London decoder: Rugby

We're always happy to tout new cheap airfares. So when Michael Singh, Belize's Minister of Tourism, recently mentioned to me that U.S. airlines had slashed the cost of visiting his gorgeous country to as low as $500 roundtrip, it was hard to tell who was more excited—him or me. It has taken dedicated lobbying on the part of Belizean officials to get airlines to add flights despite the recession, but their victory is now ours. Throughout the summer, fares are noticeably lower this year than last. Based on the new fare structure, a round-trip ticket between Miami and Belize that used to be approximately $670 is now about $590 (most taxes included). Special sales can slash prices further. Today, for instance, we see American is running a $204 one-way fare sale (plus taxes) for travel early next week from Miami or Dallas. Looking ahead, the Latin American country is trying to persuade JetBlue to add service as well, which would push ticket prices even lower. It was only a few months ago that we were answering the question on this site in a Belize Vacation FAQ: Why are airfares so expensive? Guess we can pull that page down—at least temporarily.

Even in the global recession, the Mission District is flourishing. Known for its arts and music scene, this huge neighborhood in the central city is the new home of small boutiques and restaurants that have been opening on a regular basis. Here's a selection of our favorite spots that opened their doors just this month. Part art gallery, part boutique, Wonderland SF features only local up-and-coming designers and artists. For instance, browse MittenMaker's jewelry, made from found objects, or luxurious draped-style clothes in neutral hues by gr.ando. The store's selection is small but offers only the creme-de-la-creme of indie artists. 2929 24th Street, between Florida and Alabama Streets, 415/641-4600. Afterlife Boutique offers a selection of vintage clothing and accessories, ranging from high-end to kitschy items like cowboy boots, reconstructed vintage dresses, ironic T-shirts, and sterling-silver earrings. Stop in for a fashion fix. 988 Valencia Street, between 21st and Liberty Streets, 415/ 796-2398. The 48-seat Heirloom Cafe serves a small menu of organic food like orechiette pasta with sausage, rapini, and yellow eye beans ($14) and PEI mussels with roasted tomatoes, shallots, and sherry ($10.) But the real draw at this farmhouse-style eatery is the wine. In fact, Los Angeles wine importer Matt Straus opened Heirloom specifically to showcase his impressive wine cellar full of rare vintages, which will cost you $100 a bottle. But other wines start at a more-reasonable $29 a bottle; glasses go for about $8. The restaurant is open for dinner early, but lunch service is expected soon. 2500 Folsom Street, 415/821-2500. Pica Pica Maize Kitchen, Napa Valley's highly acclaimed and Michelin-recommended Venezuelan restaurant, just opened a Mission location. The famous cornbread arepas ($8) are filled with a range of ingredients such as tofu, avocado, sweet plantains, black beans, and spicy sauce, or pulled pork with tomato, avocado, and aioli. 401 Valencia Street, 415/ 400-5453.

Wondering where to score the most delicious steak frites in Paris? The tastiest carbtastic dessert? Then look no further for answers than Paris by Mouth, a new site run by an all-star cast of Paris-based food writers. Our longtime expat Paris blogger Meg Zimbeck is editor. Other bylines you'll certainly recognize from the pages of Budget Travel include Alexander Lobrano, the one-time European correspondent for Gourmet, and Clotilde Dusoulier, the Parisian-food blogger who wrote Chocolate & Zucchini. The advice is super-helpful for American visitors. Terrified of making a reservation by phone? Paris by Mouth has the answers you need. Looking for the best meal you can buy for less than 25 euros? This site has listings by price category. Stumped about what bistros might be open on a Sunday night? You'll find a handful of great recommendations from the locals. For the record, the consensus pick for the best steak frites in Paris is Le Severo. And the mouth-watering treat pictured above can be bought at La Pâtisserie des Rêves. MORE Our affordable Paris blog series

During the past decade, London's bustling nightlife scene has moved out of the center to the little neighborhood of Hoxton. Bars began to move to Hoxton after the City of London—which lies less than a mile away—found new prosperity in the 1980s and 1990s. And art galleries and fashionable boutiques soon followed. It's a far cry from the 19th century, when the East End was a "no go" industrial area ridden with crime and dotted with spooky, crumbling churches. Jack the Ripper wandered its dark and danky streets, and Charles Dickens profiled its poverty in novels like Oliver Twist. Here's what to see and where to hang out in this now safe and prosperous neighborhood. Museums and Galleries Hoxton Square is home to one of London's most modish galleries, the White Cube, run by art impresario Jay Jopling and principally showcasing the work of new British artists. The best of the bunch show here, including Damien Hirst (famous for his sharks and sheep in aspic), Turner-prize nominee Tracey Emin and satirical conceptual artists Jake and Dinos Chapman. Other fashionable galleries include Rivington Place, which specializes in art installations. For a slice of an altogether older London visit the Geffrye Museum a block north of Hoxton Square. Each room offers a different glimpse of middle-class London life through the centuries, complete with original furniture, paintings, and period pieces, beginning with the 17th-century and running up to the present. The museum itself is housed in some stately brick alms-houses behind a pretty walled garden. Eating Out Hoxton and adjacent Shoreditch bristle with restaurants, with a focus on modern British, Vietnamese, and Indian. Vietnamese restaurants proliferate around the Geffrye Museum and include the ever-popular Vietnamese Kitchen. For curry, head to nearby Brick Lane, a street with scores of restaurants. Bengal Village is a tasty one, with sumptuous, spicy Chicken Madras. Your kids may be amused by All Star Lanes, a Brit take on an American midwest diner, serving great burgers and Budweiser and offering private bowling alleys pre or post meal. Nightlife People come to Hoxton for the nightlife. There are dozens of bars and clubs on and around Hoxton Square. They include the Zigfrid, which has an indoor boutique designer bar, an outdoor drinking area, and a club space in the basement and Lounge Lover, decked out like a rococo bordello, with cherry-red drapes, ornate mirrors, and flaming torches. Clubs are equally numerous and include Cargo for live music, the three-floor indie-dance club 333, and faux-New York techno and house-music club East Village. Getting to Hoxton It's easy. Take the Northern Line of the subway (Tube). Hoxton lies 400 yards east of the Old Street stop. The entire route can be planned down to the minute on the Transport for London Journey planner website. Hotel pick Our fave is The Hoxton. Near London's financial district, this 205-room hotel offers you cheap phone calls, pre-packaged healthy breakfasts delivered to your room, and a fridge filled with free mineral water and milk. EARLIER London neighborhood watch: Greenwich London: Street art beyond Banksy London: Real Deals right now