· Go to Governors Island on Saturday, get out your trusty binoculars—proceed downloading the iPhone app—and prepare yourself for the truly unique New York City experience of bird watching with the Wildlab Team. Bird’s the word. [TheWildLab]
· A new high-speed ferry route will take New Yorkers to New London this summer. [TheDay]
· The Great American Food and Music Festival is this Sunday, and will have everything from Jim’s Philly cheesesteaks to Junior’s Cheesecakes and the stars of the Food Network. (Note: offManhattan is giving away four tickets to this event! For a chance to win, just follow @offmanhattan!) [GreatAmericanFoodandMusicFest]
· Yet another Biergarten has opened in NYC, and this one, Loreley, is the kind of place your Oma and Opa would be proud of. [Thrillist]
· The World Cup starts today with South Africa vs. Mexico and France vs. Uruguay, so check out offManhattan’s guide to where to watch the games in NYC. [oM]
· This Sunday, Brooklyn by Bike is hosting a ride from the Grand Army Arch to Governors Island—where there are over five miles of car-free paths and a funky art exhibit. [BrooklynbyBike]
· The Malaysian Restaurant week is June 14-22, and will include restaurants like Curry Leaves in Flushing, Penang in Princeton, and Satay in Hoboken. [MalaysiaKitchenNYC]
· Get your tickets early for the 10th Annual Bicycle Film Festival starting next week. [BicycleFilmFest]
Photo: Red-tailed hawk shot courtesy of rbs10025
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