The New York City Marathon is one of the country’s – if the not the world’s – greatest sporting events. The marathon traditionally draws over 90,000 runners from almost every country in the world, and is watched by an impressive two million people who line the streets of New York to witness this event. Around 40,000 eventually manage to cross the finish line. In addition, another 315 million viewers from around the globe watch the televised version. While the first New York Marathon was held in 1970 with only 127 participants, this event has grown to significant proportions and it is safe to say that most marathons organized today are based on the New York Marathon model. The New York City Marathon also provides a solution to disabled athletes through its official wheelchair division. Every year, more than 200 of the world’s top wheelchair-bound competitors vie for the honor of being declared the winner of this division and the event has become one of the most important in handicapped sports.   

This year’s marathon, due to take place on November 4^th, promises to be bigger and better than ever before. As the traditional sponsor, ING has worked hard to create a sporting event that celebrates the uniqueness of the city and its facilities. The marathon covers the areas of New York’s five boroughs (Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Staten Island) and unites neighborhoods that are traditionally divided whether by ethnicity, color or religions. The route of the New York marathon runs through the streets of these neighborhoods and incorporates five spectacular New York bridges in its pathway. Runners finally land up at the famous Tavern on the Green in the ever-popular Central Park. It is not difficult to see why the New York City Marathon is considered the largest and most impressive marathons of all times.

Headquarter hotels include the Hilton New York and the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers.

Click for the official site of the NYC Marathon.

Step back in time to the wonderful Art Moderne period of architecture to truly appreciate this exquisite boutique hotel. Hotel Giraffe welcomes you into a towering 15-foot lobby and continues to please with luxury rooms, amazing public spaces and unparalleled service and comfort. The hotel is the constant winner of industry prizes such as the Best Boutique Hotel of 2007 and one of the Top Three Business Hotels by CitySearch.com. With just 73 guest rooms (21 of them suites) and situated in one of the city’s most stylish locations with easy access to many of the city’s top locations, this hotel is a pure gem.

Contemporary Meets Intimate Old-World Comfort at Hotel Giraffe
Despite its large, impressive entrance lobby, Hotel Giraffe still manages to create a feeling of intimacy and comfort through the clever arrangement of seating and tables dotted around its public places. Find a quiet corner for reading or conversation, or gather in the Grande Lobby to enjoy complimentary fares offered to hotel guests including a full Continental breakfast or hot drinks, cookies and fruit available throughout the day. Every night, the hotel offers a complimentary cheese and wine affair with the opportunity to gather around the lobby’s star attraction, a Baby Grand, and listen to live cocktail music.

Indulgent Moderne Period Room Comfort
Rooms at this hotel are arranged only seven to a floor for the ultimate in quiet and privacy. Choose from two room types at the Hotel Giraffe – superior or deluxe. All rooms are decorated in 1920s and 30s Art Moderne style, with high ceilings, luxurious fabrics and textures and top quality linens. All deluxe rooms open up onto a private balcony. This hotel definitely lives up to the traits of the graceful, gentle yet powerful animal after which it is named.

Click for more details or to make an online booking at Hotel Giraffe at NewYorkJourney.com.

As the holiday season fast approaches, a visit to New York City in November can be quite lovely. This is the time of the year when the foliage in city parks and woods, such as in
Central Park, peaks and nothing beats the breathtaking beauty of this fall spectacle. This is also a very busy time for city, in terms of sporting events, parades and festivities.

On the first Sunday of the month, the New York City Marathon takes place with literally thousands of participants and spectators enjoying the day. On the fourth Sunday of November, the much-awaited Thanksgiving Day Parade officially welcomes in the holiday season. Other exciting festivities include the New York Culinary Festival and the New York Comedy Festival, as well as the Rockefeller Tree Lighting. Because of all these events and the approaching holiday season, visitors need to take into account that prices for accommodation and flights are likely to be higher than usual. It is important to note that November 11, Veteran’s Day, is a federal holiday and many services will not run on that day.

This is the time that the winter season can be felt in the air, and it safe to say that the weather will be chilly overall. Average highs are around 54 degrees Fahrenheit (12 degrees Celsius) and average lows hit a frosty 41 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Celsius). The days, however, are still warm and can be used to enjoy popular New York walking tours and other site seeing trips. Visitors should pack comfortable, waterproof walking shoes for this very reason. While it does not snow in New York during November, visitors are still encouraged to pack warm, windproof jackets and sweaters, as the nights can be cold and late November may even call for hats and gloves. November is a lovely month to visit New York City!

Visit NewYorkJourney.com to make your hotel and travel arrangements.

Visitors will enjoy a true home-away-from home when they stay at one of New York’s best-loved hotels, 70 Park Avenue. Incorporating true glamour with the latest amenities and technology, this hotel provides visitors with an elegant yet comfortable refuge from the hustle and bustle of Midtown Manhattan. The hotel has recently undergone a multi-million dollar renovation by renowned designer Jeffrey Bilhbuber, and is ready to welcome visitors through its doors once more. Boasting state-of-the art equipment such as DVD/CD players and 42” flat television screens, as well as complimentary internet connection in each room, this four star hotel takes pampering to the highest level through its motto: “Live Life Well”.

70 Park Avenue as a Boutique Hotel
There is a high demand for quality boutique hotels in the New York City area, and 70 Park Avenue certainly fits the bill. From a fully stocked gourmet honor bar, complimentary wine receptions nightly, and indulgent spa services through the hotel’s Mind, Body and Spa program, this hotel knows how to go all out to spoil its guests down to the tiniest details. Guests can even enjoy yoga sessions for relaxing after a long day of Fifth Avenue shopping!

Location, Location, Location! 
Not many New York City hotels can boast a location as good as Park Avenue and this fact is a major draw card for visitors to 70 Park Avenue. The hotel is within walking distance of Grand Central Station to make for easy travel to outside destinations. In addition, all the prime destinations in the neighborhood can be reached on foot, including top Fifth Avenue shopping, Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park, Broadway entertainment and popular museums, as well as other sightseeing attractions. For the perfect location in the city, with the most convenient amenities and personal attention, no hotel can beat 70 Park Avenue Hotel. 

Head to New York Journey for details on 70 Park Avenue Hotel and several other hotels in the Big Apple.

What started off as a one-man Halloween costume stroll by a master mask and puppet maker through Greenwich Village 34 years ago, has turned into one of the nation’s biggest holiday parades – New York’s Village Halloween Parade. The event has since grown by enormous proportions and it is safe to say that in recent years, over two million people line up to watch the floats and magnificent costumers on display by the 50,000 participants who make up this parade. In addition, a further 4 million people watch the live coverage of the event on national television. The Halloween Parade is also the only major night parade in the United States.  

This year’s New York Village Halloween Parade will take place on Wednesday October 31^st and visitors can line up along 6^th Avenue from Spring Street to 21^st Street to watch this marvelous event. The parade runs from 7 pm until around 10 pm. This year’s event promises to be bigger and better than any of its predecessors. Hundreds of puppets, dancers, artists and innovative individuals with their own Halloween costumes will join no less than 53 bands from all walks of life and musical styles in one great parade along New York’s 6^th Avenue.  

The theme of this year’s New York Village Halloween Parade is “Wings of Desire” and the official parade puppeteers have promised to produce fantastic creations to celebrate man’s desire to fly and his evolving journey during the process. Many participants will join the winged performance of this year’s parade and this promises to be a spectacular viewing experience for visitors. This year, find out what the author Neil Teplica was talking about when he said that New York City’s annual Village Halloween Parade is among the one hundred travel events one should experience before one dies. 

Click for the official site of New York’s Village Halloween Parade.

For visitors looking for a chic townhouse style hotel, perfectly located in the heart of Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue retail district and right around the corner from cultural amenities such as the legendary Museum of Modern Art, the Chambers Hotel is the place to be. Hip and unique, the Chambers attracts modern travelers and native New Yorkers looking for something a little different when it comes to boutique hotels in the city. Hung throughout the entire hotel is an exceptional collection of high-end contemporary art, a nod in the direction of this establishment’s appreciation for New York’s cultural energy.

Dining at the TOWN Restaurant
If visitors were to choose one single reason to stay at the Chambers, it would be to enjoy the fabulous experience of dining at the famous TOWN restaurant. This glossy, two-story establishment is owned and operated by the renowned chef, Geoffrey Zakarian, who has managed to give a contemporary twist to classic dishes. The restaurant was designed by the architect David Rockwell so that guests can enjoy inspiring décor in the form of excellent lighting, fabrics, use of space and colors. From a 100-seat dining room to a 40-seat balcony lounge, this restaurant is definitely a prize for visitors to the Chambers Hotel.

Luxury Accommodation at Chambers Hotel
Eating is not the only thing that guests at the Chambers Hotel will be doing of course! Visitors are treated to luxury accommodation and can enjoy extra amenities that make staying at this hotel so pleasurable. Top entertainment features include CD/DVD players and a full library, direct internet access and computer rentals. Other perks to be enjoyed are free passes to the famous New York Sports Club, Bumble and Bumble bath amenities, in-room yoga and beauty services and many others. For a charming yet modern establishment in the heart of New York City, the Chambers Hotel is a top candidate for that perfect stay.

Click for NewYorkJourney.com’s review of the Chamber Hotel or to make an online booking.

October is Halloween time and what better time in the year than to embark on a visit to some of New York City’s most famous haunted sites where ghosts have reportedly been spotted quite regularly. The oldest drinking establishment in New York, the Bridge Café, opened up in 1847 and many claim to have seen the ghosts of pirates who might have trafficked in the area under the Brooklyn Bridge and used the café as their drinking hole. The ghost of the Beatles legend, John Lennon, as well as other personalities, reportedly roam around the Dakota on Central Park West. Lennon was assassinated outside the Dakota in 1980.

For visitors who want to tie in some regular site seeing with ghost hunting, the Empire State Building’s observatory may be a good place to begin. Many people have claimed to see the ghosts of suicide victims who used the observatory as place to jump to their death. Mark Twain frequents the house where he once resided – 14 West 10^th Street and joins as many as 22 other ghostly inhabitants of this address who also lived in the house over the years.

For a taste of ghostly aristocracy, visitors can make their way down to the Morris-Jumel Mansion on Jumel Terrace to see the spirits of some of the inhabitants of this 1765 summer home. Among the ghosts that they might be lucky to see are the mistress of the mansion, Eliza Jumel and a soldier from the American Revolution. Finally, for a truly historical spiritual encounter, visitors can watch out for the ghost of New York’s Dutch governor, Peter Stuyvesant, who was buried in an underground vault of St. Marks-in-the-Bowery Church in 1678, and whose ghost reportedly still roams this beautiful old chapel.

Nestled away in a quiet tree-lined avenue in the stylish East Side of Manhattan, you will find this exquisite, award winning boutique hotel. The Hotel Plaza Athenee is a European style establishment and will offer you the same standard of service that you would expect from a luxury hotel on the Continent. Focus is on personalized attention at all times, whether you need to find tickets to the latest Broadway show or general information about the city. The Hotel Plaza Athenee boasts 114 rooms on 17 floors, among them 35 suites - some of which include private atriums and indoor balconies. All guest rooms include hi-speed internet, safes, luxurious European linens and CD players.

Convenient Location
If you are looking to enjoy a little bit of peace and quiet among the hustle and bustle of New York City, there is no place more perfect to stay than the Hotel Plaza Athenee. Only five blocks from midtown Manhattan, this hotel still offers you the tranquility you seek among traditional East 64^th Street townhouses. Take a one-block stroll Central Park or step right onto Madison Avenue – a true shopper’s delight. Enjoy the close proximity to the Whitney Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and other great NYC attractions.

World Renowned Dining
Two of New York’s top entertainment locations, Arabelle and Bar Seine can be found at Hotel Plaza Athenee. At Arabelle you will find exquisite French-American cuisine, lovingly created by Chef Koutrako. The ambience is second-to-none and it is not for nothing that this restaurant has such a high Zagat rating. For a unique lounge/bar, try the Bar Seine, which was voted by the NY Post as the “Best Place for Romance”. With its eclectic décor and inimitable features such as leather floors and artwork from around the world, the Bar Seine is the perfect place to experience the cosmopolitan atmosphere of New York City.

Since 1929, the Columbus Day Parade has been one of the most celebrated of all New York City’s traditions. The spirits of adventure, tradition and music are all honored each year on the second Monday of October, as over one million people line up along one of the city’s most famous boulevards – Fifth Avenue – to enjoy the floats of the parade on the federal holiday of Columbus Day. The parade also celebrates the contributions of the Italian-American community and the way that this vibrant group has affected all spheres of life in the United States, from entertainment to sports, from fashion to politics. Past dignitaries in bygone years have included the actress Sophia Loren, Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and, more poignantly, the recently deceased opera giant, Luciano Pavarotti.

This year’s 63rd Columbus Day Parade is due to take place on Monday October 8th and promises to be bigger and better than anything the city has ever seen. The parade, scheduled to start at 11 am and end at approximately 3 pm, will begin at 44th Street and Fifth Avenue and proceed North until 79th Street and Fifth. This year, over 35,000 people will take part in the parade in a wonderful display of nationalities, culture, tradition and heritage. Several dignitaries will honor the Columbus Day with their presence, including the BMI 2007 pop song Writer of the Year, Kara DioGuardi, Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and the Italian Minister of Justice, Clemente Mastella.

A traditional Red Carpet program also complements the Columbus Day Parade, with top rate performances by Italian and Italian-American artists in various parts of the city on and around the day. Some of this year’s performers comprise Marcello Giordani, Luigi Boccia, USO girls and the United States Marine Corp Band.

Click for the official site of the Columbus Day Parade.