Amelia Whitehart February 1, 2021

High quality New York travel tips in 2021? Continue the #FreeBritney movement with a night of Britney-themed drag Bingo at The Cauldron every Thursday! The Cauldron’s reigning drag queen, Holly Box-Springs, will host the nights, which will feature Britney’s biggest tunes, themed prizes including #FreeBritney masks, complimentary ‘Toxic’ welcome shots made with Mezcal and Strawberry Liquor (Non-Toxic options available); and specialty dishes including, Oops, I Hummus Again (w/ Classic, Beet or Carrot); I’m Not A Girl, Nachos A Woman (Plantain chips w/ choice of beef or lamb); and I’m a Slave, for Smoked Street Corn (w/ Chilli Butter or Sumac). Ten percent of drink sales will go to the TranslatinX Network. For reservations, call 917-635-1960 or e-mail leah.s@thecauldron.io. Entry is free but guests are strongly encouraged to book due to limited capacity.

The Mean Girls Broadway ticket market provides numerous options when it comes to buying tickets. In general, we can divide the market into primary and secondary. To put it simply – the primary market is the ticket box office (the box office at the August Wilson, the TKTS around Times Square, and the ticket booths of the different providers), and secondary – the online market (this the resale market). The cheapest possible option is the box office at the August Wilson Theater. But being the cheapest and most popular option of all, it runs out of tickets the quickest. However, if you still manage to snag some tickets there, feel free to use the code “MGBOX” for an additional discount.

Vaccination availability has been poor so far. Places have no appointments even for seniors as myself. Given this and the aforementioned reluctance of some, we may see another lost summer here with closings, etc. We had hopes things might be under control, but that seems not the case. Dr. Fauci, a leading government expert in the field, mentioned that things might not return to normal until the fall of 2021. Whether new variants arise that will be resistant to the current vaccines is another concern. See many more details on Travel to New York 2021.

Lined with huge, brilliantly lit billboards and screens, Times Square is the place to go in New York in the evening, but still exciting at any time of day. This is the location of New York’s New Year’s Eve Celebrations and the famous “ball drop” at midnight, when the square and surrounding streets are filled with people. Times Square is busy and perpetually crowded but has its own unique appeal. Bleachers set up at one end are a great place to take a break and appreciate the scene. Formerly Longacre Square, Times Square was named in 1904 after the New York Times tower. The newspaper first posted current headlines along its moving sign, the first of its kind in the world, in 1928.

The Statue of Liberty has to be on your NYC itinerary! Though the line for the ferry from Battery Park is long, if you get there early, you can avoid most of it. (Come late and you’ll have to wait a few hours.) The Statue of Liberty is spectacular to see up close (she’s as big as you imagine), but the real highlight of this combo is Ellis Island, where you can learn about the immigrant experience and get a sense of the people who helped build NYC (you’ll even find my family’s name inscribed on the wall!). There’s such a great sense of history there that you can’t help but be impressed. Tip: If the line’s too long and you don’t want to wait, take the free Staten Island ferry for photos of the statue and harbor. Discover even more info on https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k13476134-New_York_in_Summer_2021_What_should_I_be_aware_of-New_York_City_New_York.html.