Day 473 and it ends. COVID restrictions have been lifted in New York. Yesterday the governor's office made the announcement as the state hit the 70% adult vaccination threshold. This means no more social distancing or capacity limits—at least as far as the state is concerned—for sports, malls, gyms, movie theaters, or camps. Health screening is done. So is contact tracing. Despite the many losses of these past 473 days, we expect the city to move to a more celebratory stance, and the latest slate of launches supports that:
- The Late Show with Stephen Colbert hosts full capacity, vaccinated audience
- New public park Pier 76 has opened
- One World Observatory expands programming, including Chef’s Table, Sky Yoga, and paint and sip experiences
- July 4th fireworks show is on, will be "bigger than ever"
- Ticker tape parade to fête front-line workers on July 7th
- Blue Man Group will make its colorful return to the Astor Place Theatre on September 3rd
- The New York International Antiquarian Book Fair (NYIABF) is back at the Park Avenue Armory for its 61st edition, September 9th-12th
- The New York Philharmonic releases new season schedule, debuting September 17th
- Brew at the Zoo hits the Bronx Zoo on September 17th
- The Book of Mormon has its opening date: November 5th
New York's COVID positivity rate has plummeted to below half of a percent, one of the lowest rates in the nation. The city is responding accordingly.
Countryside at the United Nations, curated by AMO, opened this week at the United Nations Headquarters. This publicly accessible exhibition looks at rural transformations, spinning off from the recent Guggenheim exhibition Countryside, The Future. The exhibition runs until July 29th. Photograph by Noam Ekhaus, Courtesy of OMA.
LINKS OF INTEREST
NYC
- Updated Broadway reopening dates
- Cabs and subways are back in style
- Subway ridership continues to break COVID era records
- City's Office of Nightlife issues an updated report
- ...including a call for a museum of nightlife
- La Tombola takes over massive Childs Restaurant space in Coney Island
- Coyote Ugly reopens today in new East Village space
- Kossar’s Bagels & Bialys to open second location in Chelsea
NATIONAL
- Leisure travel ramps up
- Allianz predicts record-breaking spending on summer travel
- Domestic travel bookings at 95% of May 2019 figures
- Air travel breaks COVID era record
- United says surge in travel will stave off layoffs
- Hotel industry to return with changed business models
- Retail rebound could be bigger than expected
- ...although the shift is on from goods to services
- US, UK working to reopen Atlantic corridor
EVERYTHING TO DO EXCLUSIVES | RIPLEY'S BELIEVE IT OR NOT! HYPNO PARTY!!!
ETD Exclusives from City Guide and Davler Media opens doors to private experiences not available to the public. Want to have dinner with a world-renowned chef, a docent-led behind-the-scenes tour of a museum, or a private experience at an iconic NYC attraction? ETD Exclusives has them—plus you can meet great people.
Ripley's Believe It or Not! has arranged a night to mesmerize ETD Exclusives members. Thursday, June 24th, Ripley's will close the museum to provide private access. A sword-swallowing docent will lead a behind-the-scenes tour. That's followed by hypno-magician Jerry Powers, with a Vegas-style performance, plus drinks and dinner. Want to join us? Reservations are still available.
BATTLE OF THE BRIDGES: THIS WEEK'S TIPS FROM EVERYTHING TO DO FACEBOOK GROUP
Looking for on-the-round reporting about the city? Everything To Do NYC Facebook Group brings together 35,000 city superfans sharing what they're experiencing around town. This week we got more intel on the Harry Potter store opening, including the latest on the changing admission policies. We also saw some interesting responses to the question of best bridge to walk, Williamsburg or Brooklyn. In good New York fashion, there was a groundswell of support for an unlisted option, the Manhattan Bridge. People posted tons of photos, gave itinerary advice, and revealed how people are interacting with the city. If you're not yet a member, join us—make sure your venue is getting the respect it deserves in comments.
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WHAT TO DO IN NYC
Every passing day there's more to do—safely—in the city. Stay in the loop with:
- This Week in the City
- The city's latest openings and happenings on City Guide's Instagram and Facebook
- Activities geared to parents and families on our sister site nymetroparents.com
- The only site dedicated to the city's talks, lectures, and smart culture: Thought Gallery
- Keep up with the latest tourism news for NYC. Find our archive of weekly articles here. Join the NYC Tourism Industry Professionals (NYC TIP) Facebook Group here.
