- Staying in the city? Sail on a schooner down the Hudson River and wave hello to the Statue of Liberty. [ManhattanBySail]
- Kick off the weekend with old timey tunes by Red Rust – featuring Jason Ardell. Felix, & Red Hook Slim at the Jalopy Theater in Brooklyn. [Jalopy]
- These are the best places to party in NYC this weekend, from Riis Park Beach Bazaar to the LIC Flea, these parties are subway accessible. [Time Out]
- Macy’s enormous 4th of July fireworks are back Tuesday over the East River, so here is where to get the best views of the show. [BrooklynVegan]
- The annual July Fourth International Hot Dog Eating Contest brings competitive eaters from all over the country to Coney Island on Monday. [Nathan’s]
- Performances, crafts and food make up the 46th Annual African Arts Festival Saturday through Tuesday in Brooklyn. [IAA Festival]
- Swim the sites with New York Open Water’s 2-mile Governors Island swim leaving from Castle Williams [Governors Island]
- Brooklyn Grange once again hosts its rooftop BBQ with beer, wine, and live music. [Brooklyn Grange]
- Get nerdy with a revolutionary walking tour around City Hall. [Big Onion]
- Head to the Lower East Side to watch documentary “Quest” in this donation based night at Rooftop Films [Rooftop Films]
- The celebration continues on Tuesday with a little history, birding, and even patriotic arts and crafts at the family friendly Independence Day at Prospect Park. [Prospect Park]
- All New York City Parks outdoor pools are now open for the season. [NYC Parks]
Photo: Courtesy of Manhattan By Sail
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram