If you haven’t been following me on Instagram, you might not have seen that I recently started hosting AirBnb Photography Experiences in Central Park. I’ve had a lot of people ask how these experiences are panning out and I’ve had a lot of people misunderstand that I am, in fact, not putting my apartment on airbnb.

Firstly, AirBnb Experiences are for anyone in New York City, whether they are actual Airbnb guests or not. And they are not “stays” they are “experiences” or fun/unique/local activities you can participate in while in the city you live in or visit.

If you’ve booked with AirBnb recently, you might have noticed that after you book in a certain city, a whole page of Experiences is suggested after you’ve purchased your stay. Maybe you don’t know what to do in the city you’re visiting. Maybe you wish your visit wasn’t so touristy and could feel more “local”. Maybe you’re going on a solo trip and want to meet new people. That’s where AirBnb Experiences shine. They provide an opportunity for you to get to know and interact with locals.

How did I get involved in hosting experiences?

This past summer, a friend and I were talking about my discouragement with choosing an artistic path in life. I’ve been photographing weddings, couples, and solo portraits for seven years now…. But I won’t lie, it has never amounted to much of part time or full time job. I was explaining that I’m gifted in so many different ways (beyond my eye for portraits), but I feel like I’m not sure how to channel my gifting into something people would actually want to invest in. I mentioned how much I love getting coffee with people, showing them Central Park when they visit, and how much fun I thought it would be to combine coffee, touristing, and photography into one big thing. And she immediately told me I should do exactly that (even though it’s weird and niche) and create a full AirBnb Experience centered around all of those things.

So, I did. I put together the most basic, fun, and “Stacie” experience I could think of: Coffee, Dessert, and Photos in Central Park. Fully expecting no one to sign up, except… they did. And after about a month of Photo Sessions, I’ve been able to meet so many cool people and do this really weird niche thing and really really enjoy it.

I’ve met NASA Engineers, couples adopting, couples celebrating their engagement, travelers hitting up NYC for a weekend, and friends celebrating their 30th birthday with a best friend photoshoot (with matching coats and everything). I love seeing each of them get excited about the park of this crazy city in their own way. I love their excitement knowing they will have these photos of their adventure to New York City for the rest of their lives.

If you know a friend, colleague, or family member traveling to or living in New York City who might enjoy a walk in the park with some dessert and coffee, you can send them the link to my Airbnb Profile and they can pick from the variety of experiences I offer. These experiences will continue to happen even as the winter unfolds in NYC.