Homeowners In N.Y., New Jersey Looking To Cash In On Super Bowl XLVIII

An increasing number of New York and New Jersey home owners are "using websites such as HomeAway and Airbnb to offer their properties for rent to out-of-town fans" attending Super Bowl XLVIII at MetLife Stadium, according to Jessica Golden of CNBC.com. HomeAway is seeing a 40% increase "in the number of properties listed in the region." That number is "expected to grow" as the event nears. Peter Tichy, a home-owner in Ridgefield Park, N.J., said that he is "asking $1,000 a night for his four-bedroom home during Super Bowl week." That is $600 higher "than his usual per-night charges, even during the holiday season" (CNBC.com, 11/22).

BORDER WARS? In N.Y., James Barron noted while the game is being played in New Jersey, "almost all of the marquee events that make the Super Bowl a magnet for celebrities, executives and others with big wallets" will be in Manhattan. It looks as though New Jersey "could be left in the shadows of its next-door neighbor -- again." Even East Rutherford Mayor James Cassella said, "Where are the NFL offices? The Fox network offices? They're in New York City. Therefore, where do you think the emphasis is going to be, much to the dismay of those of us in New Jersey?" Barron wrote the Super Bowl "threatens to rekindle the long-running feud between New York and New Jersey" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/23).

LET IT SNOW? In N.Y., Ken Belson cited the Farmers' Almanac as "red-flagging" early February in N.Y. and New Jersey, and expects "copious wind, rain, and snow" around the time of the game. Meanwhile, the Old Farmer's Almanac said that a "nor'easter could hit" the metropolitan area. But both books say that their weather outlooks are accurate about 80% of the time, so fans at the game "could certainly end up dry." The NFL will "give all fans at the game 'Warm Welcome' kits that include lip balm, foil blankets, hand warmers and earmuffs stuffed into a seat cushion" (N.Y. TIMES, 11/24).