Gateway Chatter
National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey
Metro New York’s three major airports – John F. Kennedy (JFK) International Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport – all are undergoing massive redevelopment. Newark’s new 1-million-square-foot terminal is expected to partially open in 2020, with a full opening by 2022. The JFK expansion includes the 505- room TWA Hotel, which will open in 2019 in the former TWA Flight Center, the gull wing-shaped 1962 landmark designed by Finnish architect Eero Saarinen. Also undergoing new construction is New York Stewart International Airport, 70 miles north of Midtown Manhattan. Building a new federal customs inspection area as part of an effort to expand international passenger service, it recently began offering transatlantic flights for the first time via low-cost carrier Norwegian Air.
Hot Hotel Scene
New York City in 2017 reported a record number of room nights and added more than 30 new hotels, with many more projects in the works in all five boroughs. Among openings in 2017 were the 612-room Moxy Hotel Times Square South, which features a carousel and rooftop mini golf-course; the 290-room AC Hotel New York Times Square, with a year-round rooftop lounge; and the 251-room Crowne Plaza New York Hudson Yards. The 445-room Hard Rock Hotel New York is set to open in spring of 2019 in Midtown Manhattan.
Attraction Overload
NFL Experience Times Square
New attractions abound in Times Square. NFL Experience Times Square brings professional football to life through a 4D film, interactive displays and physical challenges. National Geographic Encounter: Ocean Odyssey uses cutting-edge technology to transport guests on an underwater journey. Opry City Stage, an entertainment complex with live country music and a restaurant serving Southern favorites, brings a bit of Nashville to the heart of New York. Also new in Times Square is Gulliver’s Gate, which features more than 300 miniature buildings in exquisitely detailed scenes of New York and countries around the world. The brand-new $70 million Statue of Liberty Museum, set to open in 2019, will include an immersive theater experience. The historic Seaport District, on the East River near the Brooklyn Bridge, is being revitalized with trend-setting culinary, retail and cultural experiences.
New Places to Spend Money
Empire Outlets, when it opens in fall of 2018 at the base of Staten Island’s ferry terminal, will be New York City’s only outlet mall, with more than 100 designer outlet stores. More than 100 shops will be part of Hudson Yards, a 28- acre commercial/residential complex under construction on Manhattan’s West Side; when completed, it will be the largest private real estate development in U.S. history. Retail clients will include H&M, Rolex and the city’s first Neiman Marcus.