Covid cases are plunging in NYC. Headlines like "Here Comes the Travel Boom" are everywhere. Delta reports a 450% surge in international bookings. Tourism research firms have shaved a year off the rebound timeline in their latest forecasts—U.S. hotels could be fully recovered by next year. At City Guide we certainly think so, and we're backing that with our newly redesigned magazines hitting the city next week.

With the return of international tourism imminent, pieces are falling into place. Airline routes will stabilize and other nations will follow the U.S.'s lead, unfreezing borders around the world. We are confident a significant traveler flow is coming our way. The timing is excellent for the city's holiday push. The return of tourism tracks other indicator's of the city's health, like the luxury sales market—which is breaking records with three months of the year yet to go. There are lots of bright points on the opening/reopening front as well.

The list of reopened cultural venues in NYC is lengthening; last week the FDNY FireZone reopened in a new space; the New Museum came back yesterday; today we add Fraunces Tavern Museum and the Society of Illustrators, and tomorrow MoMA PS1 returns. On the hotel side, the New York Marriott Downtown is open for guests again.

Dining atop skyscrapers and beneath world-famous bridges: anything’s possible in New York City. The Insta opportunities are endless at these restaurants offering views of the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and Central Park, among other iconic sights.

Inside one elegant townhouse on the Upper East Side, celebrity chef David Burke invites you to drink, dine, and relax at David Burke Tavern. This brand-new restaurant, which opened in early October, features a seasonally minded menu of artful cocktails and robust proteins like lobster steak, Wagyu pot roast, and Burke’s signature “Clothesline” candied bacon.

In Brooklyn’s ever-burgeoning culinary scene, renowned chefs are setting up shop in the borough and serving award-winning cuisine. But at these restaurants, don’t expect a posh place where you need to dress up. Expect a Brooklyn facade—a warehouse, a pier, a pizza parlor—with an array of fascinating dishes awaiting you inside.

The River Cafe is one of New York City’s preeminent dining institutions. The restaurant’s owner and operator Michael “Buzzy” O’Keeffe ensures it stays that way.