NYC Travel Recommendations Surge
Travel enthusiasts are sharing NYC must-dos including Rangers games, Vanessa's Dumplings, Katz's Deli, High Line walks, Met/MoMA visits, Broadway shows, and Nintendo World. Chicago earned praise as the second-best city after NYC for art, culture, and food, while New Orleans suggestions include restaurants, streetcar rides, lakes/river tours, and French Quarter exploration.
- New York City's tourism sector is nearing a full post-pandemic recovery, with 62.2 million visitors in 2023 and a projection of over 64 million for 2024, approaching the 2019 record of 66.6 million. This activity is projected to generate a record $4.9 billion in tax revenue for the city in fiscal year 2024. - The Broadway League reported that for the 2023-2024 season, theaters were filled to nearly 90% capacity, with attendance reaching 12.3 million and grosses totaling $1.54 billion. The average age of a Broadway theatergoer was 42, and international tourists accounted for 21% of the audience. - Katz's Delicatessen, founded in 1888, serves an estimated 15,000 pounds of pastrami, 8,000 pounds of corned beef, and 12,000 hot dogs each week. It gained global recognition after being featured in the 1989 film *When Harry Met Sally* and is also known for its World War II slogan, "Send A Salami To Your Boy In The Army". - Vanessa's Dumpling House was started in 1999 by Vanessa Weng, who wanted to introduce Beijing-style dumplings to a Chinatown then dominated by Cantonese cuisine. After a slow start that saw her initial partner leave after three months, the Eldridge Street location is now considered an anchor for the block. - The High Line, a 1.45-mile-long park built on a former elevated railroad, attracted eight million visitors in 2019. The park's creation is credited with catalyzing over $2 billion in new development and is projected to generate more than $1.4 billion in tax revenue for the city by 2027. - The Nintendo NY store in Rockefeller Center originally opened in 2001 as The Pokémon Center before being rebranded. The 10,000-square-foot store was renovated in 2016 to include a 15-foot gaming screen and new interactive demo units.
