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• Some lucky New York office workers scored a prime view of the New York Knicks parade on Thursday.
• Photos show office workers hanging out of windows to watch the Knicks celebrate their 2026 NBA Championship.
• The massive crowds snarled early morning commutes for New Yorkers working in the financial district.

New York office workers faced a dilemma on Thursday: Go to work or the historic Knicks parade. Why not both?

While crowds swarmed into lower Manhattan for a chance to watch the New York Knicks NBA Championship parade, some workers were able to enjoy the action from the comfort of their office.

The parade’s route made working out of a building overlooking Broadway in the financial district the hottest office perk on Thursday.

And while some New York office building windows don’t open, many on older buildings do — offering a chance to toss confetti or hear the full volume of the crowd’s chants.

Employees quickly took advantage of the coveted elevated viewing angle, with some hanging out of their building’s windows.

Business Insider was able to join in the excitement. Our reporters and editors stood on furniture along the windows in our New York newsroom.

The only catch for office workers: You had to first get to your building, which meant navigating jam-packed subways and closed-off streets.

It’s been 53 years since the New York Knicks last won an NBA Championship. The Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the Finals.

Here are more photos from the revelry:

• Gary Bartley, UBC’s head groundskeeper, is prepping pitches for Team Canada’s World Cup training.
• He said he has learned a great deal about his trade, even after 48 years on the job.
• At 66, Bartley said the World Cup is a career highlight and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Gary Bartley, 66, who is helping prepare the training pitches that Team Canada will use during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I’ve been in the industry since 1978, but I’ve never taken on a project this big before. Working on the World Cup is like working on the Super Bowl.

As the University of British Columbia’s head groundskeeper for the National Soccer Development Centre (NSDC), where Team Canada will train during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, this is already a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Even after 48 years on the job, it’s still a huge learning opportunity at 66. I’ve had the chance to work with some of the top pitch managers, professors, and educators in the field, and it will really change how I work moving forward.

A typical day as a head groundskeeper

I started in turf care in 1978, when I was a teenager. My first job was on a golf course, and I worked my way up to a superintendent position before moving into sports equipment sales. Through that role, I was introduced to the people at the Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional soccer club that trains at the NSDC, and about 11 years ago, I joined the team at UBC.

When the Whitecaps are training here, which is usually five days a week, I get to work at 7 a.m. Before the players arrive, my team of seven is out on the field cutting grass, repairing divots, and doing whatever prep work is needed for the day’s session.

The Whitecaps usually arrive around 10:30 a.m., and one of us stays nearby to help with any watering needs. Once training is finished, we’re repairing divots, cleaning up the pitch, and preparing it for the next day. On non-training days, we’re usually doing maintenance work, such as vertical cutting or top dressing. Our normal shift runs from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Getting the pitches World Cup ready

The World Cup hasn’t changed our workday too much, but the main difference is that we’ve had to raise our standards and maintenance practices to meet FIFA’s requirements. As a training site, we’ve got to keep conditions as close as possible to the main match pitch to ensure things are equal and fair for all teams.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve gone through major renovations since the Whitecaps finished training here in May. It was a very labor-intensive process. We carried out heavy verticutting, top dressing, overseeding, and re-sodded parts of the pitches.

Working on divots and repairs is physically hard work, and, even more so, mentally tedious. Walking-mowing the two pitches takes three mowers about 2.5 hours, and our staff can cover around 20,000 steps in a typical morning doing that.

Learning from experts has been so rewarding

The biggest surprise has been the level of detail involved. We’re used to maintaining pitches for Major League Soccer, but FIFA’s attention to detail has been eye-opening. They have invested a great deal of time and effort in researching improved agronomic practices and maintenance procedures.

I’ve got to learn about this from leading scholars from the University of Tennessee and Michigan State University, which has changed how we’ll approach our practices moving forward with the Whitecaps. It’s been a really rewarding process.

I’ve also been amazed by the level of detail around the whole tournament, from security to hospitality to guest services. These are areas you take for granted and that were on the periphery of my attention, but it’s become clear how much work goes into staging the World Cup at this level.

It’s a career highlight

My family is very excited and proud that I’m involved in this. I wasn’t a soccer fan before I joined the Whitecaps. Now, I’m still not a fanatic, but I am a fan.

It’s very rewarding to sit and look at a pitch and realize that world-class soccer players will be training on it. It makes you want to make it the best possible.

I got into this industry 48 years ago because I loved it, and I still do. Being as old as I am, it’s amazing to have the opportunity to be involved in the World Cup and put an asterisk beside my career.

• I compared BLTs from Subway, Jimmy John’s, and Jersey Mike’s to find the best sandwich.
• Jimmy John’s sandwich had a bit too much bacon flavor, and Subway’s was OK.
• Jersey Mike’s BLT was so tasty and balanced; I could see myself ordering it again and again.

The bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, or “BLT,” has been a worldwide favorite for over a century, with its simplicity key to its charm.

After all, a true BLT consists of just the ingredients listed in its name between two slices of bread with a slather of mayonnaise.

I’ve been a huge fan of the BLT for many years, so I set out with alacrity to find the best one at popular sandwich chains in the US.

At each stop, in an effort to try the most default BLT, I gave no instructions beyond size preference when ordering and made no customizations.

Here’s how the BLTs from Subway, Jersey Mike’s, and Jimmy John’s stacked up — and which left me the most impressed.

My Subway sandwich felt like a solid deal.

At Subway, I could choose between ordering a footlong BLT for $12.99 or a 6-inch for only $3.99 from the chain’s Deli Faves value menu.

I went with the latter, which seemed like too good a deal to pass up.

The sandwich came on Italian bread, which was toasted open-faced with the bacon on top of it. After, the Subway staffer added lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise.

Subway’s BLT tasted fresh, but there was way too little bacon.

Once I got home and unwrapped the BLT, the sandwich looked light on bacon and a bit heavy on mayo.

A hearty bite of Subway’s BLT confirmed my suspicion: It was very light on the “B.” It appeared to have about four strips of bacon, and though they were stacked closer together on the small piece of bread, it didn’t feel substantial enough.

The bacon pieces themselves were a bit too thin, but tender without being soft; their consistency was welcome.

Beyond that, the lettuce had a good crunch, the tomato seemed fresh, and there wasn’t actually a glut of mayo as I’d figured on visual inspection.

This would have been a well-balanced sandwich if only there had been twice or even three times as much bacon. As it was, the bacon mostly just added a salty flavor to the sandwich rather than playing the main role in it, which is the hope for a good BLT.

Overall, at a $3.99 value price, Subway’s BLT was worth the money but hardly worth further commentary.

After trying this, the footlong’s $12.99 price also feels hard to justify. I still doubt that having double the bacon (spread over more bread) would be enough to properly balance out this BLT.

Jimmy John’s BLT also had toasted bread and bacon.

At Jimmy John’s, I ordered the smallest BLT I could, which came on an 8-inch “regular” French bread.

The sandwich cost $8.99, which was fair but hardly a deal. My other option was ordering the 16-inch “giant” sandwich for $17.49, but it felt like far too much.

In this case, again, the staffer toasted the bread and bacon, then added the other toppings and mayo.

The bacon flavor was on full display in this BLT.

Jimmy John’s BLT had plenty of bacon — I’d say six slices encircled the lettuce and tomato. The meat was a bit crispier here than at Subway, but not crunchy.

I’m a huge fan of bacon, so you might think the bacon-forward flavor profile of Jimmy John’s BLT was a good thing. I wouldn’t go that far, though I don’t think it was a bad thing.

I was mostly left wishing the sandwich were more balanced. The dominant salty, savory bacon taste made it difficult for me to detect flavors from other ingredients. Also, the lettuce wasn’t as crisp as I’d like.

I usually love Jimmy John’s doughy, delicious, and famously fresh-baked bread. However, toasting detracted from its appeal.

I’m also used to the chain’s “regular” sandwiches feeling substantial enough that I often save a few bites for a post-lunch snack. This time, that wasn’t the case. The slender BLT felt light in my hand, and I didn’t have leftovers.

I’d order this sandwich again, but only if I wasn’t incredibly hungry.

My Jersey Mike’s BLT was the first and only one not toasted.

Jersey Mike’s is famous for its freshly sliced deli meats, so it felt strange ordering a sandwich that didn’t include any. This BLT is also the only one on this list that was prepped and served cold.

With no fresh slicing or toasting required, my sandwich was ready incredibly quickly. There was about 30 seconds between when I said “I’ll have a BLT, please” and my finished sandwich being wrapped and deftly slipped into a to-go bag.

The sandwich was available in a “mini” size (about 5 inches) for about $7.25, a “regular” size (about 7 inches) for $9.75, and a “giant” sub (about 14 inches) for $17.65.

I went with the “regular” for $9.75, which felt like a solid value without getting way too much sandwich.

Ultimately, I left impressed by how fast I was in and out of the store and the decent heft of my sandwich in the to-go bag.

Jersey Mike’s BLT hit all the right notes for this classic sandwich.

After one big bite, the competition was over: Jersey Mike’s made the best BLT of the lot, hands down.

This sandwich was large and satisfying, with a pile of shredded lettuce, thickly sliced tomatoes, and plenty of bacon layered on fresh-tasting, soft bread.

There was a generous slathering of mayo, but not so much that it dominated (or dripped), and that bread was thick but pillowy, allowing for hearty bites.

The bacon from Jersey Mike’s was cooked to the point of being crispy, almost crunchy. This isn’t my favorite take on bacon, but I know it’s a popular preference that will surely please many people.

And regardless, the amount of meat felt fairly generous — I counted about six slices — and it felt well-proportioned to the other ingredients.

Price-wise, Subway seemed to offer the most value.

After rough calculations, Subway had the lowest price-per-inch across the board for both the value-sized 6-inch BLT and the footlong.

This doesn’t factor in how well each sandwich was loaded, though, and value doesn’t always just come down to cents. None of the estimated per-inch price differences felt significant enough for me to declare Subway my winner.

It’s also worth pointing out that many of these chains regularly offer meal bundles, rotating deals, and coupons that can help level the playing field.

In the end, Jersey Mike’s BLT remains my top pick.

Next time I stop at a Jersey Mike’s, you can count on the BLT being at the top of my list of likely orders. It’s also a sandwich I’m sure I’ll recommend to others in the future, too.

The two runners-up were still fine and worth trying, which is a testament to the overall excellence of the classic bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich.

If I find myself only a little hungry and in proximity to Subway or Jimmy John’s, I may well order another BLT — especially if the former still has it on its $3.99 Deli Faves value menu.

Otherwise, next time a BLT craving hits, you’ll find me at Jersey Mike’s.

• Katherine Howe is a 49-year-old author in Marblehead, Massachusetts.
• Howe bought a ticket to Scotland versus Morocco in Boston on StubHub.
• On Monday, four days before the game, she was informed that her ticket was no longer available.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Katherine Howe, a historian and novelist. It has been edited for length and clarity.

On Monday, I opened my emails to find that my ticket to the Scotland versus Morocco World Cup game was no longer available.

Getting this ticket was years in the making.

In 1994, I watched my first-ever World Cup game while living in Brazil. I was in a small, rural town with lots of local Brazilians watching on a small TV. Everyone went wild when Brazil actually won the entire tournament.

Like most Americans at the time, I wasn’t aware that the World Cup even existed, but I imbibed the excitement and passion for the tournament while in Brazil that year.

The World Cup is one of the few global phenomena. It breaks barriers — with everyone from all around the world getting involved. Even countries as small as Curaçao can take part.

Although I’m not a regular soccer fan, I became a World Cup fan in 1994. Four years later, I was in Paris when the World Cup was held there. It was the last year Scotland qualified for the World Cup before 2026. I have vivid memories of the streets of Paris being flooded with people in kilts, having the time of their lives.

I couldn’t afford to go to the matches, but again, I loved the togetherness and passion of the tournament.

Fast forward 28 years

I found out that the World Cup was happening in the United States earlier this year, something that hadn’t been on my radar previously.

I didn’t consider looking for tickets — unaware that games would be in Boston, only about an hour away from where I live in Massachusetts.

Last weekend, on Saturday, I was at the Boston train station when I suddenly saw all these men in kilts. It suddenly clicked — Scotland was playing Haiti in Boston later that day. It felt like I had been transported back to Paris 28 years ago, with Scottish accents and tartan surrounding me.

I immediately started searching for where they were playing next and where I could get a ticket.

The next game was on June 19 in Boston. I could do that date. I could do that time.

Rather naively (I’ve never been one to go to sports games or big concerts), I searched “tickets for Scotland versus Morocco,” and the first site that came up was StubHub.

I bought a $750 ticket

I found the cheapest ticket at $750. That was really expensive for me — it’s a lot of money, and I would notice the amount being deducted from my bank account, but I really wanted to see this game.

I bought it. I got my email confirmation from StubHub. I was going to see Scotland in the World Cup.

In preparation for the game, I ordered a tartan skirt (with pockets for my phone). I was ready and raring to go.

And then on Monday, I got that dreadful, disappointing email that the ticket wasn’t available.

I was given the option to choose another ticket, but there are none left

In the email, I was instructed to click a link that would take me to a website to pick another comparable ticket; however, when I got to this website, I could only click the refund option.

Unbeknownst to me, StubHub is a marketplace — they don’t own the tickets; they simply allow people to sell them on their website. What I’m guessing happened is that someone pledged to sell that ticket I bought, but then, when Scotland won their first game, removed the ticket from StubHub (incurring a fine) so that they could resell it for more or use it themselves.

I opened a chat with customer service and calmly pleaded my case with the representative. Eventually, I was told to “hold tight” until one hour before the game, and that tickets might be released then. That, of course, isn’t going to work. I have to buy a special train ticket to get to the game, and to buy that train ticket, I need a ticket to the game. It would all take much longer than just one hour to get from my house to the game.

Refusing to back down, I have not yet accepted a refund, hopeful I will be given a ticket, the ticket I already paid for. I was looking forward to this game — a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me.

Still, I’ll be watching either way. Go Scotland!

Editor’s note: When reached out for comment, StubHub said, “We understand that attending the World Cup represents a significant investment in time and money, and we take our responsibility to every fan who books through our platform seriously.

Many of the issues fans are facing trace back to the event organizer’s technology infrastructure, newly announced transfer restrictions, and a new app that was launched just a month ago ahead of such a major event.

Regardless of the cause, when sellers don’t deliver tickets on time, StubHub investigates and takes swift action in line with our terms & conditions, including permanent bans and financial penalties. Every order on StubHub is backed by our FanProtect Guarantee, which provides alternative tickets or a full refund.”

• EarnOS has launched an app to help brands get engagement from verified humans rather than AI bots.
• The startup pays rewards for users who engage with brands on its app.
• Business Insider got an exclusive look at the pitch deck it used to secure $18.5 million in funding.

EarnOS, a startup that pays people to interact with brands online to ensure they are seen by humans and not AI bots, has raised $18.5 million in funding.

On Wednesday, the New York-based company launched its app, Ero, where customers can verify they are human and earn rewards for engaging with a brand’s content. Users can scroll through the Ero app feed and participate in challenges, such as physical activities tracked through their fitness app, share their data, and click on brand content.

Brands only pay when someone engages with them, and the app helps them to ensure humans, and not AI bots, are seeing their content, Phil George, the startup’s CEO and founder, told Business Insider.

“The entirety of advertising online was envisaged at a time where the assumption was that everyone online was a person,” George said.

That dynamic has changed with the rise of AI. This month, Cloudflare, a network service firm, said that website traffic from bots had overtaken human activity for the first time.

George positions EarnOS as an “anti-bot” company that’s trying to help build a “verified internet.” It is also pitching itself as an alternative digital advertising app to Google or Facebook, which rely on clicks and impressions that can sometimes include bot activity.

“Think of it as a loyalty program for who you are as a person rather than as a particular brand,” George said.

EarnOS takes a cut of the brand’s ad spend on the app, with the remainder — up to 75% of every dollar — going to users who complete tasks with brands on the app, George said. The app distributes rewards in the USD stablecoin cryptocurrency, which users can then spend with merchants in dollars via an EarnOS Visa card.

EarnOS said the app has launched in the UK, US, Canada, and Australia, with a $30 million annualized rewards pool funded by participating brands across industries such as ride-hailing, retail, streaming, and consumer finance.

The company ran a beta test of the service from March 2025 through the end of the year. EarnOS said it partnered with 152 brands, had 3 million signups, and paid out $50,000 in rewards during this period.

Already, it’s working with brands like Nike.

“EarnOS creates an opportunity to make brand interactions fun, participatory, and transparent, and to get away from AI slop,” said John Shiel, senior content and engagement manager at Nike Innovation Labs.

Investment firm 1kx led its $6 million round, with participation from Coinbase Ventures, Circle Ventures, and Social Graph Ventures.

The remaining $12.5 million financing comes from Verona, which EarnOs will get over four years.

George said the company plans to use the funding to expand into new markets later this year as bot activity soars.

“I think the internet is going to get worse before it gets better,” he said.

Here’s an exclusive look at the 24-page pitch deck EarnOS used during the fundraising process to secure $18.5 million. Some commercially sensitive slides have been omitted.

• After many recommendations, I visited Florida’s 30A and saw places like Seaside and Rosemary Beach.
• I enjoyed the pristine beaches and the different towns, which felt more luxurious than touristy.
• The area feels like one of the best places to visit in Florida, as it’s beautiful and has variety.

On a weekend trip to Panama City Beach, a beach town in Florida’s panhandle, I heard a recurring comment from the locals.

“Have you made it over to 30A yet?” my Lyft driver asked. “You’ve got to — it’s the up-and-coming spot around here.”

While I was purchasing tickets for the Shell Island Ferry, the cashier said, “Do you have plans to go over to 30A?” When I said no, she insisted I return to the area for a trip because it’s just that beautiful.

I live in a different Florida beach town that often gets inundated with spring breakers and summer beachgoers, so I couldn’t decide whether Panama City Beach locals were trying to run tourists out of their town or if they really meant what they said about 30A.

Eager to find out, I planned a trip to Florida’s 30A area — a roughly 24-mile stretch of beach between Destin and Panama City Beach that’s been called “the Hamptons of the South.”

Turns out, those locals were right. I agree that 30A is one of the best gems in Florida, and I liked it even more than Panama City Beach.

Panama City Beach is great for tourists, but 30A has a more luxurious feel.

Panama City Beach reminds me of the beach towns I grew up visiting in the Northeast: lots of souvenir shops, a pier for walking and fishing, and more tourist attractions than one could squeeze in during a vacation.

There’s plenty of good food in PCB, including a crepe shop adored by reviewers on Yelp, but I’d say the area’s general vibe is best described as “touristy beach town.”

The landscape changes entirely when you drive just 15 or 20 minutes to 30A. High-rise hotel chains become private rental cottages, and souvenir shops give way to luxury shopping venues.

The overall vibe seems to switch from a busy vacation spot to a place where you’d do beachfront yoga and sip freshly pressed juice before spending your day on a quiet, white-sand beach.

The beaches along 30A felt pristine.

Communities alongside 30A, like Rosemary Beach and Seaside, have some breathtaking beaches with white sand and clear blue water.

To get onto most of these, you need a wristband or beach tag — visitors can typically get one from whichever rental property they’re occupying.

I think the beaches benefit from the lack of large nearby hotels and public access. With limited visitors, there’s less of a strain on 30A’s beaches, resulting in a beautiful setting that feels more intimate.

It’s also the best spot in the area to watch the sunset.

There are some spectacular sunsets along the Gulf of Mexico, and 30A is a great place to see them.

On my trip, I especially loved watching the sunset from Bud and Alley’s, a Seaside restaurant with sweeping coastal views. Another evening, I watched the setting sun from the beach and was equally blown away by the beauty around me.

It’s easy to hop from town to town and explore 30A.

During my stay in 30A, I chose a rental property between Alys Beach and Rosemary Beach.

Fortunately, the area is very bikeable, with ample spacious sidewalks and bike lanes throughout. Lots of condos or hotels here come with bicycles, plus there are many rental companies in the area.

Often, I’d take a beach cruiser from my condo to Rosemary Beach for coffee or a meal, or I’d bike down 30A and stop to explore each town.

Since I also had a rental car, I drove to some spots farther away, such as Seaside and Santa Rosa Beach. Parking was easy to find, and the area was simple to navigate by car with my phone’s GPS.

I especially loved Seaside, which had the vibe of an upscale beach town.

My favorite spot in 30A was Seaside, a beach community where the movie “The Truman Show” was filmed.

It had beautiful beach houses, a small boardwalk area with shops and restaurants, a collection of food trucks, and an outdoor amphitheater for concerts.

I loved exploring the area. It felt relaxed and not too pretentious, but more upscale than Florida beach towns such as Fort Lauderdale, Cocoa Beach, or Panama City Beach.

It felt family-friendly, too. It’s the spot along 30A where I saw the most groups with children.

Visiting 30A’s Alys Beach felt like stepping into the Mediterranean.

If Seaside is a family-friendly upscale beach town, Alys Beach is on the opposite end of the luxury vacation spectrum.

This small community is filled with white-washed, stone vacation homes and Mediterranean-inspired architecture — it felt like a big resort.

In fact, I haven’t seen anything comparable to Alys Beach in Florida. Because of its stunning homes and high-end feel, Alys Beach feels like one of the areas least accessible to the public in 30A.

I didn’t spend much time here, especially because I saw so many residential streets with signs prohibiting the public from walking through or taking photos.

If you’re interested in vacationing in a more private area of 30A, though, Alys Beach is worth taking a look at.

Visit Rosemary Beach if you want to feel like you’re in a cute European town.

Rosemary Beach has made its rounds on TikTok, going viral for how it seems to resemble a small town in Europe.

Its downtown area is lined with cobblestone streets full of shops and al-fresco eateries, and it has a hotel complete with spires that reminded me of something I’d see in the Swiss Alps.

While there, I passed many street carts selling wares, like scarves and fresh flowers, as well as stunning homes with European-style architecture.

The area also has beautiful private beaches accessible by a key card.

There are also other unique, smaller beach communities to explore along 30A.

Seaside, Alys Beach, and Rosemary Beach are perhaps the most famous spots along 30A, but I was also impressed with the lesser-known areas I visited, such as Santa Rosa Beach.

You could make an entire day out of exploring the tiny towns and communities that make up this picturesque part of Florida.

The area has a lot of natural beauty, from its state parks to coastal dune lakes.

In addition to beaches, shopping, and dining, 30A has lots of beautiful, natural landscapes to show off.

I stopped by Eden Gardens during my visit — a 163-acre state park home to sweeping gardens, a bayou, plenty of walking trails, and centuries-old oak trees.

The area also has a collection of coastal dune lakes, a rare saltwater and freshwater phenomenon that exists in only a few places in the world.

I can’t wait to return to 30A, which is truly one of the most gorgeous destinations in Florida.

As someone who’s spent time on both the gulf and ocean side of the Sunshine State, I can say 30A is one of the most stunningly beautiful areas in all of Florida.

This means a lot coming from someone who’s lived in Florida for over a decade. Truly, few places have impressed me as much as this one.

There’s so much to see and do in the area, and it has a peaceful vibe I’ve rarely found in Florida beach towns.

I can’t wait to go back to 30A, and I think it’s the perfect destination for everything from bachelorette parties to family vacations.

This story was originally published on May 5, 2025, and most recently updated on June 17, 2026.