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From Times Square to Coney Island, All Kinds of NYC Comebacks

The city is coming back quickly, to the point where things like hover drones above Times Square seem once again to be just another part of the city's fabric. Nationally, the TSA set another passenger screening record last weekend. AAA forecasts travel volumes around July 4th will approach the record highs set in 2019. As the nation and city bounce back, we see more and more openings and returns:

The city is gaining jobs at last, led by restaurants and hotels. 400,000 NYC hotel rooms were just booked in a single week. There is still a ways to go, but we agree with the mayor's recent assessment..."this summer is going to attract a lot of activity, including a lot more tourism than we expected."

fire eater coney island sideshow

After a year's hiatus the Coney Island Circus Sideshow returns, Fridays through Sundays, effective immediately. Photo credit: Norman Blake.

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CHEF'S DINNER AT BENJAMIN STEAKHOUSE

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Members of City Guide's new experiences group Everything To Do NYC get invites to private events, with access to parts of New York the general public never gets to see. Tourism Happenings readers are welcome as well—the next opportunity comes up next week. Benjamin Steakhouse is hosting an exclusive dinner and discussion with Executive Chef Arturo McLeod. After 40 years in steakhouses, 20 at Brooklyn’s legendary Peter Luger, McLeod is a master at cooking juicy cuts of meat. Carefully dry-aged in a specially handcrafted aging box, McLeod’s steaks are cooked to absolute perfection. Join us Friday, July 2nd for a private dinner with a menu prepared solely for ETD Exclusives and a discussion with Chef McLeod on “Grilling Tips for the Summer” and “How to Cook the Perfect Steak.” Sign up now, space is limited!

About ETD Exclusives
ETD Exclusives 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.

Do you have a venue or a restaurant that is interested in bringing in full paying groups? Reach out about ETD Exclusives. Our first event, a summer kick off with celebrity chef David Burke, sold out in 36 hours. Contact David Miller, [email protected].

EDGE V. ONE WORLD | 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 36,000 city superfans sharing what they're experiencing around town. Lately we've been seeing an interesting debate on where to go, Edge or One World. One World is seeing more love, although Edge is holding its own. We've often assumed that tourists were only going to invest in one observation deck, but then there was this intriguing piece of advice: "One is iconic and one is cool and hip. Two totally different experiences with two vastly different views of the city. Can you do both?" Other members have reported multiple deck visits on their trips, making a city with 5 (or more) possibilities now seem sustainable. In addition, a member with acrophobia got some advice about paying a visit to Edge. If you're not yet a member, join us—make sure your venue is getting the respect it deserves in comments.

About the Author

Ethan Wolff is the author of numerous guidebooks to New York, having covered the city for more than two decades. He has written for New York Magazine, BlackBook, and Details, among others. In addition to his work as the editor of City Guide, Ethan covers NYC’s talk and lecture scene for the website Thought Gallery. He lives with his wife and two daughters in the Windsor Terrace neighborhood of Brooklyn.

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