After tempting us with the prospect three years ago, Air New Zealand is finally taking Kiwis directly to the Big Apple. The airline last week announced the launch date of its new direct Auckland to New York service, which will kick off on September 17.
Here's what we can't wait to see, do and eat when we get there.
You may know about Chinatown but there's a whole world of ethnic enclaves scattered around the city if you know where to look.
Visit Koreatown on West 32nd St, Manhattan for a slice of Seoul, or travel to Tompkinsville, Staten Island to see Little Sri Lanka. An equally miniature Caribbean can be found in Flatbush, Brooklyn, while you can get a nice flat white and vegemite toast in Little Australia along Mulberry St in downtown Manhattan.
New York may be getting less concrete and more jungle with its latest additions. Tour the top of the Javits Centre where their state-of-the-art 3-hectare green roof is a sanctuary for local birds, bees and other wildlife. Then, stop by the city's newest park, Little Island. It may require a reservation, but this futuristic floating park on the water is worth it.
Fashion fans will love Brooklyn Museum's Virgil Abloh: Figures of Speech, which opens in July and runs until the end of January. Or walk along the High Line and catch the first public sculpture by Meriem Bennani, which is unveiled in June and will be in place for a year.
Broadway is back with a bang, starring well-worn favourites and brand new shows, including the theatre adaptation of Khaled Hosseini's New York Times' bestseller The Kite Runner, which launches in July and runs until late October. It will be performed at the 600-seat Hayes Theatre, the smallest on Broadway, so Kiwis should get their September/October tickets booked now. Or nab a ticket to a classic you can sing along to, like Wicked or Moulin Rouge.
Europe has long been famous for its international food halls and New York has taken note. In the past few months, The Hugh launched in Midtown's Citigroup centre, Hudson Yards opened a massive food hall called Citizens and West Harlem now boasts Manhattanville Market.
Rumour has it this is just the beginning, with news of a giant Singaporean-inspired hawker centre and African food hall on the horizon.
For more information about the new direct Auckland to New York route, see airnz.co.nz
