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If you’re in need of a quick vacation but have no idea where to go, we have a great idea: Amtrak recently announced its fall travel flash sale, offering steep discounts for train trips all across the country—including several from New York City. The catch? You have to book your journey by this Wednesday, August 7.  

The current sales apply to trips taken between Wednesday, August 14 and Thursday, October 31, 2024, which is a pretty wide range if you ask us.

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Here are some more details: the deal will get you a 30% discount on flex fare prices for routes across the country, no promo code needed. Some exciting examples include a $55 one-way ticket to Washington, D.C. from New York, another one from Boston to New York and a $70 one-way trip from Chicago to the Big Apple.

There are also discounted tickets that will take you all the way South (and back), including $93 one-way passes to Savannah, Georgia from New York and $109 one-way tickets from New Orleans to New York.

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to travel on Amtrak’s business class, now you can check it out for yourself: premium seats from New York to D.C. are going for as low as $109 each way.

Just in case you needed an extra push, let us exult the praises of trains: for one, a trip on one does not require a meeting with TSA. The mode of transport is also more eco-friendly than jet setting: on average, Amtrak travelers’ greenhouse gas emissions are 72 percent lower than flying. Third, you’ll actually get to enjoy the different landscapes while you travel. 

To explore Amtrak’s limited-time fall deals, check out their website. 

* This article was originally published here

We all know the stunning NYC skyline views that can be enjoyed via Governors Island, and soon we’ll be able to soak in those views at the island’s brand new three-part dining and events concept!

The Trust for Governors Island recently announced that the team behind long-time Governors Island vendor Taco Vista–including David Hitchner and Zach Mack of Alphabet City Beer Co. and Michelin-Star Executive Chef Eduard Frauneder–are working together to bring a stunning new space to the island’s historic Building 140, constructed in the mid-1800s as a munitions warehouse.

And the best part–it’ll be nestled right on the waterfront!

The building’s historical facade will be carefully restored, while the interior will be completely renovated to create a modern, multi-use food and beverage concept.

Accounting for 10,000 square feet, the project will be comprised of three distinct venues:

• Priscilla’s: a year-round café serving coffee, pastries, and light lunch fare with an expanded menu on its waterfront terrace consisting of cocktails, local beers, and small production wines with a coastal Mediterranean-inspired menu
• The Riverline: an indoor-outdoor full-service restaurant that will have the ability to host special events
• Taco Vista: a reimagined Taco Vista serving family-friendly Mexican fare and drinks

And since Taco Vista has been operating as just a seasonal concept since 2018, the new space will give visitors the chance to indulge in Governors Island’s delicious culinary offerings year-round.

The project builds upon the Trust’s recent milestone of opening Governors Island to the public year-round and supports the long-term vision to breathe new life into the island’s 50 landmarked former military buildings. 

New York State Assemblyman Charles Fall stated:

Governors Island is set to become an even more vibrant all-season destination with the addition of these new dining options. The restoration of historic Building 140 alongside these exciting food venues enhances the island’s cultural and recreational appeal. It’s a fantastic space for New Yorkers to explore, learn, and enjoy outdoor activities.

Construction is anticipated to begin in the winter of this year (2024) and be completed in fall 2025.

And that’s not all that’s happening on Governors Island–the island’s QC NY Spa is currently undergoing a 15K-square-foot expansion consisting of waterfalls, a lavender room, an Italian bistro, and more. Read more about this here.

The post A Massive Year-Round Restaurant, Café, & Outdoor Terrace Heads To Governors Island appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

Have you ever had fancy fried chicken? Well, COQODAQ might be your newest chance to try it here in NYC.

Now over half a year operating in the heart of Flatiron, the new fried chicken spot continues to impress in the New York City dining scene, and comes from Gracious Hospitality Management, the restaurant group behind Michelin-starred and James Beard-nominated COTE Korean Steakhouse.

More specifically visionary and award-winning restaurateur Simon Kim, he brings his Korean heritage and philosophy as inspiration to “start [a] journey towards creating better fried chicken.”

What makes Kim’s concept so unique is the incorporation of vegetables throughout the menu, welcoming hot, crisp fried chicken alongside options like pickled vegetables and salads.

COQODAQ’s mouth-watering menu is curated by Executive Chef Seung Kyu (SK) Kim, whose personally created a transformative and playful Korean-American menu that takes influence from both cultures. Particularly their star item known as “The Bucket List” which almost seems like an upscale version of an American KFC bucket.

The $38 menu item comes with Chef SK’s two favorite styles of crispy chicken–Original and Soy Sauce Garlic Glaze, along with a Gochujang Glaze add-on option. Plus, it comes with an assortment of delectable treats like pickled seasonal vegetables, scallion salad, Cold Perilla Soy Sauce Noodles, and a soft-serve frozen yogurt dessert. It’s currently one of our favorite new NYC menu items of 2024.

Alongside their signature item, guests can opt for other menu items instead which include raw oysters and doenjang chicken liver pâte, or even add a little luxury in the form of caviar-topped-chicken dubbed “The Golden Nugget.”

What really impresses us about COQODAQ though is their innovative beverage pairings, which includes beer, cocktails, and the nation’s largest restaurant champagne list. Yes, that means you can have the classiest fried chicken you’ve ever tasted while sipping on one of over 400 rare and exclusive bottles of bubbly!

With all of this mouthwatering food and drink at their disposal, it’s important to stop and admire the gorgeous dining atmosphere that is also the vision of Kim’s. With plenty of dark hues, forest-green banquettes, and illuminated “ghost” arches, it’s one of those IG-worthy spots that matches the elegancy of the menu.

COQODAQ is located at 12 E 22nd Street in Flatiron, and reservations are released typically 2 weeks before at 10 am. You can also email them directly for reservations.

Learn more about COQODAQ and see their full food and drink menu here!

The post COQODAQ In Flatiron Is NYC’s Newest “Cathedral of Fried Chicken” appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

Manhattan piers have undergone some major glow-ups in recent years.

There’s the new park underway at Pier 97 in Hell’s Kitchen and the fresh energy at Pier 17 in the Seaport, to name a few. But Pier 76 in Hudson River Park near Hudson Yards has remained an undeveloped pavement plot with just a few planters and benches.

With new legislation recently signed by Governor Kathy Hochul, Pier 76 could undergo development that is at least 50 percent park land. The law would allow amusement rides and tourist attractions, as well as facilities for waterborne transportation activities and floating restaurants at Pier 76.

RECOMMENDED: Here’s a sneak peek at the gorgeous new park along the Hudson River

Other components in the law would remove limitations on offshore barges and allow commercial development in certain areas. Plus, the law could create a process to move the helipad currently located on West 30th Street if the Hudson River Park Trust initiates a request for proposals for the heliport site; this comes amid soaring citywide complaints about helicopter noise. Officials have not laid out a timeline or implementation plan at this point.

No matter what changes, it’s all intended to create high quality public open space and revenue-generation that helps support the overall care and maintenance of Hudson River Park. Pier 76 faces up to $150 million in repair and reconstruction costs that must be faced in the near future to avoid the complete removal of the pier for any public use, per the legislation. 

The new will create “a new green space for the West Side community,” State Senator Brad Hoylman-Sigal said in a statement. Hoylman-Sigal sponsored the bill along with assemblymember Tony Simone. 

The new vision of Pier 76 is one of a green space for the entire community to enjoy.

“(The legislation) charts a path forward to free up parkland that has been compromised for decades by the presence of the helipad. The new vision of Pier 76 is one of a green space for the entire community to enjoy, while simultaneously providing the revenue needed to bring the pier to the beautiful standard that New York City is accustomed to,” Hoylman-Sigal added. 

Though the plans are ambitious, the pier has a history of incredible transformation. The 245,000-square foot pier was converted from a tow pound to open public space in only 81 days back in 2021. 

Since then, it’s become a haven for skateboarders, rollerbladers and cyclists. Bike New York even hosts classes at the flat, open space. A group of skaters created an online petition asking to keep a space for skating in the redevelopment plans.  

As they write, “In addition to it being a setting where we can safely practice our art and sport, Pier 76 has organically become a place of community for us. It has become the go-to spot for meetups and rollouts, for lessons and dancing. It is no exaggeration to say this pier, in its current state, has become a sacred place for skaters.”

The pier’s large surface currently includes outdoor flexible space, benches for people to relax, waterfront views and interpretive plaques about the history of the area. The pier also features a propeller from the S.S. United States passenger liner, famous as the record holder for the fastest passenger ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean.

* This article was originally published here