It recently became legal for California

You can mask it with paint, but in order to totally remove the residue you have to scrape the walls,” Carrillo said, then put on primer and more layers of paint. Countertops and cabinets may also need intense cleansing treatments.   

The landlord was partly inspired to make the change after spending $4,000 on insulation, caulking and other efforts to find and cover every possible opening between a smoker’s apartment and a nonsmoker’s apartment.

Since a majority of the company’s tenants were nonsmokers, company officials reasoned, “Why not go smoke-free?” Carrillo said.

The state Legislature approved a law that went into effect in January allowing landlords to prohibit smoking in rental units.

Developer Sares-Regis made a new 580-unit apartment complex in Pasadena smoke-free last year, even though the state ruling wasn’t in place. Tenants and visitors who felt compelled to puff could be seen lighting up across the street from the 8-acre Westgate Apartments near Old Pasadena.

A walk across the Brooklyn Bridge is something I like to do on every single visit to the "Big Apple". If I'm staying in Manhattan then I like to walk across to DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass). If I'm staying in Brooklyn then I like to walk over to Manhattan. I thoroughly enjoy the walk across this iconic landmark every time I'm in NYC, but to walk across at dusk and see the sunset over New York City is amazing every time!

When you are on the bridge you'll see the locals running and walking. You'll hear 20 different languages from the groups of tourists coming to see the bridge. You'll see Japanese and Korean tourists with their giant SLR cameras (I'm one to talk)! You'll see couples taking self portraits of themselves. Be sure to watch out for bicyclists and stay in the walking lane. And you'll have a great view of Brooklyn to one side and an amazing view of Manhattan on the other side.

On the contrary I would not recommend walking across the Manhattan Street Bridge due to the noisy train and a lack of good lighting, but if you want to get off the beaten track then this is also an option for great views of the city and to see the Brooklyn bridge from afar.

I would recommend having dinner and drinks in DUMBO. There are some amazing cafes, coffee shops, chocolate boutiques, and restaurants in this hip Brooklyn neighborhood. "Superfine" is my personal favorite restaurant in DUMBO with a rotating menu based on what can be purchased locally and in season.