The runner up doesn’t really want it and couldn’t believe the winner bid as high as he did with all the renovations that need done. So it may go up again, who knows? It will be interesting to see.

I just hope whoever does end up with it respects the history and cultural importance of the building and takes care of it.

Bagel shops are the best deal on there. I’ve gotten an entire grocery bag of gourmet bagels for $6.

I want this sign for my apartment

I’m reminded of that quote from HOT SHOTS!: “American planes will always be superior as long as there are wonderful men like you in the cockpit. And German parts.”

People just liked it better that way

“In early January, Rey and the friend he saved from falling attended a memorial for Ka’Von, where they laid flowers and lit candles outside the Manhattan station where he had died.

Later that day, Rey’s friend went surfing on the J train. He hit his head on the roof of the tunnel and had to be pulled off the train, not far from the spot where Ka’Von’s memorial had been held, Rey said. He was swarmed by police officers and paramedics who worked to stop the bleeding from his head. This time, the boy survived.”

So… this kid already fell once and only avoided the tracks because his friend caught him. He and said friend ATTEND THE FUNERAL OF SOMEONE THEY KNOW WHO DIED SUBWAY SURFING, and then he does this on THE SAME DAY, AFTER THE FUNERAL. Seriously… what tf

Just reading about it now. Holy shit.

Beautiful and moving. Thank you for sharing!

Wait, what? How does he figure that?

If you live in the area, the best two ways for guaranteed entry are to either join a charity team or to do the 9+1 program through NYRR. :-)

Happy to help! I’m a huge fan of the marathon!

I was registered in 2020, and unfortunately got a nasty bout of Covid and long Covid, but just recently got clearance to start running again. I parlayed my 2020 registration to 2023, and honestly, I’m cool with walking the whole thing if I need to; there are always groups that do just that! If you ever decide to “officially” walk it on race day, know the following:

1. Crossing the Verrazano on foot is amazing; honestly one of my favorite bits of the race

2. If you are walking the entire race, and you are not a fast walker, there’s a decent chance that streets will start to open again before you have finished. Fans/supporters will STILL be out cheering for you. Source: I did the race once on a knee injury and experienced this very thing. The people of this city are amazing.

3. The people of Harlem are the most supportive and have the best music. It’s my favorite neighborhood to run through, because you are exhausted at that point, and they are the folks out there shouting encouragement and handing out salty snacks and cool rags to folks who need it. Honestly, if it wasn’t for a wizened old woman in Harlem and her encouragement, I honestly don’t think I would have crossed the finish line the knee injury year. I look for her every year. She’s my marathon angel!

4. Absolutely do not stress about how late you finish. There WILL be people there at the finish waiting for you! The person who is the last to finish every year actually gets a feature on the news and in the paper, because it is recognized that it’s a bigger feat for someone who might have difficulty to cross the finish line. I remember one of the years I did it, the last to finish crossed the line close to midnight, and he was an old war vet (I want to say WWII, but it might have been Korea?) I remember passing him in Queens. He was literally shuffling along, and had a person on either side (from Achilles iirc) helping him walk, and I don’t know if I’ve ever been so inspired.

5. Speaking of inspiration, there is a plethora of it to be found! I am inspired by the wheelchair racers and the pro runners (both groups are SO FREAKING FAST). I am inspired by the people being helped by Achilles organization. I even saw a guy doing it ON CRUTCHES one year, which is just insane. Lol.

6. You will feel like a rock star when you first come off the 59th St bridge and head up 1st Ave. Spectators are not allowed on the bridges, so you will hear the sound of them before you see them. The cheering of lots of people drinking is quite loud but also gets you going.

7. Biggest tip: write your name on whatever shirt you wear. You wouldn’t believe the difference it makes hearing someone yell out general encouragement vs. hearing someone specifically cheering you on by name. It sounds silly, but it genuinely works. I didn’t write my name the first time, but I have every year since, it’s 100% worth it.

8. Second biggest tip: go for the post race pancho instead of checking a bag if at all possible. If you absolutely need your own supplies immediately after the race, still do the pancho option and then have a friend/family member meet you with your stuff where you exit Central Park. Trust me on this. They already make you go a ways past the finish line to leave the park, but if you check a bag you have to go further to exit, and it just takes so much longer and is more of a pain if you are meeting people afterwards. I have friends meet me where I exit the park with a change of clothes and supplies and then we go for Mexican food (because I need salt after, at least that’s my excuse. It’s tradition now!)

9. Take the subway home, because getting a cab/Uber/Lyft will be impossible from the finish area for a solid 5 hour block of time.

I’ve done the marathon 4 times (I’m a very slow runner and don’t have the training time most have, so I always do a run-walk combination. Crossing the finish line is always my goal, haha.)

The biggest thing for me, honestly, is the mental challenge! Hills come at the worst times. By not doing the Verrazano, you’re skipping the biggest hill, but that’s also at the beginning when you are fresh. Physically, the hardest part for me is the part where you come down 5the Ave by Central Park. It’s like at mile 20(ish) during the race, and by then, your legs are angry. That’s when you realize that coming down 5th from the top of the park to the bottom is ALL UPHILL. It’s one of those things that you don’t necessarily notice if you’re just out to visit a museum or the park, but you definitely notice after being on your feet for hours.

As far as sightseeing and such for the marathon route… it goes through some cool neighborhoods. There is a section of the Brooklyn part along 4th avenue where there isn’t a lot, but mostly you’ll pass through neighborhoods that have different personalities and lots of diversity.

Related: if anyone reading this decides they want to do a marathon once in their lifetime, make NYC the one you do. The crowd support is AMAZING, and it’s basically a 26.2 mile party. Highly recommend!

The marathon route can be done starting in Bay Ridge, just a heads up! The Verrazano is only open to foot traffic for the marathon itself and that’s it.

Are the man spreaders back? You know, those guys who think their penis is so big that it needs an extra seat, so they spread their legs to take up two? Pre-pandemic, they were getting really bad, and often wouldn’t move when asked, so I took to just sitting on their leg. They moved real quick then lol.

The Lakeshore Limited line of Amtrak goes right up the Hudson. I would check times, though. Pre-pandemic it left NYC around 3pm-ish, so you got to see the sunset and it was glorious. Not sure if it’s still the same schedule though. It has a number of stops outside of the city.