Tropical Gardening: Harlem gives Hawaii hope – Hawaii Tribune-Herald
Tropical Gardening: Harlem gives Hawaii hope Hawaii Tribune-Herald
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The world’s largest indoor beachfront waterpark just opened in New Jersey
New Jersey’s Atlantic City just got a new distinction—it is now home to the world’s largest indoor beachfront waterpark.
Starting this weekend, visitors to the casino haven can head to Showboat—a family-friendly resort with the largest arcade in the world, go-kart racing, minigolf, roller skating and more—to the new ISLAND Waterpark.
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At 120,000 square feet, ISLAND Waterpark holds more than 317,000 gallons of water that cascades down 11 curvy slides (the Electric Eel, Sonic Serpent and Barracuda Blaster), three “Tidal Racers” and five waterslides suitable for younger visitors at Slide Island.
The park also has a 1,000 square-foot Wild Wave FlowRider surf simulator that will host surfing tournaments and lessons, a Blue Cascade Waterfall, a 30-foot-tall Indoor Tree House that can be booked for private parties, an Adventure Pool for water sports, a 6,500 square-foot Island Drift Lazy River for those who just want to relax, and a Kids Cove with interactive water activities designed for younger visitors.
There’s also a 1,000-foot Coconut Zero-Gravity Coaster that takes guests on a ride suspended high above the waterpark and offers spectacular panoramic views of the ocean and boardwalk and a 300-foot-long RipTide Zip Line.
You don’t need to bring a kid to enjoy the water park, either. There are six bars that serve up craft beers, curated wines and signature cocktails, and “Paradise Adult Island,” a 10,000-square-foot space with an adults-only pool with the only swim-up bar in Atlantic City that faces the Atlantic Ocean. This space also has Peloton bikes, manicure stations, chair massages, workspaces, VIP cabanas and more for those who might want more than water at the waterpark. At night, ISLAND Waterpark transforms into a nightlife venue for adults only—the first of its kind at any waterpark, reps say.
The park’s roof is also retractable and can be used for projection displays, such as stars or island imagery.
“Atlantic City has long been one of the most iconic destinations for entertainment geared for adults, but now the ISLAND Waterpark at The Showboat Resort will open up a whole new world of family entertainment on the boardwalk,” said Bart Blatstein, Tower Investments CEO and Showboat owner. “When people see this they will be blown away; it is truly like entering a tropical paradise and the best part is that people—both kids and adults—will be able to enjoy it all year round.”
Summer admission rates start at $89 for daytime general admission. Twilight Admission starts at $69 from 4 to 8pm. All-Access VIP admission starts at $119, which includes admission into the exclusive and luxurious Paradise Adult Island, Bliss Pool, and the swim-up bar. Members of the military and Atlantic City’s first responders received a $10 discount. Children under three are admitted for free.
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This Is The Tourist Destination In NYC That Disappoints Tourists The Most
As they say, New York is never a mistake…however this one particular destination is.
A team of researchers and data analysts identified which cities are the most overvalued globally, and then which tourist destinations in each city are the most disappointing to tourists.
And, as us New Yorkers have been trying to tell tourists for, like, ever, New York’s most disappointing tourist destination is, drumroll, please….Times Square!
Okay, now dare we say Times Square isn’t all that bad–they are hosting nearly 100 free open-air concerts and events this summer and there would be no New Year’s without the iconic ball drop (watched only through the TV, of course)–but between swarms of bees, all those questionable characters walking around, and the suffocating crowds, it’s a no from us.
As for our spot on the list, we ranked as the 73rd most overrated city, with only 7.5% of disappointed tourists. So we’re obviously not all bad (though we already knew that).
As for the cities that are apparently the most overrated though, the top five goes to Bangkok, Thailand, Antalya, Türkiye, Singapore, Singapore, Munich, Germany, and Rimini, Italy.
And our friends over in Miami came in sixth, but hey, don’t shoot the messenger!
The full ranking can be found here.
The post This Is The Tourist Destination In NYC That Disappoints Tourists The Most appeared first on Secret NYC.
There are now dueling designs for the new Penn Station
That long-planned Penn Station makeover just got interesting: on Wednesday, June 28, ASTM North America announced a design proposal for the midtown railroad hub, the busiest transportation facility in the Western Hemisphere. The private development firm estimates that its plan would cost $6 billion—a cheeky billion bucks less than the other contending renovation plan backed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
The ASTM plan involves an overhaul of the station, including buying and demolishing the Hulu Theater from Madison Square Garden to make room for two new train halls, reports The New York Times, as well as wrapping the iconic concert arena in stone facade to incorporate into the overall design. The grand entrance on Eighth Avenue will feature 55-foot ceilings and a 105-foot atrium, and the overall renovation would help to reduce congestion and provide easier rider access to the station’s 21 train tracks. If chosen, the firm’s plan could reportedly be complete within six years.
“The plan for A New Penn Station embraces and grows upon Gov. Kathy Hochul’s clear vision for a historic revitalization of the world’s busiest transit hub. A grand new train hall accessible from Eighth Avenue not only increases accessibility from the street to platform, but it allows for a space full of light and air,” reads ASTM’s “A New Penn Station” site.
“The plan for A New Penn Station creates and activates public space along the entire block, and incorporates thoughtful designs that take into consideration the needs of the sites’ various stakeholders. By working together as a public-private partnership, we can deliver results at an accelerated timeline with significantly reduced cost and risk to New York State and taxpayers.”
The new plan has allegedly ruffled feathers over at the MTA, whose CEO Janno Lieber has previously criticized the designs for being “too generous” to MSG, saying at a board meeting on Tuesday, June 27: “You don’t need to have the ASTM plan, also known as the Madison Square Garden Plan, executed to bail out Madison Square Garden and give them a billion dollars. This is a plan by one private sector company that apparently is seeking a sole-source contract—a noncompetitive contract award—from the MTA.” (For the record, the MTA plan reportedly includes many similar upgrades to the station, save for that Eighth Avenue grand entrance.)
So which plan will ultimately be chosen? On Monday, June 26, Governor Kathy Hochul announced that the “start of the design process” had begun for the Penn Station makeover, but she is open to all ideas for the station. “Governor Hochul is moving full-speed ahead with plans to improve Penn Station and put commuters first,” a spokesperson for the governor said in a statement. “Once the preliminary design phase of this project is complete, the RFP process for the construction phase will begin and we will review all submissions.”
Check out interior and exterior renderings from ASTM North America below:
