There you are, standing in the miserable cold (or perhaps the comfortable mild…given how the temp has been in the city) and you are waiting for the ball to drop at Times Square. Guess what. You could be a part of a very significant record. Yes, officials are predicting that 44 million people will come to the Big Apple by the end of 2006. Some 1.25 million of those will arrive this week alone. Tourism is big here, tho. It supports some 350,000 jobs and generates $24 billion annually for New York (really?). Mayor Michael Bloomberg loves the green and is pushing to attract millions more tourists. He hopes for New York to draw 50 million annual visitors by 2015. Mike, relax. Take a chill pill. That’s one HELL of a lot of people.
Part of me wants to rejoice that my beloved city of Manhattan is kicking arse. Another part of me wants to cry for the legions of tourists that will descend (that HAVE descended upon the city this year…and yes, I’ve notice. It hurts). Well, if you happen to be one of these 1.25 million, I guess I should offer you a link to a guide of New York City.