As uncomfortable and tedious as air travel can be, there are some airports in North America that fliers find to be rather pleasant. Bloomberg Businessweek recently completed a study outlining the most frustrating airports in the land, but it also created a list of the most satisfying for fliers.

Using a combination of data from a 39-question survey of 3,000 frequent fliers, on-time arrival and departure data, along with a calculation of how easy or difficult it is to reach the facility by car and public transportation, Bloomberg created what it called "The Airport Frustration Index." Measured out of a maximum of 100, airports with the highest frustration index are the most ... well, frustrating, while those with the lowest are the least. 

With that in mind, here are the 15 least frustrating airports in North America.

15. Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT)

Frustration Index: 50/100

Why it's pleasant: Charlotte's Douglas International Airport kicks off Bloomberg's list of the most satisfying airports, with a solid performance across the board. CLT finished 10th in commute time with an average of 34 minutes from downtown Charlotte to the airport. The facility also finished 11th in on-time performance, with 81% of its flights leaving within its departure slot. 

14. Boston Logan International Airport (BOS)

Frustration Index: 46.4

Why it's pleasant: With an average commute time of just 18 minutes from downtown Boston, Logan Airport is the easiest-to-reach facility featured in Bloomberg's 36-airport survey. In addition, Logan's 80% on-time rating is 12th best on the list. Survey respondents gave the airport's security setup, restrooms, and food/shopping facility solid but not spectacular, ratings.

13. Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA)

Frustration Index: 45.6

Why it's pleasant: According to survey respondents, Reagan National Airport has one of the best-managed check-in and security processes in North America. In fact, only Tampa, Portland, and Austin scored better. With an average trip of 32 minutes from the heart of D.C., DCA has the sixth-fastest commute. In addition, Reagan National also manages to get 80% of its flights out on time. The airport's only major weak point is its poorly rated dining and retail offerings.

Sallie Krawcheck was recently named one of the "100 most creative people" by Fast Company. She's a former analyst and senior banking executive who now oversees the Ellevate network -- formerly 85 Broads. Ellevate is a 34,000-strong global professional woman’s network.

Produced by Alana Kakoyiannis

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It's never easy to pick out gifts for the women in your life. Something you think they will absolutely love might turn out to be a terrible idea.

We asked the women of Business Insider what they REALLY want for the holidays and found the perfect places to find those gifts.

So if you have to buy a gift for a special lady in your life, pay attention and take our advice.

"A new hat and gloves—maybe cashmere or something warm."

Keeping warm in winter doesn't mean having to sacrifice style.

Cashmere is soft and warm, and it's an indulgence that one might not buy for themselves. Buy her a cashmere infinity scarf, or cashmere gloves with "Touch Tech," which will keep her hands warm while she texts. 

Price: $89, $42

"A Go Pro (+ Drone)!"

One reporter really wants a Go Pro (and a drone to strap it on!). There are several different models of GoPros, but the company says the HERO is the perfect model for the "entry-level" Go Pro user.

Price: $129.99

"If I got all candles and blankets for Christmas, I'd be so happy."

"I love throw blankets and candles. Candles can be weirdly expensive (especially if they're nice) and I always like to have some nice ones on hand, and a cashmere throw blanket is something that you don't know you need until you have it," a BI-staffer said.

You can't go wrong with a Cashmere throw, and a crisp, fresh smelling candle is the perfect complement.  Go to Bloomingdale's for an Arlotta Cashmere throw, and pick up a Volupsa candle while you're there.

 Price: $279.99, $22.50

This amazing drone footage shot by cinematographer John Marton shows abandoned Detroit locations including the Packard Automotive Plant, the Eastown Theatre and the Fisher Body Plant.

Produced by Devan Joseph. Video courtesy of John Marton.

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According to the National Coffee Association’s 2013 online survey, 83 percent of U.S. adults drink coffee, averaging three cups a day per person. Because of the high demand, cafes have started to offer more than just coffee—coffee with shots of hazelnut, frappes, granitas and even the world-renowned pumpkin spice latte.

But while these new concoctions may taste delicious, many are not so beneficial for your waistline. To help you tell the difference between them, research engine FindTheBest consulted its coffee shop nutrition topic to find the 10 most calorific coffee and non-coffee drinks in ascending order at five popular shops:  Peet's Coffee & Tea, Starbucks, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Dunkin' Donuts and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts.

Note: These nutrition values are calculated for large-sized drinks with whole milk and whipped cream.

1. Peet's Coffee & Tea

Coffee: Large Caramel Caffe Latte (588 cal)

Though Peet's is often regarded as the more organic and less sugary cafe option, there are still drinks like this one that are packed with sugar and hidden calories. This particular latte has 72g of sugar and 13g of fat.

Non-coffee: Large Coffee-Free Vanilla Freddo (508 cal)

This drink, which contains 93g of sugar and and 95g of carbohydrates, is advertised by Peet's as "suitable for the kids" since it doesn't contain coffee. 

2. Starbucks

Coffee: Venti Iced Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha (700 cal)

Just one cup contains 101g of sugar and 26g grams of fat (40 percent of the recommended daily intake based on a 2,000-calorie diet). The important thing to note here is that whipped cream makes up about 100 of the calories and the whole milk base equals to about 400 calories. 

Non-coffee: Venti Chocolate Cookie Crumble Frappuccino (560 cal)

This drink contains 76g of sugar and 24g grams of fat (15g saturated and 0.5g trans fat). This is about 20 calories more than a McDonald's Quarter Pounder Deluxe.

3. The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Coffee: Large Caramel Ice Blended (770 cal)

The 24oz coffee drink has 125g of sugar, but if you order it with "No Sugar Added Powder" the calorie count drops to 440.

Non-coffee: Large Pom-Blueberry Ice Blended (660 cal)

The Pom-Blueberry flavor of the ice blended series has 113g of sugar, 14g of fat and the same amount of calories as a Taco Bell A.M. Bacon Crunchwrap. 

4. Dunkin' Donuts

Coffee: Large Frozen Caramel Coffee Coolatta With Cream and Large Frozen Mocha Coffee Coolatta With Cream (990 cal)

These drinks contain 130g and 125g of sugar, respectively, which would take about two hours of jogging to burn off.

Non-coffee: Large Oreo Vanilla Bean Coolatta (860 cal)

A large size has 151g of sugar and is the caloric equivalent to three of Dunkin' Donuts' strawberry frosted donuts.

5. Krispy Kreme

Coffee: Large Mocha Dream Chiller and Large Lotta Latte Dream Chiller (1,050 cal)

Krispy Kreme's "Chillers" take the cake when it comes to calorie count. They also contain 94g and 97g of sugar, respectively and have more calories than an entire bowl of spinach and cheese dip from The Cheesecake Factory (which is supposed to serve 2-4 people).

Non-coffee: Large Chocolate Chocolate Chiller (1,050 cal)

As if 100g of sugar and 42g of fat weren't enough, Krispy Kreme suggests that customers pair this sugarfest with a Chocolate Iced Glazed doughnut, bumping the calorie count up to 1,290.

SEE ALSO: The Least Healthy Breakfast Item At Every Big Fast Food Chain

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It's such a pain dragging yourself to the gym in 20-degree weather.

And it's even worse after your workout when you have to get back out into the cold, completely drenched in sweat, to make your way home.

Let's forget all that.

Instead, make your life easier and create a minimalist home gym right in your house.

Insider Picks has put together the essentials that you'll need — without sacrificing the intensity of a regular gym.

Core Strength:

Regular sit-ups and push-ups are fine, but if you want to turn your home into a mini gym, we recommend stacking up with some of these tools. The 'Ab Carver Pro' will work your abs and arms better than regular sit-ups because you'll have to work on balancing as well.

Perfect Fitness Ab Carver Pro | Amazon

You can amp up ab workouts by doing them on stability balls. And bonus points: it doubles as a chair that will help with your posture.

2000lbs Anti-Burst Exercise Stability Ball | Amazon

Tone Fitness Stability Ball | Amazon

Standing on a fitness cushion disc will help work your balance and stability. Make sure to stand on it with slightly bent knees.

Waccess 13" Athletic Inflatable Balance Stability Fitness Cushion Disc | Amazon

Similar to fitness cushion disc, but these are thick and not-inflatable. Just trying doing squats on them. (Be careful not to roll your ankle.)

Black High Density Foam Rollers (36-inch) | Amazon

Black High Density Foam Rollers (6 x 12 inch) | Amazon

Muscle Building:

Kettle bells were trendy at first, but they've quickly become a workout staple. They're a must-have because they combine cardio and strength training. Just think, you won't have to die of boredom getting your cardio work out done on treadmill at the gym.

ProSource Solid Cast Iron Kettle Bell Weights | Amazon

Aside from Kettle Bells, it's good to have your average dumb bells on hand. If you're looking to tone, get a lighter weight and do more reps with them. If you're looking to build muscles, get a heavier weight and do less reps with them.

Yes4All Rubber Coated Hex Dumbbells | Amazon

SPRI Deluxe Rubber Dumbbells | Amazon

Gold's Gym 40 Pound LB Vinyl Cement Dumbbell Weight Set | Amazon

Flexibility:

Stretching is important — especially because it prevents injuries. Get yourself some stretch bands to help stretch out the tighter parts. It's a good idea to have various levels of stretchiness (more stretchy for where you're less flexible, and vice versa).

Valeo Stretch Bands | Amazon

Aylio 3 Flat Stretch Bands | Amazon

Resistance:

If you think your basic push-ups, lunges and squats are easy — these things are for you.

A fitness vest adds an extra however-many-you-want pounds to your core, which will add intensity to everything you do. We recommend going for the 20-pound if you've never used one before.

Perfect Fitness Vest, 20-pounds | Amazon

Perfect Fitness Weight Vest, 40-pounds | Amazon

Similar to the vest, except — naturally — for the ankles. Wear them while doing lunges, leg lifts, or V-sit ups for extra resistance.

All Pro Weight Adjustable Ankle Weights 10-lb pair | Amazon

Gold's Gym Adjustable Ankle Weights | Amazon

Fitness bands (also called resistance bands) are a great way to strengthen isolated muscle groups — which is something that can't be done with weight machines. Bonus: they're light and easy to take with you on business trips, so you can even work out with them in your hotel room.

SPRI Xertube Resistance Band Exercise Cords | Amazon

Perfect Fitness Bands (Extreme) 50-Pounds | Amazon

Weighted gloves aren't too heavy, so you could easily wear them during your entire work out to add a touch of resistance to any movement you do. They'll act sort of like mini-weights, and help tone your arms.

Title Boxing Strong Hands Weighted Gloves | Amazon

Cardio:

Jumping rope is an extremely underrated exercise — it's not easy, and it's great for your heart. Plus, just like the resistance bands, jump ropes are extremely portable.

Master of Muscle Jump Rope | Amazon

Valeo Deluxe Speed Rope | Amazon

Mats:

Many exercises are done on the floor — but no one wants to end a workout with bruises all over their elbows, knees and tailbone. Getting an exercise mat is a great way to protect your body.

HemingWeigh Extra Thick Foam Exercise Mat | Amazon

SPRI Exercise Mat | Amazon

Yoga has officially gone mainstream, and if you want to keep up your practice at home, you're going to need your own mat. (Plus, if you go to a yoga studio as well, just bring your own mat instead of pre-used one. Gross.)

Prosource Premium Yoga Mat | Amazon

Sivan Health and Fitness NBR Yoga Mat | Amazon

Accessories:

There's one sure-fire way to see how much (or how little) progress you've made. Invest in a scale — numbers don't lie.

Perfect Fitness Scale | Amazon

TG Mens Remedy Digital Scale | Amazon

The cooling towel is a life saver. Not only does it keep you dry, but the cooling effect will keep you from overheating during workouts. Plus, it's made of evaporative material.

Perfect cooling towel | Amazon

SEE ALSO: Drones For Every Budget [Up To 55% Off]

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19-year-old YouTube star Bethany Mota YouTube has more than 7 million subscribers and a clothing line at Aeropostale that has generated $50 million in sales. 

Still, even the biggest social media stars sometimes have to deal with negativity online. 

During a panel at Business Insider's Ignition conference, Mota explained how she handles Internet trolls. 

"In the beginning, when I got my first hate comment, I was so excited. It was my first one!" she said. "I knew I did something right."

Over time, as her videos were getting more attention, she found that she was getting more and more negative comments. 

"With time, someone will say something that really hits you in the heart. At first I wanted to comment back and lash out, but it doesn't help at all," she said. "What I've learned is to either respond very nicely or ignore it. There are always more positive comments than negative, but as humans we tend to react more to the negative." 

One person in particular would say something mean on every single video she posted. One day Mota decided to reach out and thank them for watching her videos, even though that person didn't seem to like her very much.

"After that the person responded and apologized," she said. "The things people say online — they'd never say it face to face." 

SEE ALSO: We Went To A YouTube Convention, And It Was Insane

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Two officers have been expelled from their Princeton University eating club after sending out lewd and sexist emails, The New York Times reports.

One email reportedly sent out by Tiger Inn's vice president, Adam Krop, included a photo of a woman engaging in a sexual act with a man in one of the Tiger Inn eating club's public spaces. The email referred to the woman as an "Asian chick" and included a crass joke, according to The Times.

Another, sent out by Tiger Inn's treasurer Andrew Hoffenberg, encouraged members to heckle visiting lecturer Sally Frank, a Princeton alumna whose lawsuit ultimately forced eating clubs to admit women back in 1990.

"Looking for someone to blame for the influx of girls? Come tomorrow and help boo Sally Frank," Hoffenberg reportedly wrote. 

We reached to both officers via Facebook and will update this post if we hear back. Their ouster comes in the wake of a national conversation about sexual assault on college campuses, fueled most recently by a Rolling Stone article about an alleged gang rape that occurred at a University of Virgina fraternity. 

Last month, the words “rape haven” were spraypainted on Tiger Inn's stone walls.

Tiger Inn was the last all-male eating club to open its doors to women in 1991, fighting Frank's lawsuit until the very end. The US Supreme Court refused to hear Tiger Inn's final appeal, after lower courts ruled that denying women entry to the club violated New Jersey's anti-discrimination laws.

Shortly after the ruling, the club insisted that it did not contest the case out of sexism, but because it felt it had a right to freedom of association.

Princeton's eating clubs are private institutions and are not officially affiliated with the university. But they have been an integral part of campus life since 1879 when the Ivy Club was founded. Tiger Inn was established 11 years later and is often referred to as Princeton's "Animal House" for its notoriously wild behavior, as The New York Times has noted. 

In 2006, alcohol was banned from Tiger Inn for two months after two separate incidents of sexual assault were reported at the club. 

“It had gotten to the point where people on Prospect were saying, ‘It’s T.I., what do you expect?’ ” Hap Cooper, the club’s former graduate board president, told The New York Times back in 2007. 

In 1920, Princeton alumnus F. Scott Fitzgerald described the club as “broad-shouldered and athletic" in his iconic novel "This Side of Paradise."

Nearly 100 years later, Tiger Inn was dubbed "the frattiest social club on campus," by Princeton student Caroline Kitchener in a piece for The Atlantic. "Women now join for the debauchery," she wrote, "not in spite of it." 

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It looks like Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal is not the only one interested in The Plaza hotel.

A group of investors that includes Pras Michel of the hip-hop group The Fugees and New York sports agent David Sugarman is also looking to take the hotel off majority stakeholder Sahara Group's hands, according to The Wall Street Journal.

That's because Sahara's founder and chairman, Subrata Roy, is in jail right now and needs to raise money for bail.

He was arrested in February in the midst of an investor fraud court case in India, after failing to turn up for a hearing.

Now his conglomerate, Sahara Group, is looking to refinance its 75 percent stake in the property rather than sell it, according to the Journal.

Mirach Capital, the investors group, which is funded largely by a wealthy Indian family, has already agreed to lend $1.55 billion to Sahara, $900 million of which will go to debt refinancing. The rest will likely go toward Roy's bail.

But Mirach has made it clear their end goal is to own The Plaza, as well as two other hotels that Sahara currently owns.

Meanwhile, it's still unclear whether Prince Alwaleed, who currently owns the other 25 percent of the hotel, will make a deal with Mirach - or whether he's made a formal offer for Roy's stake in the property.

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The holiday season means holiday parties, and if your schedule is anything like ours, you're going to be buying a lot of wine.

We asked sommelier Jörn Kleinhans, owner of the Wine Elite Sommelier Company, to share some of his favorite affordable picks.

11. Sparkling Wine From Limoux

Such as:2012 Saint-Hilaire Blanquette de Limoux, $9.98

"French champagne may be the original sparkling wine, but the pricing scares many consumers into the more affordable Proseccos from Italy, Cavas from Spain, or American sparkling wines," Kleinhans explains.

"Little do most holiday shoppers know that France has a number of regions that are not Champagne, but make world-class sparkling wine at much more affordable rates," he continues. "Experts can often not tell the difference. The best region that offers this is called Limoux, and is located in the South of France."

10. Zinfandel from California

Such as: 2012 Cline "Ancient Vines" Zinfandel, $14.99

"Nowadays wines under this name are only grown in California and are somewhat of an indigenous representation that doesn't have an equal," says Kleinhans. "One should not underestimate the rich beauty of the Californian wines we have in the US. They should be a clear example of American wine-making."

9. Tempranillo from Spain

Such as: 2010 Finca El Encinal Crianza Ribera del Duero, $14.99

"This is the most important grape of Spain that will give you a good sense for the Spanish style of wines," says Kleinhans. "It should show you silky notes of American oak and dark cherry, which are some of the signature signs of Spanish winemaking." 

Faced with unlimited career, personal, and health advice and little time to spare, it's hard to know where to start.

#BIBetter is a 21-day self-improvement program designed for the busy professional, featuring a few habits that will make a big difference and a bunch of tasks that most of us have been putting off for too long.

We recommend participating with at least one other person, so you have more fun and keep each other in check. You can start on any Monday and should complete actions on their specified day when possible.

The following slides go through the days and the science behind them in detail, while you can also reference our infographic calendar.

MONDAY, DAY 1: Floss your teeth. Do it every day for the rest of your life.

Believe it or not, as many as 50% of Americans say they don't floss every day. If you are one of those people, then make today the day you start doing it consistently.

How can you get in the habit?

Stanford psychologist B.J. Fogg is one of the foremost researchers on habit formation. The takeaway from all his work: Floss one tooth.

As in, if you're trying to form a habit, it can helpful to start as small as possible, with a minimum viable habit. The point, Fogg emphasizes, is to insert the structure of the activity in your day, rather than doing it perfectly every time. This way of thinking works for all habits, and it works for flossing, too — and if you floss the whole mouth, then you're doing even better.

Indeed, this core dental hygiene technique will clean your teeth and gums of plaque, protecting your teeth as you age and saving you on dental bills. Some studies have even found that flossing is associated with a lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, and dementia.

TUESDAY, DAY 2: Break a sweat. Do it every day for the rest of your life.

For a wide range of ailments, exercise is an almost magical cure, which "can improve memory and concentration, lessen sleep disorders, aid heart disease by lowering cholesterol and reducing blood pressure, help sexual problems such as erectile dysfunction, and raise low libido," notes Slate.

Just a little bit of exercise has huge benefits. Research shows that running just five to 10 minutes a day can add years to your life, and if you establish that minimum habit now of doing at least that, you can build on it. A seven-minute workout using interval training can make a huge difference.

Longer workouts are obviously great, too.

Think you're too busy to work out? Tell that to GE CEO Jeff Immelt, who gets up at 5:30 every morning for a cardio workout; or Xerox CEO Ursula Burns who has an hour of personal training at 6 a.m. twice a week; or Square CEO Jack Dorsey, who gets up similarly early to take six-mile jogs; or Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who likes to ride his bike every morning.

WEDNESDAY, DAY 3: Write in a journal. Do it every day for the rest of this program.

Psychologists have been studying "expressive writing," or journaling about difficult moments in your life, for a few decades. They've found that a few minutes journaling improves everything from mood to immune system to sporting performance.

It works for work, too: A Harvard Business School study found that people who wrote about their jobs improved their performance by 23%.

"When people have the opportunity to reflect, they experience a boost in self-efficacy," says HBS professor Francesca Gino. "They feel more confident that they can achieve things. As a result, they put more effort into what they're doing and what they learn."

So as a part of this life-improvement adventure, we're asking you to reflect on your day, plus on whatever journeys we send you on. You should also take the opportunity to look at the tasks that lie ahead and start making plans for the ones that require preparation.

If you find journaling to be useful, then we encourage you to keep it up for the rest of your life.

I have a friend who doesn't live in New York, but went to grad school here and visits often. When he plans a trip, he regularly books two dinner reservations at hard-to-get-into restaurants on the OpenTable app. An hour or two before dinner, he chooses one and cancels the other.

It's a great system for him, less so for the restaurants who are all of a sudden out a spot. They'll probably be able to fit in a walk-in, but maybe not. This is what Nick Kokonas' new reservation, deposit, and payment system, Tock, is attempting to cut down on when it launches in 2015 — at least for the highest-end restaurants.

There are a couple of different ways that restaurants can use the system: simple reservations, prepaid meal reservations (generally excluding wine and anything extra you might want to order at the table), and dynamically priced meals. Dynamic reservations allow restaurants to charge more during peak periods, and to offer discounts to people who are willing to eat at 5:30 or 10:30 p.m.

Some of the most expensive, high-profile restaurants in the US are experimenting with the pre-paid option. Eater reports that two of Thomas Keller's restaurants, The French Laundry in California and Per Se in New York, will start asking customers to pay ahead of time next year. A beta version of the system is already in place at the two restaurants that Kokonas owns with Grant Achatz in Chicago, as well at Coi in San Francisco, LA's Trois Mec, and WD~50 in New York (which used the system in its final weeks, before closing for good on Nov. 30).

Ticketing systems in the past haven't worked very well. Volver, a restaurant in Philadelphia, experimented with a similar system earlier this year before abandoning it in September. Ryan Sutton wrote back in July, "I spent 30 Sisyphean minutes navigating through various pitfalls in the system, gave up, took a hot shower, regrouped, then called the restaurant and purchased my reservations over the phone in 120 seconds."

If the functionality of Tock is right, there isn't any reason it can't work, particularly if it offers a simple reservation system for lower-end, a la carte restaurants. OpenTable's free restaurant reservation system is nearly ubiquitous in US metro areas. Priceline.com bought it for $2.6 billion earlier this year.

And the pre-paid part of the system could be ideal for high-end, set-menu restaurants that have very high up-front costs. It not only would help them manage their cash flow, but would help protect them from last-minute cancellations. Pre-paid dinners probably won't work for 95% of restaurants in New York (or any other city).

But a tasting menu at Per Se or the French Laundry is not a meal. It's an event. 

For this reason, it's easier to imagine that people would be willing to buy a ticket in a way that they wouldn't for a nice, two-stars-from-the-Times kind of place on a regular Friday night. People pay for lots of other high-end entertainment well in advance. Why not food?

NOW WATCH: Here's What Happens To Your Body If You Stop Eating

SEE ALSO: Here's The True Cost Of Christmas

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Sabatino Truffles unearthed the world’s largest truffle on record this past week.

Found in central Italy, the massive truffle weighs 4.16 pounds, which is almost twice the size of the current record holder, according to a press release. 

White truffles are an incredibly sought after ingredient, and one of the rarest and most expensive foods in the world.

Just a few shavings of the coveted ingredient can cost hundreds of dollars in restaurants, according to CBS news. 

Buyers from Macau, China have already offered $1 million for the massive fungi. But the company will auction off the truffle in New York City this week, "in order to get the highest bid so that they can donate all proceeds to charity," Jane Walsh of Sabatino Truffles told Business Insider. 

This white truffle is an especially rare find, as white truffles are only available for a few months of the year and can cost up to three times more than their black truffle counterpart. They are found in forests around Italy by specially trained truffle-sniffing dogs or pigs during the months of October, November, and December.

One million dollars may seem like a staggering price tag, but these rare fungi usually sell for similar prices.  A pair of white truffles from Alba sold for over $125,000 this past November and Russian oligarch Vladimir Potanin spent $95,000 for four pounds of white truffle in October. 

Here is an image of the massive truffle upon its arrival at JFK airport: 

SEE ALSO: How Incredibly Rare And Expensive White Truffles Go From Italy's Forests To Fine Restaurants Everywhere

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Over the last 11 months, violent crime in New York City reached a historic low, Mayor Bill de Blasio and his police commissioner William Bratton said Tuesday.

The news is further confirmation that the city is safer than ever, an astounding recovery considering its murder rate peaked only 24 years ago in 1990. By the end of that decade, violent crime had dropped 56%.

Many credit former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and his "broken windows" policing style for the turnaround. And Giuliani doesn't really argue. 

It's more likely, however, that other factors, including more hands-on police work, are what really transformed the crime rate in New York City. In fact, newer research shows broken windows may have done more harm than good.

'Broken Windows' Theory

Giuliani has suggested time and again that his administration saved New York City. In 2007, during a Republican presidential primary debate in Orlando, he even said he "brought down crime more than anyone in this country — maybe in the history of this country" while serving as mayor, according to On The Issues.

The former mayor believes the "broken windows" approach changed New York City's streets for the better. This theory suggests police can make cities safer by cracking down on minor crimes like vandalism — and the Big Apple definitely did this in the 1990s.

The broken windows theory stems from the work of two criminologists, George Kelling and James Wilson, who suggested that minor disorder, like vandalism, acted as a gateway to more serious crime. By focusing on smaller offenses, often referred to as "quality of life" crimes, Kelling and Wilson thought violent crime and other undesirable activity would decrease.

"If the neighborhood cannot keep a bothersome panhandler from annoying passersby, the thief may reason, it is even less likely to call the police to identify a potential mugger or to interfere if the mugging actually takes place," the duo claimed in an Atlantic Monthly piece.

Several academic studies, however, have questioned and even criticized the effectiveness of broken windows.

Criticism Of 'Broken Windows'

When University of Chicago professors Bernard Harcourt and Jens Ludwig revisited broken windows, they reported criminologists knew very little about the theory's effectiveness. Moreover, their paper found no evidence outside of Kelling's work to support the notion that cracking down on minor offenses leads to a decrease in more serious crime.

Much of the new research claiming to debunk broken windows has also found that targeting minor crimes harms poor people, as well as blacks and Hispanics.

A later paper, again by Harcourt and Ludwig, found that broken windows, albeit indirectly, led to a disproportionate number of drug arrests for blacks, the New Republic reported. From 1993 (the year that broken windows took hold) to 2000, misdemeanor arrests for smoking marijuana in public jumped from 10 per year to 644. Though they were only 25% of the city's population, blacks accounted for over half of the arrests.

"It is definitely time for law enforcement to stop focusing on minor disorder and to target, instead, serious crimes involving guns and physical injury," Harcourt wrote in Legal Affairs magazine.

Franklin Zimring, a Berkeley Law School professor and author of "The City That Became Safe: New York's Lessons for Urban Crime and Its Control," only gives "derivative credit" to Giuliani. Instead, he praises the police.

'A Two-Mayor Phenomenon' 

"Years ago, we thought it was a myth that cops prevented crime," Zimring said. In theory, criminals could just commit crimes in corners of the city that cops didn't patrol.

"But crime is a heck of a lot more situational than we thought," Zimring explained. If a criminal wants to rob somebody on 125th and Lexington but sees a cop there, he'll probably just throw in the towel for the night, Zimring says.

When former Mayor David Dinkins came into office, he proposed a $1.8 billion plan to "fight fear" in New York and hired 8,000 new officers, the LA Times reported at the time. He also hired an effective new police commissioner, Lee Brown, who supported community policing," the practice of having cops patrol neighborhoods, get to know residents, and help solve problems instead of just answering 911 calls. Crime's hold on the city really started to falter while Dinkins sat in City Hall from 1990 to 1993. Data from NYC.gov shows the murder rate in New York City peaked in 1990 and dropped 30% by 1994.

Giuliani continued Dinkins' hiring spree by bringing on 3,660 new officers once he came into office, On The Issues found.

"The growth in police is a two-mayor phenomenon, and it really was extraordinary," Zimring told BI.

Other Theories

Other factors beyond increased police presence could have caused crime to drop more drastically in New York than in many other parts of America during the 1990s. (The nation as a whole did get a lot safer then, too.)

First of all, unemployment saw a huge drop in New York City: 39%  from 1992 to 1999, according to the National Bureau for Economic Research (NBER). Some researchers have found ties between low unemployment and a drop in violent crime.

Others credit an increased arrest rate for the improvement. Again, NBER reported that felony arrest rates rose 50-70% in the 1990s, which might have taken more criminals off the streets.

Regardless of other explanations on the table, Giuliani has stuck by broken windows policing.

"It worked because we not only got ... an improvement in the quality of life, but massive reductions in homicide," Giuliani told the Academy of Achievement, "and New York City turned from the crime capital of America to the safest large city in the country." 

NOW WATCH — Here's Where New York City's Sewage Really Goes

SEE ALSO: New York City Used To Be A Terrifying Place [PHOTOS]

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As skyscraper heights grow higher, and higher, the cost to build increases as well. Not only are some of the newest skyscrapers in the world getting taller, they are also getting fancier, with the newest technologies, latest materials, and sustainable concepts.

Emporis, "a leading database of information about building and construction projects, based in Germany," compiled a list of the 10 most expensive skyscrapers in the world. 

At $3.9 billion, One World Trade Center in New York City is the most expensive building by far, beating out the second place finishers by $2 billion.  

1. One World Trade Center, New York, N.Y.—$3.9 Billion

Height: 1,776.02 ft

Completion: 2014

One World Trade center is the same height as the Twin Towers which formally stood in the same place. Inside, the building has a stairwell dedicated to the firefighters lost in 9/11.

2 (tie). The Palazzo, Las Vegas, Nev.—$1.9 Billion

Height: 642.01 ft

Completion: 2007

Upon completion, The Palazzo became the highest building in Las Vegas. The hotel contains a casino, a shopping center, and a theater.

2 (tie). The Shard, London, England—$1.9 billion

Height: 1,003.94 ft

Completion: 2013

The Shard uses 30% less energy than other buildings of its size because of an "extensive use of energy-saving materials." It is also the tallest building in London.

4. Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan—$1.76 billion

Height: 1,670.60 ft

Completion: 2004

Taipei 101's construction is based on the number 8, which is a lucky number Chinese culture. A Feng Shui expert approved most of the design and layout of the building.

5 (tie). Burj Khalifa, Dubai, United Arab Emirates—$1.5 billion

Height: 2,719.82 ft

Completion: 2010

The Burj Khalifa is the world's tallest building. The building uses the condensation from the air conditioning system to irrigate the landscaping.

5 (tie). Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort, Huzhou, China—$1.5 billion

Height: 330 ft

Completion: 2013

The resort, designed by MAD Architects, gets completely lit up and night and is meant to resemble the moon rising over Lake Tai. Every room in the hotel is designed to get daylight at all hours from every direction.

7. CapitaGreen, Singapore—$1.4 billion

Height: 793.96 ft

Completion: 2014 

Much of the building's facade will be covered in live plants and the building's roof will have a "sky forest." The sky forest's cool air will be pushed down through the building to naturally cool the offices.

8. Elbphilharmonie, Hamburg, Germany—$1.03 billion

Height: 360.89 ft

Completion: 2016

The Elbphilharmonie is being built on top of a former storage facility and uses the original structure's base. The building will have residential housing, a hotel, and a concert hall.

9 (tie). Bank of America Tower, New York, N.Y.—$1 billion

Height: 1,200.01 ft

Completion: 2009

The Bank of America Tower is the 4th tallest building in NYC and is used as a commercial office. The building reuses rainwater and has an "automatic daylight dimming system."

9 (tie). Chifley Tower, Sydney, Australia—$1 billion

Height: 800.85 ft

Completion: 1992

Chifley tower is used for offices and retail and is one of the "most prestigious" in Australia. A 400 ton steel pendulum hangs on the top floor of the building to counteract the building's sway in the wind.

SEE ALSO: The 10 Tallest Skyscrapers of the Future

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President Obama recently unveiled a massive plan to overhaul immigration policy, which could protect millions of undocumented workers.

But for all the political furor over the proposal, it's easy to forget that these undocumented immigrants are individuals, each with their own hopes, dreams, fears, and families.

This fact is not lost on Rhode Island-based photographer Mary Beth Meehan. Her photo series, "Undocumented," captures scenes inside the homes of people living in the US illegally. The people themselves are conspicuously absent from the photographs to "reflect who these people were — their human-ness and ordinariness, and possibly their motives and intentions — and not endanger their identities here," Meehan tells Business Insider.

Meehan says her work "[parts] a curtain, opening a window into rooms that are already here in our community, rooms that existed whether I photographed them or not, where human beings were living."

Along with the photos, Meehan provides captions to her photographs to further tell the story of the room's inhabitants, which she has shared these with us here. You can see more of Meehan's work on her website.

This young man came from Cape Verde to Rhode Island with his family as a child and attended public school. He had embarked on a life of his own here before being incapacitated by a stroke. He is now back living at home and being cared for by his parents.

A basement laundry room of an apartment building housing undocumented Colombian families is seen below. "In every photograph, there is someone standing just outside the frame, near me," Meehan says.

This Colombian woman's children have begun to question her about why they continue to live in the United States with no clear path open to them. "We try to keep our kids busy and not think about the situation, and try to do the best we can," she says. "Here is a great opportunity for them. They need to work hard, and focus on the future."

Teens are impossible to shop for — sometimes it seems like no matter what you buy them, it's never quite cool enough.

Luckily, we compiled a list of the gifts teens will actually want this year.

From stylish headphones to cool sneakers, keep reading to see what to get the teen in your life.

Keep him warm all season with the best hoodie on the market.

This may seem like just a run-of-the-mill hoodie, but American Giant is widely believed to have the best hoodies around since they're thick, well-made, and durable.

Your teen will love this fitted sweatshirt so much he may never take it off.

Buy it:$90

Give her a techie throw-back gift to replace the standard Instagram shot.

Even though most teens these days are tech-obsessed, that doesn't mean they won't appreciate a classic Polaroid camera.

This portable Fujifilm Mini camera comes with film and fits easily in your teen's hand or bag. 

Buy it:$100

A backpack will keep him stylish and organized.

Backpacks are not only back in style, but they have the added benefit of carrying around your teen's books, too.

This twill backpack from Everlane is good for boys or girls and is classic enough to always be in fashion.

Buy it:$65

According to Esther Perel, couples therapist and the best selling author of "Mating in Captivity," the term "erotic intelligence" came about accidentally as a spoof on Daniel Goleman's idea of "emotional intelligence."

As Perel's work began to develop around it, she realized it was the perfect term to encapsulate the state of mind she viewed as being different from sexuality.

Produced by Alana Kakoyiannis. Additional camera by Justin Gmoser.

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Gramercy Park is the most exclusive park in Manhattan.

The two-acre plot may be small, but it’s steeped in history and surrounded by some of the city’s oldest buildings. 

Since it opened in 1831, the park has been off-limits to outsiders and the best-kept secret of its famous residents. Oscar Wilde, the Steinways, and Thomas Edison all had the special keys, and two presidents — Teddy Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy — played behind these wrought iron fences as children.

What makes it so hard to get into is that only 383 keys for the gates exist, and they’re all owned by the residents of the 39 apartment buildings that border the park.

But now, thanks to an Airbnb user, there’s a Google Maps tour of the exclusive park.

According to The New York Times, Pittsburgh resident Shawn Christopher gained access to the park while renting a Gramercy Park apartment on Airbnb for his honeymoon this year. He took 360-degree panoramas using the app Photo Sphere and uploaded it to Google Maps, unaware that such behavior is expressly forbidden by Gramercy Park Block Association.

Gramercy Park Block Association President Arlene Harrison told the Times that she had no intention of removing the image from Google Maps, though she added that if Google had asked to photograph the park, she would have turned them down.

SEE ALSO: 16 Things You Never Knew About The Most Exclusive Park In Manhattan

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The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show taped in London today, and the multimillion dollar production was as outrageous as ever. 

Famous models Alessandra Ambrosio, Adriana Lima, and Candice Swanepoel were all featured in the show. Taylor Swift also performed. 

The show airs December 9 at 10 p.m. EST on CBS.

Angel Behati Prinsloo opened the show, which was held in London this year.

The "Gilded Wings" segment featured glittery designs.

Here's French model Cindy Bruna.