Everyone loves their furry friends; they're part of the family! Long Islanders know it can hard to find places that will allow dogs on-site, an unpleasant truth on a beautiful summer day. But there are plenty of dog parks dog-friendly beaches on Long Island, and more places where you and your tail-wager will be welcomed with open arms and paws.

The students from Public School/Middle School 15 are off and running with help from their English teacher, Shawanda Weems. Eight years ago, Weems, 36, with the New York Road Runners, established the Young Runners program at her school.

Much like the programs she runs, Sharon De La Cruz is the very definition of "unique." The 25-year-old Dominican artist and activist, with eyeglasses that take up half of her petite face, coordinates the program WOMEN (Where Our Minds Empower Needs) at The POINT in Hunts Point.

Purchase student James O’Keefe has set up a temporary home in the installation space on the first floor of Fort Awesome. You may have seen the room, just next to the More Store, which has been used for a few installation pieces by VA students, but none have been quite as radical as this one. O’Keefe has brought nothing but the clothes on his back and a large blue tarp with him into the room.

If the Purchase Phys Ed requirement is giving you flashbacks of running the mile in high school, then fear no more: Zumba is on its way. The Zumba fitness program is a worldwide project that uses Latin and international dance music to give you the most fun workout of your life. Right now, Purchase offers four weekly Zumba classes in the aerobics studio on the second floor of the gym.

The real fun begins when I’m checking my email and accidentally dump this inaugural cup of coffee off the table, into my purse, on my phone, phone charger, computer charger, external power source, my favorite notebook and my brand new planner. Brilliant!

The ability to write well is essential. It makes every job easier and is an applicable talent to most careers, especially in this industry. Yet writing well is a skill whose status is on par with the Sumatran Elephant – critically endangered.

Like a true Irish woman cursed with very non-Irish features, this holiday makes me yearn for fiery red hair and freckles and to be named Kelly or Siobhan or something. And if you call it St. Patty’s day, like the meat on a hamburger, you’re just WRONG. In celebration of the greatest holiday to cross the pond and work its way into plastic Paddy pubs across the states, here’s a list of the top books you can read to make you wholly more Irish.

In a world where live-tweeting an event is far more important than enjoying yourself at said event, I like to strike a healthy balance between the two. My iPhone 4s has a different plan. And so I have documented the stressful truths of The Battle of My Phone Battery at BookCon.

Warm weather is on the horizon! Are you ready to lace up your shoes and get outside? We certainly are. With so many wonderful places to visit on Long Island, it can be difficult to decide what new areas to explore. But have no fear, we have seven spots that will awaken your inner adventurer, and make you want to get up and go right away.

Summer is here! And for many parents, that means planning an abundance of activities that are fun for not only the kids but the whole family. With exciting things to do all over Long Island, it can be a difficult narrowing down the best options. Check out our favorite ‘kid-approved’ spots and activities that are sure to get everyone’s heart rate and excitement levels up!

Unemployed women in the Bronx are being treated like A-listers at a designer fashion show by “Dress for Success,” which has an official grand opening Tuesday of its Bronx location.

The Van Nest neighborhood was still reeling Monday after the fire that destroyed four buildings and displaced 11 families over the weekend.

If you have an activity band, or you have your smartphone in your pocket all day, tracking your steps is simple and straightforward. But what if you don’t have a fitness tracker that analyzes your physical activity? Do you know how to get the step insights from your phone? Do you want to? We’re here to help!