- From the City of Recession Love: Hotel deals don’t get much better than $1 per night, especially when they hail from lovely boutique Alexander Inn in Center City, Philly. Book a room anytime Thursday through Sunday until May 21, and don’t skimp on the touristy stuff. [Hotel Chatter]
- Pizza Pie-off in Brooklyn: Pizza joints have been closing across Manhattan, but in Brooklyn, all things cheese and dough are only becoming more plentiful. New York favorite Grimaldi’s finally has some competition, now that Ignazio’s is open for business and serving thin-crust and Sicilian pies with Brooklyn brews to boot. [TONY]
- Release the Tension in Atlantic City: True, there may be spas in New York, but once you leave the building, you’re back in the honking, tourist-packed streets and by the time you get home, the zen has been zapped. This month, ride first class on the double-decker Atlantic City Express Service (ACES) to the Sea Spa at The Chelsea. Your tight muscles with thank you after a dip in the heated saltwater pool. [The Chelsea]
- Astoria’s Beloved Beer Garden Reopens: It’s what we’ve all been waiting for this long brutal winter. The Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden is reopening this Sunday April 5th, which means toasting to cold brewsky’s, sausages, and the Czechs. [UrbanDaddy]
- Life is a Roller Coaster: No one’s going to take all the fun out of Coney Island. The pier’s time-honored Cyclone roller coaster will keep the thrills alive this Sunday, when the wild ride begins its 82nd season. Be one of 100 people first in line and get dizzy for free. Woo Hoo. [AMNY]
The co-founder and editor-at-large at offMetro, Lauren is a sustainable travel specialist and freelance journalist with frequent bylines in National Geographic, Bicycling Magazine and Shape. Follow Lauren’s adventures at @laurenmati.
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