• In the northwest corner of the United States, the Oregon Coast features stunning year-round scenery.
• From the capes and cliffs of the south to the wide sandy beaches in the north, the coast is home to myriad seaside escapes.
• We rounded up top-rated vacation rentals on Airbnb and Vrbo, ranging in price from $139 to $299 per night.
• Read more: Everything to know about vacation rentals, including best booking platforms, COVID-19 safety info, and the best places to go in the US

The Oregon Coast may not be much of a swimming destination, with water temperatures hardly ever rising above 53 degrees Fahrenheit, but that's not why people visit. Instead of beachside resorts, picture cozy inns, quaint fishing villages, and cliffs topped with idyllic lighthouses. You might not get a tan, but you will get plenty of dramatic scenery. From the King Tide waves that splash water hundreds of feet in the air at Shore Acres State Park to the mammoth rocks of Cannon Beach, Oregon's coastline is filled with natural wonders that will have you contemplating the force of the ocean while imbibing craft beer and gobbling up freshly-caught Dungeness crab.

Just 90 minutes from Portland, the coast is a favorite getaway among locals and visitors alike. What it lacks in big resorts, it makes up for in gorgeous vacation rentals. We scoured rental sites like Airbnb and Vrbo to find the best vacation rentals all along the Oregon Coast, whether you're looking for a quiet beach or want to go ATVing in the sand dunes. 

It's worth noting that according to experts, vacation rentals are a safer alternative to hotels right now due to the lack of contact with other guests or staff. Plus, many vacation rental sites, including Airbnb and Vrbo, have instituted their own cleaning protocol for hosts to follow to ensure that each space is fully sanitized before guests arrive. 

Of course, until a critical mass of the population is vaccinated, there's no firm guarantee with regard to safety. Always follow the guidelines and advice from organizations like the CDC and WHO, and practice safety measures like wearing a mask, frequently washing your hands, and maintaining social distance with anyone outside your household. Travelers should also consider their own level of risk and whether or not they are traveling to or from a hotspot.

That said, the Oregon Coast is not a very densely populated area and makes for an excellent getaway where it's relatively easy to keep your distance while walking along the beach or on a hiking trail. 

We carefully selected the best Oregon Coast vacation rentals based on the following criteria:

1. 1. Listings are private and for the entire home, in line with current expert recommendations.
   2. We prioritized affordability and found excellent listings that won't break the bank. Prices range from $139 to $299 per night to start, and all listings have availability to book as of publishing time. 
   3. All are highly-rated bookings with a review score of 4.5 or higher.
   4. All properties offer unique views, easy access to the water, and are located in prime Oregon Coast destinations. We searched for rentals that were close to main attractions, picturesque, and prioritized anything with an ocean view.

Here are the best Oregon Coast vacation rentals, sorted by price from low to high:

Edgewood cove retreat in Seaside, $139

Book this cove retreat starting at $139 per night on Airbnb

With direct beach access on a quieter stretch of sand, this one-bedroom home in Seaside is ideally positioned to enjoy the most of the coast's beautiful flora and fauna. The back deck looks out on to a small section of the local golf course, which creates some extra privacy whenever you want to make use of the grill or enjoy the fresh air.

The living room feels straight out of a design magazine, with light furniture pieces brought to life with colorful artwork and bright throw pillows. The sleek style of the home is carried into the kitchen where a tile backsplash matches the black steel appliances and artistic bird decals add some visual interest.

The main bedroom has one Queen bed, but up to four can sleep in the home thanks to the half-wall that separates the living space from a lofted sleeping area where there is a second bed. The bedrooms are happy and bright with ocean-inspired color palettes, wall decals, and driftwood banisters that add a unique texture. Eco-friendly touches include dual-flush toilets, dimmable lights, and high-efficiency appliances and guests are allowed to make use of the host's beach chairs and towels.

Rating: 4.8

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts. It also specifies that they only use environmentally-conscious cleaning products.

Compact oceanfront condo in Lincoln City, $146

Book this oceanfront condo starting at $146 per night on Airbnb

Sitting on an 80-foot cliff overlooking the beach, this condo is small, but comes with amazing views and is highly-rated for the host's exceptional hospitality. There is a King bed in the main room, a back bedroom with a Queen bed, and a balcony with ocean views. Previous guests report the host to be very accommodating in providing materials for beach campfires and the kitchen is fully stocked with all cooking necessities.

Because the space is tight, this affordable home is best suited for travelers who plan to spend most of their days exploring Lincoln City and spending long days on the beach. The decor is simple though cozy, with oversized fluffy pillows, a small round dining table with a lace tablecloth, and a tiny but efficient kitchen area with a two-burner stove. The sliding barn door on the second bedroom adds a unique touch.

Rating: 4.9

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.

A-Frame beach shack in Bandon, $149

Book this beach shack starting at $165 per night on Airbnb

This Instagram-ready A-frame cabin looks out over the ocean waves and is within walking distance of the main beach access point. In the living area, a bold orange couch brightens up the rustic and wood-paneled interior, and a wood-burning stove provides heat and charm. It can get chilly, but the home comes equipped with plenty of extra blankets for cozying up.

The kitchen is on the small side, but a wall of hanging pans and mugs maximizes space. Upstairs, the master bedroom features a plush bed with bamboo sheets, distressed furniture pieces, and a soft shag carpet. Another bedroom in the triangle-shaped loft at the top of the house has two single beds, one queen bed, and a curtain that can be drawn for a little privacy.

Adirondack chairs on the front patio make for an excellent place to take in a sunset. The hosts also supply firewood, rain boots, and crabbing equipment.

Rating: 4.9

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.

Oceanview home a stone's throw from the beach in Yachats, $149

Book this oceanview home starting at $149 per night on Vrbo

Cut your beach commute time down to nothing with this pet-friendly two-bedroom home three miles north of Yachats. Located in a quiet neighborhood, a short path leads from the house to Tillicum Beach. While the view is somewhat obscured, you can still see the Pacific from the west-facing windows.

The open-concept kitchen is homey but modern, with new stainless steel appliances. The kitchen table is surrounded by tastefully mismatched chairs. Colorful furnishings like floral armchairs and bright green duvets liven up bedrooms and living area, while the marble countertops and vessel sink in the main bathroom give this home a sophisticated edge.

Rating: 4.5

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: The host guarantees that all bedding is washed in hot water and high-touch surfaces are disinfected.

Rock view retreat in Cannon Beach, $183

Book this rock view retreat starting at $183 per night on Airbnb

For a front-row seat to Haystack Rock, the most iconic view on the Oregon Coast, this three-bedroom home in Cannon Beach means you don't have to stray far to enjoy the state's most famous sunset from this in-town location.

Dating back to the 1940s, this home can sleep up to eight people and has enough room to have everyone cozying around the living room's gas fireplace. Retro furniture pieces like a clawfoot tub in the bathroom, floral-clad couches, and a farmhouse-style dining room table with colorful chairs give the space character.

The home is a duplex, so you may have some neighbors next door, but the only shared space is the covered porch, which is large enough to maintain social distancing.

Rating: 4.6

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.

Two-bedroom cottage in Pacific City, $200

Book this two-bedroom cottage starting at $200 per night on Vrbo

This brand new two-bedroom cottage is spacious with light and airy interiors thanks to its birchwood panels, floor-to-ceiling windows, and oversized French doors. Adjacent to Sitka Sedge, a secluded and state-protected tidal estuary and beach with three miles of walking trails, this 1,400-square-foot home is a serious bargain considering its impeccable design, location, and privacy.

The huge and fully-stocked kitchen will delight anyone who loves to cook with its modern appliances, copious counter space, and charming kitchen island, while the living room offers a cozy area for family gatherings with a sectional couch covered in colorful pillows. Paintings of the ocean and small whale details add to the ocean aesthetic without becoming kitsch.

In the winter, guests can turn on the heated travertine tiles for a cozy treat as they walk throughout the house.

Rating: 5

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: The listing does not specify how the home is sanitized, but recent guests note that the house is clean.

Midcentury watercolor cottage in Neskowin, $200

Book this midcentury cottage starting at $200 per night on Airbnb

This midcentury summer cottage is just one block away from the beach and is located in a charming village filled with homes that date back to the early twentieth century. With three bedrooms, the interior of this house has unique visual appeal thanks to its high slanted ceiling and fun furniture pieces like a bicycle bar counter and a charming writing desk.

The bedrooms are compact, but teeming with natural light courtesy of the wide windows. The back deck includes a seating area and gas grill while the front porch has two additional garden chairs, so there are plenty of places to unwind outdoors. Your stay also comes with two complimentary beach bikes, two razor scooters, and a bottle of wine.

Rating: 4.9

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.

Large oceanfront home in Newport, $250

Book this oceanfront home starting at $250 per night on Vrbo

Right next door to the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse in Newport, this oceanfront home makes the most of its location with a glorious outdoor deck featuring a huge firepit, beach swings, and two outdoor soaking tubs perched in front of a wide and sandy beach.

With four bedrooms, this house can sleep up to ten people. Some of the interiors feel a bit dated, but there are enough high-end details to make it a worthy stay. The kitchen has plenty of counter space, stainless steel appliances, and a pass-through to the living room, where you'll find a large sectional and a TV with surround sound. The master bathroom is a particular standout thanks to double showerheads and a clawfoot tub set in front of an ocean-facing window.

 Rating: 4.7

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: The listing does not specify how the home is sanitized, but recent guests report that it was clean.

Tenmile Lake chalet in Lakeside, $299

Book this lake chalet starting at $299 per night on Vrbo

This three-bedroom chalet is tucked away on 10 acres that offer exceptional views of Tenmile Lake with easy road access close to downtown Lakeside. Up to eight guests can sleep here and the bedrooms are extra cozy with exposed wood beams and paneled walls, floor-to-ceiling windows, and cute design details like painted wooden signs.

The huge dining table makes for a great hangout spot, as does the lofted living room, which can only be reached by climbing a ladder. The surrounding forest offers plenty of hiking opportunities, or you can kick back and enjoy nature from the private hot tub found on the deck. Warm up by building a bonfire in the nearby fire pit surrounded by log stools and benches.

If the mood for adventure strikes, you're within 10 miles of Oregon Dunes, where you can hop in a dune buggy or rent an ATV.

Rating: 5

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: The listing doesn't specify, but recent reviewers note that the home is spotless.

Luxury cabin with panoramic water views in Coos Bay, $299

Book this luxury cabin starting at $299 per night on Vrbo

The waters of the Oregon Coast can be quite rough, so if you want to spend some time paddling on calmer waters, this cabin with its own private dock on the South Slough is just the place.

Up to six people can sleep in this 1,200-square-foot home, which is located halfway between Cape Arago State Park and Coos Bay. The interior is modern and inviting, with a navy blue sectional and a Smart TV for lounging, and a chalkboard-paint accent wall to unleash your creative side. The dark blue design scheme continues into the two bedrooms, which all feature hardwood floors, stately headboards, private bathrooms, and windows that look out over the lush lawn.

The views of the water are best enjoyed from the private back deck, which is sheltered by tall spruces and even includes a fire pit, Adirondack chairs, and a stone pathway.

Rating: 4.8

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This listing offers contactless check-in and ensures that all high-touch surfaces are cleaned with disinfectant and all the bedding is washed in hot water. Recent guests mention that the home was immaculate.

If ever there was a startup story that sounds like a Hollywood movie, including a happy Christmas ending, it is the saga of Porch Group, previously known as Porch.com.

The yearslong tale involves a cofounder beating brain cancer; the company nearly falling off the cliff during the pandemic, a boardroom drama that ended with the CEO paying millions of his own money to a famous venture capitalist, and an angry acquisition, all culminating in a soft landing via the biggest finance trend of 2020: a sale to a special-purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. That sale paid off its debts, handed the company $200 million of desperately needed cash, and beefed up its board.

The sale also helped the CEO increase his wealth by almost $230 million (should the $14.50 per share price of his now-public company hold).

The happy ending occured on Christmas Eve, when Porch's CEO, Matt Ehrlichman, finished the nine-month process to sell Porch to a SPAC founded by well-known real estate investors Thomas Hennessy and Joseph Beck, former Abu Dhabi Investment Authority execs who are now Porch Group board members. This sale was Ehrlichman's second successful exit, after selling his startup Thriva to Active Network more than a decade earlier. 

The newly merged company was greeted warmly by public market investors on its first day of trading under its new ticker symbol, PRCH, driving the share price up to $17 before settling in at between $14 and $15, where it remains today, and giving the company a market cap of over $1 billion.

As a startup, the company was valued by its private investors at $346 million after raising $119.47 million total in venture funds as of January 2020. The SPAC bought Porch in a deal that valued it at $523 million. So the company either nearly doubled, or nearly tripled, its value by selling to a SPAC, depending on how you look at it.

Here's the peaks-and-valley story of Porch and its cofounder and CEO, Matt Ehrlichman. 

SEE ALSO: How a 22-year-old from Missouri used the 'Gen Z Mafia' Discord group and Clubhouse to raise a $1.5 million seed from top Silicon Valley VCs

Porch was not Ehrlichman's first company. He cofounded his first startup, Thriva, in college with his college buddy Ronnie Castro.

It did software for summer camp and event registrations. Castro left to work at Google then Expedia, but Ehrlichman persevered.

Ehrlichman sold Thriva at age 28 for $60 million to Active Network.

Active Network, better known as Active.com, is an online registration service for sports and community events. It acquired Thriva in 2007 and still maintains it today. At the time, Thriva had 65 employees and over 1,000 customers and was tasked with helping Active grow its camp, school, and events markets. 

Thriva, however, was not Ehrlichman's first successful business. At age 15, he launched a summer sports camp for kids called All Star Camps.

Ehrlichman built the camp into a company that spanned western Washington, and it became his inspiration for starting Thriva. Ehrlichman is 41 today and told Business Insider he still thinks of his high school company as "one of the greatest jobs — teaching kids sports and helping build character."

About six years after selling Thriva, Ehrlichman and Castro reunited to cofound home-improvement startup Porch.com.

The company helps homeowners find home-improvement professionals online by browsing photos and getting prices of similar projects. It was inspired by Ehrlichman's struggles with doing his own home-improvement projects.

Source: Business Insider

But heartbreaking news soon followed. A few months into their new venture, Castro went to the doctor for what he thought was a sinus infection and the doctor made him do a routine MRI. He had brain cancer.

The day after learning the news, Castro's second child, a daughter, was born. (He already had a young son.)

Castro endured a difficult course of treatment which involved brain surgery, chemo, radiation. Through it all he worked and kept his sense of humor. And Porch launched on time. "Time is the most precious thing there is and there's zero reason to waste it," Castro told us back in 2013.

He beat the cancer and today, "Ronnie is doing great. He is healthy, has four kids, and is doing great at Porch," Ehrlichman told us.

But Castro took on one more fight after brain cancer: insurance companies.

In 2015 he sued his health insurance company for denying him coverage for a type of radiation treatment, proton therapy, which he underwent even after the insurance company told him it wouldn't pay for it. It put him hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt.

He settled the suit "favorably" and the insurance company now approves proton as a treatment for brain cancer which was one of his main goals for suing, Ehrlichman told us.

Source: Business Insider

Porch has grown steadily since its founding, but the company was burning through cash even before 2020.

In 2019, it lost $103 million on $78 million in revenue, the company reported in SEC filings. In January, the company raised $20 million of venture investment at an estimated $346 million valuation. But that was less than its 2015 estimated valuation of $500 million, according to deals database Pitchbook. 

And then the pandemic hit. For the first nine months in 2020, it lost $83 million on $59 million in revenue, had a working capital deficit of $60 million, and was $78 million in the red, it said.

Source: Porch Group SEC forms.

When the pandemic hit the US in March and the economy crashed, Porch furloughed employees and reduced salaries in exchange for granting employees more stock.

Porch, however, did not conduct a mass layoff. Instead it took on an $8.14 million Paycheck Protection Program loan in April to save 409 jobs.

Source: FederalPay.org and Porch SEC filing.

And in May it experienced more heartburn. That's when the founders of the LA home-moving concierge it acquired, Kandela, sued Porch.

Porch bought Kandela in 2019 for $11.5 million, part of a series of acquisitions the company made to expand into other areas, like booking professional movers and insurance. Half of that acquisition money was contingent on performance targets. And Kandela's founders claimed that Porch made it impossible for them to hit those targets. 

The lawsuit gave us an inside look at how acquisition deals between startups can be structured and risky for either party. The lawsuit is still ongoing, Porch said.

The cash situation was so dire the company warned investors "that our recurring losses from operations and working capital deficiency raise substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern."

Source: Porch and PTAC prospectus.

Luckily for Porch, PropTech Acquisition Corporation, a SPAC founded by real-estate investors Thomas Hennessy and Joseph Beck, was interested in acquiring the company.

The first discussions began in March and grew more serious in April. By May, Porch's board largely agreed with the negotiated terms, according to documents filed with the SEC.

Source: Porch and PTAC prospectus.

But as due diligence proceeded, one of Porch's early investors, Valor Equity Partners, put pressure on the company.

Valor is the private equity group founded by well-known investor Antonio Gracias. Gracias is a close confidant of Elon Musk. He backed, and is still on the board of, Tesla and SpaceX (and SolarCity), as well as Addepar, Bird, and others.

In order to persuade Valor to approve the merger, Ehrlichman had to make a series of concessions.

He agreed, should the sale go through, to hand over $9.5 million worth of his shares in the company to the investor, and pay Valor $4 million in cash. What's more, should the investor's cash-out be less than $44.2 million after the merger, he was to pay Valor the difference. Ehrlichman and Valor signed the agreement on July 30.

Source: Porch and PTAC prospectus.

Porch and PTAC announced their deal the very next day, on July 31: the SPAC would buy Porch out for $322 million cash, which valued it at $523 million.

Selling to a SPAC often takes the hassle out of a more traditional IPO as it allows a company to go public without the typical roadshow sales pitch to institutional investors.

The SPAC investors approved the deal a few months later and it closed on December 23, with trading under a new ticker symbol, PRCH, beginning the next day.

After paying "transaction fees and debt," Porch Group ended with around $200 million "in cash on hand," Ehrlichman told Business Insider. Trading under the new ticker symbol, PRCH, commenced on December 24 and the opening price doubled the valuation to over $1.25 billion. It has since tapered off a smidge to just over $1 billion. And the company was granted a basically clean slate to rebuild again.

Despite the payments to his investor, Ehrlichman remains the largest shareholder, with roughly 16 million shares worth about $230 million.

Compared to other smartwatches, the Apple Watch does not have a particularly robust battery life.

An Apple Watch lasts for just 18 hours, which means you need to charge it daily. Most people charge it overnight, which is why it doesn't have a built-in sleep tracking app like many other smartwatches and fitness bands. 

Why your Apple Watch battery dies so fast, and how to fix it

If your watch isn't lasting all the way through the day, it's likely that you are using the watch's battery a lot more aggressively than the average user. But there are several things you can do to extend the battery life.

Here are the seven best ways to improve your Apple Watch battery and get more out of a single charge.

SEE ALSO: The Apple Watch Series 5 is available now from Best Buy, Apple, and more for $399 and up

Reduce the Wake Screen time, or turn the feature off

When you raise your wrist to see your watch or tap the screen, it "wakes" the display for a short time.

If you have the wake time set to 70 seconds, that will drain the battery quickly. You should set it to 15 seconds instead.

1. Start the Watch app on your iPhone. 

2. On the "My Watch" tab, tap "General."

3. Tap "Wake Screen."

4. Tap "Wake for 15 seconds."

You can also turn off the Wake Screen on Wrist Raise feature, so your watch will only wake the display when you tap the screen or turn the Digital Crown.

Simply disable the "Wake Screen on Wrist Raise" option at the top of the screen.

Re-pair your Apple Watch and iPhone

If your battery is running out faster than it should, it's possible that there's something wrong with how your watch and phone are paired. 

You can resolve a lot of issues by un-pairing your watch and then re-pairing it as a new watch, which should wipe out any of the corruption that caused the battery glitch. 

Here's how to do it. 

1. Start the Watch app on your iPhone.

2. On the "My Watch" tab, tap your watch at the top of the screen. 

3. Tap the little "i" to the right of your watch information. 

4. Tap "Unpair Apple Watch" and then confirm your choice. 

Now that your watch is no longer paired to your phone, follow the instructions in our article on how to pair an Apple Watch with your iPhone to set up your watch as a new device.

Turn off some push notifications

Sending a lot of notifications to your watch can also seriously drain your battery. You should only enable the most essential notifications. 

1. Start the Watch app on your iPhone. 

2. On the "My Watch" tab, tap "Notifications."

3. For each app listed on the Notifications page, tap the app and specify whether it should be allowed to send notifications. Some apps default to "Mirror my iPhone." If that's the case, change the setting to "Custom," and you will be able to fine-tune the notifications. 

Manually stop workouts at the end of an exercise routine

When the Apple Watch is in workout mode, it uses a little extra battery power, since it measures your heart rate continuously, instead of every few minutes.

If your watch doesn't realize your workout has ended for a while, it can keep running at higher power longer than needed. 

Instead, get in the habit of ending a workout manually by swiping the screen to the right and tapping "End." For more information, see our article on how to start a workout on your Apple Watch. 

Turn off Background App Refresh

When Background App Refresh is on, apps can exchange data between the iPhone and Apple Watch, so they always have current data when needed. 

This can affect battery life, of course, so you can turn the feature off entirely, or select specific apps. 

1. Start the Watch app on your iPhone. 

2. On the "My Watch" tab, tap "General."

3. Tap "Background App Refresh."

4. On the Background App Fresh page, you can disable the feature entirely by swiping the button at the top of the screen to the left. Or, you can enable and disable specific apps so only the apps most important to you get refreshed automatically. 

Turn on Reduce Motion

This feature controls some graphical effects and animations which can drain the battery.

1. Start the Watch app on your iPhone. 

2. On the "My Watch" tab, tap "General."

3. Tap "Accessibility."

4. Tap "Reduce Motion."

5. Turn on "Reduce Motion" by swiping the button to the right.

Get your Apple Watch serviced

If you have tried all these tips and your Apple Watch is still unable to last all the way through the day, it's likely that there's a hardware problem with your Apple Watch — the battery may even be defective. Contact Apple customer support for servicing.

Related coverage from Tech Reference:

• How to make your Apple Watch vibrate more prominently through the device's settings, or using the Watch app on your iPhone

• How to add app complications to your Apple Watch, and customize them for optimal use

• How to make a FaceTime audio call on your Apple Watch

• How to save battery on your Apple Watch in 5 different ways

• The Mondrian New York Park Avenue is a five-star, boutique property designed in collaboration with Philippe Starck.
• I was swayed to stay for a night thanks to low rates and strong new COVID-19 policies, though not all amenities were available.
• I booked a Superior King for $139 plus a $35 resort fee and was upgraded to a Balcony King at no extra cost.
• Read more: Is it safe to stay in a hotel right now? An infectious disease doctor, a cleaning expert, and hotel reps all share what you should know before you check-in.

It's hard for a hotel to stand out in New York City, where there are so many exceptional offerings, but The Mondrian Park Avenue has a lot going for it, including its enviable Park Avenue location.

The 189-room hotel, which is part of hospitality brand sbe, is housed in a 20-story building that dates back to 1918. Opening to wide acclaim in 2017, the hotel enjoys a high level of design detail, including the deft touches of famed interior stylist Philippe Starck and striking artworks curated by his daughter, Ara Starck. The money spent transforming the property is apparent at every turn, sbe never being one to shy away from conspicuous displays of luxury.

Its plum location on Park Avenue in the NoMad neighborhood, coupled with its artistic bent, desirable restaurant, Cleo, and nightclub offerings, should certainly have the hotel bubbling up on any round-up of the best New York City hotels. These pedigrees alone make the hotel a serious competitor within Manhattan's luxury hotel market, but its current shockingly low prices make it a true standout, especially compared to luxurious New York mainstays such as The Langham or The Lowell. 

The available rate at the time of booking was near-impossible to resist. Pre-pandemic prices clocked in at somewhere in the region of $300 per night for an entry-level room (up to $500 per night in high season). But I snagged an entry-level room for just $139 plus fees, which is virtually unheard of for a five-star stay in Manhattan. The COVID-era bargain prompted me to book a room for a holiday weekend night in late November.

Hotels have had to up their offerings to attract what little business there is, and the Mondrian is no exception. In addition to the low starting rate, the following perks were bundled in for free: a 2 p.m. check-in and check-out time, a $10 minibar credit, and a free continental breakfast. These came with regular amenity offerings such as complimentary yoga classes on the terrace, free use of a nearby gym, and a discount at neighboring Equinox Spa.

Sadly, the restaurant and club were closed, but I still felt that it was a great price. The value was further increased with a slight upgrade to a Balcony King on arrival, due to fewer guests currently staying at the hotel. I was happy to find the hotel's impressive outward appearance was backed up by practical safety measures and its new COVID-19 protocols were executed well.

My room was small with a slightly retro feel that may not appeal to all, but given the price, location, and the extras included in my stay, I would happily return in a heartbeat. 

• The first impression
• The room
• On-site amenities
• What's nearby
• What others say
• What you need to know
• COVID-19 policies
• The bottom line
• Book The Mondrian Park Avenue starting at $139 per night

Keep reading to see why I was so impressed by the Mondrian Park Avenue.

The hotel's name obviously implies some kind of homage to the French artist Piet Mondrian, and subtle nods to his angular, geometric work are on display from the outset, glass and steel rectangles forming floor to ceiling exterior windows and delivering the designer's overture as you arrive.

I had seen photos of the striking lobby, and although I was disappointed that the large stone and wooden circle of seating had been removed, there was artistic flare enough to still be somewhat impressed. Large, colorful abstractions of organic shapes soared above me as I approached the desk, landing with a visual punch.

The desk had been nicely modified for COVID-era transactions, plastic screens erected along the front with notices about social distancing and hand sanitizer bottles for guests' use. As I was checked in, I selected my own key cards from a tray and held them on the machine to be charged, which thoughtfully minimized physical interactions.

The desk staff was on point with their manners and friendliness, something that's not always a guarantee in Manhattan hotels. As noted, I received a slight upgrade, which I was exceedingly pleased about, especially since I was given a 16th-floor room just above their much-touted 15th-floor terrace.

I was efficiently dispatched and rode the elevator, which had a note prompting social distancing and was decorated with life-sized drawings of charming, cartoonish crowds more reticent of Keith Haring than Mondrian.

My much-appreciated upgrade from Superior King to Balcony King came with just a slight increase in space, up to 275 square feet from 270 square feet. A Balcony Suite ups the floor space to 525 square feet and comes with a living space, but the price jumps to over $300 per night, and so it's a sizeable investment.

Despite the small interiors, I found the Balcony King to be perfectly comfortable, though the proportions could be more balanced in my opinion. 275 feet isn't a huge amount of space to play with, though it's not terrible for a Manhattan hotel room. However, the bedroom felt slightly small compared to the spacious bathroom, which included unused space that could have been better served as part of the bedroom. There's nothing to change that decision now, though, and it was a minor inconvenience for me as a solo traveler.

The interior design was impressive and kept with the artistic theme, though the details were redolent of a luxury hotel in the 1990s. I found it rather appealing, though some might be tempted to call it dated despite the hotel being rather new.

Angular glass and steel materials were softened by muted earth tones, such as the dark brown carpet with a unique wood grain pattern, but there were still pops of color that kept it from being stuffy.

The comfy King Bed took up the majority of the space and featured a mirrored headboard with abstract works of art lined up above it. The bed was flanked by a small work table and an open closet that worked as a midcentury modern, modular storage unit. 

The feature piece of furniture was a large bar-type table. It was topped with a resin, Mondrian-style map of Manhattan, and some of the squares were colored in with the artist's trademark primary colors. The unit, on closer inspection, housed the small minibar with drinks and snacks, as well as a safe. It reminded me of a stylized flight attendant's cabinet. 

A comfy robe was a welcome amenity found hanging in the open closet, the only other notable touch being a knowingly 1980s-looking white telephone that added to the overall retro feel.

The room did not have any COVID-related signage and didn't look to have anything removed from the room. However, everything seemed very clean and well sanitized.

The bathroom was initially hidden behind a large, sliding, mirrored door, but stepping into it felt like boarding a spaceship. White was overwhelmingly the palate of the bathroom, and it had the design of a wet room, with tiling throughout and irregular-shaped, twin white porcelain sinks.

The large walk-in shower was similarly futuristic and had two rain showerheads. Again, the amount of space was pleasant, but it felt a little excessive compared to the bedroom. I did like the rough-hewn marble countertop in the bathroom, a touch that reinforced the luxe design elements of the hotel. It also came stocked with high-end bath products by Ciel.

The standing-room-only balcony was tiny, but it was still a nice addition that provided a way to take in a lovely city view.

The comfort of the bed coupled with the noise insulation made for a tranquil ambience, and I could not hear any traffic or other sounds from the street below. I slept very soundly, and beforehand took advantage of the Chromecast feature of the in-room TV by streaming a show from my phone to the large screen, which was a real boon. The Wi-Fi was also fast and reliable throughout my stay.

Housekeeping was available by request only, though I didn't need anything cleaned or restocked since I was only staying for one night. 

As previously noted, an entry-level Superior King and my slightly larger Balcony King would be more than fine for a solo traveler, especially if you plan to mainly spend your time sight-seeing. But for a couple traveling with luggage, these rooms may feel like a squeeze and you may want to consider paying to upgrade to a suite, although $180 extra is quite a jump.

A mid-tier room like my upgrade currently runs about $35 more per night. Given that the balcony was not one that guests could sit out on and there was not much additional square footage added, I would hesitate before upgrading myself. However, if you're planning to do a longer stay, you might benefit from the option to open a door to the outdoors, and during COVID, some guests might further appreciate that option.

Overall, I felt my room was an exceptional value, especially given the extras of the check-in and check-out time, the minbar credit, and the breakfast voucher.

Compare room types and prices for The Mondrian Park Avenue

The hotel opened with some impressive facilities, however, there is a $35 nightly fee added on to the room price. While this might be worth it during non-pandemic times, I was disappointed that many of the amenities weren't available to me and that I had to pay the resort fee anyway. 

The hotel's signature restaurant, Cleo, is helmed by Chef Danny Elmaleh and serves a well-reviewed menu of contemporary Mediterranean cuisine. The hotel also houses a discreet and exclusive subterranean nightclub, Yours Truly, a popular spot for in-the-know New York socialites. 

Sadly neither of these places were open when I visited due to COVID restrictions. A further blow was delivered as I learned that the terrace, Fifteen Stories, was also closed, but only due to it being a holiday weekend. It's currently usually open for distanced drinks and light bites. I could see the terrace from my balcony and it looked very pleasant, decked out with plants and cute wooden benches. 

I did have a cursory interest in the free stretching and yoga class that would have taken place at 8 a.m. the morning of my departure, but this was similarly a victim of the holiday schedule. I also didn't have the opportunity to take advantage of the 15% discount at the nearby Equinox Spa or the free access to the exercise facilities of New York Sports Club. These seem like attractive perks for regular times, but are less alluring during a pandemic.

With the restaurant closed, I did wonder how the marketed free breakfast would arrive. It turned out that the front desk issued a voucher for $10, to be used at a cafe down the block called Blank Slate.

This was only a small inconvenience, though I did have to pay a couple dollars out of pocket on top of the $10 voucher to cover the cost of my coffee and breakfast sandwich. This will be the system until the restaurant reopens, and although I felt that the hotel could have been more upfront about this, I appreciated that they are at least trying to honor the breakfast offer in a creative way. 

The hotel is in the NoMad (Madison Square North) neighborhood of Manhattan. Madison Square Park itself and the 28th Street Metro station are within easy walking distance.

It's a relatively quiet spot for Manhattan, especially during the weekend, although guests can easily walk to more bustling areas such as the dining scene of Koreatown, the shopping at Times Square, or the views from the observatory deck at the Empire State Building. Most of Manhattan is very accessible either by foot or by public transportation from the hotel. The Flatiron Building, Gramercy Park, and Union Square Park are also all within easy reach.

Check flight prices to New York City on Expedia

The Mondrian New York Park Avenue receives a rating of 4.5 out of 5 on TripAdvisor and is ranked 170 out of 509 hotels in New York City with just over 700 reviews.

Guests rave about the politeness and professionalism of the staff, and reading the comments, the hotel seems to have garnered an impressive amount of repeat customers. This comment sums up the typical praise: "I love the clean and sleek rooms and big bathrooms, not to mention the beautiful view of the Empire State Building. So rare in NYC: the staff are always accommodating."

Some guests do find the size of the entry-level rooms slightly disappointing, though, and recommend upgrading to some of the larger options if traveling as a couple with lots of luggage.

Who stays here: Interior design and art fans are attracted to the Philippe Starck name and his trademark sleek minimalism. Those looking for an upscale stay at a bargain also book rooms.

We like: The hotel's location is a huge selling point. It's coveted Park Avenue address makes it easy to explore Manhattan by foot.

We love (don't miss this feature!): The large, futuristic bathrooms with their ultra-white tiling and walk-in shower units that feel very decadent.

We think you should know: The entry-level rooms can feel tight and don't have much storage space, so pack light or consider paying to upgrade.

We'd do this differently next time: Come back when the terrace bar Fifteen Stories is open, to sip a cocktail while looking out over the city.

The hotel is part of the sbe hotel group, which is owned by Accor. The company has its COVID-19 protocols available online here. New protocols include:

• All common spaces and guest rooms throughout the hotel are cleaned to the highest standards by specially trained, professional housekeepers, using EPA-registered disinfect chemicals.
• Various wellness amenities, including a mask, gloves, hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes, are provided in each room. Hand sanitizer stations have also been placed in key areas throughout the hotel for your convenience.
• Housekeeping service will be performed while you are out of your room or by request.
• In-room dining will be served via contactless delivery and pick-up.
• At times, Team Members may ask for a temperature check when you enter the building.
• Masks will be worn by all employees. Any employee showing signs of illness will be sent home and closely monitored.
• Contactless checkout is available via email, text message, telephone, or television. Keys may be left in-room or in a checkout box in the lobby, and an invoice will be provided to the email on your reservation.

I generally felt that the hotel was doing a very good job of implementing social distancing and hygienic protocols, and I felt safe at all times. However, I did not receive any PPE in the room, contrary to their stated policy.

My rate of $139 was an incredible deal for a Friday night stay at a luxury hotel on Park Avenue, especially since many similar New York hotels have decided against dropping their rates during the pandemic. The value was further bolstered by various extras currently being offered, including late check-out times, and a minibar and breakfast credit. 

Unfortunately due to COVID-19, many of the hotel's most alluring amenities and facilities aren't open. Further adding to the disappointment is the fact that you still have to pay a $35 nightly fee, despite much of what that fee usually covers not being available right now. I was disappointed not to be able to experience the hotel restaurant, Cleo, as I'd heard such good things about the menu, and though I was less interested in the nightclub, it would have been fun to stick my head in and see how the city's glitterati live. 

That said, even with the resort fee, the hotel is one of the best deals in the city and you'd be hard-pressed to find a similarly luxurious hotel for the same price anywhere else in Manhattan. The levels of customer service were impressive, mixing friendliness with professionalism.

There's a slightly retro feel to the interiors, but it's done with a knowing wink. Rooms are also small and those traveling with a lot of luggage may find the entry-level rooms to be a serious squeeze, but that's to be expected in New York.

Book a room at The Mondrian starting at $139 per night

It's no secret that merger and acquisition activity hit some speed bumps in 2020.

But in the year ahead, bankers and investors expect that a combination of PE dry powder, macroeconomic factors, and an itch to floor the gas on M&A deals will keep a recent boom in activity going. 

So what are the big M&A trends to look out for in 2021? Insiders expect a SPAC-driven buying frenzy, energy mega-deals, more cross-border transactions, and private-equity interest in software deals to remain high, to name just a few predictions. 

More broadly, private-equity powder kegs are full of money waiting to be deployed by financial sponsors. As of this summer, private-equity funds had nearly $1.5 trillion in dry powder on hand, according to data service Preqin.

A recent survey from West Monroe Partners, a management-consulting firm, found that 70% of  respondents said they plan to acquire as many as two high-tech and software companies over the next 24 months. And 27% said they planned to make up to four such acquisitions within the coming two years.

Read more:Quarantine and social distancing in a rented boardroom: Inside S&P Global's $44 billion deal for IHS Markit

Survey respondents were composed of 100 private-equity and corporate-development executives who already have an interest in software and technology: they had to have bought or sold three or more high-tech or software firms within the last three years.

But it's not just software that's seen as hot. The market for buyers and sellers is generally primed for a year of robust activity, with 53% of US-based executives saying their companies intend to forge ahead with plans to increase M&A investment in the new year, according to a survey from PwC. Experts predict continued activity in a number of sectors, ranging from healthcare to financial institutions to TMT.

We took the temperature by asking 12 bankers, investors, and consultants to lay out their 2021 M&A predictions. 

SEE ALSO: Credit Suisse names 4 firms as likely deal targets after a fresh wave of asset management M&A — and pinpoints possible buyers

SEE ALSO: These 10 deals transformed industries and changed the way we think about M&A

SEE ALSO: These are the big winners of the year of the SPAC

Travel and entertainment could offer attractive deals

The coronavirus pandemic has upended media and entertainment sectors. While some have thrived — think about streaming services like Netflix — others like movie theaters have withered.

Indeed, revenue for the global cinema market is on track to fall by nearly 66% this year, according to an outlook from PwC.

But, the chief executive of one of Wall Street's oldest boutique investment banks doesn't see the headwinds that retail and entertainment have faced as their death knells — but, instead, one chapter in a much longer story. And that story is about to get a whole lot livelier once it's safer for consumers to emerge from home.

"It's all about the vaccine and what it represents — that there's going to be normality," Marc Cooper, CEO of the boutique firm PJ Solomon, told Insider in an interview.

"It's all about, when do you think people are going to be comfortable to be amongst people? That's the entire entertainment industry," he added, pointing to recreational sectors running the gamut from sports to cinemas, cruises and hotels to restaurants and dining.

Cooper's firm has counted among its clients retail names like Hudson's Bay Company, Barnes & Noble, Steve Madden, and Brooks Brothers. One deal the bank advised on was Hudson's Bay Company's sale of shopping mall mainstay Lord + Taylor for about $100 million that closed in November 2019. 

To combat "cabin fever setting in," Cooper predicted that consumers will be keen to spend on nights out at movie theaters that offer comprehensive experiences like in-seat dining, for example. And, although many companies took on record levels of debt to navigate the pandemic, benchmark Fed interest rates remains at rock-bottom, translating to low borrowing and carrying costs.

Now, corporate buyers have money to spend, and they may be eager to get in on sectors that are ripe for consumer activity.

As far as software, Cooper said that financial sponsors' interest in software investments will remain sky-high in the year ahead.

"The PE appetite for software and technology is not only at historic highs, but incredible highs," he said.

"In a very simplistic way, it's a chain from venture, who invest in early stage companies, to the PE firms, who then purchase they mature to the strategics, who then purchase a fully built-out business that would be synergistic with their existing platform."

Read more:

• Big private-equity firms are piling into tech deals. Top execs at Carlyle, KKR, and Warburg Pincus laid out how they're angling for an edge.
• A Goldman Sachs banker who leads a team that helped clients like Delta and Norwegian Cruise Line raise $120 billion in debt to weather the pandemic shares his 2021 outlook for the travel industry
• The CEO of restructuring firm AlixPartners lays out what has separated winners from losers in 2020

Expect a big uptick in cross-border transactions

A new regime in Washington — specifically, one that's expected to be less adversarial toward foreign markets — could alleviate the apprehensions of some overseas buyers and spark renewed cross-border dealmaking activity, said Vito Sperduto, co-head of global M&A at RBC Capital Markets.

Cross-border transactions are likely to see a "significant uptick" once the administration of President-elect Joe Biden takes office next year, Sperduto said. While some international deals have happened in the past four years under the presidency of Donald Trump, "there already was a slowdown in cross-border transactions pre-pandemic," he said, "and it's just gotten worse."

In 2021, Sperduto named two factors that will contribute to a renewal in cross-border transactions: a return to safe travel post-vaccination, and the possibility for America to declare a detente on the world stage.

Read more:Banks like Evercore and Moelis are saving tens of millions in travel and entertainment costs while dealmakers are grounded

He noted that foreign buyers might have had some uncertainties about how US regulators would have responded to their overtures and investments in the past four years.

The Trump administration has seen a fraying of international relations, from a trade war with China to a freezing-over of relationships with traditional allies in Western Europe. Policy decisions like those can have very real impacts on the mood for doing business, too.

"I would hope that the climate of isolationism improves as we go forward, given the new administration in the US and hopefully how other countries globally respond," Sperduto said.

"Having a more predictable government review process, having less isolationism, and realizing that we have a global economy and you need to be prepared to operate as such, I think is going to drive an increase in cross-border transactions."

Software multiples will continue to be attractive — and the pace of deals won't slow down

The demand for high-tech solutions to support remote work this year is one reason tech firms have defied the gravity of a turbulent economy.

Mike Amiot, senior director for mergers and acquisitions at West Monroe, ascribed much of the interest in software as stemming from "enabling our ability to work remotely, to operate independently" during the pandemic.

But that's not all: For financial sponsors looking to shell out some dry powder on software deals, "the multiples are very attractive," he said.

And there were a number of big-ticket software acquisitions that grabbed headlines this year, like Salesforce's plan to buy Slack for more than $27 billion in stock and cash; or the sale of Epicor, a business management software firm, from private-equity giant KKR to fellow PE firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice. That deal closed in October.

Read more:The CEO of Epicor says the enterprise-software maker is planning a bigger M&A push once it changes hands to Clayton Dubilier & Rice in a $4.7 billion deal

"Our expectation," Amiot said, "is that the volume and the pace of the business that we've experienced in the second half of this year is probably likely to continue into 2021."

In the West Monroe survey, respondents named specific sectors as being the richest in terms of strategic targets they're interested in: financial services and insurance (69%), retail (54%), high-tech and software (41%), and manufacturing (37%) came out among the most popular sectors drawing investor interest.

Look for a big focus on data to power sales and marketing

There's little question that the technology, media, and telecommunications sector rode a wave in 2020. Insiders say that wave has yet to crest.

"As we look forward, we had these old analogue ways of doing business, and people have now adopted digital ways of doing business," Ashley Evans, a managing director in TMT group at private-equity investor the Carlyle Group, told Insider in an interview.

"We look for software companies powered by data very actively in the investments that we make."

Evans is a board member of several of Carlyle's tech portfolio companies including HireVue, ZoomInfo, and Veritas. Technology is the largest sector for investment in terms of capital deployed at the Washington, D.C.-based Carlyle Group. The firm has deployed $33 billion in capital on tech investments since its inception, with $11 billion of that money being spent in the space in the last decade alone.

Evans' statement about Carlyle's interest in data-focused software firms could be a clue as to the broader investment landscape's thinking about tech investments in 2021.

Evans named software firms' inherent "culture of innovation" as a key driver for investors in the new year.

"I also think that that belief in the future is a big part of what propels us into the future," she said. "As an investor looking at these software businesses, what really makes special software businesses exceptional is that culture of innovation."

Read more:

• Meet the 7 new partners in Goldman Sachs' elite TMT division, advising on high-profile tech IPOs and deals for clients like Snowflake, Shopify, and Netflix
• Top talent execs at firms like Carlyle and Apollo reveal how to land a private-equity job in 2021
• Private-equity giant Carlyle bought a stake in a startup that uses AI to judge how much you smile in interviews, and now it's offering the tech for free to its portfolio companies

A hybrid approach blending in-person and virtual dealmaking will be the new normal

The traditional rites of dealmaking were upended in 2020 as the conventional CEO-courting rituals shifted from the best table in the house to the virtual boardroom on platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Webex.

Some of that may be here to stay — but not all, according to Jaret Davis, the co-managing shareholder of the Miami office of law firm Greenberg Traurig.

"I think there has been some sacrifice to the intangibles, both in terms of relationship-building as well as the intangibles of body language and negotiation," he added. "Those can be and have been overcome, and I think that once COVID lifts, you'll see a hybrid approach taken that gives you an optimization" of both in-person interactions and remote dealmaking.

Davis cited the kick-off meeting on deals — typically a chance for dealmakers like lawyers, bankers, and accountants to huddle in one room and lay the groundwork for a successful transaction — as something that's likely to return to an in-person format when it's safe.

Read more: For certain corners of Wall Street, dealmaking is happening faster than ever. That could mean a permanent lifestyle change for some investment bankers.

Aside from dealmaking style, which sectors will be hot?

One that Davis is keeping an eye out for is telehealth, which exploded in 2020. As chairman of the board of directors of Nicklaus Children's Hospital, a health system in Florida, he said that he observed the system's telehealth offerings soar in demand by triple digits.

Financial sponsors have developed an interest in harnessing tech companies' data and using it to generate a profit, but telehealth companies still have some big hurdles to navigate before they get to that stage, he said.

"The entire industry is still trying to get their arms around it, particularly from a regulatory point of view, for example regulatory in terms of compensation models or in terms of privacy," Davis explained. "Before the financial buyer community really dives in even deeper, I think they want to get some clarity on the regulatory parameters."

We'll see a continued frenzy in electric vehicles and auto tech SPAC deals

The red-hot SPAC community may be looking to floor the gas on big-ticket electric vehicle deals in the years ahead.

Jeff Selman, a partner at the law firm DLA Piper, named the electric vehicles and auto tech sector, alongside healthcare and fintech, as among the primary areas of interest for SPAC buyers. SPACs, or special-purpose acquisition companies, exist to merge with other corporate entities and take them onto the public markets, serving as a vehicle to raise cash without doing an IPO.

Selman told Insider that SPACs are mainly "a capital raising-event for the targets, just sort of disguised as an M&A transaction."

He likened the energy surrounding them to echoes of the dot-com boom: "There's a certain aspect of, sort of, the buzz happening now, where companies are realizing maybe they can become public and get access to public capital in a way that they haven't really been able to unless they were very, very well-known brand names that were getting multi-billion dollar valuations," he said.

Some recent examples of auto tech SPAC activity include the announced merger of auto company Electric Last Mile Solutions with Forum Merger III Corp, a SPAC that intends to take the firm public; and an announced agreement for Lightning eMotors to go public with the SPAC GigCapital 3. Those conversations were first reported by Bloomberg in November.

Looking back on 2020, there were 248 SPAC IPOs, according to SPAC Insider. The average IPO size reaching more than $334 million — a significant rise from the 59 SPAC IPOs in 2019, which were valued at an average size of $230 million.

The SPAC gold rush is unlikely to decelerate in the years ahead: SPACs could drive as much as $300 billion in M&A activity over the next two years, according to a projection from Goldman Sachs.

Read more:

• 16 bankers, lawyers, and capital providers helping engineer the $50 billion SPAC frenzy
• Elite law firms are rushing into the 'SPAC' craze, looking to make hundreds of millions of dollars in the process — here's how it works

Mega-mergers could upend the energy sector

Brian Salsberg, the global buy and integrate leader at Ernst & Young, laid out the argument investors are making as they contemplate sinking significant dollars into software or making strategic acquisitions of SaaS providers.

"Cloud-based software, I think, is absolutely something that is on everybody's M&A shopping list," he said.

Top of mind for private equity investors, he explained, is that software provides the ability to scale with "extremely low costs of goods beyond R&D, no need for physical distribution of the products," and margins that are "just so incredible."

"Private equity, in general, tends to care about cash flow, and there is just no better cash flow business than recurring revenue that has a limited number of fixed costs," Salsberg added.

Salsberg also shared his outlook on consolidation in oil and natural gas.

The oil and gas sector that took a beating this year, with demand in a slump and oil and natural gas prices sinking. 

Read more: Private-equity firms fueled the US shale revolution with $125 billion. Now they face a reckoning of epic proportions as the oil market melts down.

In the year ahead, Salsberg predicted that "we could see mega-mergers of the big names, which we haven't seen in many, many years," he said. "The best way for them to create value is going to be around massive, massive cost savings."

This year already saw deals including Chevron's $4.2 billion acquisition of Noble Energy, Devon Energy's $2.6 billion all-stock purchase of WPX Energy, and ConocoPhilips' $9.7 billion purchase of Concho Resources. The industry is facing a reckoning as it navigates how to reconcile a reduced demand for gas and growing calls for environmentally-friendly alternatives.

"There was a lot of nervousness in the oil and gas space," he said. "I think a lot of that pressure has come off. My sense is, there's a view in the oil and gas space — there's just a recognition of the move towards clean energy."

Banks and private-equity firms will look to snap up fintechs

The Fourth of July meant more than just launching fireworks for celebratory reasons this year — it's when fireworks started exploding in the M&A market, too.

Indeed, Independence Day "is when we really felt like it was starting to pick up again," said Jay Langan, the East region managing partner of merger and acquisition transaction services at the consulting firm Deloitte. "We were on mothballs, to half our team was busy. And I would say by Labor Day we were sold out — and now we're just turning away work, it's so busy.

"It's been a really frothy market" the likes of which he hasn't seen since before the financial crisis, he added, noting that TMT, life sciences, and healthcare have been among the most active sectors.

Financial institutions could be in for more deal activity in the new year. Langan said that the industry continues to undergo consolidation within the registered investment advisor space, and also referred to some of the buying activity within the fintech space.

One deal that made headlines this year was Morgan Stanley's $7 billion acquisition of asset manager Eaton Vance. Though the price tag was steep, Morgan Stanley's CEO James Gorman batted away notions that the bank wasn't getting its money's worth: "I'm not ashamed to say it's fully priced, but this is a quality asset," he said on a quarterly earnings call in October.

And for fintechs, many of which used to provide only one service or product to banks but have since branched out into becoming digital deposit networks of their own, they should be on the lookout for corporate buyers among other banks and PE firms.

"We're seeing that industry mature and having players of size now which weren't there three or four years ago," Langan said. "We're seeing the smaller guys get sold, in some cases to banks, in some cases to private-equity."

Read more:

• Credit Suisse names 4 firms as likely deal targets after a fresh wave of asset management M&A — and pinpoints possible buyers
• Inside PNC's $12 billion deal to buy BBVA's US arm: Here's how bankers hammered out one of the biggest bank deals since the financial crisis
• Why Goldman Sachs, which has a $509 billion wealth business geared towards ultra-rich clients, is buying a small Virginia fintech for financial advisers and retail investors

Data-centers will remain red-hot

Even invisible data that lives in the cloud takes up space in the real world, too.

So, expect to see financial sponsors closely eye investments in data centers in 2021, according to Kemal Hawa, a Greenberg Traurig shareholder who concentrates his legal practice in the tech, media, and telecoms space.

"We are seeing an enormous amount of investment on the part of financial sponsors in the deployment of new data centers," Hawa told Insider in an interview, noting that the activity has primarily been through investments as opposed to mergers or acquisitions.

"Financial sponsors love the TMT sector," he added, "because it is not only key to the future of business, but to society as a whole, especially in view of the pandemic."

This may only be accelerated by a growing demand for so-called "edge data centers," which, unlike massive data facilities, are located in closer geographic proximity to the people whom they serve. One report from PwC estimates that the global market for edge data centers will more than triple by 2024, rising to $13.5 billion in 2024, from $4 billion in 2017.

This all has ramifications for physical real estate. Earlier this year, ByteDance, the China-based parent company of social media service TikTok, leased 53 mega-watts of data-center space in northern Virginia while negotiating a deal to move its global operations to the US, Insider first reported in October.

At the time, analysts estimated that that move could require hundreds of thousands of square feet in real estate space to accommodate servers.

Meanwhile, Wall Street investors have waded into the data center pool, with recent examples including Blackstone's acquisition of majority interest in multiple data centers in Virginia whose buildings were valued in the deal at $265 million; and an announcement in October that the merchant banking division at Goldman Sachs would spend $500 million to buy up data centers in the US and abroad.

Earlier this fall, private-equity investor Apollo Global Management announced that it would buy nearly 500 cell towers and secure the sites to develop hundreds more.

"The growth in the TMT sector has been dramatically accelerated as a result of COVID," Hawa said. "It touches on virtually the entire economy and, in every deal, there's an important TMT component, whether it be diligence or something more core to the business itself."

Read more:

• Here's why big investors like Goldman Sachs, KKR, and Blackstone are betting billions on data centers
• ByteDance quietly leased 'massive' US data centers in 2020, a sign it may have planned to shift TikTok operations to the US
• After flashy hires and a big buildout, Perella Weinberg's media and telecom team has been gutted.

There will be big opportunities in the alternative energy space

As we approach the end of 2020, oil prices remain low and the sector has weathered a year of volatility. Some of that uncertainty is fueling new attention on renewables.

"I think there will be a lot of very phenomenal investment opportunities within both the alternative energy and traditional energy space," Alex Danielides, a business development director at privately-held energy services investor Iapetus Holdings, told Insider an interview.

Nevertheless, Danielides has an optimistic sense that oil prices could return to healthier levels in a post-COVID world — he expects that "we're going to see some pretty supportive prices from oil over the next 24 months," he said.

But 2020's turbulent oil markets and reduced consumer demand as drivers around the world stayed indoors earlier this year will likely buoy renewable energy solutions, particularly with an incoming Biden administration. Indeed, President-elect Biden said in November that he intends to rejoin the Paris climate accord on his first day in office, after President Donald Trump announced plans to pull out of the agreement in 2017.

With revitalized focus on renewables, the International Energy Agency forecast in October that solar power is set to become "the new king of electricity" in the years ahead. Indeed, the IEA projects that under current policies, renewable sources should fulfill 80% of the growth in global electricity demand by 2030.

Under that scenario, hydropower will remain the most plentiful source of renewable electricity, with solar power emerging as "the main driver of growth" and surpassing new records each year after 2022.

Meanwhile, consolidation among oil and natural gas companies has continued with deals at the conclusion of 2020. Danielides described the intersection of consolidation and reduced capacity as "the best thing for the industry."

Diamondback Energy announced plans in late December to acquire two firms — the Midland Basin oil and gas firm Guidon for a mix of cash and stock, and QEP Resources, entirely for stock valued at roughly $2.2 billion.

Harnessing healthcare data will be a priority

Telehealth scored some landmark victories in 2020 as consumers turned to remote solutions to meet with healthcare providers running the gamut from primary care to psychiatry. This, in turn, bred a class of companies that are now sitting on a valuable asset that they could turn into cash: data.

"I think we'll continue to maybe see more and more momentum around that — just, how do you use the data?" said Glenn Hunzinger, US pharmaceuticals and life sciences leader at PwC US, in an interview with Insider.

Indeed, investors may be on the prowl to buy or invest in companies sitting on these data goldmines, and find ways to convert them into profit.

Though the telehealth sector had been making ripples before the pandemic broke out, the necessity for remote services created a dramatic surge in virtual doctor's visits in the early days of the outbreak. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there was a 154% increase in telehealth appointments at the end of March 2020 when the virus first exploded in the US, as compared to one year prior.

Read more: Inside a Carlyle-led $175 million investment in digital-healthcare firm Grand Rounds: Here's how the deal came together, and what it says about the future of healthcare

And a report released in May by consulting firm McKinsey found that consumer adoption of telehealth services had surged from 11% of US consumers last year, to 46% in 2020. In a separate survey conducted by PwC, more than half of healthcare provider execs said they planned to offer virtual mental health/psychiatric and family medicine services in 2021.

"Everyone is trying to figure out: 'Okay, how do we use this data in a more homogenous manner that can make sure we can drive outcomes?' That's going to be the biggest thing, I think, as it relates to software," Hunzinger added.

Meanwhile, Hunzinger also looked ahead to the future Biden administration. His group is predicting that the Democratic White House will push on drug pricing, but they're not bracing for "a drastic overhaul" in healthcare policy, he said.

"The overall thinking is the constant trend in focusing on drug pricing will persist," he said. "Our expectation is that that will continue to be a focus of the administration."

Expect plenty of cybersecurity firms on the market

Along with all of the other headaches that 2020 has wrought, one wellspring of problems has been a significant upswing in hacking and ransomware attacks throughout the year.

Now, one expert on cyber-security in the M&A process predicts that firms which offer security solutions could see big investments in the new year.

Plus, cyber-security firms could see a growing list of new clients, as firms seeking to be bought realize that they need to invest in shoring up fledgling security systems before strategic acquirers catch onto their weaknesses in the diligence process.

"Financial buyers are looking at that more closely because that will be a hot market moving forward," said Nathan Beu, a director and leader of transaction services in the technology practice at consulting firm West Monroe.

"All in all, we're seeing quite a few more cyber-security firms on the market, just because they're poised to make quite a bit of money just because of all of the cyber-security issues that are going on right now."

Indeed, Beu said, working from home has revealed many companies' cyber-security vulnerabilities, through the proliferation of phishing attacks to a rise in ransomware and simply creating more access points for hackers to steal companies' secrets.

Earlier this year, consulting firm KPMG warned that criminal activity on the Internet has ballooned during the pandemic.

Hackers are taking advantage of the coronavirus crisis to install ransomware on target computers, in part by coaxing users into digital traps by promising "critical updates to enterprise collaboration solutions" or free downloads to video conferencing systems, the firm said.

Read more:Private-equity firms' cybersecurity defense has lagged. Here's what makes them attractive targets — and what they can do to protect themselves, according to experts.

2020 will be remembered as the year of extremes.

As the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, investors endured the highest highs and the lowest lows: the fastest decline into a bear market in history, followed by the swiftest recovery — all within six months.

Amid all its misery, the year produced outstanding gains for an elite group of fund managers, thanks to well-placed bets that outstripped the broader market and competitors. Business Insider interviewed eight of the top-performing US equity fund managers as assessed by Morningstar to understand how they successfully navigated the year, and to learn of their biggest bets for 2021.

Several challenges could have kept them off the list. US equity funds suffered seven straight months of outflows through October — including a record $52 billion exodus in August — as more investors flocked to cheaper exchange-traded funds, Morningstar data shows. And fee wars among online brokers, combined with unprecedented volatility, spurred an army of DIY traders that even outperformed the pros at one point.

Still, these investors demonstrated that old-fashioned, bottom-up stock picking can yield outstanding returns. Just ask Morgan Stanley's Dennis Lynch, a recurring top performer, whose top holding of little-known 10X Genomics more than doubled this year. Or ask Cathie Wood, a breakout star manager, whose holdings of
Tesla, Square, and Roku now seem like obvious winners in hindsight. 

The full list of managers is ranked below in decreasing order of their year-to-date returns through November 6.

SEE ALSO: Goldman Sachs says buy these 19 beaten-down stocks on its 'holiday shopping list' that are poised to break out in the 1st quarter of 2021

1. Dennis Lynch, lead portfolio manager, Morgan Stanley Discovery Portfolio

Many traders and fund managers swooped into action when markets started crashing early this year. Dennis Lynch mostly let his previous investments go to work and watch them outperform what others were buying. He was rewarded with bigger returns than almost everyone who took a more frantic approach.

Lynch has been one of the world's top stock pickers for years, and when others were remaking their portfolios so they could profit from the ways the pandemic remade business and technology, Lynch had already done it as a result of his approach.

Lynch, who also runs the Counterpoint Global stock-picking business at Morgan Stanley Investment Management, says he makes a point of not over-relying on profitability and metrics.

"Companies that aren't as short-term profitable, people get concerned because they can't use conventional metrics in the short term to value them," he said in June. "People are much more focused on free cash flow and return on invested capital as metrics for analysis (than in the past)."

The result is that he doesn't mind investing in an unprofitable tech company if it's building something that has great potential. And while having cash on hand is important, what really matters is that a company has enough money to achieve its goals.

"They have scale advantages that they're developing because they're leaders in their categories," he said, citing Carvana and Wayfair as promising investments. "There tends to be a bias against companies earlier in their life cycle that are intelligently going through that process of investment today."

He also wants to see companies with strong equity ownership incentives and a positive culture.

"It's not easily measurable, but the culture of a company is also crucial because it can help companies seize their moments, build goodwill, and instill values that will help them in the future," he said.

Year-to-date return: 149.79%

Biggest holdings (as of Sept 30): 10x Genomics (5.3%), Fastly (4.9%), Twilio (4.9%), Veeva Systems (4.8%), MongoDB (4.7%)

What worked in 2020: While his ahead-of-the-curve investments in areas like technology, payments, e-commerce might look like an ideal post-pandemic portfolio, Lynch essentially created one in 2018 and 2019.

Zoom Video? Lynch added to several of his portfolios in 2019, and watched it skyrocket almost 500% in the last 12 months.

Other investments that have returned more than 200% for the Discovery portfolio include The Trade Desk, Square, Wayfair, Peloton, and Pinterest, and he's received a return of 100% or better from stocks including Carvana, Coupa Software, and Snap. 

As a result, the Discovery fund returned roughly four times as much as its benchmark or the typical fund in its category this year. Other funds he co-manages were right on its heels.

What's ahead in 2021: Lynch spoke to Business Insider in June and said Coupa Software, Uber, and Shopify were some of his favorites. He said they have more potential than Big Tech at this stage.

"It's likely that their upside potential is somewhat capped in relation to some of the other ideas that are now larger positions in the portfolio," he said of large-cap tech stocks.

2. Brooke de Boutray, co-portfolio manager of the Zevenbergen Genea Fund

The modus operandi at Zevenbergen Capital Investments is that they're forward-thinking. 

They were founded on that very principle in 1987, after Nancy Zevenbergen decided her colleagues in banking weren't willing to look to the future like she was, costing them investment opportunities. 

Naturally, then, ZCI's funds are filled with technology firms providing products and services for tomorrow's world. 

In other words, 2020 couldn't have been better for their holdings. 

Their Zevenbergen Genea Fund— managed by Brooke de Boutray, Joseph Dennison, and Leslie Tubbs — reaped the benefits of the stay-at-home environment with holdings like Zoom Video Communications, Amazon, and Zillow. 

Year-to-date return: 114%

Biggest Holdings (as of 9/30): Tesla (8.3%); Zoom Video Communications (6.2%); Amazon (6.1%).

What worked in 2020

"It's really a continuation of the themes we've invested in for over a decade. So we're very much interested in companies that are tech-enabled, and many of the trends that we were excited about, and continue to be, have to do with the digital transformation.

"And it's very common now because the outperformers tend to be those that had positions in those trends — ecommerce, and the digitization of payments, and medicine. And COVID really just accelerated all those trends and really changed the way we live and forced companies to digitize.

What's ahead in 2021

"We're very much a bottom-up research company, so we take a really long-term approach, and we look for companies that are disruptive, that have significant growth, and are operating in very large total adjustable markets. So we still have strong convictions, and the names that will make up our top holdings will be the names that made up our top holdings in 2020.

"For instance, I think that Tesla will continue to be a significant holding for us in 2021, and  I say that because it meets all that criteria. It has multiple areas of growth, very large total addressable markets — transportation, energy, insurance — and it's profitable and growing very rapidly. And it's got an amazing entrepreneur at the helm: Elon Musk."

3. Cathie Wood, portfolio manager of the American Beacon ARK Transformational Innovation Fund

In a tumultuous coronavirus-ravaged year, Cathie Wood, CEO and founder of ARK Invest, was firing on all cylinders. 

"I've never worked harder but I've never enjoyed it more," Wood said. "The days go so fast. My time is videos and calls, half an hour at a time."

"It used to be an hour at a time and it used to involve travel, so my productivity has probably gone up three- to four-fold," she added. 

Wood's efforts have paid off. Not only is she managing five outperforming active ETFs, she is also at the helm of the $821.8 million American Beacon ARK Transformational Innovation fund, which had returned a whopping 113% this year as of November 25.

Wood seeks to discover and invest in disruptive companies engaged in five innovation platforms: DNA sequencing, robotics, energy storage, artificial intelligence, and blockchain technology, which have all "hit escape velocity" coming out of the COVID-19 crisis.

"There's no turning back," she said. "Innovation is all about making activities cheaper, faster, better, and more creative. Once the momentum starts, it's hard to stop."

Year-to-date return: 103.3%

Biggest holdings (as of 9/30): Tesla (11.07%), Square (6.72%), Invitae (6.34%), Roku (5.12%), Zillow (4.18%)

What worked in 2020: 

"The COVID crisis highlighted how important innovation is to solving the world's problems, and the world had a lot of problems before COVID and we still do. So many trends that were well in place before the COVID crisis have gained so much more traction. Because of that, our companies have outperformed significantly.

"What I love about our portfolios is that while Tesla has been a very nice contributor this year, we have had Square, Roku, and Invitae. Those are very different kinds of stocks: Square is a digital wallet, Roku is really the streaming TV operating system, and Invitae is a molecular diagnostic testing company.

What's ahead in 2021:

"I am stunned at how big gaming as entertainment is becoming and how social networks are starting to form around gaming. I have a feeling that the gaming world is going to provide a lot of upside surprises.

"I think Republicans will win the Senate runoff in Georgia and I think that's what the markets still say. If it turns out that that assumption is wrong, then I do believe we would probably be facing capital-gains tax increases, which would be negative for the market and negative for innovation.

"I'm not worried about the short term even if there were a capital-gains tax hike, because I think corporations would have to move even faster towards innovation because they'll be trying to offset the tax increases with cost cuts elsewhere. But I would be fearful that innovation would start to leave our shores in the United States and migrate elsewhere in terms of launching pads."

4. Gary Robinson, portfolio manager of the Baillie Gifford US Equity Growth Fund

Gary Robinson, with co-managers Tom Slater, Kirsty Gibson, and Dave Bujnowski, is looking for stocks that will become the outliers. 

"What we're looking to identify are, let's say a small number of exceptional growth companies in America," he said. "And then, when we find these companies, we want to hold onto them for long periods of time to capture the upside that's inherent in their business models."

Robinson credits the fund's success to a staunch adherence to a few key principles:

1. A long-term time horizon

When Robinson is sizing up a potential purchase, he and his fellow managers try to envision what the next 5-10 years look like. The focus on the long-term translates into low portfolio turnover. Since the fund launched in August of 1997, Robinson says that turnover has averaged "into teens." 

2. Active management

"If you want to beat the index, you have to be willing to be different from it," he said.

3. Growth is at forefront

Robinson and co. are trying to identify what they call "exceptional growth companies." He notes that throughout history, only a small number of companies have contributed the lion's share of stock market returns. 

The notion of an "exceptional growth" company rings through every facet of Robinson's analysis. If he and his fellow managers don't think they can make 2.5 times their initial investment within 5 years time, it's likely they'll look elsewhere. 

But what makes a company exceptional?

Interestingly enough, Robinson says they all share common characteristics.  Although each company clearly has its idiosyncrasies, Robinson's identified three characteristics that seem to be common threads: large market opportunities, the potential to maintain competitive advantages, and bold, founder-CEO-led cultures.

Year-to-date return: 94.52%

Biggest Holdings (as of 9/30): Tesla (10.63%), Amazon (9.49%), Shopify (8.64%), Wayfair (6.37%), The Trade Desk (4.23%)

What worked in 2020:

"What we've seen in 2020 is, in some ways, it's a continuation of your structural trends that have been playing out for years. So, we had the shift from offline to online shopping, the shift to more remote work, the shift from people seeing the doctor in person to telemedicine. So these were trends that were already underway. But they accelerated them on the back of the pandemic."

What's ahead in 2021: 

"Even in the more mature sectors, over the last decade, you've had huge disruption and sectors of the economy like retail and advertising, where you had the emergence of these mega platforms. And you've seen the value creation opportunities for companies on the right side of that change. And you've seen the dislocation for companies that have been on the wrong side of that change.

"I think what's interesting is that even in those more mature sectors, it's still relatively early and still a lot of growth to go for."

5. Ron Baron, portfolio manager, Baron Partners Fund

Ron Baron and the fund managers at his firm are known for a detailed and high-conviction process. The Partners Fund, for example, held only 29 companies at the end of the third quarter of 2020 and had just 8% annual turnover.

Baron and his firm's managers make a point of getting to know businesses extremely well before investing. The hardest part of that, he said in an email, is "obtaining conviction in a businesses' prospects based upon meeting with and speaking regularly with executives of businesses in which we have investments."

That got harder in 2020 as Baron and his managers had to interview new executives through Zoom calls. But this year it doesn't seem to have affected their results because almost all of those recent and long-time investments worked.

Baron says he's always trying to invest in change and disruptive businesses, and the "best opportunities are available during turbulent times."

Year-to-date return: 84.88% 

Biggest holdings (as of Sept 30): Tesla (45.2%), CoStar Group (13.3%), Idexx Laboratories (6.6%), Zillow Group (5.83%), FactSet Research (4.89%)

What worked in 2020:

In a word, Tesla, which occupies a dominant position in the fund at 45% thanks to a combination of Baron's belief in the company and its explosive gain over the last year.

The automaker might be the ultimate momentum stock for better and worse, but in 2019 and 2020, investors have gained a new measure of confidence in its future sales and profitability. That's brought big rewards for Baron, who has been investing in the company since 2014. 

The fund also logged strong returns from a handful of post-pandemic investments including Dutch payments company Adyen and e-commerce platform company Shopify, while a 2014 investment in online real estate listing company Zillow more than doubled in value over the last year.

What's ahead in 2021:

The Partners Fund and other Baron funds maintained their investments in economically sensitive companies like ski resort operator Vail and the Marriott and Hyatt during the downturn on the expectation that things will turn around for them.

Baron has championed Tesla for years and says people are seeing him as "the Tesla guy" because of his advocacy for the company. He has no problem with it.

"My goal next ten years is for people to also call me the 'SpaceX guy' when they see me," he said. "Expect to make more than 30x our investment in that business over next ten years in that privately owned Elon Musk company."

6. Garvin Jabusch and Jeremy Deems, co-managers of the Shelton Green Alpha Fund

Speak with Colorado-based Garvin Jabusch and Jeremy Deems, and you'll realize they're not your standard fund managers.

You might discover, for example, that they're big fans of Taylor Swift. Or that, according to Deems, Jabusch used to bench press several reps of 405lbs during what Jabusch describes as his "meathead" phase.

Good friends working together now since 2001, they're a compatible pair.

And this year has been proven to be eminently compatible with the holdings of their Shelton Green Alpha Fund.

Their investing philosophy is framed around buying into companies working to come up with innovative solutions to society's biggest problems, such as climate change. 

But their exposure to these types of firms ranges across a variety of market sectors — including the biopharmaceutical industry. 

That paid off big for them in 2020 — with Moderna as one of their biggest holdings — as the COVID-19 outbreak wreaked havoc on the world and companies and governments raced to find a vaccine. 

Year-to-date return: 74.66%

Biggest Holdings (as of 9/30): Vestas (7.14%), Tesla (6.83%), Brookfield (5.75%), Moderna (5.41%)

What worked in 2020

Jabusch:

"What are the big system-level that we're looking to solve with our companies. Well, of course the climate crisis is the granddaddy of them, but there's also resource degradation, there's worsening inequality, and there is of course the terrible human disease burden. And I don't just mean pandemics, although that clearly is a thing.

"And so the things that are addressing those risks that have been the most innovative have been our best contributors this year. So if you look at year-to-date, you can see that our second-highest contributing holding, not even our second-highest weight, has been Moderna."

What's ahead in 2021

Deems:

"So honestly the only thing that's going to change is we might find something that's disrupting an innovation that we already hold today, and we may change our mind on what we think is going to be the winner in that particular area. That's really what the point of our research is, to do two things: to find companies we haven't looked at yet, in spaces that we already expect important disruption; and then two, we want to make sure the holdings we do have are still the leaders."

Jabusch: 

"You're going to continue to see the solutions to problems just gobbling up market share from the causes of the problems. Wind is just going to keep stealing away the market share from coal, and that's not only because it's economically superior in terms of being cheaper to make electricity, but also because it's helping to mitigate the climate crisis."

7. Alex Ely, portfolio manager of the Delaware Small Cap Growth Fund

Ely got into the mutual fund business right out of college and joined Macquarie Investment Management in February 2016 as part of the firm's acquisition of Bennett Lawrence Management. 

"They brought us over due to the performance of our Small Cap Growth Fund; that fund has beaten the index by over 200% over the last 10 years," Ely recalled. "So while we've added value this year, we've been doing it for years and years."

While experience counts when it comes to finding and investing in disruptive companies ahead of the competition, Ely reveals that being a parent who's open to listening to his kids has paid off even more. 

"I have kids that range from teenagers to low 20s and it's been a fantastic experience learning from them," he said. "Whether it's the way they bank or the way they meet people, or the way they communicate, or the products that they like, we've had lots of ideas that have been sourced over time from what our kids have done."

One example is Boston Beer (SAM), whose popularity of Truly Hard Seltzer among young people was noticed by Ely while on a parent's weekend at his son's college. 

"He was saying that more and more people were drinking it because they liked the taste better than beer," he said. "So that was one of the reasons that we started looking more and more at Boston Beer, and it's been a terrific holding for the team."

With $114.3 million in assets, the small fund has notched big gains by investing in companies whose sustainable growth translates into better fundamentals and stronger earnings, Ely said.

Year-to-date return: 70.72%

Biggest holdings (as of 9/30): iRhythm Technologies (4.24%), TopBuild (4.21%), Invitae (4.10%), Pacira BioSciences (4.03%), Bill.com (3.96%)

What worked in 2020: 

"An easy way to summate it is that what we've been experiencing for years is the digitalization of almost all consumer and business activities. We've been invested in these areas for a long period of time, but many of these disruptions had been brought forward by the pandemic.

What's ahead in 2021:

"We've expected value to outperform with the announcement of a vaccine. Many of those businesses are involved with crowds like cruise lines, airlines, theme parks, of course, that relates to the energy market, basic industry, and the financial world. So seeing those things bounce hasn't been a surprise.

"But longer term, we think growth is the best place to be. What we're seeing here is an acceleration of technological adoption rates throughout our economy and this digitalization of business and consumer activity has just begun, it just started in earnest within the US."

8. Gerald Sparrow, lead manager of the Sparrow Growth fund

Gerald Sparrow is no stranger to the list of top-performing fund managers, as his eponymous growth fund outperformed its way into the ranks in 2018. 

The fund manager attributes his success to a disciplined approach that focuses on proven financial models for stock selection while ignoring the market's daily noise. For example, he does not buy or sell stocks in between quarterly earnings announcements, no matter the volatility in price. 

If there ever was a noisy year for the stock market, it was 2020. But Sparrow successfully navigated the year by focusing, in part, on the accelerated migration from brick-and-mortar-only businesses to e-commerce. 

That explains why the biggest holding in his fund is Shopify, which rocketed 177% this year through Dec. 8. 

When hunting for such ideas, Sparrow susses out stocks with positive earnings and revenue growth, improving fundamentals, strong balance sheets, and management teams that are shareholder-friendly. 

Year-to-date return: 43%

Biggest holdings (as of 9/30): Shopify (3.36%), Carvana (3.22%), eXp World Holdings (2.76%), Coupa Software (2.48%), Netflix (2.39%)

What worked in 2020: 

"The exciting explanation is that we're picking growth stocks that are doing well and are stealing market share from the competitors. For example, if you look at a company like Square, ... the US economy is growing at 3% and Square's growth rate is 40%. So it's more than 10 times the average growth rate.

What's ahead in 2021:

"I can tell you that based on what we're seeing and what's coming into our model ... gaming companies, betting companies, gambling companies, that space. Also solar and electronic vehicle technology, those types of companies, and natural gas companies."

• The 50 best games of all time are a surprisingly diverse list of games spanning decades of consoles.
• There are iconic household names, cult classics, and forgotten gems.
• Did your favorite game make the list? Let's find out.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

There are dozens of ways you could put together a list of the best video games ever made.

You could look to classics, like "Super Mario Bros." You could look at impact on the medium, or highest sales. You could write down your personal favorites on pieces of paper, then throw them into the air. Where the pieces land? That's your list!

But what we've got here is something slightly more scientific. Reviews aggregation site Metacritic compiles all reviews of games, then it averages those scores into an overall average. What you'll find below is the top 50 highest-rated games of all time, based on the averages obtained by Metacritic.

SEE ALSO: The 50 best movies of all time, according to critics on Metacritic

One quick disclaimer!

We made one small change: Since there are a handful of duplicates on the list (multiple versions of the same game, released on multiple platforms), we're using the highest-ranked version of the game to make room for a handful of games that wouldn't have otherwise made the list.

Without further ado, these are the 50 best video games of all time:

50. "God of War"

Critic score: 94/100

User score: 9.1/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic):"His vengeance against the gods of Olympus far behind him, Kratos now lives as a man in the lands of Norse Gods and monsters. It is in this harsh, unforgiving world that he must fight to survive … and teach his son to do the same. As mentor and protector to a son determined to earn his respect, Kratos is faced with an unexpected opportunity to master the rage that has long defined him. Questioning the dark lineage he's passed on to his son, he hopes to make amends for the shortcomings of his past. Set within the untamed forests, mountains, and realms of Norse lore, 'God of War' features a distinctly new setting with its own pantheon of creatures, monsters, and gods."

Platforms: PlayStation 4

Buy it here >>

49. "Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2"

Critic score: 94/100

User score: 6.4/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "'Modern Warfare 2' continues the gripping and heart-racing action as players face off against a new threat dedicated to bringing the world to the brink of collapse. An entirely new gameplay mode which supports 2-player co-operative play online that is unique from the single player story campaign. Special Ops pits players into a gauntlet of time-trial and objective-based missions. Rank-up as players unlock new Special Ops missions, each more difficult. Missions include highlights from the single player campaign, fan favorites from 'Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare' and all new, exclusive missions. Setting a new bar for online multiplayer, 'Modern Warfare 2' multiplayer delivers new capabilities, customization, game states and modes, including: Create-a-Class Evolved. Secondary Weapons - Machine Pistols, Shotguns, Handguns, Launchers. Riot Shields. Equipment - Throwing Knives, Blast Shield, Tactical Insertion. Perk Upgrades. Bling (Dual Attachments). Customizable Killstreaks - AC130, Sentry Gun, Predator Missile, Counter-UAV, Care Package. Accolades (Post match reports)."

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, OS X

Buy it here >>

48. "Final Fantasy IX"

Critic score: 94/100

User score: 8.9/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "The last 'Final Fantasy' for the PlayStation, 'Final Fantasy IX' returns to the pure fantasy roots that spawned the series. This latest installment features highly detailed characters, vehicles, and environments, and breathtaking cinema-graphics. The addition of brand new features such as the story-enhancing Active Time Event system and the return of mini-games that grant additional gameplay make 'Final Fantasy IX' not only a memorable gaming experience, but also a significant step forward in the series."

Platforms:  PlayStation, iOS, Android, PC, PlayStation 4

Buy it here >>

47. "BioShock Infinite"

Critic score: 94/100

User score: 8.5/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Once conceived as a floating symbol of American ideals at a time when the United States was emerging as a world power, Columbia has been dispatched to distant shores with great fanfare by a captivated public. What begins as a brand new endeavor of hope turns drastically wrong as the city soon disappears into the clouds to whereabouts unknown. The player assumes the role of former Pinkerton agent Booker DeWitt, sent to the lost city to rescue Elizabeth, a young woman imprisoned there since childhood. He develops a relationship with Elizabeth, augmenting his abilities with hers so the pair may escape from a city that is literally falling from the sky. DeWitt must learn to fight foes in high-speed Sky-Line battles, engage in combat both indoors and amongst the clouds, and engage the power of dozens of new weapons and abilities.

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, OS X, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Buy it here >>

46. "World of Goo"

Critic score: 94/100

User score: 8.8/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "'World of Goo' is a physics based puzzle / construction game. The millions of Goo Balls that live in the beautiful 'World of Goo' don't know that they are in a game, or that they are extremely delicious."

Platforms: Wii, PC, OS X, Linux, iOS, Android, BlackBerry OS, Nintendo Switch

Buy it here >>

45. "Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain"

Critic score: 95/100

User score: 7.4/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Following the prologue Metal Gear Solid V: Ground Zeroes, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain concludes the Metal Gear Solid V experience by following the story of the protagonist of the series, Big Boss (a.k.a. Snake). The Metal Gear Solid V experience is Creator and Director Hideo Kojima's first time incorporating open world gameplay to the groundbreaking Metal Gear franchise."

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Buy it here >>

44. "Portal 2"

Critic score: 95/100

User score: 8.4/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "'Portal 2' is the sequel to the title named "Game of the Year" 2007 by over 30 publications around the world. 'Portal 2' promises to break new ground in next generation gaming by expanding the award-winning recipe of innovative gameplay, immersive story, and creative inclusion of music while also introducing multiplayer co-op game modes."

Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Buy it here >>

43. "Madden NFL 2003"

Critic score: 95/100

User score: 7.5/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Take Your Game Online: Access an online community where you can meet, chat, and play head-to-head against other gamers. Audio Dream Team: Dynamic play-by-play and analysis by Madden and Michaels. All-New Mini-camp: Hop on John Madden's Cruiser Tour Bus and travel to all NFL cities to complete skilled tasks. Create-A-Playbook: Customize receiver routes, player formations, and your team's entire playbook. Deepest Franchise Mode Ever: Play 30 years of Franchise mode and draft players each season with tips from your scouts."

Platforms: Game Boy Advance, PC, GameCube, PlayStation, PlayStation 2, Xbox

Buy it here >>

42. "The Last of Us"

Critic score: 95/100

User score: 9.2/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Twenty years after a pandemic radically transformed known civilization, infected humans run amok and survivors kill one another for sustenance and weapons - literally whatever they can get their hands on. Joel, a salty survivor, is hired to smuggle a fourteen-year-old girl, Ellie, out of a rough military quarantine, but what begins as a simple job quickly turns into a brutal journey across the country."

Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4

Buy it here >>

41. "The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask"

Critic score: 95/100

User score: 9.2/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Thrown into a parallel world by the mischievous actions of a possessed Skull Kid, Link finds a land in grave danger. The dark power of a relic called Majora's Mask has wreaked havoc on the citizens of Termina, but their most urgent problem is a suicidal moon crashing toward the world. Link has only 72 hours to find a way to stop its descent."

Platforms: Nintendo 64, Nintendo 3DS

Buy it here >>

40. "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past"

Critic score: 95/100

User score: 9.0/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "In a 'Link to the Past,' Link travels between the light world and the dark world, conquering fierce monsters and uncovering Hyrule's deepest secrets along the way."

Platforms: Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Game Boy Advance, Virtual Console (various platforms)

Buy it here >>

39. "Halo 2"

Critic score: 95/100

User score: 8.2/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "The Covenant alien race threatens to destroy all humankind, and the only thing standing in its way is Master Chief, a genetically enhanced supersoldier. Master Chief returns in 'Halo 2,' which features new vehicles, weapons, environments, and more. This time, you can interact with your environment, wield two weapons at the same time, board opponents' vehicles, and even switch sides to play the role of a Covenant Elite. 'Halo 2' also supports broadband multiplayer action via Xbox Live."

Platforms: Xbox, Xbox One

Buy it here >>

38. "Gran Turismo 3: A-Spec"

Critic score: 95/100

User score: 8.5/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "With the addition of two new courses (a downtown Tokyo circuit and the Monte Carlo Grand Prix course), an impressive range of cars (from Vipers to Cooper Minis), and a soundtrack featuring everything from Lenny Kravitz to Jimi Hendrix, this highly anticipated title is finally ready to be driven."

Platform: PlayStation 2

Buy it here >>

37. "Red Dead Redemption"

Critic score: 95/100

User score: 8.9/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Developed by Rockstar San Diego, as a follow up to the 2004 hit game 'Red Dead Revolver,' 'Red Dead Redemption' is a Western epic, set at the turn of the 20th century when the lawless and chaotic badlands began to give way to the expanding reach of government and the spread of the Industrial Age. The story of former outlaw, John Marston, 'Red Dead Redemption' takes players on a great adventure across the American frontier. Utilizing Rockstar's proprietary Rockstar Advanced Game Engine (RAGE), 'Red Dead Redemption' features an open-world environment for players to explore, including frontier towns, rolling prairies teeming with wildlife, and perilous mountain passes - each packed with an endless flow of varied distractions. Along the way, players experience the heat of gunfights and battles, meet a host of unique characters, struggle against the harshness of one of the world's last remaining wildernesses, and ultimately pick their own precarious path through an epic story about the death of the Wild West and the gunslingers that inhabited it."

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3

Buy it here >>

36. "The Legend of Zelda: Collector's Edition"

Critic score: 95/100

User score: 9.0/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Receive four complete classic Zelda games all on one disc when you buy the Zelda GameCube Bundle: 'The Legend of Zelda,' 'Zelda II - The Adventure of Link,' 'The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time,' 'The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask.'"

Platforms: Nintendo Entertainment System, Virtual Console (various platforms)

Buy it here >>

35. "LittleBigPlanet"

Critic score: 95/100

User score: 6.8/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "In 'LittleBigPlanet,' players meet on a blue and green planet scattered with individual plots – and use their character's amazing abilities to play, create and share what they build with other gamers throughout the world via the PlayStation Network. The 'LittleBigPlanet' experience starts with players learning about their character's powers to interact physically with the environment. There are places to explore, creative resources to collect and puzzles to solve – all requiring a combination of brains and collaborative teamwork. As soon as players begin their creative skills will grow and they will soon be ready to start creating and modifying their surroundings – the first step to sharing them with the whole community. Characters have the power to move anything in this glued and stitched-together 3D landscape; they have the power to design, shape and build both objects and entire locations for others to view and play. There's no complicated level editor; all of these skills can be learned by simply playing the game. Creativity is part of the gameplay experience and playing is part of the creative experience. Players can make their world as open or as secretive to explore as they like. When it's ready, they can invite anyone within the LittleBigPlanet community to come and explore their patch – or can go and explore everybody else's."

Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4

Buy it here >>

34. "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City"

Critic score: 95/100

User score: 8.7/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Welcome to Vice City. Welcome to the 1980s. Having just made it back onto the streets of Liberty City after a long stretch in maximum security, Tommy Vercetti is sent to Vice City by his old boss, Sonny Forelli. They were understandably nervous about his re-appearance in Liberty City, so a trip down south seemed like a good idea. But all does not go smoothly upon his arrival in the glamorous, hedonistic metropolis of Vice City. He's set up and is left with no money and no merchandise. Sonny wants his money back, but the biker gangs, Cuban gangsters, and corrupt politicians stand in his way. Most of Vice City seems to want Tommy dead. His only answer is to fight back and take over the city himself. Vice City offers vehicular pleasures to suit every taste. For the speed enthusiast, there's high-performance cars and motorbikes. For the sportsman, a powerboat or a golf buggy lets you enjoy the great outdoors. For those that need that sense of freedom and escape, why not charter a helicopter and see the beauty of Vice City from the air."

Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox, PC, Mac, iOS, Android, Fire OS

Buy it here >>

33. "Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas"

Critic score: 95/100

User score: 9.0/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Five years ago Carl Johnson escaped from the pressures of life in Los Santos, San Andreas... a city tearing itself apart with gang trouble, drugs and corruption. Where film stars and millionaires do their best to avoid the dealers and gangbangers. Now, it's the early 90s. Carl's got to go home. His mother has been murdered, his family has fallen apart and his childhood friends are all heading towards disaster. On his return to the neighborhood, a couple of corrupt cops frame him for homicide. CJ is forced on a journey that takes him across the entire state of San Andreas, to save his family and to take control of the streets."

Platforms: PlayStation 2, PC, Xbox, Xbox 360, Mac, PlayStation 3, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Fire OS

Buy it here >>

32. "Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn"

Critic score: 95/100

User score: 9.2/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "An epic continuation of the story that began in 'Baldur's Gate,' this RPG is set along the southern portion of the Sword Coast, a detailed and rich area of the Forgotten Realms called Amn. It features 300 spells and 130-plus monster types compared to only 130 spells and 60 monster types in 'Baldur's Gate.'"

Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux

Buy it here >>

31. "Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty"

Critic score: 96/100

User score: 8.8/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Since the incident on Shadow Moses Island, Metal Gear's top-secret technology has been leaked into the black market through the machinations of Revolver Ocelot. As a result, countless variations of Metal Gears have sprung up in every corner of the globe, making the weapon an increasingly common component of the armed forces of nuclear powers. In the midst of all of this, Solid Snake, now a member of the anti-Metal Gear group 'Philanthropy,' has learned that a new prototype Metal Gear has been developed by the U.S. Marines and is being transported in secret to an unknown destination. To learn more about this new machine, Snake must infiltrate the transport, disguised as a tanker, as it makes its way down the Hudson River. Just as Snake is about to begin his mission, however, the ship is seized by a mysterious and well-armed group bent on stealing the new Metal Gear for their own, nefarious purposes

Platforms: PlayStation 2, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Vita

Buy it here >>

30. "Gran Turismo"

Critic score: 96/100

User score: 8.6/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Welcome to the most advanced racing game ever created! Encounter exhilarating high-speed racing in 11 stunning environments. Feel handling agility and throttle response so convincing, the car seems to be an extension of yourself. Experience the extraordinary world of 'Gran Turismo'!"

Platform: PlayStation

Buy it here >>

29. "The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker"

Critic score: 96/100

User score: 9.0/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "In this ninth entry in the 'Legend of Zelda' series, Link debuts on GameCube with a fun new cel-shaded look, but the game stays true to the respected heritage of the series. The classic mix of sword-swinging action, perplexing puzzles and stirring story lines remains intact, but the stunning cel-shaded graphics give the people and places of Link's watery world a wildly artistic new look. And for the very first time, Link sails freely on the high seas. Join Link on his most epic and scenic adventure yet. Face unimaginable monsters, explore puzzling dungeons, and meet a cast of unforgettable characters as he searches for his kidnapped sister, Aryll."

Platforms: GameCube, Wii U

Buy it here >>

28. "Half-Life"

Critic score: 96/100

User score: 9.0/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "'Half-Life' combines great storytelling in the tradition of Stephen King with intense action and advanced technology to create a frighteningly realistic world where players need to think smart to survive. 'Half-Life' has won more than 50 Game of the Year awards from publications around the world, and was named 'Best PC Game Ever' in PC Gamer's November 1999 issue."

Platforms: PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 2

Buy it here >>

27. "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim"

Critic score: 96/100

User score: 8.5/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "The next chapter in the 'Elder Scrolls' saga arrives from the Bethesda Game Studios. Skyrim reimagines the open-world fantasy epic, bringing to life a complete virtual world open for you to explore any way you choose. Play any type of character you can imagine, and do whatever you want; the legendary freedom of choice, storytelling, and adventure of 'The Elder Scrolls' is realized like never before. Skyrim's new game engine brings to life a complete virtual world with rolling clouds, rugged mountains, bustling cities, lush fields, and ancient dungeons. Choose from hundreds of weapons, spells, and abilities. The new character system allows you to play any way you want and define yourself through your actions. Battle ancient dragons like you've never seen. As Dragonborn, learn their secrets and harness their power for yourself."

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch

Buy it here >>

26. "The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess"

Critic score: 96/100

User score: 9.1/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "In the next chapter in the 'Legend of Zelda' series, Link can transform into a wolf to scour the darkened land of Hyrule. With the help of Midna, a mysterious being, you must guide Link through hordes of foul creatures and challenging bosses using new moves and a new horseback combat system. Many puzzles stand between Link and the fulfillment of his quest, so you must sharpen your wits as you hunt for weapons and items."

Platforms: GameCube, Wii

Buy it here >>

25. "Mass Effect 2"

Critic score: 96/100

User score: 8.9/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "The 'Mass Effect' trilogy is a science fiction adventure set in a vast universe filled with dangerous alien life forms and mysterious uncharted planets. In this dark second chapter, Saren's evil army of Geth soldiers has just been defeated, and humans, who are still struggling to make their mark on the galactic stage, are now faced with an even greater peril."

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Buy it here >>

24. "Tekken 3"

Critic score: 96/100

User score: 9.1/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "An ancient evil force has reawakened, attacking in secret and feeding on the souls of mighty warriors. To lure it out of hiding will take the greatest fighting contest the world has ever seen...Tekken 3. Some are fighting for revenge, some for honor. Ultimately, all are fighting for their lives and the fate of all mankind."

Platforms: PlayStation, Arcade

Buy it here >>

23. "Batman: Arkham City"

Critic score: 96/100

User score: 8.7/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Developed by Rocksteady Studios, 'Batman: Arkham City' builds upon the intense, atmospheric foundation of 'Batman: Arkham Asylum,' sending players soaring into Arkham City, the new maximum security 'home' for all of Gotham City's thugs, gangsters and insane criminal masterminds. Set inside the heavily fortified walls of a sprawling district in the heart of Gotham City, this highly anticipated sequel introduces a brand-new story that draws together a new all-star cast of classic characters and murderous villains from the Batman universe, as well as a vast range of new and enhanced gameplay features to deliver the ultimate experience as the Dark Knight."

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Mac, Wii U, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Buy it here >>

22. "The Orange Box"

Critic score: 96/100

User score: 9.2/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Games included in The Orange Box compilation: The original Half-Life 2 - The player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist Gordon Freeman, who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted, its populace dwindling. Freeman is thrust into the unenviable role of rescuing the world from the wrong he unleashed back at Black Mesa. And a lot of people - people he cares about - are counting on him. 'Half-Life 2: Episode One' - The player reprises his role of Dr. Freeman, who must immediately face the repercussions of his actions in City 17 and the Citadel. Freeman reconnects with Alyx Vance and her robot, Dog, as they continue their support of the resistance's battle against the Combine forces. 'Half-Life 2: Episode Two' -- the second installment in Valve's episodic trilogy advances the award-winning story, leading the player to new locations outside of City 17. 'Portal' - a pioneering type of single player action game that rewrites the rules for how players approach and manipulate their environment – much like how Half-Life 2's Gravity Gun reinvented the way gamers interact with objects in the game. 'Team Fortress 2' - an all-new version of the legendary title that spawned team based multiplayer action games. The game's daring new art style features the most advanced graphics of any Source-based game released to date."

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Linux, Mac

Buy it here >>

21. "Resident Evil 4"

Critic score: 96/100

User score: 9.4/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "In 'Resident Evil 4' players are reacquainted with Leon S. Kennedy, Raccoon City Police Department's idealistic rookie cop from 'Resident Evil 2.' It has been six years since the destruction of Raccoon City and in that time, the U.S. government has been able to destroy the nefarious Umbrella Corporation. Fast forward to 2004 and players rejoin Leon, who is now a U.S. agent with a top-secret mission. He has been tasked to look into the abduction of the President's daughter and his investigation has led him to a mysterious location in Europe. As Leon encounters unimaginable horrors, he must find out who or what is behind everything."

Platforms: GameCube, PlayStation 2, Microsoft Windows, Wii, Zeebo, iOS, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Android, PlayStation 4, Xbox One

Buy it here >>

20. "Uncharted 2: Among Thieves"

Critic score: 96/100

User score: 8.8/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Fortune hunter Nathan Drake returns in Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, a third-person action-adventure/shooter created by award-winning developer Naughty Dog. Down on his luck, Drake is lured back into the treacherous world of thieves and mercenary treasure-seekers he had sought to leave behind. When a mysterious artifact propels Drake on an expedition to find the legendary Himalayan valley of Shambhala, he finds himself embroiled in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse against a fugitive war criminal who's after more than just the fabled riches of the lost city. Caught in a web of deception and plunged into an increasingly deadly pursuit that tests the limits of his endurance, Drake will be forced to risk everything - but has his luck finally run out?"

Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4

Buy it here >>

19. "GoldenEye 007"

Critic score: 96/100

User score: 9.1/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "You are Bond. James Bond. You are assigned covert operations connected with the GoldenEye weapons satellite. M will brief you on your mission and objectives from London. Q Branch will support your efforts with a plentiful supply of weapons and gadgets. Moneypenny offers you light-hearted best wishes and you're off! Your mission begins in the heavily guarded chemical warfare facility at the Byelomorye Dam in the USSR. Look and shoot in any direction as you navigate 12 interactive 3-D environments. Use stealth and force as you see fit in matters of international security. Consider the military personnel expendable. You are licensed to kill!"

Platform: Nintendo 64

Buy it here >>

18. "BioShock"

Critic score: 96/100

User score: 8.9/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Going beyond 'run and gun corridors,' 'monster-closet AIs' and static worlds, BioShock creates a living, unique and unpredictable FPS experience. After your plane crashes into icy uncharted waters, you discover a rusted bathysphere and descend into Rapture, a city hidden beneath the sea. Constructed as an idealistic society for a hand picked group of scientists, artists and industrialists, the idealism is no more. Now the city is littered with corpses, wildly powerful guardians roam the corridors as little girls loot the dead, and genetically mutated citizens ambush you at every turn. Take control of your world by hacking mechanical devices, commandeering security turrets and crafting unique items critical to your very survival. Upgrade your weapons with ionic gels, explosives and toxins to customize them to the enemy and environment. Genetically modify your body through dozens of Plasmid Stations scattered throughout the city, empowering you with fantastic and often grotesque abilities. Explore a living world powered by Ecological A.I., where the inhabitants have interesting and consequential relationships with one another that impact your gameplay experience. Experience truly next generation graphics that vividly illustrate the forlorn art deco city, highlighted by the most detailed and realistic water effects ever developed in a video game. Make meaningful choices and mature decisions, ultimately culminating in the grand question: do you exploit the innocent survivors of Rapture...or save them?"

Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC, Mac, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, iOS

Buy it here >>

17. "Half-Life 2"

Critic score: 96/100

User score: 9.2/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "By taking the suspense, challenge and visceral charge of the original, and adding startling new realism and responsiveness, 'Half-Life 2' opens the door to a world where the player's presence affects everything around him, from the physical environment to the behaviors -- even the emotions -- of both friends and enemies. The player again picks up the crowbar of research scientist Gordon Freeman, who finds himself on an alien-infested Earth being picked to the bone, its resources depleted, its populace dwindling. Freeman is thrust into the unenviable role of rescuing the world from the wrong he unleashed back at Black Mesa. And a lot of people -- people he cares about -- are counting on him."

Platforms: PC, Xbox, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Mac, Linux, Android

Buy it here >>

16. "NFL 2K1"

Critic score: 97/100

User score: 6.3/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "In the end, NFL 2K1 is a deeper, more refined version of the original game."

Platform: Dreamcast

Buy it now >>

15. "Halo: Combat Evolved"

Critic score: 97/100

User score: 8.6/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Enter the mysterious world of Halo, an alien planet shaped like a ring. As mankind's super soldier Master Chief, you must uncover the secrets of Halo and fend off the attacking Covenant. During your missions, you'll battle on foot, in vehicles, inside, and outside with alien and human weaponry. Your objectives include attacking enemy outposts, raiding underground labs for advanced technology, rescuing fallen comrades, and sniping enemy forces. 'Halo' also lets you battle three other players via intense split screen combat or fight cooperatively with a friend through the single-player missions."

Platforms: Xbox, PC, Mac, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Buy it here >>

14. "Super Mario Odyssey"

Critic score: 97/100

User score: 9.0/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic):"Mario embarks on a new journey through unknown worlds, running and jumping through huge 3D worlds in the first sandbox-style Mario game since 'Super Mario 64' and 'Super Mario Sunshine.' Set sail between expansive worlds aboard an airship, and perform all-new actions, such as throwing Mario's cap."

Platform: Switch

Buy it here >>

13. "Grand Theft Auto III"

Critic score: 97/100

User score: 8.5/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Players are put at the heart of their very own gangster movie, and let loose in a fully-realized 3 dimensional city with a cast of hundreds, 50 plus vehicles, ranging from sports cars to ice cream trucks and from boats to buses, 3 hours of music, including opera, reggae, house, drum and bass, pop and disco, and a huge array of street ready weapons."

Platforms: PlayStation 2, PC, Xbox, Mac, Android, iOS, Fire OS

Buy it here >>

12. "Metroid Prime"

Critic score: 97/100

User score: 9.3/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Samus returns in a new mission to unravel the mystery behind the ruined walls scattered across Tallon IV. In Metroid Prime, you'll play the role of this bounty hunter and view the world through her visor, which displays information ranging from current energy levels to ammunition. Equipped with a Power Beam and Gravity Suit, you must shoot locked switches, solve puzzles, and eliminate enemies. It's up to you to explore the world and recover more power-ups and weapons, which gradually open more gameplay areas."

Platforms: GameCube, Wii

Buy it here >>

11. "Perfect Dark"

Critic score: 97/100

User score: 9.0/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Step into the Dark... As Carrington Institute's most promising new Agent, Joanna Dark must uncover the truth behind the dataDyne Corporation's recent technological breakthroughs - breakthroughs which could have serious consequences for mankind."

Platforms: Nintendo 64, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Buy it here >>

10. "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3"

Critic score: 97/100

User score: 7.4/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Challenge up to four friends in online competitions over a LAN or the Internet. Take them on in both Trick Attack and Graffiti modes."

Platforms: PlayStation 2, PlayStation, Game Boy Color, GameCube, Xbox, Game Boy Advance, PC, Nintendo 64, Mac

Buy it here >>

9. "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild"

Critic score: 97/100

User score: 8.4/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Forget everything you know about The Legend of Zelda games. Step into a world of discovery, exploration and adventure in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, a boundary-breaking new game in the acclaimed series. Travel across fields, through forests and to mountain peaks as you discover what has become of the ruined kingdom of Hyrule in this open-air adventure. Explore the wilds of Hyrule any way you like."

Platforms: Wii U, Switch

Buy it here >>

8. "Grand Theft Auto V"

Critic score: 96/100

User score: 7.8/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Los Santos: a sprawling sun-soaked metropolis full of self-help gurus, starlets and fading celebrities, once the envy of the Western world, now struggling to stay alive in a time of economic uncertainty and cheap reality TV. Amidst the turmoil, three very unique criminals plot their own chances of survival and success: Franklin, a street hustler looking for tangible opportunities and serious money; Michael, a professional ex-con whose retirement is less rosy than he figured it would be; and Trevor, a violent dude driven by the opportunity for a cheap high and his next big score. With options at a premium, the crew risks it all in a myriad of daring and dangerous heists that could set them up for life."

Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC

Buy it here >>

7. "Red Dead Redemption 2"

Critic score: 97/100

User score: 7.7/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): " Developed by the creators of 'Grand Theft Auto V' and 'Red Dead Redemption,' 'Red Dead Redemption 2' is an epic tale of life in America's unforgiving heartland. The game's vast and atmospheric world also provides the foundation for a brand new online multiplayer experience. America, 1899. The end of the Wild West era has begun. After a robbery goes badly wrong in the western town of Blackwater, Arthur Morgan and the Van der Linde gang are forced to flee. With federal agents and the best bounty hunters in the nation massing on their heels, the gang has to rob, steal and fight their way across the rugged heartland of America in order to survive. As deepening internal fissures threaten to tear the gang apart, Arthur must make a choice between his own ideals and loyalty to the gang that raised him."

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4

Buy it here >>

6. "Super Mario Galaxy 2"

Critic score: 97/100

User score: 9.1/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Super Mario Galaxy 2, the sequel to the galaxy-hopping original game, includes the gravity-defying, physics-based exploration from the first game, but is loaded with entirely new galaxies and features to challenge players. On some stages, Mario can pair up with his dinosaur buddy Yoshi and use his tongue to grab items and spit them back at enemies. Players can also have fun with new items such as a drill that lets our hero tunnel through solid rock."

Platform: Wii

Buy it here >>

5. "Super Mario Galaxy"

Critic score: 97/100

User score: 9.0/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "The ultimate Nintendo hero is taking the ultimate step ... out into space. Join Mario as he ushers in a new era of video games, defying gravity across all the planets in the galaxy. When some creature escapes into space with Princess Peach, Mario gives chase, exploring bizarre planets all across the galaxy. Mario, Peach and enemies new and old are here. Players run, jump and battle enemies as they explore all the planets in the galaxy. Since this game makes full use of all the features of the Wii Remote, players have to do all kinds of things to succeed: pressing buttons, swinging the Wii Remote and the Nunchuk, and even pointing at and dragging things with the pointer. Since he's in space, Mario can perform mind-bending jumps unlike anything he's done before. He'll also have a wealth of new moves that are all based around tilting, pointing and shaking the Wii Remote. Shake, tilt and point! Mario takes advantage of all the unique aspects of the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controller, unleashing new moves as players shake the controller and even point at and drag items with the pointer."

Platform: Wii

Buy it here >>

4. "SoulCalibur"

Critic score: 98/100

User score: 8.6/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "This is a tale of souls and swords, transcending the world and all its history, told for all eternity... The greatest weapons-based fighter returns, this time on Sega Dreamcast. Soul Calibur unleashes incredible graphics, fantastic fighters, and combos so amazing they'll make your head spin!"

Platforms: Dreamcast, iOS, Arcade, Xbox 360, Xbox One

Buy it here >>

3. "Grand Theft Auto IV"

Critic score: 98/100

User score: 7.5/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "What does the American Dream mean today? For Niko Belic, fresh off the boat from Europe. It's the hope he can escape his past. For his cousin, Roman, it is the vision that together they can find fortune in Liberty City, gateway to the land of opportunity. As they slip into debt and are dragged into a criminal underworld by a series of shysters, thieves and sociopaths, they discover that the reality is very different from the dream in a city that worships money and status, and is heaven for those who have them an a living nightmare for those who don't."

Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PC

Buy it here >>

2. "Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 2"

Critic score: 98/100

User score: 7.4/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "Hawk's back - with new technology, new pros and new tricks! 'THPS2,' the legend rides on! Skate as legendary Tony Hawk or any one of 12 other pro skaters. Create your own custom skaters. Multiple play modes including 1-Player, Career and Free Skate modes, as well as 2-player modes such as Trick Attack, Graffiti Tag and Horse. Build your own custom skate parks with the real-time 3D park editor"

Platforms: PlayStation, PC, Game Boy Color, Dreamcast, Mac, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo 64, iOS, Xbox

Buy it here >>

1. "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time"

Critic score: 99/100

User score: 9.2/10

Plot summary (from Metacritic): "As a young boy, Link is tricked by Ganondorf, the King of the Gerudo Thieves. The evil human uses Link to gain access to the Sacred Realm, where he places his tainted hands on Triforce and transforms the beautiful Hyrulean landscape into a barren wasteland. Link is determined to fix the problems he helped to create, so with the help of Rauru he travels through time gathering the powers of the Seven Sages."

Platforms: Nintendo 64, Nintendo DS, Virtual Console (various platforms)

Buy it here >>

How can you write the perfect email subject line?

It's an important question to ask yourself whenever you're preparing to send out an email. US workers send billions of emails every day. You need to make sure your message stands out.

This is even more important now, as workers across the US log in from home because of the novel coronavirus pandemic. You want to make sure every email you're sending gets the attention, and response, it deserves. 

To make sure your message is viewed, crafting a good subject line is key. 

Read more:We asked recruiters who've helped candidates land dream roles in tech and finance how to job-search in 2021. Here are the 3 themes we heard over and over again.

Business Insider spoke with a number of career experts, like Amanda Augustine and Dmitri Leonov, to get their secrets on crafting the perfect email subject line. We also included a few examples of awesome subject lines that recipients are sure to click on.

Here are several tips on how to write an excellent email subject line.

Jeann Goudreau and Rachel Gillett contributed to an earlier version of this article. 

SEE ALSO: 9 free apps college students can use to find a job or an internship

Always write a subject line.

Experts said that not including a subject line is one of the biggest mistakes you can make.

The subject line often determines whether an email is opened and how the recipient responds.

An email with a blank subject line will likely get deleted, lost, or immediately irritate the recipient, who is forced to open the email to figure out what it's about.

Write the subject line first.

For many professionals, the subject line is an afterthought that you add just before you hit send. But Amanda Augustine, a career expert at TopResume, told Business Insider that it can be the most important part of the email. 

Write the subject line first, so that it sets the tone and you don't forget.

Keep it short.

A typical inbox reveals about 60 characters of an email's subject line, while a mobile phone shows just 25 to 30 characters, said Augustine. Get right to the point in about six to eight words.

According to research from software company HubSpot, 46% of all emails are opened on mobile devices, which means your subject line shouldn't be much longer than a few words. Longer subject lines will get cut off. 

Place the most important words at the beginning.

Dmitri Leonov, a VP at email management service SaneBox, told Business Insider that a whopping 50% of emails are read on mobile phones. Since you don't know how much of the subject line will be viewable from a smartphone, it's important to put the most important information at the beginning. Otherwise, compelling details could get cut off.

Eliminate filler words.

With such precious space, don't waste it with unnecessary words like "hello,""nice to meet you," and "thanks," which can easily be included in the email's body, the experts said.

Be clear and specific about the topic of the email.

The subject line should communicate exactly what the email is about so that the recipient can prioritize the email's importance without having to open it, the experts said.

For example, writing "Do you have a sec?" is vague, said Augustine, since the reader will have to open the email or reply to figure out what you want.

If it's a job application, she suggests including your name and the position, and if it's to another coworker, you should identify the project that the email refers to. 

Keep it simple and focused.

Especially if you're sending a marketing email, Kipp Bodnar, a VP at marketing software platform HubSpot, told Business Insider that it should be focused on one action, which should be communicated in the subject line.

Offer one takeaway, indicate how the reader can make use of it, and specify how you will deliver it.

Use logical keywords for search and filtering.

Most professionals have filters and folders set up to manage their email and probably won't focus on your message when they first see it, said Leonov.

That's why it's important to include keywords related to the topic of the email that will make it searchable later.

Read more: A LinkedIn message took 2 minutes to write and got the sender a job at a successful startup — even though they weren't hiring

Indicate if you need a response.

"People want to know whether they really need to read this now and if they have to respond," said Augustine. If you need a response, make it clear in the subject line by saying "please reply" or "thoughts needed on X topic."

If not, simply start the line with "Please read," or tack on "no response needed" or "FYI" to the end.

Set a deadline in the subject line.

Especially if you have a lot of information to convey in the email itself, the experts said that including a deadline right in the subject line exponentially increases the odds that readers will respond.

For example, after the email's topic, you could say: "Please reply by EOD Friday."

Read more:MOLDING GREATNESS: Meet 23 career coaches who helped shape leaders into stars at the likes of Goldman Sachs and Google

If someone referred you, be sure to use their name.

If you've been referred by a mutual acquaintance, do not save that for the body of the email, said Augustine. Put it in the subject line to grab the reader's attention right away. Moreover, she suggests beginning the subject line with the full name of the person who referred you.

Highlight the value you have to offer.

If sending a cold email to someone you don't know, "you need a subject line that indicates value and communicates what they're going to get," said Bodnar. Pique the reader's interest by offering them something that's helpful.

Whether you're providing a speaking opportunity, a discount, or a service, make it clear in the subject line what's in it for them.

Personalize it with the recipient's name or company name.

You have to know who you're sending the email to, and they have to recognize that it's about them or a subject interesting to them, Bodnar said. Using their name or company name is one of the best ways to do that, he says, and makes the recipient much more likely to open the email.

For example, you might write, "Increase Company's sales by 25%," or "John, see how you compare to competitors."

Create urgency by limiting the timeframe.

To grab someone's attention and persuade them to reply, the experts suggested creating a deadline for your proposition. Common ways of creating urgency include "respond now,""register today," and "limited space available — reply soon."

Don't start a sentence that you finish in the email's body.

If you begin a thought or question that ends in the email, then the reader is forced to open the email. It's annoying, and since clarity and being respectful of the recipient's time is the goal, it's not very helpful, said Augustine.

Consider whether instant message, a call, or an in-person chat might be a better medium for your question. 

Read more: 32 books Bill Gates thinks everyone should read if they want to get smarter about business, philosophy, and science

Make sure you re-read the subject line.

Augustine also warned against copy-and-paste errors. Sometimes when people are sending a similar email to multiple people, they forget to tailor it to each reader and end up with the wrong name or title in the subject line. The easiest way to avoid this is to reread the subject line before you hit send. 

Spark the recipient's memory for an even better shot at getting your email opened.

If you've met the recipient, exchanged emails before, or had a phone call, mention that in your subject line. 

"In your follow-up email subject lines, be sure to reference your past meeting or conversation. This helps your recipient remember who you are, and what steps you had hoped to take next," writes Sujan Patel, a marketer and entrepreneur, in a blog post email outreach tool MailShake.  

Don't put words in ALL CAPS.

Using all caps may get someone's attention, but in the wrong way.

"This is email 101, but people still break this cardinal rule,"Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of "The Humor Advantage,"previously told Business Insider. "Putting any phrase in all caps is the equivalent of shouting."

Your job is to make the email as easy as possible for the recipient to read rather than giving them anxiety, said Leonov.

Instead, use dashes or colons to separate thoughts, and avoid special characters like exclamation points.

Don't just type a string of punctuation.

A line of punctuation does not an email subject line make.

As Inc. contributor Amanda Pressner Kreuser wrote, "'?????' and its cousin '!!!!!' are unnecessarily aggressive, and — perhaps worse — don't actually communicate the problem (or anything)."

Here are some examples of excellent email subject lines.

For a job application:

Referred by Jane Brown for Technical Writer position

Human Resources Assistant Application — John Smith

For an interview follow up:

John Smith Following Up on Sales Position

Marketing Manager interview follow up

For a work request:

Requesting Project X idea submissions — Due Jan 15

Employee Survey: Please take by EOD Friday

For a meeting invitation:

Meet about social media strategy Tuesday?

Free to catch up over coffee next week?

For an introduction:

An Introduction: Ed Wingfield Meet John Smith

Potential collaboration on TV marketing plan

For a marketing pitch:

Mastering Digital Media Webinar — Register Today

John, see how you compare to competitors

For requesting information:

Inquiring about your design services

Request for information on NY venue

• Amazon has the third-largest advertising business after Google and Facebook.
• As Amazon's ad business grows, a number of third-party tech companies and agencies have emerged to help marketers navigate the e-commerce giant.
• Business Insider identified 18 of the most important ones that help marketers run ads and help sellers manage their e-commerce strategies and logistics.
• Click here for more BI Prime stories.

A new crop of companies wants to cash in on Amazon.

The e-commerce giant's advertising business is expected to make $17 billion this year, according to financial services firm Cowen. Its advertising business is more nascent than Facebook or Google, but it's fared better than its rivals during the coronavirus as more people shop online and performance-heavy advertisers increase spending on the platform.

Amazon's growing advertising business has spawned a cottage industry of tech firms and agencies that specialize in Amazon. They help advertisers and sellers solve challenges including deciding what products to sell online, how to get products noticed, and running advertising campaigns that drive sales.

Business Insider identified 18 companies that are cornering the Amazon market, based on their reputations and clients and what problems they're trying to solve. Many of the companies we highlighted are founded by ex-Amazon employees and entrepreneurs who started their own firms to help others master the platform.

Here are the companies, listed in alphabetical order.

SEE ALSO: Inside Amazon: Everything we know about the e-commerce giant's growing advertising business

Blue Wheel Media: An agency that gives sellers first-hand experience

Trevor George founded Blue Wheel Media as a digital ad agency after selling products on Amazon himself. He also runs Trevco, which is his family's company and a third-party marketplace that sells sells licensed apparel and accessories.

He launched the agency as a way to help other sellers understand how to get their products discovered and reviewed as well as run ad campaigns for brands like Moroccanoil and Tushy.

Blue Wheel Media also runs campaigns on Facebook, Google, and Twitter.

Bobsled Marketing: An agency aimed at at e-commerce brands trying to grow sales

Bobsled Marketing is an Amazon-focused ad agency founded by Kiri Masters, a former banker at JPMorgan Chase.

The 26-person agency differentiates itself with regular news roundups and webinars about Amazon that Masters organizes for clients. The firm is a mix of a managed-service shop that handles accounts and ad campaigns for third-party sellers and a consultancy that helps clients like Project Sunscreen and Barcel develop e-commerce strategies.

ChannelAdvisor: A software company that focuses on e-commerce businesses

ChannelAdvisor is a platform used by brands like Party City and Asics to manage their sales, marketing, and fulfillment across Amazon, eBay, and Walmart.

The 19-year-old firm helps brands price items, manage their inventory, and access analytics. A forecasting tool predicts how much inventory to stock and another feature tracks profitability metrics.

Advertisers also use ChannelAdvisor's technology to bid, tweak, and schedule ad campaigns across three of Amazon's popular ad formats on its website and app: Sponsored Products, Sponsored Display, and Sponsored Brands.

Spitz was formerly president and chief operating officer at the firm before being named CEO in 2015. Before ChannelAdvisor, he founded a mobile marketing firm called Avesair and is on the board of directors at digital advertising company AdWerx.

Channel Bakers: An agency that focuses on advertising campaigns

Joshua Kreitzer founded Channel Bakers after working in e-commerce at brands like GoPro and Corsair.

The firm is a full-service Amazon agency that helps brands including Wandering Bear, Samsung, and Intel advertise on Amazon with search and programmatic ads as well as over-the-top ads in Amazon's TV properties. Channel Bakers also works on non-advertising products like merchandising and creating content for product pages and Stores, which are branded sections of Amazon that marketers can use to highlight products.

Channel Bakers also creates and manages e-commerce strategies for Walmart, Rakuten, and Sears.

Downstream: A software firm that uses AI to run ad campaigns

Downstream CEO Connor Folley is an ex-Amazon marketing manager who worked with consumer-electronics brands before founding his own startup three years ago to tackle the problem of automating the manual process of buying Amazon ads.

The company sells technology that brands like HP and Bic use to tweak campaigns and track metrics like cost and clicks of campaigns that measure brands' return on ad spend. Downstream's software also stores advertisers' data and has a recommendation engine that gives advertisers insight into their competitors.

Downstream has raised $4 million in funding from Haystack, Founders' Co-op, and MathCapital and was part of Techstars Seattle Accelerator, an organization that provides mentorship and resources to startups, in 2018.

Envisions Horizons: An agency aimed at beauty and wellness brands

Laura Meyer is a former Amazon Advertising sales executive who founded her own firm to specialize on beauty, wellness and parenting brands.

Beauty brands have historically been more resilient to e-commerce because most of their sales are done in physical retail stores, but Amazon is pushing into beauty because of the category's high profit margins. Meyer helps clients like Thinx and Milani Cosmetics design product pages and advertising campaigns to drive conversions.

The firm's services include strategies and insights about Amazon, content creation, and advertising campaigns.

FlyWheel Digital: An agency that built its own adtech

Patrick Miller and Chip DiPaula cofounded Flywheel Digital in 2014 to help big brands like Purina, Energizer, and Crayola run ad campaigns on Amazon, Walmart, Home Depot and Kroger's properties. It sold the firm to holding company Ascential for $60 million in 2018.

The agency has built its own adtech rather than work with third parties to run and optimize ad campaigns. The firm consults with brands on topics like the supply chain and builds out models to predict metrics like sell-through rate and purchase order for brands selling on Amazon.

Flywheel Digital is also one of the four firms plugged into Walmart's self-serve ad platform.

Before founding Flywheel Digital, Miller worked at Compass Marketing, a Maryland-based consultancy that focuses on packaged goods.

Kaspien: A software company that seeks to help third-party sellers

Amazon's marketplace is broken into first-party sellers that sell inventory directly to Amazon and third-party sellers that use Amazon to sell to consumers.

Kaspien, which was formerly ETailz, is squarely focused on third-party sellers that struggle to work directly with Amazon. The firm sells software that helps with sales and handles inventory management and marketing on Amazon, Walmart, and eBay for brands including Strider and Great Lakes.

Kaspien also has an agency that provides consultancy and digital marketing work like photography and video production and managing promotions, and a retail arm that buys products from manufacturers and sells them at higher prices on Amazon.

CEO Kunal Chopra worked at Amazon and other tech companies before joining as CEO last year. He was previously a general manager at Microsoft and Amazon and has also worked at eSports company Unikrn and Groupon.

Kaspien has raised $30.2 million, including a $25 million in debt financing in February, and is owned by Kaspien Holdings, Inc.

Kenshoo: A software company that manages advertising spend for holding companies

Kenshoo is a longtime adtech firm that pioneered social ad buying through Facebook, Snapchat, and Pinterest through software. CEO Yoav Izhar-Prato is an internet entrepreneur who has raised $60 million for the firm.

The firm now focuses on search and e-commerce advertising, particularly on Amazon, Walmart and more recently Instacart. Its software helps marketers pace the speed of ad budgets and optimizes campaigns. 

Amazon's ad business has long focused on performance marketing, but its made a hard push for branding dollars from big marketers and agencies. Kenshoo has deep relationships with big holding companies like WPP and Publicis Media from handling their digital ad spend for clients for years, and it's trying to grow Amazon ad budgets from holding companies that handle companies' branding dollars.

Marketplace Strategy: An agency that creates e-commerce strategies

Marketplace Strategy is an Amazon-focused agency that manages $2 billion in sales for more than 60 brands including StarKist, Utz Quality Foods, and Staples.

The company creates and designs Amazon sales strategies, runs customized analytics for clients, and handles search and programmatic advertising spend.

Marketplace Strategy was founded in 2016 and acquired by SocialCode (now Code3) in 2018 to build out an Amazon practice alongside Facebook and Google marketing.

CEO Drew Kraemer cofounded the firm after working at digital agencies and seeing a gap for Amazon-specific e-commerce expertise.

Orca Pacific: An agency that seeks to help big manufacturers crack Amazon

Orca Pacific is a more than 50-person agency founded by former Amazon, advertising, and retail execs.

The Seattle-based firm works with manufacturers including Reebok, Mars, and Godiva to help sellers get discovered on Amazon through search tactics, content, and rating programs. Its services include designing digital stores and creating keyword strategies.

Orca Pacific also has a managed-service arm that develops Amazon advertising, promotions, and deals. A dashboard helps advertisers track ad campaign performance.

CEO John Ghiorso cofounded Seattle-based Orca Pacific 12 years ago to help brands set up e-commerce revenue as Amazon's profile grew.

Orca Pacific was acquired by Martin Sorrell's S4 Capital and merged with MightyHive.

Pacvue: A software company that sells an advertising stack to brands

Pacvue sells an advertising stack software to brands like Tuft & Needle and Duracell. The software pulls together reports and tools for managing budgets and campaigns that plugs into Vendor Central, Amazon's program that sellers use to sell wholesale products to Amazon.

The Seattle-based firm also helps brands advertise with Instacart and Walmart's self-service platforms that mimics many of Amazon's features.

Cofounder and president Melissa Burdick previously spent 10 years working at Amazon on ad products like display advertising and worked with packaged-good vendors to help them sell products online.

Podean: An agency and consultancy that plugs Amazon into bigger branding

Small sellers and marketers tend to focus on performance marketing, but Podean wants marketers to use Amazon as part of big branding and media campaigns.

Podean is an agency and consultancy that helps brands and agencies including e.l.f. Cosmetics and Mitsubishi sell and advertise on Amazon. The firm offers media-planning tools, marketplace strategy and operation management of accounts, and data consulting with Amazon's "clean room"— a data tool that analyzes metrics like attribution, reach and frequency. The company is also working on a voice search product for advertisers.

Podeon was founded by CEO Mark Power, who built an Amazon practice at ad holding company Interpublic Group's Mediabrand and held executive roles at Ansible and Reprise. Global CEO Travis Johnson joined Podeon in November after serving as president of Dentsu's Amazon practice and working at IPG agencies Ansible Mobile, UM, and Initiative.

Profitero: A software company focused on e-commerce analytics

Profitero focuses on e-commerce analytics that manufacturers like Adidas and General Mills that sell wholesale to retailers and don't have insight into the retailers and prices that their products are selling. The firm's software measures metrics like stock rates, prices, product ratings, reviews and search placements across more than 8,000 retailers — including Amazon.

Profitero is one of a handful of companies that pitches brands on its ability to crack Amazon's "black box" of data like conversions for sellers. Brands use the data to forecast e-commerce trends and set promotion strategies.

Profitero recently raised $20 million in its Series B round that was led by Scaleworks and brought on advertising veterans Bryan Wiener and Sarah Hofstetter as CEO and president, respectively. Weiner and Hofstetter were previously CEO and president at measurement firm Comscore and led advertising agency 360i together.

Seller Labs: A software company that works with sellers on reviews and advertising

Seller Labs is a software company and has made inroads with sellers and a product called Feedback Genius that solicits consumers to leave product reviews, which helps sellers build credibility and awareness on the platform.

The firm also sells advertising and marketing tools that brands like Death Wish Coffee and 5 Strands Affordable Testing use to create conversion-geared ad campaigns and manage accounts with services like product photography and digital storefronts.

In October, Seller Labs acquired software firm X-Cart to expand its work to e-commerce sites beyond Amazon.

CEO Hank Harris previously was chief financial officer and partner at technology firm Gorilla Logic.

Sellics: A software company for agencies, brands, and vendors

Sellics bills itself as a one-stop shop for Amazon, with products for agencies, sellers, and vendors.

Its software manages their presences on Amazon, tracking profit margins, inventory, and managing advertising to grow sales and run efficient ad campaigns. It also has machine-learning features that manage the advertising bids and keywords that sellers use to run ad campaigns.

Sellics handles $500 million in ad spend for brands including Brita, Bosch and agencies Rise Interactive and Beekepper Marketing. The firm raised $10 million in September from lead venture-capital firm Frog Capital.

Franz Jordan cofounded Sellics, formerly Marketplace Analytics, in 2014 as an Amazon search tool after helping a friend who was a seller on Amazon boost their rankings.

Stackline: A software company that automates Amazon advertising

According to CEO Michael Lagoni, the average e-commerce ad campaign may require up to 10,000 tweaks per day in things like budget allocation and new keywords.

Stackline's goal is to automate all of those changes for brands like General Mills and Philips. The firm sells technology that pulls together and optimizes ad campaigns from Amazon, Walmart, Instacart, and Kroger. The goal is avoid wasting money on ineffective ad campaigns and to max out every advertising dollar that marketers invest.

The firm is founded by a group of ex-Amazon employees and also offers consulting services to brands. CEO Michael Lagoni founded the firm with the goal of consolidating the multiple companies that marketers use to understand Amazon into one company.

Teikametrics: A software company that aims at helping brands sell on marketplaces

Teikametrics is a tech firm that helps brands like Clarks and Razer sell their items through Amazon's marketplace and run advertising. The software includes stats like the cost of goods sold that Amazon does not directly provide sellers.

Teikametrics is one of four adtech firms that is plugged into Walmart's advertising platform that allows brands to buy search ads on Walmart's website and app. As retailers like Walmart make a bigger push into advertising to compete with Amazon, Teikametrics wants to help brands manage their logistics and buy ads across multiple retail ad networks.

In February, the Boston-based startup raised $15 million in a venture round led by Jump Capital, bringing its total funding to $25 million. Teikametrics is working on building products that help sellers determine how much inventory to stock and how to price items with the funding. In October, Teikametrics acquired Israeli startup Adjusti.co.

CEO Alasdair McLean-Foreman founded the firm after starting an e-commerce business selling sporting goods in his college dorm room in 2001. He also created the weight loss and fitness company Traineo.

JPMorgan is decidedly bullish on stocks in 2021, to the point that it's telling investors they can haul in big returns with two diametrically opposed approaches.

Chief US Equity Strategist Dubravko Lakos-Bujas says the benchmark S&P 500 should rally another 9% to 4,000 early next year. And by the end of the year, the benchmark index could climb to 4,500 for a gain of about 23% from today's levels — or 101% from its lowest closing price in March.

For most of that recovery, high-growth stocks have outperformed — a pattern that's faded just in the last few weeks as investors felt a vaccine and a return to a post-virus normal was approaching. Lakos-Bujas and others say that investors should maintain exposure to growth, but combine it with bets on the right value stocks. 

"Investors should consider balancing out their portfolios to make sure they are not over-exposed to high Momentum/Growth stocks, which have outperformed during the pandemic," he said. The backdrop of globally synchronized expansion, legislative gridlock and positive vaccine news should be a strong catalyst for Value stocks."

There are a lot of ways to combine those two approaches, and JPMorgan's analysts are offering investors a lot of options to put them into practice.

"This report identifies what our analysts view as the most compelling investment ideas in their coverage group across a variety of strategies, including growth, value, near-term, and short strategies," said Head of North America Equity Research Nicholas Rosato Jr. 

That includes their top value and growth stock ideas in dozens of industry groups. Most are either growth or value picks, but two fall into a different category because the analysts are optimistic about their immediate prospects. Those are Coca-Cola and financial services company Fiserv.

"We think KO offers a high quality way to invest in the re-opening (about half of global volumes are on-premise) and that the company will emerge stronger (fewer SKUs) and leaner after the recent reorganization," wrote analyst Andrea Teixeira.

Of Fiserv, analyst Tien-tsin Huang wrote that while the stock has slumped, the company changed CEOs in July, and investors are worrying about its technology, it's usually traded at a premium to peers and could regain that status.

Those stocks and JPMorgan's top 48 growth and value picks are organized in ascending order of how much upside they offer based on the analysts' end-of-2021 price targets. Percentages were calculated as of Thursday's close. All of the stocks have "Overweight" ratings from JPMorgan analysts.

SEE ALSO: 2 investment chiefs at John Hancock's $692 billion investing arm say the post-COVID recovery might disappoint in 2021 — but investors can profit with these 3 strategies

50. Discover Financial

Ticker: DFS

Sector: Financials

Strategy: Value

Case: "We believe the primary catalyst for shares in 2021 will be increased visibility to long-term capital returns."— Richard Shane

Price target: $72

Upside to target: -14.4%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

49. Cimarex

Ticker: XEC

Sector: Energy

Strategy: Value

Case: "XEC is one of our top picks as we expect all three commodities to be working for the company in a positive direction."— Arjun Jayaram

Price target: $35

Upside to target: -11.1%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

48. TG Therapeutics

Ticker: TGTX

Sector: Healthcare

Strategy: Growth

Case: "We view the coming year as value defining for TGTX's heme-oncology franchise along with, assuming phase 3 ULTIMATE's success, compelling optionality held by ublituximab in an expanding anti-CD20 RMS market, and see shares continuing to outperform both our broader coverage universe, and the sector as whole."— Eric Joseph

Price target: $38

Upside to target: -8.9%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

47. Spirit AeroSystems

Ticker: SPR

Sector: Industrials

Strategy: Value

Case: "We see the ramp on 737 profits giving Spirit appealing exposure to a multi-year Aero recovery. We view Boeing's future as very much dependent on ramping MAX production in the coming years, and this gives Boeing a strong incentive to sell the key platform that drives Spirit's profitability."— Seth Seifman

Price target: $36

Upside to target: -7.0%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

46. Wynn Resorts

Ticker: WYNN

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Strategy: Growth

Case: "Likely sequential improvements in Macau (and, honestly, not much has to happen for this to occur) will continue to drive WYNN higher."— Joseph Greff

Price target: $106

Upside to target: -6.1%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

45. Honeywell

Ticker: HON

Sector: Industrials

Strategy: Growth

Case: "We view HON as a best-in-class diversified growth story, positioned well on several fronts such as warehouse automation (e-commerce) and building efficiency (IAQ/ESG thematic)."— C. Stephen Tusa

Price target: $200

Upside to target: -5.6%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

44. Bank of America

Ticker: BAC

Sector: Financials

Strategy: Value

Case: "Bank of America is one of our more rate sensitive names and should benefit from rise in long term rates. Bank of America has strong capital levels and should also benefit from further capital return. Finally, BofA has a more conservative credit risk profile, which should better position it if economic recovery is weaker than expected."— Vivek Juneja

Price target: $27.50

Upside to target: -5.5%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

43. Arista Networks

Ticker: ANET

Sector: Growth

Strategy: Information technology

Case: "We expect Arista to return to double-digit revenue growth in FY21 ... helped by rebound in US cloud provider spending (forecast >20% capex growth vs. 8% in FY20) and recovery in Enterprise spending"— Samik Chatterjee

Price target: $275

Upside to target: -0.5%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

42. Wyndham Hotels & Resorts

Ticker: WH

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Strategy: Value

Case: "We remain confident that WH can generate above peer operating results in the near/medium term given its focus on franchising, leisure and drive to business with mostly non-urban economy/mid-scale select service hotels, and thus can continue to close the valuation gap to peers"— Joseph Greff

Price target: $59

Upside to target: 0.3%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

41. Ascendis Pharma

Ticker: ASND

Sector: Healthcare

Strategy: Growth

Case: "Following a string of positive catalysts, each of which were de-risking for the pipeline ... we see ASND delivering on the promise of its platform."— Jessica Fye

Price target: $177

Upside to target: 0.4%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

40. KLA

Ticker: KLAC

Sector: Information technology

Strategy: Value

Case: "KLAC is our top pick in semi-caps on diversified growth, strong product cycles, positive leverage to EUV, and growing shareholder returns."— Harlan Sur

Price target: $260

Upside to target: 1.6%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

39. Broadcom

Ticker: AVGO

Sector: Information technology

Strategy: Value

Case: "Even in a tougher environment, we continue to expect an increase to annual dividends in December (from $13.00 today) and 8-12% annual dividend growth beyond this year."— Harlan Sur

Price target: $420

Upside to target: 2.4%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

38. Phillips 66

Ticker: PSX

Sector: Energy

Strategy: Value

Case: "While PSX has been less defensive than we hoped in 2020, owing to weaker-than-expected performance in the Refining segment, we still think that earnings should hold up better than for most companies in Energy, aided by its portfolio diversity."— Phil Gresh

Price target: $73

Upside to target: 3.0%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

37. Disney

Ticker: DIS

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Strategy: Growth

Case: "Disney will benefit from greater reopening of Parks and resumption of theatrical releases while driving further growth at its streaming services. We believe investors should continue to appreciate the exceptional growth in digital subs and Disney's superior content as the sub growth story continues in F21"— Alexia Quadrani

Price target: $160

Upside to target: 3.4%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

36. Caterpillar

Ticker: CAT

Sector: Industrials

Strategy: Value

Case: "We believe CAT's earning power and FCF conversion over this upcoming cycle, supported by a new US construction cycle, continue to merit our Overweight rating. ... we view CAT as the biggest winner of a potential federal infrastructure bill."— Ann Duignan

Price target: $185

Upside to target: 3.4%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

35. Coca-Cola

Ticker: KO

Sector: Consumer staples

Strategy: Near term

Case: "We believe KO still offers investors a unique combination of top-line growth and gross margin expansion."— Andrea Teixeira

Price target: $55

Upside to target: 3.7%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

34. Globe Life

Ticker: GL

Sector: Financials

Strategy: Growth

Case: "GL is the strongest franchise in the life sector, in the long run, and one of the best positioned firms in the current environment due to its superior ROE, strong free cash flow, and below-average EPS sensitivity to interest rates or the equity market."— Jimmy Bhullar

Price target: $99

Upside to target: 4.3%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

33. Fiserv

Ticker: FISV

Sector: Information technology

Strategy: Near term

Case: "While the tech is relatively dated, we believe management will develop a plan to modernize without disrupting its large scale and distribution footprint that have allowed the company to grow at a premium to direct peers in the most recent quarter."— Tien-tsin Huang

Price target: $120

Upside to target: 4.5%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

32. Microsoft

Ticker: MSFT

Sector: Information technology

Strategy: Growth

Case: "Accelerated demand in some parts of its business stemming from work, learn and play-from home trends has only reinforced the narrative that Microsoft thrives at the intersection of digital transformation, cloud computing, and productivity."— Mark Murphy

Price target: $220

Upside to target: 4.5%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

31. Alphabet

Ticker: GOOGL

Sector: Communication services

Strategy: Value

Case: "Google Cloud profit disclosure will not only show the pace & magnitude of investments in Google Cloud, a key focus area, but also show how profitable the rest of Google Segment is, making SOTP more viable."— Harlan Sur

Price target: $1,870

Upside to target: 5.8%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

30. Robert Half International

Ticker: RHI

Sector: Industrials

Strategy: Growth

Case: "RHI is both a dominant and an innovative leader in professional staffing with expertise in accounting and finance (F&A). In past economic cycles, RHI has seen double-digit growth in its perm and temp help business in the first few years coming out of the recession, and we believe this cycle should be no different."— Andrew Steinerman

Price target: $68

Upside to target: 6.0%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

29. Thermo Fisher Scientific

Ticker: TMO

Sector: Healthcare

Strategy: Growth

Case: "We see both durability and further upside in COVID tailwinds ... Longer term, TMO's growing biopharma exposure and leading product innovation should fuel persistent above-market growth."— Tycho Peterson

Price target: $500

Upside to target: 6.7%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

28. Norfolk Southern

Ticker: NSC

Sector: Industrials

Strategy: Growth

Case: "Norfolk represents the best in class opportunity to improve the worst in class operating ratio after lagging peers in volume growth."— Brian Ossenbeck

Price target: $253

Upside to target: 7.0%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

27. Bloomin' Brands

Ticker: BLMN

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Strategy: Value

Case: "Bloomin' Brands' shored-up balance sheet, largely mid-scale exposed US business, recovering Brazil and company-specific margin improvement efforts screen attractive among casual diners."— John Ivankoe

Price target: $20

Upside to target: 9.7%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

26. Aon

Ticker: AON

Sector: Financials

Strategy: Growth

Case: "We view brokerage as the most attractive business segment within P&C insurance from a long-term structural standpoint. Additionally, we believe that brokers are defensively positioned in the current economic backdrop. Among large brokers, AON is our favorite stock."— Jimmy Bhullar

Price target: $228

Upside to target: 10.6%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

25. AbbVie

Ticker: ABBV

Sector: Healthcare

Strategy: Value

Case: "ABBV remains one of our favorite names in the group as we see ongoing upside from Skyrizi and Rinvoq (where we highlight a number of line extension catalysts over the next 12 months) as well as an improving mid/late-stage pipeline."— Chris Schott

Price target: $120

Upside to target: 11.6%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

24. First Republic Bank

Ticker: FRC

Sector: Financials

Strategy: Growth

Case: First Republic's pre-tax pre-provision profit "income growth potential is likely to widen further above peers.'"—Alex Lau

Price target: $148

Upside to target: 13.6%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

23. Humana

Ticker: HUM

Sector: Healthcare

Strategy: Growth

Case: "Humana is largely a pure play story for the Medicare Advantage (MA) market. MA is the fastest-growing line of health insurance ... HUM already provided the most robust 2021 outlook in the sector, which is attractive in a year characterized by increased margin uncertainty for health insurers."— Gary Taylor 

Price target: $452

Upside to target: 13.7%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

22. Targa Resources

Ticker: TRGP

Sector: Energy

Strategy: Growth

Case: "TRGP possesses full value chain integration and best in class Permian leverage. Importantly, having right sized the dividend and largely completed its project backlog, Targa possesses visibility to deleveraging and share repurchases."— Jeremy Tonet

Price target: $32

Upside to target: 14.0%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

21. General Motors

Ticker: GM

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Strategy: Value

Case: "Greater than presumed resiliency, combined with accelerating investments in electric vehicles to rival much more highly valued peers, we think could engender multiple expansion in 2021 even as earnings surge back as volume rebounds." — Ryan Brinkman

Price target: $49

Upside to target: 14.3%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

20. Altice USA

Ticker: ATUS

Sector: Communication services

Strategy: Value

Case: "We continue to like Altice based on solid fundamentals, strong capital returns, and 11.5% fully-taxed 2022 FCF yield."— Philip Cusick

Price target: $40

Upside to target: 15.1%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

19. Mondelez International

Ticker: MDLZ

Sector: Consumer staples

Strategy: Growth

Case: "Many food-at-home companies will post deeply negative organic/same-store sales growth in 2021. To avoid stocks with these unfortunate optics, we lean toward companies that can still grow during 2021, such as Mondelēz."— Ken Goldman

Price target: $66

Upside to target: 15.4%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

18. Sarepta Therapeutics

Ticker: SRPT

Sector: Healthcare

Strategy: Growth

Case: "All told, recent volatility in SRPT shares amidst negative sentiment has shifted the reward / risk profile into the event to be more balanced / favorable."— Anupam Rama

Price target: $185

Upside to target: 15.6%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

17. Delta Air Lines

Ticker: DAL

Sector: Industrials

Strategy: Value

Case: "We continue to view Delta as the industry benchmark and a company that will likely benefit from the further rationalization of the global airline industry."— Jamie Baker

Price target: $50

Upside to target: 17.3%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

16. Dell Technologies

Ticker: DELL

Sector: Information technology

Strategy: Growth

Case: "Dell has executed well as work from home trends have benefited the consumer PC business ... Strong FCF in FY21 has enabled the firm to de-lever consistently throughout FY21."— Paul Coster

Price target: $85

Upside to target: 17.8%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

15. Baxter International

Ticker: BAX

Sector: Healthcare

Strategy: Value

Case: "We see significant long-term value in Baxter and view it as one of the top names in our large-cap coverage."— Robbie Marcus

Price target: $94

Upside to target: 18.7%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

14. Dominion Energy

Ticker: D

Sector: Utilities

Strategy: Growth

Case: "Dominion now represents a best-in-class, pure play regulated utility with attractive ESG growth plans."— Jeremy Tonet

Price target: $90

Upside to target: 21.1%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

13. Varonis Systems

Ticker: VRNS

Sector: Information technology

Strategy: Growth

Case: "Subscription transitions have been a consistent generator of outperformance in software over the last decade and VRNS appears to be following suit."— Sterling Auty

Price target: $160

Upside to target: 21.2%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

12. Ulta Beauty

Ticker: ULTA

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Strategy: Growth

Case: "We view ULTA as one of the best COVID-recovery stocks in retail as makeup consumption has lagged the broader market recovery ... we expect social-gathering starved consumers to engage highly in the make-up category as investors continue to look to 2022 earnings."— Christopher Horvers

Price target: $330

Upside to target: 21.3%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

11. Summit Materials

Ticker: SUM

Sector: Materials

Strategy: Value

Case: "SUM changed its CEO recently (a person coming from a different industry), and we expect to see a new phase for the company much more focused on integrating recent acquisitions."— Adrian Huerta

Price target: $24

Upside to target: 23.5%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

10. AmerisourceBergen

Ticker: ABC

Sector: Healthcare

Strategy: Value

Case: "The longer-term fundamental outlook for the pharmaceutical distribution industry is positive, driven by an aging population and increased utilization of prescription drugs. As ABC is essentially a pure-play in pharmaceutical distribution."— Lisa Gill

Price target: $123

Upside to target: 23.8%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

9. Brookfield Asset Management

Ticker: BAM

Sector: Financials

Strategy: Value

Case: "Brookfield Asset Management is a $578bn alternative asset manager with higher exposure to infrastructure/renewable than peers. BAM is entering an acceleration of its fundraising that will drive fee-earning AUM, revenue, and margins higher."— Kenneth Worthington

Price target: $53

Upside to target: 24.9%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

8. Americold Realty Trust

Ticker: COLD

Sector: Real estate

Strategy: Growth

Case: "We see COLD as an interesting way to play both defense and offense. COLD's business held up quite well during the Spring lockdowns due to the defensive nature of its business, and core growth potential continues to be above average."— Anthony Paolone

Price target: $43

Upside to target: 27.9%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

7. International Flavors & Fragrances

Ticker: IFF

Sector: Materials

Strategy: Value

Case: "We think that IFF shares may be pressured near term. ... Our December 2021 price target is $145 based on a 16.8x 2021 EV/EBITDA multiple (post the DNB transaction). Separately, IFF's business fundamentals are improving in North America."— Jeffrey Zekauskas

Price target: $145

Upside to target: 28.8%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

6. L Brands

Ticker: LB

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Strategy: Value

Case: "LB is on the path to establish Bath & Body Works as a standalone entity, with the concept offering high-single-digit same-store sales, sustainable low-20%+ operating margins, and low- to mid-single-digit annual square footage growth translating into a double-digit compounding bottom-line profile."— Matthew Ross

Price target: $53

Upside to target: 29.2%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

5. AerCap Holdings

Ticker: AER

Sector: Industrials

Strategy: Value

Case: "AerCap is our top pick for the Aircraft Leasing sector in 2021, as we believe the company affords investors compelling growth prospects through a healthy delivery backlog (only ~9% of fleet has leases expiring through 2022) and a well-diversified portfolio of aircraft."— Jamie Baker

Price target: $57

Upside to target: 31.1%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

4. Sunrun

Ticker: RUN

Sector: Industrials

Strategy: Growth

Case: "We look for RUN's profitability to accelerate in 2021 ... With Vivint Solar's largest holder completely finished selling its position in RUN, we believe an overhang on the stock is now removed, and we expect RUN to outperform the mean of our coverage"— Paul Coster

Price target: $79

Upside to target: 37.2%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

3. TechnipFMC

Ticker: FTI

Sector: Energy

Strategy: Value

Case: "FTI shares have been in a state of purgatory since the company put the brakes on a planned spin of Technip Energies in the spring. The stock is pricing in "worst-case" scenarios in our view, leaving lots of inexpensive optionality in both "old" and "new" energy channels."— Sean Meakim

Price target: $16

Upside to target: 59.5%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

2. PulteGroup

Ticker: PHM

Sector: Consumer discretionary

Strategy: Value

Case: "We continue to view the company's relative valuation as highly attractive when compared to its relative fundamental profile. Specifically, we estimate PHM will generate the highest gross margins across the larger-cap builders in 2021 and 2022."— Michael Rehault

Price target: $68

Upside to target: 61.3%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

1. BioMarin Pharmaceuticals

Ticker: BMRN

Sector: Healthcare

Strategy: Growth

Case: "BioMarin remains our highest conviction idea heading into 2021 ... shares trade around the value of the base business. However, we suspect this could change with two potential value-inflecting clinical catalysts expected in January."— Cory Kasimov

Price target: $131

Upside to target: 68.5%

Source: JPMorgan Chase

Public relations pros have to juggle more responsibilities and prove their worth more than ever.

The result is a PR software industry worth $4.5 billion in 2019, up 7.2% over the prior year, according to Burton-Taylor International Consulting, a research and advisory firm.

It consists of PR software companies that help PR experts in areas like measurement, journalist and influencer databases, campaign planning, social media listening, and crisis detection.

New PR software startups like measurement platform Prophet have entered the fray, helped by interest from private equity and venture capital firms, while others like Memo are courting investors.

And tech companies like information-alert firm Dataminr have expanded to products aimed at that sector while PR agencies roll out their own tools for clients.

Business Insider identified the 27 players in this space, based on our reporting, that are used by many brands and PR pros to solve their toughest challenges like monitoring social media, managing corporate websites, staying ahead of crises, and planning campaigns.

Here are the companies, listed in alphabetical order.

Brandwatch

Founded in 2007, Brandwatch helps PR pros make sense of social media noise by monitoring social conversations and measuring brand sentiment. Since 2008, its platform has collected more than 1.2 trillion public posts and adds half a billion new ones every day.

Its flagship product, Consumer Research, grew out of Brandwatch's merger with Crimson Hexagon, another social intelligence firm known for machine learning.

That merger created a 500-person social intelligence giant with more than $100 million in annual recurring revenue and more than 2,000 clients like Unilever, Delta, and Nestlé.

Brandwatch has raised $64.7 million through venture capital firms like Partech, Highland Europe, and Nauta Capital, which helped finance its four acquisitions: Qriously Technologies in 2019, Crimson Hexagon in 2018, Buzz Sumo in 2017, and PeerIndex in 2014.

Business Wire

Newswire giant Berkshire Hathaway-owned Business Wire lets clients distribute press releases and regulatory disclosures to the investors, journalists, and the general public.

Its 16 newsrooms help clients like Apple, Amazon, and P&G disclose information that meets regulatory requirements. Founded in 1961, the company has 428 employees.

Business Wire has a number of technology partnerships with in place, including Muck Rack, Onclusive, reporting and compliance platform Workiva, and investor relations software company Q4.

Cision

Cision, the world's largest PR software company, offers a platform that stitches together a range of services like media monitoring, social listening, and measurement.

Over the past six years, Cision has spent billions of dollars rolling up 12 companies like press release distributor PR Newswire and measurement companies Trendkite and Prime Research and bundled them into a cloud platform. PR pros say one of Cision's best features is its vast database of contacts, which includes 1.4 million journalists and more than 1 billion influencers.

The company is owned by private equity firm Platinum Equity, which took it private through a $2.7 billion buyout. Previously, its biggest financial backer was private equity firm GTCR.

Dataminr

Dataminr is best known for using public information like social media data, to send real-time alerts to help clients like Wall Street banks and government entities like police departments.

In 2018, it started selling those services to the PR industry, pitching its platform as the best way to detect and tamp down crises. American Airlines, Home Depot, and Allegiant Airlines use Dataminr's services for their communications needs.

Dataminr closed a Series E funding round in 2018, bringing its total funding to $577 million and giving it a $1.6 billion valuation. Dataminr grew revenue 674% between 2016 and 2019, landing it on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 list. The company has more than 600 employees.

Dynamic Signal

Dynamic Signal is an employee communications technology company that helps employers create, publish, and send content to their employees, leveraging their workforce as a way to spread their messaging.

For example, Dynamic Signal allows its clients to create social media content that employees can share on their own accounts. The company has 200 employees.

In January 2020, CEO Eric Brown told PRWeek that he planned to take Dynamic Signal public. That same month, the company announced it added 75 new customers, including UPS, Toyota, JPMorgan Chase, and Procter & Gamble.

Edelman

The data and intelligence arm of PR giant Edelman combines research, data, and AI solutions under one roof to collect data across multiple channels and let clients send personalized messages to customers.

Global chief data and analytics officer Yannis Kotziagkiaouridis, who Edelman poached from Wunderman Thompson in 2019, heads the division.

The 328-business unit is comprised of researchers, data scientists and engineers, behavioral and machine-learning experts and performance marketing specialists. Prominent clients include Time's Up, Cigna, Hologic, and Microsoft's Xbox.

Intrado

Telecommunications company Intrado took on global players like Meltwater and Cision in 2019 by launching its own PR software offering, Notified.

Intrado launched Notified in North America in April 2019, merging that company's media monitoring and measurement services with some software it acquired from Nasdaq the year before like press release distributor GlobeNewswire.

With that combination, Intrado billed Notified as an all-in-one platform where PR pros can host virtual events and earning results, distribute press releases, and find journalists' contact information.

The 7,700-person company has clients including Omnicom Media Group, Hertz, and Bacardi. 

Private equity firm Apollo Global Management bought Intrado in 2017 for $5.1 billion and took the company private.

Meltwater

Meltwater, the second biggest PR software company in the world, started as a news monitoring service. Now it's now rapidly building out AI technology and social media monitoring.

Like other PR tech companies, Meltwater claims to offer an all-in-one platform that combines social listening, measurement, and crisis management services. One of its biggest acquisitions was Sysomos, a social media management and analytics company, which it bought in 2018.

Meltwater went public in December and is listed on European stock exchange Euronext. Its IPO raised $395 million, allowing it to pay down debt, pursue more mergers and acquisitions, and acquire more customers.

In its filing to go public, Meltwater recorded annual revenue of $346 million, and $345 million during the 12 months ended on September 30, 2020.

Memo

Entrepreneur Eddie Kim founded measurement company Memo to provide more precise metrics for PR pros through exclusive data provided by publishers like Condé Nast, Forbes, and The Washington Post.

With this pitch, it's signed on big clients like Google and Walmart. Those exclusive rights give Memo an edge over other players who rely on third-party data providers like TVEyes and LexisNexis, Kim contends.

Kim said he originally saw Memo as a data marketplace where PR pros would buy data for individual stories, but he's now packaging the data for clients so they don't have to find insights themselves.

Muck Rack

Greg Galant started Muck Rack with Lee Semel as a kind of database of journalists based on what they write as well as their social media activity.

Since then, Muck Rack has become an all-in-one Saas company by bundling other services like monitoring and distribution into its platform.

Galant said the 100-person company has grown revenue more than 60% year-over-year since its founding in 2011, and is now profitable.

Clients include brands like Taco Bell, Pfizer, and JP Morgan Chase, and agencies including Weber Shandwick, Ketchum, and MSL.

MSL

MSL has been building its own technology platform for the past two years under CEO Diana Littman.

The Publicis-owned PR agency hired Bryan Pedersen as chief innovation officer in 2019, launched a 250-million member influencer marketing platform, and increased its tech budget.

It's rolling out customized solutions for its clients and improving services like measurement, media monitoring, and social listening, helping it attract clients like P&G, Cadillac, White Claw, and Align Technologies.

Netbase Quid

Market intelligence company Netbase Quid formed out of Netbase's acquisition of Quid in early 2020 that combined Netbase's social media analytics with Quid's AI-driven text analytics.

Netbase Quid says that it collects data from social media posts, consumer reviews, product reviews, news articles, and other sources to help clients stay on top of business trends and competitors.

The 250-person company's clients include American Airlines, FleishmanHillard, Coca-Cola, and Yum Brands. Collectively, Netbase and Quid have raised almost $200 million.

News Direct

Gregg Castano, the former president of Business Wire, founded News Direct in 2019 to shake up the press release distribution business.

News Direct's pitch is that it streamlines the process of writing and publishing press releases on its network, and lets clients publish infographics, videos, and other kinds of content, as well as offering a flat rate pricing model.

Castano said the company took a government backed-bank loan and money from family and friends to finance its growth and is close to securing its first round of funding from private equity investors.

NewsWhip

NewsWhip tracks the spread and impact of stories published on social media — intel that helps PR pros handle crises, improve media relations, and understand their audiences.

Most of NewsWhip's revenue comes from PR agencies like Brunswick Group and MSL, but its tech is also used by media companies, brands, governments, universities, and nonprofits.

The 51-person company has raised a total of $9.5 million across two rounds of funding from equity investors that includes the Associated Press. The company may explore another fundraise in 2021.

Onclusive

Data science company Onclusive's flagship product is PR Attribution, which gives brands intel like how many people read a piece of content about their company and visited their website.

Clients of the 100-person firm include 23andme, Airbnb, Experian, and Lyft.

Backed by Salesforce Ventures, Mohr Davidow, Storm Ventures, and Pereg Ventures, Onclusive's revenue increased by 50% from 2019 to 2020.

Propel

2-year-old software company Propel boasts a media database with more than 1 million journalists, 50 million influencers, and 3 billion articles. 

It also has an online and broadcast monitoring service and AI tool to help PR pros tailor their pitches to journalists and influencers.

Propel has 50 clients, including Google, W2O, and The Daily Mail. It's raised $1.2 million in venture capital and its lead investor is a recently established startup accelerator in California called LogicBoost Labs.

Prophet

Prophet is a new player in the communications software market.

Launched by MDC Partners' PR agency KWT Global in October 2020, it analyzes journalists' coverage to help clients like Ironman predict which journalists to pitch a story to, how much the story will spread, and how it'll be covered.

Prophet has 10 employees and most recently hired Andrew Meranus, a vet of Cision and digital media platform Piano, as EVP of sales.

Pulsar

Pulsar pulls data from social, news, search, and first-party data that clients like Levi's, Heineken, and HSBC use to create messages for their audiences.

Pulsar also has a market research division it gained through its 2017 merger with Face and has been expanding its platform with new products and updates. Today, Pulsar has 75 employees across London, New York, and Los Angeles.

Pulsar was sold in 2019 to Access Intelligence PLC, a PR software company that also owns Vuelio and ResponseSource.

In December 2020, Access Intelligence raised about $13.4 million by selling shares to private investors.

Signal AI

David Benigson, founder and CEO of Signal AI, started in media monitoring and since 2019 has moved into areas like compliance.

Signal AI analyzes information from regulatory, social media, broadcast, radio, and alternative data sets like SEC filings and net promoter scores.

For example, Signal AI helped Deloitte's tax division keep track of changes in tax codes and automatically send alerts to Deloitte clients, according to TechCrunch.

Founded in 2013, Signal AI has 157 employees and 600 clients, which includes HSBC, Citigroup, and Save the Children. It's raised $49.5 million across two rounds, most recently in 2019 with a round led by Redline Capital. Other investors include MMC Ventures, GMG Ventures, and Hearst Ventures.

SocialChorus

SocialChorus is an employee communications technology company that allows clients like Amazon, Dow, and Lowe's to send content to employees through digital channels and measure its impact.

As a result of the pandemic and other workplace trends, SocialChorus focused on helping companies adapt with new tools like an assistant to highlight important subjects, alert employees about open action items, and connect to systems used by their companies.

The 120-person company has grown revenue more than 50% three years in a row. Most recently, SocialChorus sold a majority stake to Sumeru Equity Partners for $100 million.

Talkwalker

Founded in 2009, Talkwalker is a social listening and analytics company used by more than 2,000 brands and agencies.

Since selling a majority stake to Marlin Equity Partners in 2018, Talkwalker has doubled its client volume to include Spotify, Adidas, and Golin. 

It's also released a number of new features, including video and image visualization tools. The Luxembourg-based company also acquired social measurement and audience insights software Nielsen Social, bolstering its position in the US.

400-person Talkwalker has also partnered with media intelligence company Burrelles to track media and struck a data-sharing agreement with Quora.

TVEyes

TVEyes is a broadcast and podcasting monitoring service that transcribes content into a text format for clients.

Political campaigns often hire TVEyes to monitor ad content and keep tabs on their opponents' moves, but the company is also used by Fortune 500 brands and global media agencies. The company's technology also powers other PR software companies like Cision, Meltwater, and Burrelles.

In January 2020, TVEyes made the news when it disclosed it was hacked by a ransomware attack.

Traackr

As PR pros cultivate relationships with influencers as well as journalists, they're using platforms like Traackr, an influencer marketing platform, to optimize, streamline, and scale their campaigns.

Founded in 2007, the 50-person company has clients across a variety of industries, such as L'Oréal, Coach, Expedia, and Samsung. Traackr has raised $14.5 million over five rounds.

Recently, Traackr has focused on providing metrics that show how influencer marketing campaigns perform compared to competitors, the general market, and over time.

Vivid Communications

Vivid Communications is a new player in the PR software industry, launching its first product in April 2020, a media planning tool that streamlines the often tedious process of putting together a list editors and journalists to pitch stories to.

Founders Caitlin Kelly and Neel Shah said Vivid also plans to launch an ecommerce platform. 

Vivid Communications has clients like automation company Hyperscience, The Netherlands Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy, and DTC consumer brands like Uprising Food.

Backed by MediaLink vice chair Wenda Millard and Forbes vice chair Mike Perlis, Vivid has raised about $1.5 million in seed funding. It's outpaced its forecasts of 15% month-over-month revenue growth, Kelly said.

Weber Shandwick

IPG-owned Weber Shandwick launched a 120-person global intelligence division in early 2020 to address clients' demand for more data-driven solutions.

Its key service is A-Hub, a platform that takes in billions of datapoints from social media, news stories, and clients and spits out insights and predictions for clients like General Motors, McDonald's, and Nespresso.

Weber Shandwick's global intelligence division is run by Brian Buchwald, formerly the CEO and cofounder of Bomoda, a data science and business intelligence firm that Weber Shandwick acquired in 2017.

Yonder

Jonathan Morgan launched AI software company Yonder in 2017 to analyze how stories and conversations spread across social media and influence public opinion, focusing on groups like Russian entities and ISIS.

Now, the 25-person company is using those same tools to help brands like Johnson & Johnson, Disney, and Walmart tamp down on crises and suss out real conversations from disinformation. For example, Fast Company reported on Yonder's analysis of how anti-vaxxers are pushing the idea that vitamin C can prevent people from getting the coronavirus.

Yonder said it's averaged 23% annual revenue growth since 2017. It's raised $18 million in seed and Series A funding from investors like GGV Capital, Lux, Build Group, Moonshots Capital, and Haystack.

Zignal Labs

Zignal Labs started in 2011 as a technology platform providing real-time data and analytics to political campaigns.

Since then, its "war room" approach has attracted brands like Levi's, Uber, and The Lending Club looking to track social media and news to manage their reputations and tamp down on misinformation and disinformation.

Zignal has raised $59.9 million in total funding from investors like Blum Capital Partners and North Atlantic Capital, according to Crunchbase.

The company is led by CEO Adam Beaugh, who took over for Josh Ginsberg when Ginsberg stepped down to join Facebook as VP of public affairs marketing in 2019.

During the coronavirus pandemic this year, some people moved or temporarily relocated out of their homes, including those in the city. As the pandemic continues and some people can still do their job remotely, some people might reconsider living in densely-populated and expensive cities even after the pandemic.

Cost of living is a big part of deciding where to live, and housing affordability is one of the major factors driving how expensive different places are. 

Using the newly released data from the Census Bureau's 2015-2019 American Community Survey, we found the small town in each state with the highest share of households paying affordable housing costs.

For our universe of small towns, we took places as defined by the Census Bureau that had populations between 5,000 and 20,000 people, excluding college campuses and military bases. To determine housing affordability, we looked at the share of households in each of those towns paying less than 30% of their household income on housing costs, a fairly common cutoff for whether or not housing is within a family's means.

The American Community Survey includes data for three types of households — homeowners with a mortgage, homeowners without a mortgage, and renters. For our affordability measurement, we took the average of the shares of each of those household types paying less than 30% on housing, weighted by the number of each type of household in each town.

Here's the most affordable small town in every state, based on the share of households paying less than 30% of their income on housing. Population estimates noted for some of the places are also from the most recent five-year American Community Survey.

SEE ALSO: 7 ways moving from a city to a small town could save you money

Alabama: Moores Mill

90.60% of homes are affordable.

Moores Mill is part of Madison County and Huntsville, Alabama, where several aerospace companies operate, including NASA and Boeing. According to the 2019 five-year American Community Survey, 86.9% of homes are owner-occupied in this town and have a median value of $175,200. 

Alaska: Sterling

79.73% of homes are affordable.

Sterling is perfect for those who enjoy the outdoors. According to Travel Alaska, the small town is near Kenai National Wildlife Refuge, which is filled with campsites, rivers, and trails to explore. There is also fishing and plenty of wildlife to see. Although the town has affordable homes, Best Places writes the cost of living is about 18% higher than the national average.

Arizona: Tuba City

87.57% of homes are affordable.

This small city of around 8,600 people is part of a large Navajo Reservation, according to the Visit Arizona site. People can visit the Explore Navajo Interactive Museum to learn more about Navajo culture and its history. 

Arkansas: White Hall

83.17% of homes are affordable.

This small town with a population a little over 5,000 is about 40 miles away from Little Rock. According to Best Places, White Hall has a low cost of living, estimated at 25.8% lower than the US average, and decent home prices.

California: Hilmar-Irwin

78.75% of homes are affordable.

This census-designated place with over 5,700 people is a small town in central California. The CDP is located in Merced County, and Niche ranks Hilmar High School the second best public high school in the county. According to the 2019 five-year American Community Survey, 64.6% of homes are owner-occupied and have a median value of $284,300. 

Colorado: Battlement Mesa

84.56% of homes are affordable.

This small town located along the Colorado River is great for people who enjoy participating in outdoor activities. People can walk along some of the trails or join the Battlement Mesa Golf Club to play the 18-hole course surrounded by the scenic landscape.

Connecticut: Kensington

75.14% of homes are affordable.

The town is within the southern part of Hartford County, Connecticut and has nearly 8,000 people. According to Niche, this small town has a relatively good cost of living and is a good place for families, contributing to its overall ranking on the site. Niche ranked it the 25th best suburb in the county.

Delaware: Pike Creek

79.96% of homes are affordable.

A town in New Castle County, Pike Creek is close to several family-friendly attractions, including local farmer's markets, the historical Hagley Museum, and Carousel Farm Park and Equestrian Center, which offers riding lessons for all ages.

Florida: Timber Pines

82.27% of homes are affordable.

Timer Pines is a census-designated place with a population of about 5,200. The CDP is home to a private community of older adults. Per its website, it offers "Country Club Living for Active Adults" with golf courses and tennis courts. It is a short drive away from Hernando Beach on the Gulf of Mexico, which according to Niche is home to many retirees.

Georgia: Holly Springs

83.90% of homes are affordable.

This small town in Georgia is said to be "named after a spring surrounded by holly trees," according to New Georgia Encyclopedia and has plenty of national forests and parks to visit nearby. Holly Springs, which is 37 miles away from Atlanta, was named the second safest town in Georgia by the National Council for Home and Safety Security.

Hawaii: Waihee-Waiehu

73.37% of homes are affordable.

Waihee-Waiehu is a small beachfront community on the island of Maui, the second largest Hawaiian island. Maui's natural beauty is stunning, but Waihee-Waiehu also offers a golf course, surfing, and whale watching.

Idaho: Fruitland

78.79% of homes are affordable.

This small city has a population of over 5,200. It is located close to the state's border with Oregon, perfect for people who want to live a short distance away from the adjacent state. According to the 2019 five-year American Community Survey, 71.6% of homes are owner-occupied where these homes have a median home value of $154,400.

Illinois: Washington

83.86% of homes are affordable.

This city is located in Tazewell County, about a 20-minute drive away from Peoria, Illinois. According to the city's website, Washington was founded in 1825 when a man named William Holland Sr. moved there from Peoria. His family were the only residents there for a year and the population has since grown to over 16,500 residents.

Indiana: Dunlap

85.38% of homes are affordable.

This census-designated place has a population of nearly 6,700. It also ranks highly on Niche's ranking as one of the places in the state with the lowest cost of living. Elkhart County, where Dunlap is located, is home to more than 650 lakes, according to the county's website, making Dunlap is a great place for people who like the outdoors and water activities. 

Iowa: Le Mars

86.04% of homes are affordable.

Le Mars has a population of over 9,900 residents. This small city is known as the "Ice Cream Capital of the World," per its website. According to Wells Visitor Center and Ice Cream Parlor, previously known as Blue Bunny Ice Cream Parlor, Le Mars was given this title in 1994 after producing the most ice cream. The family-owned Wells Enterprises located in this city makes Blue Bunny ice cream.

Kansas: Park City

86.86% of homes are affordable.

Park City is part of Sedgwick County, Kansas. According to the county's website, while many people work in the town, plenty of residents commute to work in larger cities nearby, such as Wichita. The small town of around 8,000 people is about seven miles away from Wichita State University. Some notable places in Park City include the Park City BMX tracks.

Kentucky: Hebron

91.86% of homes are affordable.

Located in northern Kentucky within Boone County, Hebron has nearly 6,500 residents and the majority or homes are owner-occupied. These homes have a median value of $159,200 per the 2019 five-year American Community Survey. This census-designated place is close to the border of Kentucky and Ohio. It is only a short drive away from Cincinnati, Ohio and the Ohio River.

Louisiana: Chackbay

89.48% of homes are affordable.

This CDP has over 5,300 residents and is located in the southern part of the state. With areas like the Mississippi River nearby, this place is great for people who want to be a short drive away from rivers and lakes. According to the 2019 five-year American Community Survey, the majority of homes are owner-occupied at 93.0%. These homes have a median value of $166,300. It is about an hour drive away from Baton Rouge, the state capital.

Maine: Gorham

79.87% of homes are affordable.

This CDP in southern Maine is located within Cumberland County. The town of Gorham includes the Gorham campus of the University of Southern Maine and Baxter House Museum. According to the Baxter Memorial Library, James Phinney Baxter, who served as Portland mayor for six years, was born in the house and gave over the house to be turned into a museum when he was older. The town is also great for people who enjoy nearby water with Sebago Lake, the second-largest lake in the state, just a short distance away.

Maryland: Poolesville

88.16% of homes are affordable.

Poolesville was named after two brothers, John Poole Sr. and Joseph Poole Sr., who owned land in the area. Until 2010, however, its official name was left as "The Commissioners of Poolesville" due to a clerical error. Its motto is "Small town character, down home charm."

Massachusetts: Cochituate

76.83% of homes are affordable.

Cochituate is a great place to live in the state if you want to be a short driving distance away from Boston. People can visit Cochituate State Park which includes Lake Cochituate, perfect for people who enjoy being by water and participating in different water activities like sailing. According to Niche, it is highly ranked in the state for families and has good public schools.

Michigan: Freeland

90.36% of homes are affordable.

Freeland was home to the Chippewa, Ottawa, and Pottawatomi tribes before the arrival of European settlers in the early 19th century. The town is named after Mammy Freeland, who was the owner of a popular tavern that served local lumberjacks in the mid 1800s. 

Minnesota: Victoria

88.01% of homes are affordable.

The city's website calls itself the "city of lakes and parks." There are several lakes within Victoria and nearby. This includes Lake Minnetonka, Steiger Lake, and Piersons Lake, making it a great place for people who enjoy being by water.  

Mississippi: Pontotoc

85.19% of homes are affordable.

This small rural town is home to about 6,000 residents. Based on the town's website, their motto is "where family comes first and we love every second." Residents can walk along the 43.6-mile Tanglefoot trail which includes the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains and different counties. The trail's website says it is a great place to enjoy the slow pace of Mississippi small towns.

Missouri: Dardenne Prairie

87.64% of homes are affordable.

Dardenne Prairie is located in St. Charles County and has a population over 13,000. This small city ranks high on several state rankings on Niche. For instance, it is the eighth best place to buy a house in the state.

Montana: Sidney

78.30% of homes are affordable.

Located in eastern Montana close to the border of the state and North Dakota, this city is home to about 6,400 residents. With its close proximity to the Yellowstone River, it is great for people who enjoy the outdoors and scenic views. The town is great for retirees looking to move to a small town, and Niche ranked it the 12th best place to retire in the state.

Nebraska: Chalco

82.42% of homes are affordable.

This census-designated place is located in eastern Nebraska, close to part of the Missouri River. According to the 2019 five-year American Community Survey, 75.3% of homes are owner-occupied and have a median value of $153,100. People can visit the Chalco Hills Recreation Area to take a scenic walk around Wehrspann Lake and take a bike around on one of the trails.

Nevada: Spring Creek

87.59% of homes are affordable.

Spring Creek has over 13,600 residents. It is situated between the Elko Hills to the northwest, and the Ruby Mountains to the southeast. 

New Hampshire: South Hooksett

77.05% of homes are affordable.

This CDP is home to 5,800 residents and is located within Merrimack County. It is about 3 miles away from Manchester, great for people who want to live in a small town but still be close to the state's largest city. According to Niche, South Hooksett is the 18th best suburb for public schools in the state and the 14th best to buy a home. 82.6% of homes are owner-occupied, per the 2019 five-year American Community Survey.

New Jersey: Yardville

77.79% of homes are affordable.

This CDP is located in Mercer County. It is by the Delaware River and Philadelphia, great for people who want to live in a small town but also less than an hour drive away from the city. The town is also a short driving distance away from fun activities like Sesame Place in Langhorne, Pennsylvania, or Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson Township, New Jersey.

New Mexico: White Rock

90.94% of homes are affordable.

White Rock, New Mexico has around 5,700 residents and is next to multiple mountains, Santa Fe National Forest, and the Rio Grande. It is less than 9 miles away from Los Alamos National Laboratory, which was used in World War II for the Manhattan Project and continues to be a key site for scientific research. Niche ranked the town the best suburb to buy a house in the state.

New York: Big Flats

87.28% of homes are affordable.

Big Flats is in western New York, near the Pennsylvania border. It boasts nearby national forests, is close to the city of Elmira, and is only a short drive away from New York's Finger Lakes.

North Carolina: Wesley Chapel

84.31% of homes are affordable.

This small town in North Carolina was officially incorporated as a village in 1998 but has existed as a community since the 1800s, according to real-estate site Carolina Small Town Living. Niche ranks the small town as the sixth best place to live in Union County, North Carolina.

North Dakota: Devils Lake

80.15% of homes are affordable.

This city with a population of around 7,300 is named after the lake that borders it. Devils Lake is great for people who like to be surrounded by water and enjoy outdoor activities, especially fishing. According to Devils Lake's website, people can fish year-round, including in the winter where people can try ice fishing.

Ohio: Delhi Hills

85.75% of homes are affordable.

Delhi Hills is just outside of Cincinnati, on a bluff near the Ohio river. Delhi Hills' main attraction is Delhi Pike, a popular strip of highway lined with fast food eateries and stores.

Oklahoma: Tuttle

83.49% of homes are affordable.

The first person born in Tuttle, in 1902, was Tuttle Meder, named not only after the town, but after its namesake, James H. Tuttle, a local rancher who was one of the town's founders. It maintained a low population for decades, until more residents settled there and brought the population up to its current number around 7,200.

Oregon: Cedar Hills

78.78% of homes are affordable.

Located in Washington County and around 10 miles away from Portland, this CDP is home to nearly 9,000 residents. On Niche, Cedar Hills ranks highly in some of the state rankings. It is the fifth best suburb to live in the state and the best in the state for young workers, according to Niche. 

Pennsylvania: Swoyersville

85.62% of homes are affordable.

This borough in Luzerne County is by the Susquehanna River and is around 20 miles away from Scranton. Around the area, there are plenty of parks and trails to visit, like the Pocono Whitewater for kayaking nearby. According to the 2019 five-year ACS, 80.4% of housing units are owner-occupied and these units have a median value of $125,500. 

Rhode Island: Cumberland Hill

72.34% of homes are affordable.

Cumberland Hill is a suburb of Providence, Rhode Island's capital. The town is a residential community mostly made up of families. The public schools are highly rated, according to Niche.

South Carolina: Powdersville

85.39% of homes are affordable.

Located in the westernmost part of South Carolina in Anderson County, According to Niche, Powdersville is the 12th best place to buy a house in the state. According to the 2019 five-year ACS, 75.4% of housing units are owner-occupied and these units have a median value of $188,300.

South Dakota: Harrisburg

87.67% of homes are affordable.

Harrisburg, a suburb of Sioux Falls, is an active community with several attractions. Locals enjoy Lake Alvin Recreation Area, which offers beaches, fishing, and boating. Good Earth State park has two miles of trails for anyone looking to enjoy the outdoors.

Tennessee: Nolensville

87.09% of homes are affordable.

This small town, whose motto is "Community, History, Proximity" per the town's website, is great for people who want to live close to the city but still enjoy small town life. It is only about a 30-minute drive away from Nashville. According to the town's website, most families have lived in the town for generations, some for around 200 years.

Texas: Dalhart

86.43% of homes are affordable.

Located in northern Texas within Dallam and Hartley Counties, Dalhart has a population of around 8,700. According to the Texas State Historical Association, Dalhart usually hosts the XIT Rodeo and Reunion, to commemorate the historical, large XIT Ranch from the 1880s. The XIT Rodeo and Reunion site's website boasts that this event has the world's largest free barbecue, along with other activities.

Utah: West Point

88.84% of homes are affordable.

Located about 30 miles away from Salt Lake City, West Point is a rural small town with over 10,600 residents. It is a few miles away from Hill Air Force Base and close to Farmington Bay.

Vermont: Montpelier

69.80% of homes are affordable.

Montpelier, the capital of Vermont, is the least populous state capital in the United States, with only over 7,400 residents. Its small population doesn't prevent it from having a capital city's personality, with its stately buildings and lively downtown.

Virginia: Franklin Farm

86.64% of homes are affordable.

This census-designated place within Fairfax County is highly ranked for its schools, housing, and families on Niche. According to the 2019 five-year American Community Survey, 93.0% of homes are owner-occupied and have a median value of $633,600.

Washington: Clarkston Heights-Vineland

87.01% of homes are affordable.

This census-designated place in Washington with around 6,300 residents is also close to Oregon and Idaho. According to the 2019 five-year American Community Survey, most homes in the CDP were built in the 1970s followed by the 1990s. The majority of homes are owner-occupied at 92.6%.

West Virginia: Cross Lanes

86.98% of homes are affordable.

There are many activities people can do in this small town, like visit the Mardi Gras Casino and Resort or join the private Lake Chaweva Club. Niche ranks it the 30th best place to live in the state.

Wisconsin: Suamico

87.41% of homes are affordable.

This village is located next to Green Bay, great for people who enjoy scenic views by the water. The small town has different trails and parks to visit where people can enjoy the open land and nature.

Wyoming: Green River

85.75% of homes are affordable.

Green River is great for people who want to live surrounded by nature. People can visit the river that shares the city's name and enjoy fishing or the scenic views. According to the 2019 five-year American Community Survey, most homes in Green River are owner-occupied at 77.2% and have a value of $213,800.

What do recycling robots, satellites that monitor trees, and protective coatings for food have in common?

They're all technologies, within the sprawling climate-tech industry, that could help curb carbon emissions. They're also some of the technologies developed by startups that venture capitalists can't stop talking about. 

With the climate-tech boom set to spill into 2021, and build from there, we asked 15 VCs and incubators which startups that think are set to pop. The firms — including Khosla Ventures and Kleiner Perkins spinout fund G2VP — offered up 46 of them, which we list here.

Read more: The 46 top climate-tech startups to watch in 2021, according to VCs

But just six companies were named by more than one VC, from buzzy battery startup Form Energy to carbon marketplace Pachama. We list them below, in increasing order of total money raised to date. 

Pachama — $9.5 million

Year founded: 2018

What it is: Pachama sells carbon credits, which represent the carbon dioxide that trees remove from the air. Forests that are protected or restored can generate credits, and companies can buy them to offset their own emissions. Read more about the company here. 

Total funding: $9.5 million

Notable investors: Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Amazon, Serena Williams, and Y Combinator

Mentioned by: Milad Malek, venture associate for energy at Plug and Play Tech Center, and Nancy Pfund, founder and managing partner of DBL Partners

"They've always gotten good feedback and interaction through our network" 

— Milad Malek of Plug and Play Tech Center

Mori — $16 million

Year founded: 2016

What it is: Formerly known as Cambridge Crops, Mori developed a protective coating for produce and meat, derived from a silk protein, that slows the spoiling process. It can make food last up to twice as long, the company says.  

Total funding: $16 million, according to Crunchbase

Notable investors: Prelude Ventures, Closed Loop Partners, Acre Venture Partners, and The Engine

Mentioned by: Emily Reichert, CEO of Greentown Labs, and Adam Rothenberg, partner at BoxGroup

"They're really trying to address the food-waste issue, which of course is a big part of carbon emissions. That company is really off and running."

— Emily Reichert of Greentown Labs

AMP Robotics — $23 million

Year founded: 2014

What it is: AMP Robotics develops intelligent robots that sort through waste "to extract maximum value for businesses that recycle municipal solid waste, e-waste and construction and demolition," the company says. 

Total funding: $23 million

Notable investors: Sequoia Capital, Congruent Ventures, and Closed Loop Partners

Mentioned by: Josh Posamentier, cofounder and managing partner at Congruent Ventures, and Gabriel Kra, managing director at Prelude Ventures

"It changes the economics pretty dramatically for recycling from something that's maybe breakeven-to-money-losing for most cities to something that's solidly profitable"

— Josh Posamentier of Congruent Ventures

Arcadia — $70 million

Year founded: 2014

What it is: Arcadia is a digital startup taking on the utility industry by offering consumers access to clean energy through an app. Kiran Bhatraju, the company's founder, was one of Business Insider's rising stars of clean energy. 

Total funding: $70 million

Notable investors: Kleiner Perkins spinout fund G2VP, BoxGroup, Energy Impact Partners, and Macquarie

Mentioned by: Adam Rothenberg, partner at BoxGroup, and Brook Porter, partner and cofounder at G2VP

"It's something that can really scale" 

— Brook Porter of G2VP

Svante — $75 million

Year founded: 2007

What it is: Svante developed a technology to capture carbon emissions produced directly by various industries including steelmaking. In February the company announced that it's partnering with Chevron to launch a study to see if the technology could be used in the oil giant's operations. 

Total funding: $75 million

Notable investors: Chevron Technology Ventures, Husky Energy, Chrysalix, and Mitsui, according to Crunchbase

Mentioned by: Wal van Lierop, executive chairman and founding partner of Chrysalix Venture Capital, and a corporate VC who asked not to be named

"Svante is very low-cost carbon capture" 

— Wal van Lierop of Chrysalix

Form Energy — $123 million

Year founded: 2017

What it is: A buzzy startup run by a Tesla veteran, Form Energy is developing long-duration batteries for storing energy on the grid. 

Total funding: $123 million

Notable investors: Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Prelude Ventures, and oil giant Eni, NGP Energy Technology Partners III, Energy Impact Partners, Temasek, The Engine, Capricorn, and Macquarie

Form Energy: Emily Reichert, CEO of Greentown Labs; Josh Posamentier, cofounder and managing partner at Congruent Ventures; and Gabriel Kra, managing director at Prelude Ventures

"That's really exciting what they're doing. The grid needs tech like that."

— Josh Posamentier of Congruent Ventures

This story was originally published on December 17. 

In a normal year, over 1 million people pack into New York City's Times Square to revel in the new year. This year, however, the event is going virtual.

2021 marks the 114th anniversary of the ball drop, the tradition of watching a glowing ball — technically it's an icosahedral geodesic sphere— slide down a pole until midnight.

Take a look at how the celebration has evolved since the first ball drop in 1907.

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Time balls like the one dropped on New Year's Eve have been around long before the Times Square celebration.

Time balls have been used to show the passing of time since long before the first New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square.

The first time ball was installed on the roof of Flamsteed House at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, in England in 1833, according to the Times Square ball's website. It falls every day at 1 p.m. and was created so the captains of naval ships could accurately set their chronometers and also so that people could accurately set their watches.  

New Year's celebrations in Times Square began in 1904.

In the early years, crowds gathered in Times Square to celebrate the new year, but it wasn't until 1907 that the ball officially started making its slow drop from the flagpole atop One Times Square.

New York had its first ball drop in 1907; the 700-pound ball had 100 bulbs, was made of iron and wood, and appeared every year until 1920.

In 1904, Adolph Ochs, publisher of The New York Times — for which Times Square is named after — planned a New Year's Eve party featuring fireworks in an attempt to lure revelers away from Wall Street where they rang in the new year with the ring of Trinity Church's bells, according to The New Yorker. Three years later when Ochs couldn't secure a permit for fireworks, he had the first New Year's Eve ball created and the tradition has stuck ever since. 

There have been seven versions of the New Year's Eve ball. In 1920, the second version of the ball was introduced.

The new 1920 ball weighed 400 pounds and was made completely of wrought iron. It didn't feature any of the flashy decorations synonymous with today's New Year's ball. 

As the grandeur of the celebration grew, so did the crowd.

Over the next few decades, the number of spectators swelled. This was the crowd of about 500,000 people ringing in the new year in 1940. 

When the US entered World War II, the fire department started ramping up security. Because of wartime blackouts, 1942 and 1943 were the only two years without ball drops.

Instead of a ball drop, crowds gathered in 1942 and '43 rang in the New Year with a minute of silence followed by the sound of chimes played from a sound truck at the base of the Times Tower, a nod to the original New Year's celebration at Trinity Church. 

As televisions became more mainstream in the 1960s, people began tuning in to watch the city's celebration.

Thousands more citizens across the US would begin watching the Times Square celebration in 1972 thanks to the inaugural installation of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve."

It's estimated that about 1 billion people tune into the TV special every year now. 

In 1955, the third ball, made partially of aluminum, was introduced.

The city used the new aluminum ball until 1998 — though it was renovated several times over that period. Notable changes include aluminum skin, rhinestones, strobes, and computer controls in 1995. 

In honor of the "I Love New York" campaign, the 1981 New Year's ball included red lights and a green "stem" to make it look like an apple.

That was also the final year Russ Brown, the superintendent of One Times Square, managed the ball dropping after 16 years.

In 1982, four bombs exploded at government buildings in New York on New Year's Eve. The next year, the city bought a series of $20,000 robots that could handle bombs, wield shotguns, and drag fallen officers out of danger. They monitored the 1983 celebration.

For the 1983 New Year's celebration, the city bought a series of $20,000 robots that could handle bombs, wield shotguns, and drag fallen officers out of danger according to the 1991 book "Break-ins, Death Threats and the FBI."

In the 1990s, special guests started activating the ball. The first was the philanthropist Oseola McCarty, later followed by Muhammad Ali, Mary Ann Hopkins from Doctors Without Borders, and others.

The tradition was started by New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani in 1996 as an initiative to honor community heroes on one of the world's largest stages. 

Before the ball was lowered automatically, it descended down its pole in a pretty old-school way.

According to a 2009 New York Times article, prior to 1995, the New Year's Eve ball, which weighed hundreds of pounds, was simply lowered  by "six guys with ropes and a stopwatch." Nowadays the ball drop relies on a laser-cooled atomic clock located in Colorado, according to The New Yorker. 

In 2000, the ball was redesigned again for the millennium celebration at the Crossroads of the World.

The New Year's Eve ball got a makeover from Waterford Crystal and Philips Lighting in 2000 that brought it into the new millennium. The crystal ball measured six feet in diameter, weighed 1,070 pounds, and featured 168 lightbulbs.  

Following the September 11 attacks in 2001, the police department tightened security in Times Square even more. Bomb-sniffing dogs and 7,000 officers with handheld metal detectors were on duty.

In recent years the New York City Police Department has deployed additional tactics to prevent bombers from attacking Times Square during the celebration, including a quadcopter drone and 200 blocker trucks filled with sand, according to a 2018 article from The Verge.  

In 2007, the ball was updated again for the celebration's 100th anniversary.

Waterford Crystal and Philips Lighting once again crafted a new crystal ball and replaced the old incandescent and halogen bulbs with brand new Philips Luxeon LED lighting technology. The upgrade allowed for event planners to program some pretty spectacular light patterns and effects for the celebration. 

In 2008, New York barred cars from Times Square. Pedicabs began driving the ball's numeral fixtures instead.

Each year the new numbers displayed below the Times Tower are delivered via pedicab. 

In 2009, the ball got its final major renovation, making it a permanent year-round attraction.

Dubbed the "Big Ball," the latest variant of the ball weighs nearly 6 tons and measures 12 feet in diameter. It has an impressive 2,688 Waterford Crystal triangles, which are illuminated by 32,256 Philips Luxeon LED lights. The ball is now weatherproof and towers above Times Square year-round so if you don't feel like fighting the throngs of people for a spot on New Year's, you can snap a picture with it any day of the year. 

After midnight on New Year's, the Department of Sanitation performs massive cleanups to clear the confetti and other debris. In 2014, 190 workers cleared over 50 tons of trash from Times Square.

Although it may make the night's celebrations all the more magical, a staggering amount of confetti and other debris has to be cleaned up after the event. 

The ball got some extra bling ahead of the New Year's celebration Thursday night.

According to the Times Square Official Website, the ball got an additional 129 Waterford Crystal triangles featuring a "Gift of Happiness" pattern represented "by a sunburst of bright cuts radiating outward like a beautiful sunny day bringing warm smiles and happiness."

The 2021 ball drop will be completely virtual.

In a statement to Fox News, Times Square Alliance President Tim Tompkins said that because of the coronavirus pandemic, there will be no crowd of people present to ring in the new year. Instead, the celebrations will take place online. 

"But this year there will be significantly new and enhanced virtual, visual and digital offerings to complement whatever limited live entertainment or experiences – still in development – will take place in Times Square," Tompkins told Fox in September. 

Despite this, there will still be live musical performances from artists including Andra Day and Gloria Gaynor. Performances for "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve," include Jennifer Lopez, Billy Porter, Cyndi Lauper, Jimmie Allen, and Machine Gun Kelly.

There is a 2021 New Year's Eve app and website allowing people around the world to partake in the festivities.

According to the Times Square Official Website:"On December 31, viewers can tune in for a live broadcast where they can choose from multiple camera feeds to direct their own New Year's Eve show. Plus, viewers will also get a chance to see other celebrations from around the globe, and hear messages from local leaders and people from dozens of cities from around the world."

• Read more:
• 20 facts about New Year's celebrations that might surprise you
• 20 photos that show how brutal the Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge actually is
• 18 reasons why New Year's Eve is the worst holiday of the year
• Here's how the Times Square ball — which used to be made of iron and wood — has evolved over its 111-year history

Every day, we round up the 5 best deals and bargains available on tech, home goods, fashion, and more. 

We've sorted this list with the best deals first. The prices and discounts are accurate at the time of publication but are subject to change without warning. For even more deals and savings across the web, check out the best online deals and sales happening now and Business Insider Coupons.

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Donald Trump Jr. has become his father's son.

He hasn't always seen eye-to-eye with his famous dad, but since Donald Trump Sr. become president, Jr. has come back into the fold. In November 2019 he told The Wall Street Journal, "It took me probably 41 years to realize I was a lot more like my dad than either of us had ever thought. Our default mode is, I guess, attack."

He used to be regarded as the detail-oriented and business-focused child, content to leave the spotlight to his father and his younger sister Ivanka, but he's now a fundraising regular, often traveling the country to speak on his father's behalf. For the 2018 midterms, he made more than 70 campaign appearances, according to the Washington Post, and during the 2020 presidential election, it seemed he and his girlfriend and former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle were everywhere.

It's been a busy few years for the 6-foot-1 son who was also put in charge of leading The Trump Organization with his brother Eric. He was embroiled in the Russia investigation and weathered a messy divorce. His book tour for "Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us," which topped The New York Times best-seller list, made waves.

Here's his life so far, in photos.

SEE ALSO: From rich kid to first daughter: The life of Ivanka Trump

DON'T MISS: Meet Kimberly Guilfoyle, the former Fox News star, prosecutor, and model who's dating Donald Trump Jr.

Donald Trump Jr. was born in Manhattan on December 31, 1977, to Donald Trump and his first wife, Ivana. As the first-born, he was named after his father. But, according to the Los Angeles Times, he was not always the adoring son.

Sources: Biography.com, Los Angeles Times

As a child, he spent six to eight weeks during the summers in Czechoslovakia with his grandparents. Trump learned his outdoor skills from his maternal grandfather Zelnicek, who he was particularly close with, and who acted a role model for him growing up. His grandfather let him loose, telling him, "there is the woods. See you at dark."

Source: The New York Times

It was a stark contrast to life as a Trump in America, where he was accompanied by bodyguards. At 12, he was whisked off to boarding school with his brother Eric after his parents' divorce. He went to The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, for high school.

Sources: Vanity Fair, The Guardian

In 2004, he told New York Magazine it had been tough being 12. "You're not quite a man, but you think you are. You think you know everything. Being driven into school every day and you see the front page and it's: 'Divorce! THE BEST SEX I EVER HAD!' And you don't even know what that means. At that age, kids are naturally cruel."

Source: New York Magazine

His father made the divorce a public affair, which wasn't easy on Trump Jr., who was more aware of what was going on than his younger siblings. According to Vanity Fair, he yelled at his father, “You don't love us! You don't even love yourself. You just love your money!" He then spent a year refusing to speak to his father, hanging up on him whenever called.

Sources: The New York Times, Vanity Fair

After high school, Trump went to the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School of Finance, where his father and sister also went. He studied finance and real estate. He also rowed crew, joined a fraternity, and garnered a reputation as a big partier.

Sources: The Trump Organization, The New York Times

At university, he didn't try and live up to his father's reputation. Jennifer Ireland Kubis, who knew him there, said, "He wasn't into the gold. He was trying to escape it." Scott Melker, another classmate, wrote a viral Facebook post where he said every memory he had of Trump was of him stumbling around campus falling over or passing out while drinking. He also said Trump "absolutely despised his father, and hated the attention that his last name afforded him.”

Sources: The New York Times, Los Angeles Times

After graduation, Jr. took a year off from studies and work. He lived in the back of a truck in Aspen, Colorado, where he hunted, fished, and occasionally worked as a bartender. He's said he was the first graduate of Wharton to do such a thing. It was during this time he developed his patience and need for silence, according to the Washington Post.

Sources: Vanity Fair, The New York Times, The Washington Post

In 2001, he was arrested for public drunkenness in New Orleans during Mardi Gras, and spent half a day in jail.

Sources: The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian

His love of nature was a key factor in him later giving up drinking. He spoke about it in 2016 at a fundraising speech in Salt Lake City. "I know that the benefits I got from being in the woods, from being in a duck blind, from being in a tree stand at 5 o'clock in the morning, kept me out of so much other trouble I would have gotten into in my life," he said. In 2003 he officially quit drinking.

Source: The New York Times

In September 2001, he returned from "the wilderness" and went to work for his father. His mother once said, "When they turned 21, I handed them over to him and said, 'Here's the finished product.'"

Sources: Vanity Fair, The Guardian

In 2003, Trump's father introduced him to Vanessa Kay Haydon, a model who once dated Leonardo DiCaprio. They soon started dating.

Sources: The New York Times, The New York Times, Vanity Fair

It was a public affair and made even more so when Trump accepted a free $100,000 ring in exchange for recreating his proposal in a New Jersey mall. Along with a critical New York Post headline, which called him "the cheapest Gaillionaire," his father took a shot on at him "Larry King Live," where he said, "You have a name that is hot as a pistol, you have to be very careful with things like this.”

Source: The New York Times

The couple married on November 12, 2005, at the Trump family's private Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

The couple had five children: Kai (born in 2007), Donald III (2009), Tristan (2011), Spencer (2012), and Chloe (2014). Their New York apartment was described to the Los Angeles Times as "controlled chaos."

Sources: People, Los Angeles Times

It didn't take long before Trump rose to be executive vice president of the Trump Organization. After his first completed project, he told his dad the building should say Trump Jr. His father disagreed. Still, Trump Jr. was put in charge of various building projects, hotels, condos, and golf courses. Notably, he took the lead on constructing the Trump International Hotel and Tower in Chicago.

Sources: Vanity Fair, The Trump Organization, The Guardian

In a 2006 cover story on the two eldest children, Forbes called Ivanka "the spotlight-loving Ms. Outside" and Donald "the detail-obsessed Mr. Inside."

Source: Forbes

One of his focuses was working with Russian businesses. In 2008, he told Eturbonews he'd visited the country half a dozen times trying to find business. He also said it was a "really scary place," in regards to corruption.

Source: Los Angeles Times

Trump was a dutiful son. He appeared as a boardroom adviser with Ivanka on their father's reality-TV show "The Apprentice," as well as a judge for some of his father's Miss USA pageants. But he told AP there was constant pressure to perform. "In my father’s own words, he would fire us like dogs," he said in 2006.

Sources: New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian

In 2010, Trump started his own building materials company, Titan Atlas Manufacturing, with two business partners. But by 2012, the company ceased operations after tax liens were filed for unpaid sales and withholding taxes. A South Carolina warehouse it owned was also contaminated, and the Trump Organization tried to sell it.

Sources: Vanity Fair, The Post and Courier

On June 16, 2015, Donald Trump announced he was running for president. When his father asked him what he knew about politics, Jr. told him he'd watched the news the previous night, which was enough to put him to work. And Trump Jr. worked hard for his father, rising at 4.30 a.m. and working late every night. He introduced him at rallies, gave interviews, and ramped up his Twitter presence.

Sources: CNN, Los Angeles Times, The Guardian, The Washington Post, Vanity Fair, Mother Jones

Trump's hunting background, in stark contrast to the more refined personas of his sister and father, was harnessed by the campaign as a way to connect with many Americans.

Source: The Washington Post

But his love of hunting also caused some issues during the campaign when a picture surfaced of him and Eric posing with a dead leopard from 2010. Possibly the worst photo for Trump Jr. was one where he was holding a knife in one hand and a severed elephant tail in the other. He didn't appear too fazed by the online vitriol and said to one critic, "I'm not going to run and hide because the PETA crazies don't like me."

Source: The Washington Post, The New York Times

As his father ran for the presidency, Jr. continued to stir the political pot. In one tweet he compared Syrian refugees to Skittles. "If I had a bowl of skittles and I told you just three would kill you, would you take a handful?" the tweet said. "That's our Syrian refugee problem."

Sources: AP, Business Insider

Another time when complaining about news coverage, he said the media would be "warming up the gas chamber" if Republicans acted like 2016 rival Hillary Clinton. The Trump campaign later said clarified his comments were about capital punishment and not the Holocaust.

Sources: Business Insider, Los Angeles Times

As Roger Stone, one of Trump senior's former confidants, put it to the Washington Post, "Basically, Trump Jr. is the voice of undiluted Trumpism."

Source: Washington Post

After his father won the presidency, Trump joined the transition team's executive committee. In early 2017, Trump spoke at a fundraising dinner, and said he thought that would be it, that he would be out of politics after Election Day. But he didn't stop. He said he couldn't.

Sources: Vanity Fair, The New York Times

Donald and Eric became trustees of the Trump Organization and took control of the company together when their father became president.

Sources: Business Insider, The Washington Post

But since his dad's ascension to the Oval Office, Trump Jr. has been one of his father's most vocal defenders. The Los Angeles Times described him as a "virtual attack dog." In June 2017, he blasted former FBI Director James Comey, posting over 80 tweets during Comey's live testimony before a congressional committee.

Sources: Business Insider, The Associated Press, Los Angeles Times

Trump Jr. became his father's No. 1 man.

Source: Los Angeles Times

In March 2017, Trump fell into political hot water when he tweeted a quote from London Mayor Sadiq Khan that made it look as if he were relaxed about terrorism in London. Trump's tweet came after a terrorist attack in Westminster, but Khan's quote was 6 months old.

Source: The Guardian

In July 2017, Trump became one of the key figures in the Russia election meddling controversy, after The New York Times reported that he'd taken a meeting with a Russian lawyer who told him she had damaging information about Hillary Clinton. Instead of calling the FBI in response to the information, he said, "I love it."

Sources: Business Insider, The Guardian

The news led some to raise new questions about whether the Trump campaign colluded with the Kremlin to meddle in the election. And it briefly made Donald the most Googled child of Donald Trump. In the end, the former special counsel Robert Mueller found there was no coordination with Russia and the Trump campaign.

Sources: Twitter, Business Insider, The Wall Street Journal

In November 2017, The Atlantic reported that during the 2016 election, Trump was in touch with WikiLeaks, the anti-secrecy website that published wave after wave of damning information on Hillary Clinton's campaign from hacked emails.

Sources: Business Insider, The Atlantic

In March 2018, Trump's home life took a hit when Vanessa filed for divorce. The two battled it out in court to decide the terms of their split.

Source: Business Insider

After news of the divorce broke, rumors swirled that his Twitter use was a determining factor, and that he cheated on her with Aubrey O'Day in 2011 when the singer was a contestant on "The Apprentice."

Source: BusinessInsider

In May 2018, Trump started dating former Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle. She's since become a senior advisor for the Trump campaign. According to the Washington Post, Trump was quickly using his love life for material on the campaign trail.

Sources: Page Six, The Washington Post, The Washington Post

And despite his comments about pulling away from politics, Trump instead stopped trying to expanding the Trump Organization, which he told friends was difficult to do while his father was president, according to the Washington Post.

Source: The Washington Post

He's become sought after for his versatility at rallies and fundraisers. For the 2018 midterms, Trump made about 70 campaign stops to help boost morale for Republican candidates. Yet despite his appearances, a White House official told the Washington Post he probably had less influence at the White House compared to Ivanka and Eric.

Source: Washington Post

In 2018, he continued to be prolific on Twitter. He retweeted conspiracy theories about businessman George Soros being a Nazi, he liked a tweet that said migrant children separated from their parents by Trump's administration had been coached by liberals, and he attacked CNN several times, including anchor Anderson Cooper, based on a 10-year-old photo.

Sources: The Hill, Newsweek, Vox

In 2019, Trump went after Hunter Biden, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's son, for his role as a board member on a Ukrainian energy company. Although there was no evidence of wrongdoing by the Bidens, Trump Jr. said that he wished his name was Hunter Biden so he could make millions off his father.

Sources: The Wall Street Journal, The Daily Beast

In November 2019, he published "Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us," which criticizes "PC culture," as well as the former special counsel Robert Mueller. It's been touted as the "book the leftist elites don't want you to read."

Sources: The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Guardian

That same month, Trump and Guilfoyle appeared on the 5,000th episode of "The View" to promote his book, but it quickly became a heated back and forth, in particular with Megan McCain, late Sen. John McCain's daughter, who asked how he felt about the pain his family had caused. Trump said he didn't feel good, but he and his family were doing what they had to for America.

Source: Business Insider

On his book tour, loud conservative supporters heckled him offstage at UCLA when he refused to answer questions. He said he was trying to avoid giving the media soundbites that could be distorted by the left wing social media. But the crowd wasn't buying it.

Sources: The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian

Despite the heckling, Trump's book made it to the top of The New York Times best-seller list. A $94,800 bulk purchase from the Republican National Committee helped.

Source: The New York Times

Throughout the 2020 presidential campaign, Jr. and Guilfoyle were ever-present supporters of his father's reelection. They spoke at numerous rallies, each gave speeches at the Republican National Convention, and were ardent defenders on Twitter.

Source: BusinessInsider

In late November, Jr. tested positive for COVID-19. He was asymptomatic and isolated. Guilfoyle was infected in August, and the president, first lady, and Barron Trump had the disease in October. The White House experienced an outbreak during Trump's diagnosis that infected dozens of staffers.

Sources: Business Insider, Bloomberg News

As for Trump's future, he's skirted questions about his own political ambitions. He's an ardent defender of his father — and no longer living in his shadow.

Sources: The Wall Street Journal, GQ

• Instructional design is a growing field that blends teaching with design to make learning more engaging and fun.
• It can be applied to many jobs, from teaching to developing corporate trainings, online classes, or educational videos.
• Below are 10 online courses, certificate programs, and free blogs to help you learn about instructional design and apply it to your career.
• Read more: 10 free or affordable online courses and programs that can help you land a project management job
• Sign up for Insider Reviews' weekly newsletter for more buying advice and great deals.

Instructional design is the process of creating engaging and effective learning experiences. Think back to your favorite teachers – the ones who could make even the most boring topics fascinating. Instructional design delves into the science behind teaching and strives to make learning fun and interesting for everyone, from students in a classroom to employees sitting through a corporate training session. 

The rapidly growing field includes a combination of design and pedagogical theory, as well as incorporating plenty of creativity and collaboration. While instructional design includes both offline and online learning, the skill is particularly necessary for e-learning development, which may be why Inside Higher Education wrote that instructional design is "the hottest job in higher education," as we all continue to live and learn online.

With instructional design skills, you will be equipped to plan and develop engaging training sessions, instructional manuals, user guidelines, and just generally get better at expressing information. 

Whether you're interested in a fully-fledged certificate program or would simply like to learn more about the field to apply it to what you do now, you can find the best online courses, programs, and blogs to get started with instructional design below. One quick thing to note: many instructional design courses are geared specifically for the classroom or corporate training, so you should choose a resource that best matches your career goals. 

10 online courses and free blogs to help you break into the instructional design field:

Instructional design courses and certificate programs

Instructional Design Foundations and Applications (Coursera) 

This is the first course of the two-course MasterTrack certificate offered by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is an excellent foray into the world of instructional design. Taught by Dr. Eunjung Grace, this four-week course takes students through the conceptual and theoretical background of instructional design. Because it's free to audit, taking this intro course is a good idea if you are considering enrolling in the full MasterTrack, as it will let you know what to expect and if this particular program is the right choice for you. You can read a full review of this MasterTrack here.

Become an Instructional Designer (LinkedIn Learning)

This is a series of nine videos on instructional design, perfect for anyone looking to learn more about the field of instructional design and gain foundational knowledge without committing to a longer certificate program. Available through LinkedIn Learning with a $29.99/month subscription, it will take you through the basics of instructional design, from storyboarding to assessing your work, and covers learning design for both corporate and educational environments. When you complete the learning path, LinkedIn will provide you with a certificate of completion to add to your LinkedIn profile.

Introduction to Instructional Design: Online Course Creation (Udemy)

This introductory course is a good choice for anyone interested in using instructional design to develop online courses. It's taught by an instructional designer, whose goal is sharing everything he wished he knew when he was starting out in instructional design. Through video lectures and curated resources (including e-books and podcasts), this course takes you through the basics of instructional design theory and gives you the opportunity to apply your knowledge to an e-learning project. This is a short, self-directed course, with only about an hour and a half of total video content, so it's a quick way to get a grasp of the field or to brush up on your instructional design knowledge.

The IDOL Academy

IDOL (Instructional Design and Online Learning) is an instructional design agency that offers courses for people specifically interested in corporate instructional design. IDOL offers an eight-week academy to get you started for $1,497 at the basic level and $2,497 for additional features. The academy is incredibly comprehensive, teaching students graphic design and animation skills alongside instructional design theory and e-learning processes. By the end of the course, you will have built a complete instructional design portfolio from scratch and will be completely ready to apply for instructional design jobs in the corporate world. This is one of the best choices out there if you're serious about starting a career in corporate instructional design, but don't want to pay for a master's degree. 

E-Learning Instructional Design certificate (Association for Talent Development) 

This certificate program is for those who are not entirely new to instructional design and are interested in learning additional learning models for developing e-learning materials. This course is designed to be applicable for a range of instructional design applications, including HR specialists and curriculum designers. In this program, students are introduced to the Association for Talent Development's very own e-learning design model and are given the opportunity to practice and apply the model. This course is $1,695 for non-ATD members.  

Instructional Designer Certificate Program (Online Learning Consortium) 

This certificate program, offered by the Online Learning Consortium, is the industry standard for those interested in working in online course development for schools and universities. The program is a series of four online courses, each one taking students through a different aspect of online learning design. The program is designed for people with some experience working in instructional design and are interested in strengthening their skills. The program costs $2000 for non-OLC members. 

Instructional Design and Technology (edX)

This program on instructional design and technology is a series of four courses that will take about eight months to complete. Priced at $1,076.40, you will receive an edX MicroMasters certificate from the University System of Maryland, which is very reasonable for the amount of instruction you'll receive. Designed for those interested in developing online learning, this program will take you through learning theory and data analytics, while also providing hands-on practice in developing and publishing online courses. The program combines instructional design with training in e-learning technology and will prepare you for a career in online learning development.

Free instructional design blogs

If you aren't ready to dive into or pay for an online course, here are three blogs that can boost your instructional design knowledge without the time or financial commitment of a certificate program. 

Christy Tucker Learning

Christy Tucker is a learning experience design consultant who has one of the most engaging instructional design blogs out there. Tucker regularly posts about best practices in online course development, with a focus on storytelling with technology. Her detailed blog posts take readers through the steps of using stories to develop learning experiences and include tips on every step of the process. Her blog also has lots of information on instructional design careers, background information on the profession, and ways to get started in the field. 

The eLearning Coach by Connie Malamed

This website by Connie Malamed, a learning experience design consultant, is a great resource for anyone looking to learn more about instructional design. She has useful blog posts, plenty of free resources, and engaging podcast episodes. Malamed also offers a free 12-lesson email course called Breaking Into Instructional Design to answer all your questions about getting started in the field. 

Action @ Work by Cathy Moore

Action @ Work is full of free resources and reflections on instructional design. The publisher, Cathy Moore, has blog posts on a range of instructional design topics as well as free training in "action mapping," her approach to designing training programs in the corporate world. 

• Many Americans are still spending a lot of time at home and are postponing or canceling travel plans.
• You can replicate a five-star experience under your own roof — no passport required— and upgrade quarantine life with these products that mimic the feel of a luxury hotel.
• Our list includes an array of hotel-inspired ideas across categories from robes and slippers to bedding and towels, all similar to what you'll find within luxe lodging. Best of all, most products come in under $100.
• Read more: 11 easy home decor tricks to steal from the world's top hotel designers
• Sign up for Insider Reviews' weekly newsletter for more buying advice and great deals.

As the novel coronavirus pandemic continues, even the most avid travelers and habitual wanderlusters are still wondering if travel is safe.

After all, the pandemic is an evolving situation, and with the CDC recommending limiting non-essential travel, travelers like me are opting to simply imagine beautiful escapes instead of actually planning them.

For my part, I'm dreaming of days spent enveloped in the comfort and indulgence of some of my favorite hotels around the world. I'm burning my sumptuous Aman candle, sliding around in a pair of slippers once monogrammed for me by the Beverly Wilshire, and drinking copious Vanderpump rose from a bottle Lisa Vanderpump autographed at the opening of her Caesars Palace lounge venue — all in attempts to channel those hotel vibes.

You too can turn your home into the closest facsimile possible of a dazzling hotel experience with some thoughtfully curated (and mostly affordable) upgrades.  

Looking for more ways to recreate hotel experiences?

• 24 hotel-branded products that will mimic a luxury travel stay at home — from Ritz-Carlton sheets to Marriott wine glasses
• 11 easy home decor tricks to steal from the world's top hotel designers
• 18 hotels and Airbnbs around the world are currently offering virtual classes in lieu of their usual on-site activities and events — almost all of them are free
• 14 signature cocktail recipes from hotel bars around the world — plus the tools and spirits you'll need to make them

To come up with our list of luxury hotel-inspired items, we considered the categories most essential to the five-star experience, like bath amenities, bedding, and robes. We also looked for items that mimicked food and beverage offerings, and even replicated indulgent offerings, like room service, thoughtfully stocked minibars, and fresh flowers in rooms.

We also considered a range of price points, from products under $20 for a quick and affordable fix, to a few high-end investment pieces such as sumptuous sheets and luxe decor.

Almost all the items on our list fall under $100, so pick a few ideas and give your home the hotel-style upgrade it deserves … until your next check-in.

These are 12 easy upgrades to make your home feel like a luxury hotel.

SEE ALSO: 18 hotels and Airbnbs around the world are currently offering virtual classes in lieu of their usual on-site activities and events — almost all of them are free

SEE ALSO: 14 signature cocktail recipes from hotel bars around the world — plus the tools and spirits you'll need to make them

A plush robe

Every traveler knows a plush white robe is a key component of a luxurious hotel experience; on a recent work trip to London at Christmastime, I spent as much time as possible prepping work in my fluffy robe at the Four Seasons at Ten Trinity Square so I could stay cozied up until I had to brave the elements.

This version from Allswell does an ideal job of balancing the look and feel of a quintessential hotel spa robe. A waffle weave lends both a luxe look and feel with plenty of practicality: Its grooves enable it to absorb water like a sponge to dry you quickly and comfortably. And thanks to a stone washing process, it starts ultra-soft and only gets softer with each wash.

Soft slippers

These cozy waffle-weave slippers by Casual Avenue complement the robe for a matching hotel-like set. I picked this pair because they are super comfortable, soft, and absorbent — just right to keep by the side of your bed at night to replicate a posh turndown service. But, no judgment if you're still wearing them under the desk for your Zoom meetings, too.

Indulgent bath amenities

You don't need a deep soaking tub or high-end rain shower to feel the effects of a pampering hotel bathroom, though, they certainly help.

Indulgent bath products found in top hotels also do the trick. Cult-favorite Kiehl's — whose products have been carried in such hotels as LA's famous Hotel Bel-Air and Sunset Tower— offers a healthy skin starter kit with a set of five skin-care essentials to perk you right up and help moisturize.

Start with vitamin C serum, hydrate your face and eyes with cream and eye treatment containing nourishing avocado, and then replenish your skin before bed with facial oil — all included in this kit. All five products come as a set in a colorful, travel-ready carrying bag you can reuse when you next hit the road.

Crisp white sheets

Few things feel better than checking into a hotel room after a long journey and depositing yourself into a perfectly made bed, topped with crisp white sheets finished to perfection by expert housekeeping staff, hospital corners and all.

Frette bedding is found in many luxurious hotels around the world, including top-end brands like St. Regis and Ritz-Carlton. They even have their own hotel collection sheets that you can buy and feature double borders on durable cotton percale sheets made in Italy. Sets include a top sheet, fitted sheet, and two pillowcases.

Read Business Insider's guide to the best bed sheets

Fluffy white towels

There's nothing quite as sumptuous as fluffy white towels. Just about every high-end hotel from the Four Seasons on down uses 100 percent cotton towels.

Get a set of your own for divine comfort reminiscent of a five-star suite with towels from Crane & Canopy, made from long-staple Turkish cotton for a lightweight yet soft and rich-feeling towel. You can even monogram them for an extra-special hotel feel. The essential bundle comes with two washcloths, two hand towels, and two bath towels. Unfortunately, housekeeping service to launder them after use is not included.

Read Business Insider's guide to the best bath towels

Room service breakfast buffet

If you're the room service type, you're going to want to set yourself up with an abundant breakfast basket to enjoy with a fresh pot of coffee or tea in the morning — ideally while kicking your slipper-clad feet up and reading the paper.

While you can't wake up and order fresh baked goods from Cafe 52 at the Hotel Grand Powers in Paris, you can come close with Harry & David's signature bakery assortment filled with delicious baked goods such as lemon poppyseed coffee cake and baklava.

The basket also includes cookies like raspberry galettes to round out a generous collection of baked goods that weighs in at over four pounds.

Fresh cut flowers

Cheery floral blooms typically decorate hotel lobbies and rooms, especially during seasonal periods. Some hotels really go all-in, like the Kitano Hotel New York, which employs a resident ikebana expert to create weekly customized floral arrangements.

Channel some of that beautiful sentiment and impart a pop of color to your space with a fresh potted bloom. This magenta Phalaenopsis orchid plant from 1-800-Flowers arrives in a distressed brown planter that is at once elegant and uplifting, adding a zen vibe to any space.

Read more: The best flower delivery services

An elegant scented candle

Transport yourself to a tranquil oasis — even as you shelter at home — with a scented candle that will perfume your entire space for a hint of hotel-like sensory pleasure.

Consider a candle from Jo Malone, whose scents waft through luxury hotels around the world like the elegant Beaumont Hotel in London and the chic London West Hollywood in Beverly Hills.

This version includes notes of honeysuckle to evoke the English countryside and its stately hotels, plus a fruity top note of davana and an earthy base of moss. 

Readmore: The best candles and where to buy them

Minibar pre-mixed cocktails

You may find yourself more tempted than ever right now to access an alcohol stash. Make your own minibar at home by keeping some pre-made canned cocktails at the ready, like Cutwater's vodka mule, made with ginger, a splash of bitters, and a hint of lime, plus Fugu vodka.

Four packs in attractive copper-colored cans are refreshing and affordably priced, and shipping is available to Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Texas, and Washington.

The Moscow Mule traces its history back a century to New York's Chatham Hotel, so you can indulge in a little lodging lore while you sip. Plus, we love these for the pre-made ease. Quarantine is no time to add an extra trip to the store for ingredients, which are in limited supply anyway. Enjoy responsibly.

Read more: 14 signature cocktail recipes from hotel bars around the world — plus the tools and spirits you'll need to make them

A serene spa experience

Visiting a hotel spa may be out of the question, but here's how you can turn your home shower into a spa-like experience with some affordable, widely accessible amenities.

JR Watkins has an aromatherapy in-shower mist that adds fragrance to the at-home experience, instantly converting your shower into a spa-like steam room. Choose from Sleep, Detox, and Awaken aromas meant to stimulate or relax as needed. JR Watkins sent a complimentary sample of the Detox formula for me to try in my own bath, and it helped me melt off a bit of the stress of this challenging time.

The products aren't specifically available in hotels at this time, but the in-shower mist was a solid way to recreate experience showers I loved at spas like the Waldorf-Astoria Beverly Hills' La Prairie spa.

Read more: The best affordable hotel spas

Gorgeous glassware

There's nothing quite like visiting a swanky hotel bar or restaurant and sipping on an expertly-crafted cocktail to unwind. While many hotel bars and restaurants are still closed or have limited seating right now, you can still recreate the experience for yourself. 

You can start by mixing up one of these signature drinks from hotel bars around the world. But to really take it to the next level, invest in some beautiful glassware that can double as eye-catching art on your bar cart even when not in use. 

Estelle Colored Glass sells sets of handblown glassware in beautiful jewel tones from pastel peach to royal blue. There are options for stemware and stemless glasses, as well as champagne coupe glasses, and you can choose a set all in one color or have fun mixing and matching.

Read more: The best wine glasses

A hotel mattress

To really simulate the hotel experience at home, stretch out on an actual hotel bed, the kind that envelops you in comfort and instantly puts you into a deep sleep after a long day of traveling, sightseeing, or working.

Westin's well-known Heavenly Bed, found in all Westin Hotels & Resorts properties, is made with six layers of thick padding for plush comfort. Plus, it has a 13-inch conforming pillow top to complete the experience, which eliminates the need for mattress flipping, too.

Read more: The best mattresses

• As the pandemic continues, many New Yorkers are seeking a weekend getaway to enjoy nature and escape the city.
• Airbnb private vacation rentals are ideal for such a trip because they remove interactions with other guests and hotel staff.
• We found top-rated cabins, cottages, and barns, and highlighted current COVID-19 policies for each.
• Our picks are found in places like Beacon, Hudson, and Rhinebeck and range in price from $95 to $429 per night.
• Read more: Everything to know about vacation rentals, including the best booking platforms, COVID-19 safety info, and the best places to go in the US

Though there's hope for an end thanks to the vaccine beginning to roll out, COVID-19 continues to spread across the US and many city dwellers are seeking a getaway to connect with nature and savor fresh air sans mask while still practicing social distancing. 

New York's Hudson Valley draws visitors from all over the Northeast and is also especially popular with New York urbanites looking for an easy city break. And while it's ideal in every season, the Hudson Valley is an especially cozy winter trip thanks to an abundance of cozy cabins, breweries, and outdoor activities from hiking to skiing.

Hudson Valley towns like Beacon, Rhinebeck, Hudson, and others are all teeming with scenic Airbnbs, and many New York City train and bus lines reach them in around two hours or less. Meaning you can easily leave after work on Friday — no OOO necessary. 

And if you're wondering if travel is safe, experts consider trains and rental cars to be okay, so long as you take the proper precautions. The medical experts we spoke to also recommend staying in private vacation homes, such as those on Airbnb, over hotels. This is because you are often booking an entire home protected from interaction with others. 

It also helps to know that Airbnb put stringent new policies in place, in accordance with their Enhanced Cleaning Protocol. This includes guidelines on personal protective equipment, disinfectants, and waiting periods between guests and cleanings. 

Of course, right now, there is still no firm guarantee with regard to safety. It's crucial to follow guidelines and advice from organizations such as the CDC and WHO, and practice safety measures including wearing a mask, washing your hands, and maintaining social distancing. Additionally, consider your own level of risk, and whether you're traveling from or to a hotspot, so as not to increase the rate of infection.

With those precautions in mind, these Hudson Valley Airbnb vacation rentals all make it easy to practice social distancing on a remote getaway. Popular cities like Beacon or Hudson do typically price on the higher end, as there's not only increased demand, but more to do in town, too. 

To ensure your money is well spent, we set the following parameters to identify truly unique properties:

1. Airbnb listing is for the entire home (guaranteed social distancing and no awkward kitchen conversations).
2. All are highly-rated Airbnb listings in New York's Hudson Valley, with a review score of 4.7 or higher.
3. Prices range from $145 to $429 per night to start, as of publishing.
4. The decor is unique, incorporating design-forward furniture, interesting historical elements, and attention to detail. These are not simply crash pads.
5. Properties feel remote, cozy, and warm for the ultimate mountain getaway.

Keep reading for the best Hudson Valley Airbnbs, sorted by price from low to high.

SEE ALSO: Unique and affordable Airbnb cabins in Upstate New York

Goat farm yurt in Pattersonville, $95

Book this goat farm yurt starting at $95 per night

It doesn't get much more unique than a glamping yurt where you can enjoy the company of goats. This tranquil getaway is located in the woods on a small, off-the-grid goat farm. So if you're seeking an unplugged vacation, this is your spot.

The yurt is heated in the colder months by a wood stove and kerosene heater. Inside you'll find a bed surrounded by a net, bamboo walls, a tiny wash basin, and a small pantry complete with an electric kettle. However, there is no full kitchen and the bathroom is an outhouse located right nearby the yurt.

Guests can spend their days strolling through the woods and gardens, exploring the farm, or eating breakfast with the goats.

This yurt has plenty of open dates in January and February. 

Rating: 5.0

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.

Carriage house in Hudson, $179

Book this carriage house starting at $179 per night

This home masterfully blends rustic charm with an urban mindset through exposed brick, sleek wood, and mod elements like the low slung leather couch or the bedroom wall fashioned out of a garage door.

There's also a private upstairs lounge and courtyard, and a peaceful Juliet balcony. Do note, however, that there is not a full kitchen. Instead, basics are offered such as a cold/hot water cooler, mini fridge, and Keurig beverage machine with a variety of coffees and teas. Pro tip: spend a crisp evening outside with your beverage of choice, and bites from Talbott & Arding Cheese & Provisions, a great local pick for cheese, produce and fresh-baked treats.

This home still has plenty of dates open in January and February.

Rating: 4.81

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.

Waterfront cottage in Hyde Park, $180

Book this waterfront cottage starting at $180 per night

A waterfront find can be rare in these parts, making this well-priced cottage a true gem. Walls of windows frame the picturesque views for front row foliage viewing, though your best vantage point is from one of the Adirondack chairs on the wraparound deck.

Inside, this romantic retreat is well-suited for two with a studio layout that includes a separate sleep nook with a Queen-sized bed. There is also a full kitchen, Wi-Fi with smart TV, linens and toiletries, and a grill.

The home is close to historic Hyde Park and has some availability in January and February with more dates available in March. 

Rating: 4.99

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.

Farm house in Kingston, $190

Book this farm house starting at $190 per night

For Hudson Valley appeal coupled with sweeping views, consider this renovated farm house with three bedrooms.

Light and bright, it sits on a hill overlooking Kingston and the full Hudson River Valley and includes one-of-a-kind style choices like periodic table pillows, decorative paddles, and vintage rugs. Throw a log into the gas-burning stove and savor a slower pace. There's also a fully-equipped kitchen, smart TV functions, and a Nespresso machine.

Availability in winter is scattered, but is wide open starting in April.

Rating: 4.97

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.

Restored caboose in Windham, $199

Book this restored caboose starting at $199 per night

This listing is actually a restored 1922 train caboose located in downtown Windham. It's ideally situated close to restaurants and boutiques and is also just a half-mile from Windham Ski Mountain.

Inside is small but cozy and ideal for couples or solo travelers. The Queen-size bed features a plaid duvet, and the curtains match. There's also a small leather couch, kitchen with a microwave and fridge, TV, and bathroom with granite countertops and a walk-in shower. For extra space, head out to the large private deck with a view of a nearby stream.

This home has plenty of availability over the next several months. 

Rating: 4.95

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.

Cozy cottage walking distance to Hunter Mountain, $216

Book this cozy cottage starting at $216 per night

For those looking to hit the slopes this winter, this cozy spot is ideal since it's within easy walking distance of the ski resort at Hunter Mountain.

The pitched roof creates a classic cabin feel and the interiors also feature wood-paneled walls, a leather couch close to a potbelly stove, three bedrooms, and a second living room area with a large TV. During warmer months, guests can also take advantage of the large front porch that comes furnished with a patio table, chairs, umbrella, and Adirondack chairs.

This home still has a few dates in February and March and becomes wide open in April. 

Rating: 4.82

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.

Downtown flat in Hudson, $237

Book this Hudson apartment starting at $237 per night

This Hudson Airbnb is immaculate. The living room is certainly Pinterest-worthy in addition to design touches like platform beds and a claw foot tub for a dose of retro glam. The backyard lit by twinkle lights begs for a night under the stars, and with two bedrooms, the price is quite affordable when split between two couples, or for a small family.

Writes one review, "Annabel's place was a dream. Beautiful, comfortable, convenient to everything and with lots of outdoor space to get fresh air. Oh, and that record player — lounging around listening to Nina Simone was everything. We'll be back."

Availability is currently limited until April, but subject to change.

Rating: 4.87

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.

Bowler house in Hudson, $263

Book the Bowler apartment starting at $263 per night

Just a 10-minute walk from the Hudson Amtrak station, this historic home blends antique statement pieces with a sense of understated luxury. 

Many original details from 1860 remain, such as pre-tin plaster moldings, mahogany stairwells, and etched glass, with newer renovations paying homage to the past. The kitchen also wows with a vintage fridge, stove and radio that will surely transport you to another era, and the tiled mosaic floor deserves a firm place on your Instagram feed. There's no outdoor space, but the plush sleigh bed looks especially plush and inviting.

This home is still completely available in January and February.

Rating: 4.95

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.

Tiny glass house in Marlboro, $302

Book this tiny glass house starting at $302 per night

This 180-square-foot tiny home fashioned out of glass feels downright magical thanks to 360-degree views of the Hudson Valley and surrounding vineyards and apple orchards.

It's also extremely private, located on a 30-acre farm. While small, the home includes a Queen-sized memory foam bed, a dining table with two chairs, a stainless steel kitchen, and Wi-Fi. There's also outdoor patio furniture and a fire pit for grilling.

While it's certainly serene, it's also considered off the grid. The host notes that the home is solar powered with a propane HVAC system for heating and air-conditioning, and a unique dry-flush toilet, so there's somewhat of a 'roughing it' element. Also be aware of specific instructions required to book, as outlined in the listing. 

This home has plenty of dates open in February and March.

Rating: 4.96

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.

A-frame cabin in Red Hook, $325

Book this A-frame cabin starting at $325 per night

The hosts of this 1968 A-frame cabin are fashion designers based out of Brooklyn, lending extra credibility to an expertly-designed home, that's also an Airbnb Plus property.

Natural light soaks the bright space, pouring in through a wall of windows, and highlighting features such as wood beams, a fireplace, and plush leather couches. Other pieces are clearly midcentury modern inspired, from cool lighting fixtures to statement chairs, dark wood, and vintage Danish furniture. 

Situated on six acres, there are two large bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, and also a spacious terrace with outdoor seating and a fire pit.

There are still several open dates for January, February, and March.

Rating: 4.94

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.

Contemporary treehouse in Willow, $360

Book this treehouse starting at $360 per night

For an enchanting escape, try this cozy treehouse just 15 minutes from Woodstock. Nestled among the trees on 34 acres, it overlooks a small pond that guests can actually swim in. The interiors are cozy and chic with floor-to-ceiling windows offering scenic views. Ideal for couples or solo travelers, the bed is loft-style at the top of a ladder, perched above an open living room flanked by full walls of windows and a super sleek kitchen counter.

One recent reviewer rave, "Beautiful cozy treehouse, a killer record collection, perfect weather, a full moon and a much-needed break from the world. Couldn't have picked a better place to unwind."

Availability is currently limited but subject to change.

Rating: 4.94

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.

Modern cabin with pool in Rhinebeck, $429

Book this modern cabin starting at $429 per night

This gorgeously designed glass and wood cabin has 360 glass views of the surrounding foliage and trees, as well as a year-round heated outdoor pool. For even more immersion in nature, try the outdoor shower. Afterward, chilly toes will find solace on the radiant heat cement floors.

Or, for those who prefer to bathe indoors, there's a deep egg tub for soaking in the master bedroom. Ideal for families or groups, this listing can sleep up to six guests with two bedrooms as well as a third sleep area in the solarium, which also features a wood stove and double bed.

Availability is currently limited, but subject to change. But with a pool, it's also worth considering booking this one far out for next summer and fall.

Rating: 4.95

COVID-19 cleaning procedures: This home participates in Airbnb's Enhanced Clean program, meaning the host is committed to a rigorous cleaning protocol developed with leading health and hospitality experts.

More great East Coast getaways to consider

• The best cabins in the Catskills
• Unique and affordable Airbnbs in Upstate New York
• The best Airbnbs in the Adirondacks
• The best Airbnbs in New England
• The best Airbnbs in Cape Cod
• The best Airbnbs in Rhode Island 
• The best Airbnbs in Connecticut  
• The best Airbnbs in Maine  
• The best Airbnbs in Vermont

Lots of VIPs cruise around in low-key armored vehicles that are nearly indistinguishable from an ordinary Cadillac, Lincoln, or Mercedes-Benz. But others prefer to throw modesty out the window and hit the streets in something a bit flashier. 

That's where Canadian firm Inkas comes in. The Toronto-based company sells all manner of discreet bullet-resistant cars, but also offers the Sentry Civilian— a military-style, ultra-high-end SUV that puts any Hummer, Jeep, or G-Wagen to shame. 

The Sentry Civilian boasts a private jet-like cabin complete with leather captain's chairs, an entertainment system, and a long list of optional luxury features. But you'd never know that looking at the vehicle's exterior — on the outside, the SUV gets bullet-resistant glass, run-flat tires, and an armored passenger compartment. 

So, one could call the truck inconspicuous, in its own weird way. 

Keep scrolling to take a tour of the Inkas Sentry Civilian.

The Inkas Sentry Civilian may look battle-ready on the outside, but its interior tells an entirely different story.

Although it's based on one of the company's armored tactical vehicles, the Sentry APC, the Sentry Civilian is meant for private use.

With a base price of $350,000, the Sentry Civilian offers a unique combination of a menacing, bullet-resistant exterior and a luxurious interior.

Inside, the Sentry Civilian boasts everything you'd expect from a high-end limo.

It has heated and cooled captain's chairs made from diamond-stitched leather.

Plus, passengers can watch TV on a screen that electronically retracts to serve as a partition.

Passengers can work the TV, radio, seats, climate control, and other features through control panels positioned throughout the cabin.

And buyers can customize the interior features and layout to their liking.

Inkas offers add-ons like a minibar, safe, and retractable tables.

As far as safety features go, the Sentry Civilian comes standard with bullet-resistant glass, run-flat tires, and an armored passenger compartment.

Inkas also reinforces the vehicle's door hinges and other critical areas.

Buyers can outfit their Sentry Civilian with up to BR6-level armoring, which can protect against high-powered assault rifles and grenade blasts.

Inkas builds the Sentry Civilian on the Ford F-550 platform, but adds in an upgraded suspension setup and brakes.

Inkas says the vehicle can handle extreme climates and off-road terrain.

It gets its power from a 6.7-liter diesel V8 and boasts a 40-gallon fuel tank.

Inkas builds each Sentry Civilian to order, and can ship the vehicles worldwide.