Free bike rentals in NYC – 2.5 hours of awesome

by Annie Scott on

Free bike rentals! If you’re gonna be in New York City sometime between now and September 30, 2009, you can sign up at DowntownNY.com for a free bike rental.

The deal is open to visitors and residents, and is part of the Downtown Alliance’s second annual Bike Around Downtown program.

Seven days per week during these times: 9:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., 12:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. – 6:00p.m., there will be 30 free bikes available at Bike and Roll’s kiosk at the South Street Seaport (South Street and Fulton Street). The bikes can be returned at a number of different destinations, making the free rentals a great way to see the city!

Click here for more Bike Around Downtown free rental information and/or to sign up. They’ll need your credit card for security reasons, but it’s free. Be sure and visit one of Talking Heads’ David Byrne’s jazzy bicycle racks!

Passengers pay twice to avoid Colgan

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Small planes just don’t resonate with some passengers. MaryBeth and Cy Christiansan of Queens paid the equivalent of an extra ticket each to skip a Colgan plane and fly on a jet. They indicated that the Colgan crash in Buffalo back in February wasn’t far from their minds. So, for a bit of comfort, it was $150 well spent.

A Colgan flight crashed in February, killing all 49 people on the plane and one person on the ground. A recent investigation suggests that the pilot did not meet Colgan’s standards and that the copilot may have suffered from fatigue.

Sentiments expressed by the passengers suggest that the size of the plane was the principal concern. The Christiansans changed flights for an aircraft that “didn’t have a propeller.” Richard Younglbood, who was about to board a Continental flight to Tennessee summed it up: “I don’t like any of these jets. I don’t trust any of them.”

One town doesn’t want tourists for Memorial Day

by Jamie Rhein on

If you’re a tourist, Ithaca, in the Finger Lakes region of New York, doesn’t want you–at least not for Memorial Day. It’s not a snob thing. It’s not that the town wants people who live there to enjoy backyard barbeque’s and parades in peace without strangers–you know, outsider types–from stopping them to ask for directions or take up their parking spots.

Actually, parking spots have something to do with it. The town is not that big for a lot of extra folks for a mega weekend like Memorial Day. Between Cornell’s graduation ceremonies and every day traffic, there isn’t enough room for every Tom, Dick, and Harry (and Mary) who has a hankering to head through this pristine town for a holiday.

Think about having a party at your house for example. Don’t you count silverware, place settings, number of chairs and the condition of your grass and plumbing to decide just how many people you can have tromping through? Ithaca, realizing they are ill equipped to be the best hosts at this time is basically saying, don’t bother.

Don’t think that just because you’re not welcome for one of the biggest pre-summer weekends that you’re not welcome forever. Don’t get your feelings hurt. They did want you for Mother’s Day and offered specials as Karen pointed out. And the town definitely wants you the last weekend in May for the Ithaca Festival, the quirky event that celebrates the town’s creativity. Then you’ll have fun. They promise. Mike, our Sky Mall Monday guru, lived here once and vouches for the friendly attitudes of the town’s people and the charm of the place. I believe him. In my opinion, a guy that dons a hazmat suit to test out the Hotel Carter, the dirtiest hotel in the U.S. can be trusted. [I Love New York]

Buffalo crash pilot lied on job application

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Remember that plane crash in February, in Buffalo? There were 50 fatalities. Well, it turns out the pilot would have lost his job if he hadn’t lost his life. Marvin Renlsow, who was a pilot for Colgan, reportedly falsified his job application by not disclosing two failures on flight tests in small planes. Had his supervisors known, he “would have been immediately dismissed.”

Currently, the National Transportation Safety Board is investigating whether the crew responded inappropriately to a stall warning … as well as Colgan’s hiring and training practices. Among the issues is whether unauthorized chatter among pilots and fatigue played roles in the crash. Renslow’s copilot, Rebecca Shaw, flew from Seattle to Newark overnight, arriving the day of the accident and evidence suggests she wasn’t able to get much sleep that day.

The plane, a Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 crashed in Clarence Center, New York en route from Newark, New Jersey to Buffalo. All 49 people on the plane died, along with on person on the ground.

Five quick trip splurges to take with the Amazing Race’s million dollar win

by Jamie Rhein on

Now that Victor and Tammy have discovered that they get along with each other quite nicely, AND they’ve won the million dollar prize on Amazing Race 14, they could pool their resources for some dandy vacations and have plenty of money left over for two houses and the stock market. This is the time to buy. At least, that’s what I’ve heard.

Let’s say that Victor and Tammy only have a few days to squeeze in between their Amazing Race trip wins– considering that they came in first place five times and won trips for most of their Pit Stop triumphs. Just in case they are stumped about where else to go, I’ve thought of five places I’d head to in the U.S. if I were them. It doesn’t hurt to dream a little. Stay tuned for where I’d go in the world.

  • New York, New York: Spend three nights at the Plaza Hotel overlooking Fifth Avenue in New York City. For the summer, if you book two nights, the third is free. To add to the luxury, stay in the 2 Bedroom Suite with 5th Ave view Dining, 2 baths, butler service and a pantry. For the two nights that’ll be $7,000, not including tax and gratuity. Still that leaves a lot of moola for New York City fun.
  • Yountville, California: Dine at the French Laundry in Napa Valley, California. Ever since I read about Scott Haas’s experience dining here in his book Are We There Yet?, I’ve been salivating. Each day there are two new nine-course tasting menus. Haas spent more than $400.00 for his family of four. The tasting menu is $240 a person. Here’s today’s. Yum! Where to stay suggestion: Yountville Inn. There’s a Superior Room with two queen-size beds with breakfast included and complimentary wine tasting. Napa Valley would be a wonderful place for some R&R to celebrate a race.
  • Ogunquit, Maine: One of the first places I went on a solo adventure was Ogunquit. I didn’t stay, but visited a friend who was working there at a resort hotel. It was gorgeous. The Juniper Hill Inn is a beach front property within walking distance to the historic downtown and the Marginal Way, the path that leads to Perkins Cove. With a two-night stay you can get the Theater Package that includes two tickets to John Lane’s Ogunquit Playhouse, a summer theater outing. The most expensive rooms are less than $250 so there’s plenty of chump change for lobster and steamed clams to dip in butter. For the best of the best, MC Perkins Cove has a menu that’s sublime.
  • New Orleans, Louisiana: Whatever else Tammy & Victor decide to do in New Orleans, they need to eat breakfast at Brennan’s. I did that once, and it’s an experience not to forget. There are also many options for Creole style fine-dining, and a city that has a personality like no others. For slumber, my dreams point to a deluxe King room at The Avenue Garden Hotel in the Garden District. For $124 a night for a King bed Deluxe room, Tammy and Victor can certainly afford a room each.
  • Santa Fe, New Mexico: Friends of mine once said that said Santa Fe is the only place they’ve been that makes them feel like shopping. Seriously, this is probably the most aesthetically pleasing city in the U.S. My hands down favorite thing to do there besides linger at the Museum of International Folk Art is spend a couple hours at Ten Thousand Waves, a Japanese style spa and retreat center. La Fonda Hotel on the Plaza has a gorgeous restaurant, La Plazuela with superb eats. For luxury, the hotel has La Terreza rooms and suites on the top floor that includes a roof top patio. A suite is $595.