Tag Archives: NYC

airbnb Wins NYC Appeal- Resident Must Be Home

a blue and white logo

Kim, Lucas and I tried out airbnb in the Summer of 2012 in Singapore and had an amazing experience. We’d definitely try it again if the situation called for looking into alternative ways to find where to stay while traveling.

I’ve heard about it being illegal to rent out rooms and apartments through airbnb in the New York City area but wasn’t too sure of the rules (and it’s not like I am looking for a place to crash in the area).

I received an e-mail from airbnb about a NYC host- Nigel Warren who won an appeal related to the city’s short term rental laws. Warren was fined $2,400 about a year ago for breaking the laws when renting out a room (through airbnb) in his East Village apartment for 3 nights at $100 per night.

Continue reading airbnb Wins NYC Appeal- Resident Must Be Home

2013 JFK Runway Run Recap

a man and woman standing on a runway

On Sunday, April 14 Kim and I ran in the JFK Runway Run. I had planned to write about it the following day but a horrible, terrorist act happened at 2:49 p.m. on April 15- the Boston Marathon bombing.

Once I started hearing the details about Boston there was no way I could write about our race from the previous day.

The Boston Marathon tragedy seemed to captivate the nation (maybe the world) and pretty much shut down the city of Boston for a couple of days while law enforcement went on a manhunt to track down the terrorists.

My heart goes out to the people of Boston and all of those affected by this tragedy. I also hope for a speedy recovery to those injured at the marathon.

Now that a couple of weeks have passed since the events in Boston, I feel that it is time to write a little about our experience at the JFK Runway Run. Continue reading 2013 JFK Runway Run Recap

A Visit to the Barclays Center: Home of the Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn Nets

I was really excited when it was announced a few years back that the NBA’s New Jersey Nets would be moving to Brooklyn. A brand new arena, the Barclay’s Center was built in Downtown Brooklyn as the new home for the Nets.

The 2012- 2013 season is the first for the Nets in Brooklyn. The Nets are the first major professional sports team to play in the borough since the Dodgers left for L.A. in 1957. (The Cyclones have been playing minor league baseball in Brooklyn since 2001.)

I always wondered what it would be like to have a team to go watch and cheer for close to home. Although I am not much of a basketball fan anymore, I had to make it to a Nets game in their inaugural season in Brooklyn.

Continue reading A Visit to the Barclays Center: Home of the Brooklyn Nets

LGA 5K Runway Run Recap

a man jumping in the air
Pre-Race Jump

Yesterday I got to run in my third Runway Run at LaGuardia Airport. (Prior to the race, I wrote about it here) Besides from a chilly start to the day, the race was a really great event. It was probably my favorite runway run that I’ve participated in to date!

So far I’ve ran in runway runs at JFK Airport (Read about it here and here) and Teterboro Airport (Read about it here. I still need to write a recap about the race!)
Next up is the Chicago O’Hare Runway Run which should be a fun and fast trip.

an airplane parked in a tarmac

A couple of things made the LGA Runway Run stand out:  Continue reading LGA 5K Runway Run Recap

Big Apple Barbecue Block Party- NYC June 9 & 10, 2012

a red and blue sign with a pig
This weekend I’ll be eating some great food at the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party in NYC. The event features top BBQ pitmasters from all over the country.
a group of people standing around a grill

The event will be entering it’s 10th year and features “award-winning barbecue and Southern-inspired fare from the country’s top pitmasters available for $8/plate”.
There will be 18 pitmasters at the event from “barbecue capitals like Texas, North Carolina, Alabama, Illinois and more”. There is also live music and cooking seminars throughout the day.

Continue reading Big Apple Barbecue Block Party- NYC June 9 & 10, 2012

JFK 5K Runway Run Recap and Contest

a man standing under a sign
I had a great time at the JFK Runway Run this past Sunday. (I wrote about the race here)
Getting access to the runway alone was worth entering the race for! However, my legs are still feeling the pain from completing the 5K. Since my son was born in January, I’ve  run about three times (if I am lucky).
a man jumping in the air
On the ride to the airport we had some rain but it soon stopped and ended up being a beautiful day for a race. Over 800 people turned out to run or walk in the event. Many of the participants were representing airlines or were airport employees.
a large crowd of people standing on a road
The race started at a runway next to the the Port Authority Police Academy- Rescue Training Center. There were a couple of airplanes used for training exercises (I am guessing) in the area. One looks like it might be used to do mock rescue missions and the other looked like it may have been set on fire for the fire department to use for practice drills.
a black rocket on a concrete surface
a plane on the tarmac
a man jumping in the air with his arms outstretched
From the starting line of the race the views of planes taking off was pretty incredible. We took some nice pictures and got a few videos too! While running the race I wish that I had a camera with me as the views were even better further down the runway.
a plane flying in the sky
Originally Kim planned to walk & jog while pushing Lucas in his stroller during the race. However, just as the race was about to start, somebody had other plans… Lucas decided that it was time to eat! So Kim had to sit out of the race this year. (She is hoping to be able to actually run next year!) I helped her get settled and started the race about 5 minutes after everybody else. This was a timed race but only the time you end the race was tracked. This was pretty annoying since now my final time was a bit off due to my late start… Oh well, it’s not like I was in it to win it, I was just hoping to finish which I did!
a man and woman with a baby in a stroller
Contest:
For entering the race we each received a very nice T-shirt as well as a bag from TD Bank. By the time we arrived to pickup our registration packet, they were out of shirts in Kim’s size.
Due to this, we have an extra shirt from the race in Size Large.
a white shirt with a logo and a bag on it
Contest Prize- Up for grabs!
I am going to give away the extra JFK Runway Run shirt (size L) and a TD Bank bag to a reader of the blog.
To enter:
  1. Leave a comment on this post (please include an e-mail or check back to find out if you won)   AND
  2. “Like” me on Facebook HERE (I won’t be cross referencing so this is based on the honor system)
The contest is only open to residents of the U.S.
The winner will be selected using a random number generator
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Contest ends on April 21, 2012

JFK Runway Run 5K Race- April 15, 2012

a group of people running
Running is a relatively new hobby for me that I got into it a little over a year ago. Last year I ran a bunch of races in the 5K range. Since my son Lucas was born, I’ve definitely been slacking.
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When my good friend Lufthansa Flyer e-mailed me to let me know about a 5K race taking place at JFK Airport, I knew that it would be something that I had to sign up for.
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TheJFK Runway Run is a unique 5K race. It is the only race in the U.S. held on the runway of a major international airport. The main runway is closed to aircraft landings and takeoffs. You get to run on the longest runway at JFK although only a short portion is used for the 5K.
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A little about the race:
  • The JFK Runway Run is a major fundraiser of the JFK Rotary Club. Funds raised are used to support various charities. The race receives direct support from the Port Authority of NY & NJ who coordinates all logistics for preparing access to the runway on the day of the race.
  • A 5K is equal to 3.1 miles
  • All participants are registered in a special drawing for round trip airline tickets
The run takes place on April 15 at 9:00AM
Find out more about the JFK Runway Run Here

A Visit to the Crown of the Statue of Liberty

a man jumping in the air in front of a statue

I’ve lived in Brooklyn,NY my whole life and never thought much about visiting the Statue of Liberty. When I read on NewYorkology that the statue would be closing at the end of October for upgrades, I figured why not go before it closes.

Originally we went on our visit in July but due to extreme heat that day the crown was closed. We rescheduled and visited today. Continue reading A Visit to the Crown of the Statue of Liberty