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Cititour’s Look Back at 2024
December 30, 2024, 8:04.53 pm ET

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Sushidelic Monster Girls/Cititour.com

As we head into 2025, Cititour looks back at the stories that captured our attention in New York City in 2024.

What’s old in new again. Lundy Bros is making a comeback in Red Hook, but can it top the original in Sheepshead Bay?

New York City puts its country on with the arrival of honky tonkin' Desert 5 Spot in Williamsburg and more recently Common Country in Kip’s Bay.

The Four Seasons Hotel made a triumphant return after years of absence and bringing with it, two new restaurants.

Employees Only Took us back to the Roaring 20s as the speakeasy celebrated its 20th Anniversary.

Momoya’s KwangHo Lee sat down for an interview and unveiled plans for a massive new restaurant in Bryant Park in 2025.

New Yorkers became obsessed with a vintage Old Friend photo booth on Orchard Street.

We paid a visit to the “Monster Girls” as we learned the art of Kawaii at Sushidelic, courtesy of Sebastian Masuda.

We were drawn in by Yawning Cobra, a seductive new subterranean bar in NoHo starring mixologist Sota Kandaka.

Photo: The Vessel/Cititour.com

The Vessel reopened at Hudson Yards with special netting aimed at preventing suicide jumpers.

The DUMBO Archway Plaza got a redo with sculptured seating and a special projection system to illuminate art on the Manhattan Bridge.


Photo: New York Transit Museum

It was also the year that the New York City subway system celebrated its 120th Anniversary with an amazing exhibit from the Transit Museum.

Sushicon took a bite out of New York with a massive tuna that was carved up and eaten on the spot.

Mechanical issues shut down the Coney Island Cyclone rollercoaster briefly, but it lives to ride another day.


Photo: Cititour.com

A herd of elephants stampeded the Meatpacking District with a stop-you-in-your-tracks art exhibit aimed at saving them.

Bird Box captured our attention with its chicken sandwich, claw and all, served from a ghost kitchen in Times Square.

We sat down with restaurateur Adrien Gallo to discuss his underground empire inside a train station at 50th Street in Midtown.


Photo: Cititour.com

The Grand Brasserie made a splash at Grand Central's Vanderbilt Hall with with a beautiful spot for cocktails and French cuisine while waiting to catch a train.

Pastrami Queen did the unthinkable offering a meatless pastrami sandwich at Moynihan Food Hall.

New rules kicked n for NYC’s outdoor dining sheds forcing them to be removed for the winter. We’ll see how many return in the spring.


Photo: Central Park Boathouse

The Central Park Boathouse reappeared after a massive renovation restoring it to its former glory.

Stonewall National Monument Visitor Center opened in the Village becoming the first LGBTQIA+ visitor center in the National Park Service.

The Banksy Museum, featuring 160 works from the famous street artist, opened its doors in SoHo.


Photo: Noah Fecks

Pizzaiola Giorgia Caporuscio at Don Antonio taught us how to make a proper pie after being named Pizza Maker of the Year.

Chef Charles Gabriel, the chef/owner Charles Pan Fried Chicken, gave us the scoop on plans for a Brooklyn expansion.

Cititour also sat down with Jasmine Gerard on her Caribbean expansion plans in Midtown.


Photo: Cititour.com

The Annual Mermaid Parade in Coney Island got our attention as we ushered in the summer in the city.

Morgenstern’s and Russ & Daughters teamed up to bring us our first Chocolate Babka Ice Cream Bar and Sesame Bagel Ice Cream Sandwich.

We enjoyed a performance from the lovely Satin Dolls for the price a pastrami on rye at USA Brooklyn Delicatessen in Times Square.


Photo: Cititour.com

The New York to Dublin Portal went online in Flatiron, but quickly went dark due to lewd behavior on both sides.

A 65-foot hotdog landed in Times Square and the tourists ate it up.

Late Night’s returned to Veselka with 24/7 service, as nightlife in the city continues to recover from the pandemic albeit slowly.

Bad Roman surprised us with a Tequila Alfredo cocktail with fresh parmesan shaved on top.


Photo: Cititour.com

We noshed on smash burgers at Smacking Burger inside a West Village gas station.

Zaab Zaab’s burger on a sticky rice bun at Essex Market lit up the Internet with more than 256 thousand views on Instagram.

Jupiter’s Porchetta Truck got our juices flowing at Rockefeller Center.


Photo: Cititour.com

Our favorite lobster dish arrived in the form of a cone from Red Hook Lobster Pound in Bryant Park.

We hit the roof at St Cloud for some cocktails with stylish views of Times Square.

We bid farewell to star chefs James Kent of Saga and industry legend, David Bouley, best known for his restaurants, Danube and Brushstroke.

La Grenouille, a French fixture for years in the city, shut its doors for good.


PhotoL Gulaabo/Clay Williams

Punjabi spot Gulaabo shut its Times Square location, but it sister restaurant, Baar Baar, is alive and well.

The secretive Frog Club, in the former Chumley's space, croaked.

It was the end of the line for the once popular Market Line Food Hall on the Lower East Side.


Photo: Cititour.com

And we bid farewell to the 99-Cent slice as shops began boosting prices to a-buck-50.

That is just a slice of what New York City had to offer in 2024. We invite you to explore the site and can't wait to serve you in 2025!



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