All the Reasons to Visit New York in 2019

The coming year is a monumental one for New York City. Even though you probably don't need another reason to visit, these are some of the highlights on the Big Apple's 2019 calendar.

Hudson Yards dining and shopping precinct

The biggest development in New York City since the Rockefeller Center, Hudson Yards is essentially a new neighbourhood on Manhattan’s west side that will encompass more than 100 new restaurants and stores when unveiled in March 2019. Culinary highlights include Mercado Little Spain, a food hall and market dubbed ‘the Spanish version of Eataly’, new restaurants from celebrity chefs Thomas Keller and David Chang and New York’s first Neiman Marcus department store, with more exciting venues still to be announced.

Vessel at Hudson Yards

Vessel is a 15-storey climbable public art installation comprised of 154 interconnecting sets of stairs designed by British architect Thomas Heatherwick. Visitors are encouraged to explore the surreal structure, which has more than 2,500 steps, and take in views of the NYC skyline from 80 different landings. Considered to be the centrepiece of Hudson Yards, Vessel, a ticketed experience, is due to officially open in March 2019.

The Statue of Liberty Museum

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Visiting the Statue of Liberty is about to get even more exciting thanks to a new 2,400 square metre museum opening on Liberty Island in May 2019. Housed in a state-of-the-art eco-friendly building, The Statue of Liberty Museum will feature educational exhibitions about the statue, artefacts such as the original 1600 kilogram torch (the statue’s current torch is an energy efficient version which replaced the original in 1984), a screening room showing films about New York City history and immigration, and close-up views of Lady Liberty herself, as well as Ellis Island and Manhattan from the rooftop. Entry is included in the cost of the ferry ticket to Liberty Island and Ellis Island.

The Observation Deck at Hudson Yards

Expected to open sometime in 2019, the Observation Deck at Hudson Yards will be the tallest viewing platform in the Western Hemisphere. The glass-encased space on the 100th floor of 30 Hudson Yards will jut out 20 metres and offer a new perspective of New York City from the west side of Manhattan, especially of the Hudson River and looking east towards the Empire State Building.

The Museum of Modern Art expansion

A massive expansion at the Museum of Modern Art will be unveiled in 2019. The $450 million project will see MoMA gain 30 per cent more exhibition space, a state-of-the art studio and performance centre, more events, and commission many new works from leading and emerging artists from around the world.

The Shed

An eight-level arts, culture and performance space is set to open within the Hudson Yards development in March 2019. Among the confirmed commissions so far is a Steve McQueen exhibition, new work by conceptual artist Trisha Donnelly and a celebration of African-American music.

The High Line Plinth

The High Line, the 2.3-kilometre stretch of disused railway track turned elevated urban park, is getting a new public art space in April 2019. Opening at the High Line’s northern end, the Plinth will feature a large-scale sculpture or installation that rotates every 18 months. The first piece is a towering five-metre tall bronze bust of an African-American woman by acclaimed visual artist Simone Leigh, who has works in the Guggenheim.

Museum Of The Dog

A fine arts museum housing works dedicated to man’s best friend is relocating from Saint Louis, Missouri, to New York City. Dog lovers can admire more than 4,000 paintings, sculptures and other works, as well educational exhibitions. Run by the American Kennel Club, it will open in Midtown in 2019.

WorldPride 2019

WorldPride, the annual global celebration of the LGBT community, is being held in New York City in June 2019 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots – recognised as the foundation of the gay rights movement. Spanning the entire month, New York will host a Pride March – the biggest gay rights celebration in the world – a human rights conference, a street festival, film, music and other cultural events. Much of the action will be at Pride Island, a musical performance space on Pier 97 at Hudson River Park (previous acts have included Ariana Grande and Jennifer Lopez).

Hermes Meatpacking District store

A three-level, 3000 square-metre Hermes store is coming to Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. Designed by Parisian architecture firm RDAI, it will reportedly have a more casual atmosphere than other Hermes store and feature yet-to-be-unveiled shopping experience technology. The Birkin bonanza is set to open on Gansevoort Street in the New York spring of 2019.

Buzz-worthy Broadway

There’s a host of Broadway productions joining the usual suspects in Times Square in 2019. Buy tickets early for Hillary and Clinton (19 April), Beetlejuice (25 April), Tina: The Tina Turner Musical (Spring) and Dreamgirls (TBC).

TWA Hotel

A hip hotel in an abandoned airport terminal will make staying near JFK infinitely more appealing when it opens in the New York spring. TWA was an airline synonymous with the glamorous 1960s era of air travel and the hotel brings those days back to life with mid-century interior design, an on-site museum about the now defunct airline and an enormous rooftop deck and pool for watching the planes land and take off. Late arrivals and early departures just became much less painful (and much more martini-filled).

Image credit: Emily Gilbert