THIS IS NEW YORK CITY

No city in the world can match New York City's unparalleled energy, or the tremendous pride New Yorkers take in opening their arms to our more than 54 million annual visitors annually. There is always something fun, exciting and inviting to do here, no matter what kind of experience you prefer—a Broadway show, an outdoor movie or concert, a tour of a museum or historical attraction, cuisine from every world culture…the list goes on and on, with endless opportunities in each of the City's five boroughs: the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island to discover something new.

TOURISM IN NEW YORK CITY

In 2013, New York City welcomed a record 54.3 million visitors, generating $38.8 billion in direct spending and $57.3 billion in total economic impact. Tourism, the City's fifth largest industry, sustained more than 348,000 jobs. Currently home to more than 100,000 hotel rooms (and anticipated to reach 102,000 rooms by the end of the year), New York City offers visitors more options to experience—and stay in—many of the City's vibrant neighborhoods across all five boroughs. New York City has the highest share of overseas travel to the US, growing its share from 28 to 33 percent since 2007 (each growth in share point represents $750 million in direct spending). In addition, the City is the nation's number one port of entry, has the highest number of international visitors and is the number one city destination for tourism spending. The City is on track to achieve 55.8 million annual visitors by the end of this year, one full year ahead of the original 2015 timeline.

WHAT'S NEW:  NYC & COMPANY PROGRAMS

On October 27, 2014 NYC & Company announced Taylor Swift as New York City's Global Welcome Ambassador for 2014-2015. As part of the collaboration with Taylor, NYC & Company launched a global tourism campaign—Welcome To New York—named after Taylor's song of the same name from her top charting new album, 1989. As New York City's Global Welcome Ambassador, Taylor will showcase the City's unparalleled vibrancy that inspired her to write “Welcome To New York,” reinforced by the refrain “It's been waiting for you.” The Welcome To New York campaign uses Taylor's song to tell the story about New York City's five boroughs and to convey the City's unparalleled electricity. On nycgo.com/w2ny, videos featuring Taylor draw inspiration from her experience in New York City and the hospitality, creativity and inspiration she has felt since moving here. The editorial content showcases what to see and do in New York City, and encourages first-time visitors and re-inspires repeat visitors, to book a trip to New York City. In addition to the videos and articles, the website will source content from New Yorkers and visitors who share their New York City experiences on Instagram using the hashtag #W2NY.

New York City prides itself on appealing to a diverse range of visitors. Growing the family segment is a key focus for NYC & Company, having increased by 26.5 percent since the launch of the Family Ambassador program in 2009. July 8, 2014 NYC & Company announced Curious George as the city's sixth Official NYC Family Ambassador, in partnership with NBCUniversal, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (HMH) and PBS KIDS. Curious George offers tips on what families can see and do in the five boroughs, including kid-friendly NYC travel materials; guides to NYC's beaches, zoos, aquariums and museums for children; must-see green spaces such as Central Park and Prospect Park; and more (nycgo.com/curious-george).

In November 2013, NYC & Company announced the return of its Sunday Night Stays program to stimulate hotel bookings on Sundays, the day of the week that the City has room to create more demand.  As part of the new program, NYC & Company is highlighting Sunday activity including the availability of Broadway and Off-Broadway evening performances and other events and activities taking place during what is being billed as “the new Saturday.” Typically, rates on Sunday evenings are the lowest compared to other days of the week (nycgo.com/sundaynightstays).

In March 2013, NYC & Company launched Neighborhood x Neighborhood, a global campaign designed to support local businesses and encourage exploration in neighborhoods outside traditional tourist locations across the five boroughs. The program has continued through 2014 with new Presenting Sponsor Santander Bank, N.A. The sponsorship includes a redesign of the program's web page and production of taxi videos each month, bus stop shelters and street-pole banners highlighting the selected neighborhoods. Each month, new neighborhood highlights are unveiled with a press release, B-roll, photo packages and editorial content on nycgo.com/nxn.

So far, NYC & Company has highlighted:

Bronx

• Arthur Avenue and Fordham Road
• South Bronx
• City Island and Pelham Bay Park

Brooklyn

• Downtown Brooklyn
• Coney Island
• Park Slope
• Red Hook
• Williamsburg

Manhattan

• East Harlem and El Barrio
• Inwood, Harlem and Washington Heights
• Lower Manhattan
• Meatpacking District
• Lower East Side 

Queens

• Corona, Jackson Heights and Forest Hills
• Flushing
• Long Island City
• Jamaica Bay and Rockaway Beach
• Astoria

Staten Island

• Tompkinsville (“Little Sri Lanka”)
• North Shore neighborhoods of Port Richmond, Randall Manor, St. George and West Brighton
• Staten Island Beaches

NYC & Company has developed several consumer value programs to successfully drive more visitors and more activity to New York City businesses, while offering patrons incredible savings opportunities.

The first dining program of its kind, NYC Restaurant Week takes place in January/February and July/August, which are typically slower months for the restaurant industry, and the City as a whole. The program offers three-course prix fixe menus at hundreds of restaurants throughout the City (www.nycgo.com/restaurantweek). 

Following shortly after NYC Restaurant Week, Broadway Week offers New Yorkers and visitors the opportunity to see some of Broadway's best shows, with two-for-one tickets (www.nycgo.com/broadwayweek).

Similarly, Off-Broadway Week offers two-for-one tickets for performances taking place in New York City's smaller theaters (www.nycgo.com/offbroadwayweek).

For free and low-cost things to do in New York City, visit nycgo.com/free or nycgo.com/deals.  

NYCxDESIGN is New York City's official annual citywide celebration of design. The event, returning May 8-19, 2015, is produced by NYC & Company in conjunction with a steering committee, which includes leaders from major cultural institutions, top design schools and firms, designers and design stakeholders and government officials. Participating design communities include, but are not limited to, architecture, cultural organizations, graphic design, fashion design, product design and manufacturing, engineering, industrial design, interior design, landscape design and urban design. Last year the celebration featured more than 350 individual events (nycxdesign.com).

In May 2013, NYC & Company announced the city's first-ever Design Collection program, showcasing hotels that exemplify great design in all its expressions. The 18 city hotels in the Design Collection are 6 Columbus – A Sixty Hotel; Sixty LES; Chambers Hotel; Dream Downtown; Dream New York; Eventi, A Kimpton Hotel; Gansevoort Meatpacking NYC; Gansevoort Park Avenue NYC; Gild Hall, A Thompson Hotel; Hudson New York; The James New York; Le Parker Meridien New York; The Muse Hotel; Smyth Tribeca, A Thompson Hotel; W New York; W New York – Downtown; W New York – Times Square; W New York – Union Square (nycgo.com/designcollection).

For general information on New York City, see nycgo.com and for press information, see nycgo.com/press. For images, go to nycgo.com/pressphotos.

OFFICIAL NYC INFORMATION CENTERS

Official NYC Information Center at Macy's Herald Square
151 W. 34th St. (bet. Seventh Ave. and Broadway)
212-484-1222
Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E to 34th St.-Penn Station; B, D, F, M, N, Q, R to 34th St.-Herald Sq.
Hours: Mon.–Fri., 9am–7pm; Sat., 10am–7pm; Sun., 11am–7pm. Closed Thanksgiving Day.

Official NYC Information Center–City Hall
Southern tip of City Hall Park on the Broadway sidewalk at Park Row
212-484-1222
Subway: 2, 3 to Park Place; 4, 5, 6 to Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall; 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, J, Z to Fulton St.; J, Z to Chambers St.
Hours: Mon.–Fri., 9am–6pm; Sat.–Sun., 10am–5pm; holidays, 9am–3pm

Official NYC Information Center–Chinatown
212-484-1222
At the triangle where Canal, Walker and Baxter Streets meet
Subway: 6, J, N, Q, R, Z to Canal St.
Hours: Daily, 10am–6pm; holidays, 10am–3pm

Official NYC Information Center–South Street Seaport 
212-484-1222
Hornblower Cruises on the East River Waterfront Esplanade at Pier 15
Subway: 2, 3, A, C, J, Z, to Fulton St.
Hours: May–August, daily, 9am–7pm; September–April, daily, 9am–5pm 

WHAT'S NEW: GETTING AROUND NEW YORK CITY

The Number 7 Subway Line extension will bring the Flushing Line to 34th Street and 11th Avenue, at the heart of what will be Manhattan's newest neighborhood. New housing, restaurants and entertainment options are planned for the redeveloped area on the Far West Side. The new $2.4 billion project will extend the line by 1½ miles and service is expected to commence in February 2015 (www.mta.info).

WHAT'S NEW:  ARTS, CULTURE & ENTERTAINMENT

Recently Opened

SculptureCenter
Long Island City, Queens
On October 2, 2014, SculptureCenter in Long Island City, Queens unveiled its newly expanded and renovated building, adding new visitor services and amenities and improving exhibition spaces. The renovation includes a 2,000 square foot expansion of the building's structure to create a new entrance lobby, a 1,500 square foot enclosed courtyard for outdoor exhibitions and events, and 6,700 additional square feet of interior programming space. The renovated building's inaugural exhibition entitled Puddle, pothole, portal, was curated by SculptureCenter's Curator Ruba Katrib and artist Camille Henrot (sculpture-center.org).

Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital
New York Harbor
On October 1, Ellis Island's Immigrant Hospital opened to the public for the first time in sixty years. Viewers can visit the unrestored historic hospital buildings through “Hard Hat Tours” that showcase areas of the 750-bed facility. As part of the opening, “Unframed – Ellis Island,” an art exhibit, is on display, with life size historic photographs of Ellis Island immigrants installed on 16 interior walls by renowned artist JR. From 1892 to 1964, more than 12 million immigrants entered the United States through the portal of Ellis Island (nps.gov/elis/planyourvisit/guidedtours.htm).  

Metropolitan Museum of Art's David H. Koch Plaza
Upper East Side, Manhattan
The Metropolitan Museum of Art opened the new David H. Koch Plaza on September 10, 2014, with a renovated plaza, new fountains that will operate year-round, 100 new trees (double the former number), permanent and temporary seating areas and new energy-efficient and diffused nighttime lighting (metmuseum.org).

9/11 Memorial Museum
Lower Manhattan
The 9/11 Memorial Museum opened on May 21, 2014. It is the global focal point for preserving the history of the events of 9/11, documenting the impact of the attacks and exploring 9/11's continuing significance. Visitors to the new Museum enter through a pavilion located between the two Memorial reflecting pools, which includes a private space for 9/11 families and an elegant auditorium for lectures, film screenings, panel discussions, performances and other programming (911memorial.org/museum). 

Upcoming

Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum
Upper East Side, Manhattan
Smithsonian's Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum is the only museum in the nation devoted exclusively to historic and contemporary design, and is housed in the former residence of Andrew Carnegie, a New York City and National Historic Landmark. The campus also includes two historic townhouses on East 90th Street and the Arthur Ross Terrace and Garden. The museum is currently undergoing a renovation, which will enable it to expand gallery space by 60 percent, and will reopen on December 12, 2014 (cooperhewitt.org).

The Whitney Museum of American Art
Meatpacking District, Manhattan
The Whitney Museum of American Art's new building in the Meatpacking District will debut in spring 2015.  Designed by architect Renzo Piano and situated on Gansevoort Street between the High Line and the Hudson River, the new nine-story building will greatly increase the Whitney's exhibition and programming space, providing the first comprehensive view of its unsurpassed collection of modern and contemporary American art.  Expansive gallery space, indoors and out, will also be devoted to the Museum's widely influential special exhibitions, artist projects, film/ video, and performing arts programs. The building will also provide state-of-the-art facilities for enhanced education programs, as well as a Works on Paper Study Center, a conservation lab, a street-level restaurant, and a café (whitney.org/Future).

Museum of the Moving Image's Jim Henson Gallery
Astoria, Queens
In 2013, former Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that a new Jim Henson gallery will debut at the Museum of the Moving Image in 2015 through a donation of nearly 400 puppets, props and costumes by Henson's family and The Jim Henson Company. Best known for his Sesame Street and Muppets characters, his legacy will live on in the 2,200-square-foot Henson Gallery, which will also showcase Henson's sketches, storyboards, scripts and video clips (movingimage.us).

New York Spring Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall
Midtown Manhattan
On March 12, 2015 a new show will launch at Radio City Music Hall, entitled “New York Spring Spectacular.” The show will feature the famous Rockettes, known for the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and is produced in part by Academy Award and Tony Award winner Harvey Weinstein. Performances will feature a 26-foot-tall, electronically operated puppet model of the Statue of Liberty and other iconic New York City sites, and will feature original songs, classics and pop hits (rockettes.com/dance/nyss.html).

National Lighthouse Museum
St. George, Staten Island
Located on the  grounds of the original U.S. Light House Service General Depot where equipment was designed and created for all lighthouses nationwide, the National Lighthouse Museum will open its first phase, the Educational Resource Center, on April 17, 2015 (lighthousemuseum.org).  

The Staten Island Museum
Randall Manor, Staten Island
The Staten Island Museum, which serves over 80,000 people each year, is realizing a dream 40 years in the making: the expansion to Snug Harbor Cultural Center, a nationally significant historic site that was saved from demolition through the leadership and efforts of museum members in 1965. It is anticipated to open in fall of 2015 (statenislandmuseum.org).

New York Aquarium's 'Ocean Wonders: Sharks!'
Coney Island, Brooklyn
In January 2014, the Wildlife Conservation Society's New York Aquarium celebrated the groundbreaking of Ocean Wonders: Sharks!, a 57,000-square-foot building that will house more than 115 species of marine wildlife, including sharks, skates, and  rays. The historic event marked the beginning of the rebuilding and transformation of the New York Aquarium, post Hurricane Sandy. It is scheduled to be completed in 2016 (nyaquarium.com).

WHAT'S NEW: BROADWAY & OFF-BROADWAY

Recently Opened

The Real Thing (October 2)
Broadway
Starring Ewan McGregor & Maggie Gyllenhaal
(roundabouttheatre.org/shows-events/The-Real-Thing.aspx)

Love Letters (September 13)
Broadway
Starring Mia Farrow & Brian Dennehy
(lovelettersbroadway.com)

You Can't Take It With You (August 26)
Broadway

Starring James Earl Jones & Rose Byrne
(youcanttakeitwithyoubroadway.com)

It's Only a Play (August 28)
Broadway
Starring Nathan Lane, Matthew Broderick, Rubert Grint & Megan Mullally
(itsonlyaplay.com)

Upcoming

Lips Together, Teeth Apart (October 7)
Off-Broadway
Starring America Ferrerra
(2st.com/shows/current-production/lips-together-teeth-apart)

A Delicate Balance (October 20)
Broadway
Starring Glenn Close & John Lithgow
(newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/johngoldentheater/a-delicate-balance.php)

Sticks and Bones (October 21)
Off-Broadway
Starring Richard Chamberlain, Holly Hunter & Bill Pullman
(thenewgroup.org/sticks-and-bones.html)

The River (October 31)
Broadway
Starring Hugh Jackman
(theriveronbroadway.com)

Elephant Man (November 7)
Broadway
Starring Bradley Cooper
(shubert.nyc/theatres/booth)

Constellations (December 16)
Broadway
Starring Jake Gyllenhaal
(newyorkcitytheatre.com/theaters/friedmantheater/constellations.php)

Hamilton (January 20)
Off-Broadway
Starring Lin-Manuel Miranda
(publictheater.org/en/Public-Theater-Season/Hamilton)