application link: Amex Platinum Official application link: Chase Sapphire Reserve
For rates and fees of the Amex Platinum, click here.
Additional reporting by Emily Thompson, Ryan Wilcox, Stella Shon, Juan Ruiz and Chris Dong.
In a city whose name is shorthand for exclusivity and wealth, the future of a planned ultra-opulent hotel will soon be decided by the most democratic of means: an election.
Beverly Hills voters will decide Tuesday whether to rescind the City Council’s approval of a hotel project helmed by French multibillionaire Bernard Arnault and LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, his luxury conglomerate.
To some, the battle over the Beverly Hills Cheval Blanc hotel is a David and Goliath story, pitting a small group of residents concerned about overdevelopment and a union advocating for affordable housing against the world’s richest person.
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Others see it as a tale of an outside group — in this case Unite Here Local 11 — mucking around in the city’s business and potentially depriving Beverly Hills of hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue over the next three decades. The politically powerful union, which represents hospitality workers across the region, collected the local signatures necessary to force the issue to a vote.
Regardless, all parties seem to agree that the result will have lasting implications for a 5.7-square-mile city where roughly 31,000 residents bed down at night and many more people staff homes, offices, stores, restaurants and hotels during the day.
Beverly Hills already has 16 hotels, seven of which are considered luxury, according to the city. But the Cheval Blanc would aim to be the brightest star in a galaxy of sparkle, promising an exceptionally high-end experience for its wealthy clientele.
It would be the first North American property for LVMH’s relatively new chain, which currently has five hotels, including a ski-in and ski-out chalet in the French Alps and a St. Barts hotel where the entire property is lightly scented with a custom Guerlain fragrance.
“I think it’s fair to say that this is the only city in the world that could have made this deal,” Henry Finkelstein, the outside lawyer who represented Beverly Hills in the development negotiations, said during a November City Council meeting. “If you look at virtually any other place, including in the metro Los Angeles area in particular, they would be paying subsidies. And here we are exacting premiums.”
The Beverly Hills Cheval Blanc, which was approved by the City Council and the City Planning Commission last year after a lengthy public process, would also reshape the edge of one of the most famous retail strips in the world.
When most people think of Rodeo Drive, they tend to focus on a specific portion of the roughly two-mile street: a three-block business district that doubles as an international symbol of luxury retail, where the streets are lined with palm trees and vast sums of capital.
The hotel — replete with a members-only club, restaurants, retail and a spa — would rise at the northernmost of those three blocks, abutting Little Santa Monica Boulevard.
After raising numerous objections during the planning process, Unite Here Local 11 began gathering signatures to challenge the project shortly after the development agreement and zoning amendment were approved in November.
Triggering a referendum election in Beverly Hills requires the signatures of 10% of registered voters, meaning that just 2,193 signatures were necessary at the time.
Representatives of the union argue that cities like Beverly Hills often change development rules to make it easier to build commercial luxury projects, but don’t always do this for housing. They also vociferously object to the fact that the development agreement does not specifically earmark any money for affordable housing.
Unite Here Local 11 carries tremendous political heft nine miles east, at Los Angeles City Hall, where it has pushed legislation and where one of its own, former organizer Hugo Soto-Martínez, now sits on the City Council. The union local also has been instrumental in recent policies in West Hollywood, but its influence is relatively nascent at Beverly Hills City Hall.
The city’s development agreement with LVMH dictates that the company contribute $26 million to the city’s general fund, in addition to $2 million for art and cultural programs. The city would also receive an additional 5% surcharge over its regular 14% transient occupancy tax.
The proposed hotel complex, designed by star architect Peter Marino, would replace a number of buildings, including the Richard Meier-designed site formerly occupied by the Paley Center for Media on North Beverly Drive around the corner from Rodeo. The hotel would vary from four stories to a partial ninth-story penthouse, taller than current zoning rules allow, according to the final environmental impact report.
According to the city’s analysis, the hotel is expected to funnel about $725 million into city coffers over the next 30 years, with the bulk of that coming from the combined 19% bed tax.
It’s money that Councilmember Lili Bosse, who served as mayor when the project came before the council last year, and other proponents see as key to securing the long-term future of Beverly Hills as a place synonymous with the good life.
“I think what people need to understand is the quality of life of Beverly Hills, in terms of our three-minute response time of our Police Department … the best public schools, the best quality of life, being a safe city, a beautiful city — that revenue mostly comes from the business community,” Bosse said.
But Councilmember John Mirisch, an iconoclastic former film executive and fourth-generation Beverly Hills resident who cast the lone “no” vote against the project, hardly sees the Cheval Blanc as a good deal for the city.
“We’re effectively doubling the value of their land,” Mirisch said, referring to the zoning amendment approved by the council, which will allow the developer to more than double the square footage that it would otherwise be able to build on the site. “And the city negotiated, from my perspective, a measly $28 million.”
Mirisch said he voted against the project because of his critiques of the deal, along with concerns that the hotel was too large for the area.
Since then, Mirisch said, he has been appalled by the amount of money LVMH has spent on the special election campaign.
The LVMH-funded pro-hotel campaign had spent nearly $2.8 million by early May, according to campaign statements filed with the city clerk.
Among the opponents, Local 11’s political action committee spent nearly $86,000 during the same period, and Residents Against Overdevelopment — a grassroots group led by former City Council candidate Darian Bojeaux — spent a little more than $16,000.
LVMH will reimburse Beverly Hills for the cost of the special election, estimated to be about $870,000, according to the city.
Boosters see the relationship between Cheval Blanc and the street that will house it as symbiotic, with hotel guests drawn by the location doubling as an ideal client base for the neighboring luxury stores. Money will beget money, with a small fraction of every transaction going directly into city coffers.
Proponents also say that the sumptuous spectacle of Cheval Blanc would anchor the northern end of the retail corridor, guarding against the tired fate that’s befallen several other once-hot shopping districts. (LVMH’s investments on Rodeo go far beyond just the Cheval Blanc site: The conglomerate has 15 stores on the street or broader Business Triangle and owns several of those properties, according to a spokesperson.)
But Bojeaux, a semiretired attorney, said she fears that the size of the hotel could dramatically change her “village” for the worse.
Still, the 36-year Beverly Hills resident said she had all but given up on organizing against the Cheval Blanc when Unite Here began collecting signatures for the referendum, saying, “We probably wouldn’t have been able to do it on our own.”
“Whatever their interests were, it was really wonderful for a lot of us, because they organized the referendum petition,” Bojeaux said, characterizing the referendum election as “like something out of my dreams.”
Housing — particularly the ability to find affordable housing near workplaces — is the No. 1 issue for the union and its members, said Unite Here Local 11 Co-President Kurt Petersen.
“Beverly Hills is like the worst of the worst because there’s no affordable housing nearby,” Petersen said, adding that Local 11 has more than a thousand members who work in Beverly Hills, but very few are able to live in the city.
There are 157 deed-restricted affordable units in the city, but all but seven of those units are part of a dedicated senior housing facility, according to Deputy City Manager Keith Sterling, who said an additional 50 units are in the pipeline.
Beverly Hills voters will be asked two ballot questions: whether they approve of the zoning amendment that would allow the hotel to be constructed, and whether they approve of the development agreement.
Should either measure fail to pass, the project would be unable to move forward.
Anish Melwani, chairman and chief executive of LVMH’s North American subsidiary, said that if the voters reverse the project’s approvals, the company has no plans to bring it back before the council after already going through a rigorous, years-long process.
“We have no interest in building a hotel in a community that doesn’t want us to be there. Vox populi, vox dei, right?” Melwani said, invoking a Latin phrase that means the voice of the people is the voice of God, and saying the company would revert the properties to retail.