The New York City Marathon is one of the greatest things I've ever experienced, and probably my…read morefavorite part of having lived in the city. I ran it in 2013, 2015, and 2016, and each year felt different while still carrying the same impossible charge. From a runner's perspective, it is not really a personal best course; it is a 26.2 mile victory lap through the five boroughs. The hills, bridges, crowds, quiet stretches, and late-race suffering make it punishing, but they also make it unforgettable. What stays with me most is the sensory swing of the course. The silence on the Queensboro Bridge, broken only by footsteps and breathing, turns into that roaring wall of sound as you come down onto First Avenue. The course demands discipline because it is easy to get carried away in Brooklyn and pay for it later in Central Park. Then comes Marathon Monday, when the city seems to recognize every limping runner in a medal or blue poncho, and for one more day the whole thing feels shared. Highly highly recommended!

Today is the day 11/2/25 where elite athletes from all over the world converge and run together…read more They are here for a cause or just for the challenge and exhilaration of running an amazing event. My daughter is one of these incredible participants! She starts at 11:30 am in Staten Island and we are super psyched to watch her run!! We took crowded subways all over the city to watch her run. It was a crazy day and super fun! The weather was perfect and she ended up doing so well!! I'm extremely proud of her, she also raised a lot of money for her favorite charity.

Pros: - Course was clearly marked, no confusion even with…read morehaving to loop for the half marathon - Bands, music, entertainment every couple miles definitely put a pep in my step - Finish line was very well organized, with volunteers passing out medals and food; very efficient! - Great looking finisher medal - Tons of photo ops, and because of the loop you didn't have to be caught off guard by the cameras (better chances for not-so-bad race photos = win!). Cons: - Packet pick-up was a bit confusing due to the odd layout of Paragon Sports - Course loop didn't lend to seeing many sights if that's what you're into - Ran out of thermal blankets at the finish line, so people finishing after 2:15 didn't get one Since this is part of a race series, the shirt doesn't really scream "NYC" except for a small note on the back saying "Disco Down Queens" with the date of the race. The medal itself doesn't say anything New York either, only on the ribbon. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning. Since I traveled to New York to do this half, it would've been nice to have more of a race souvenir since the series also comes to Chicago.

Showed up at the tail end of the 'parade' to catch the announcement of the US competitors to kick…read moreoff Marathon Weekend on Friday night in Central Park. "Designed to celebrate and recognize our global running community, the evening will showcase our runners from around the world in a cultural parade. Following the parade will be the Marathon Fireworks Presented by Poland Spring." Parade of Nations with delegates from more than 75 countries and Team For Kids "Pro athlete appearances" - bit of an overstatement unless you're a SERIOUS running enthusiast. Fireworks lasted a good half hour, and went too long most displays, but were actually best (better) viewed from the street on CPW rather than in the grandstand.

Thank you for an amazing experience. If you are a teacher and wish to do something fun with your…read morestudents, I would absolutely recommend booking a museum scavenger hunt at the Museum of Natural History with Secret City Scavenger Hunts. Our 10th graders had so much fun going through the museum on their adventure. Booking with Jared was seamless; his level of professionalism, attention to detail, and kindness made this process a joyful experience. Our guide, Laura K., is truly delightful. Laura is extremely knowledgable, great with communication, and has so much energy! Teachers, camp leaders, youth group leaders: this is the perfect way to book a tour of the museum so you do not have to worry about which exhibits might be closed or trying to figure out how to make the most of your museum time because Secret City guides are at the experts - easiest field trip ever! We cannot wait to book another scavenger hunt. Jared and Laura, you are the best!

What a great team building activity and experience! Secret City was very easy to book. Jared made…read morethe whole planning and booking process painless for me. And on short notice they were able to switch the hunt indoors due to the enduring heat wave in NYC. Abby led our hunt at Chelsea Market. My corporate team was about 20 people and everyone had a great time. The hunt was about 2 hours long, the clues were challenging and we learned a lot of great facts about Chelsea Market. I would highly recommend Secret City to anyone who wants to plan a fun group activity.

We seriously didn't plan on taking a tour on bikes. We were approached by a nice gentleman with a…read morehorse on his bike. After he proposed to us about what the tour is about and prices, we agreed to do it. Mainly cause I underestimated how huge Central Park is. We both never been to Central Park and wanted to see the most we could. My friend is a huge Sex and the City fan and got a guided tour of where the filming was. Our tour guide is so knowledgeable and outgoing. I loved learning from him. Once we were done, he was going to take us back to where he found us - in front of the restaurant. We talked to him in dropping us off at Fifth Avenue. He agreed only if we paid him a little extra. We didn't mind since that was our next destination. Overall, great experience. Didn't expect to do it and spend the $$ but loved it. 178/2019

Last minute decision to see Central Park in a quick hour. Well worth it! There was a 2 hr option to…read moredo the entire park, but it's February, it's cold, and figured most notable landmarks are on south end of the park. Kader was our driver/ rider, they have these hybrid bikes so your driver isn't gasping for air while giving you the tour. Blanket for the cold weather and the meeting stop was at Starbucks on 55th and 7th, Wife was happy. The Park was beautiful everything and more you'd imagine it would be from seeing the park on TV Shows, Movies, and pictures. Kader made the ride comfortable with his knowledge and personality, and being from Chicago, if I cane back I would request Kader again.

Year-round well-organized outings, trips, walks, travel, social events, biking, hiking, and…read moreadventures in the NYC region for all skill levels. FREE to join.

I absolutely love this park for hiking. I usually hike along the coast and the views are amazing! I…read morelove a nice water view and this park provides it. You get views of New York City from here. There is a small fee to park in the parking lot here. During my last visit, we encountered a friendly trooper who gave us a park map. We didn't need it, but it was a nice gesture. There is a beach like area along the trail and I enjoy stopping in this section and looking for seashells. If you're not into hiking or biking, this still seems like a nice park to sit and enjoy the day for a few hours. Pack a picnic lunch and go!

Hiking and biking in Alpine, with views of the Hudson River and plenty of shade and rocks. Its…read moreproximity to the Palisades Parkway can be either a plus for convenience or a con because you're not really escaping cars or noise. Trails are pretty well maintained and there are a few hikes of varying lengths to do. Ive never been to Huylers landing which has bathrooms and some basic food and drinks for sale but parking is paid. Not my favorite place to hike but not bad every once in awhile.

I love swimming. And I've been doing it for years. So when I heard I could swim in the Hudson,…read moreyes its safe enough, I just had to do it. In order to do it, I had to do the NYC Tri. Which I promptly started training for. I was lucky enough to have a pool in my building in NYC. Not all have it. And ours was a real pool, some 25 meters. You could train in it. We did. We formed a team. Had a coach and everything. It was awesome. So event day came and we started the race in the Hudson, on a pier on the West side, swam down to another pier, nice fast current helped a lot, and jumped out onto the bikes. It was well organized and staged, so the transfer was easy. Once the bike part was done, a nice ride up the Westside Highway closed to traffic that day, the run was in Central Park. The race finished there too. With a huge party. It was awesome. Well organized event and tons of fun. Its not a cheap one, and as far as I know not for charity, so that's too bad. But well worth it, its that fun. I did it a few years, and would love to do it again. But then Id have to train a lot more...