Austa Somvichian-Clausen

Lead Respect Writer at Changing America by The Hill, City Editor at InsideHook covering Washington, D.C. and New York City. Dynamic freelancer with a deep love of travel, culture, and the environment. Proud member of the LGBTQ+ community.







I'm also a freelance writer and creative consultant living in New York City. My primary beats are social justice, culture, food, and travel, but I've covered everything from the rise of organic marijuana (for National Geographic) to social media slacktivism (for Women's Health in print), and beyond. 


Though I'm currently based in NYC, I've also called Washington, DC and Los Angeles home (and take assignments in both cities). I hold dual U.S. and Icelandic citizenship, so I'm also able to work across Europe without requiring a visa. 


Formerly: Apartment Therapy, National Geographic.

Travel

InsideHook •

Five Brand New NYC Rooftops You Should Probably Visit ASAP

In what appears to be the turnaround of the century, life in New York has finally begun to form some semblance of what it was pre-pandemic. After two months of strict quarantine that simultaneously felt like a full year and one endless day, the number of new cases and hospitalizations have dropped to their lowest rates since March. It’s good news, but numbers don’t stay that good without exercising some pretty serious caution. Currently, more than half of the country is on a Tri-state quarantin
InsideHook •

How and Where to Safely Rent a Summer House Near NYC

The Hamptons are one of many places you can safely shake off your shelter-in-place blues this summer. A true New Yorker’s love for the city is unconditional. Nothing unites its inhabitants more than a sense of collective struggle, whether that means passing a knowing glance to one another on a packed 9 a.m. Subway car or seeing a fellow Uber rider stuck in Midtown traffic on the way to spend $17 on a cocktail. But since the coronavirus pandemic hit, those invisible connections have grown even d
InsideHook •

How and Where to Responsibly Rent a Summer House Near DC

Summertime in DC is a postcard: biking under the trees on your way to the Lincoln Memorial, strolling the cobblestoned streets of Georgetown, oysters on the half shell and bottles of rosé by the waterfront. But man — that heat. No matter how idyllic the city can be amid the swelter, this summer will undoubtedly look different in many ways. While Maryland’s governor, Larry Hogan, announced a gradual easing of pandemic-related restrictions that started May 15, DC’s Mayor Muriel Bowser extended th
InsideHook •

America’s Premier Beer-Biking Trail Is an Hour From DC

Own a bike and want to get outdoors this fall? Great. Like beer? Even better. As the hot days of summer make their way toward an eventual end, it’s time to start thinking about what activities you can add to your fall weekending checklist. To make the most of this extremely limited time, we suggest taking advantage of a perfect two-fer adventure that combines scenic fall biking with some of the region’s best craft brews: the LoCo Ale Trail in Loudoun County, Virginia. Located only an hour’s dr
InsideHook •

A New “Whiskey Trail” From DC-to-Pittsburgh Is Just One Reason to Visit Steel City

Stipulated: the perfect travel time for a three-day weekend getaway is four hours. More, and you waste your vacation. Less, and you’re still near home. Hence our series, The 4-Hour Rule, dedicated to revealing the best destinations that are far away, yet still close to home. In this installment we’ve got our sights set on Steel City for a long weekend of whiskey drinking, river fishing and art appreciating. Sometimes living in Washington, DC, can be … overwhelming. Whether it’s the hordes of p
Close ✕