—Hudson Yards Retail Launches: More than a million square feet of retail space opened last month in Manhattan’s West Side—the massive Hudson Yards development. The shops, which were built by two of the world’s largest real estate developers, Related Cos. and Oxford Properties Group, are meant to appeal to shoppers of every scale. They range from apparel retailers Uniqlo, H&M, Zara and Athleta to luxury shops Dior Fendi, Cartier and Tiffany. The property is anchored by Dallas-based department store chain Neiman Marcus. So far, a lot of the visitor action seems to revolve about the Yards’ 16-story Vessel. Comprised of 154 intricately interconnecting flights of stairs, nearly 2,500 individual steps and 80 landings comprising almost one mile of vertical climb above the Hudson Yards Public Square and Gardens, the landmark offers incredible views. At $25 billion, Hudson Yards is the most extensive real-estate development in in US history. It’s also one of the largest, at more than 18 million square feet, including 14 acres of public space. The entire 28-acre project is set to be completed in 2024. For more information, write hello@hudsonyardsnewyork.com, or call 646.954-3100.
—Getting a lot of attention recently is the National Comedy Center, which is located in Jamestown New York, at the southwestern tip of New York State and not far from Lake Erie. Its week-long Grand Opening celebration late last summer featured Amy Schumer, Lily Tomlin, a tribute to the original Saturday Night Live cast with Dan Aykroyd, Laraine Newman and writer Alan Zweibel, Fran Drescher and Lucie Arnaz, daughter of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. It was Ms. Ball—Jamestown was her home town—who first suggested the idea years ago. The $50 million facility has been mentioned in major publications, TV late shows and placed 2nd in the final ranking of the 20 “Best New Attractions” in the USA Today 10 Best Readers’ Choice travel award contest. The museum features immersive exhibits, interactive stations and, of course, live performances by popular comedians. Retail ticket prices range from $11 for youths aged 6-17 to $25.50 for adults. For more information, visit https://comedycenter.org/, or call 716.484.2222.
—TRUE STORY! LURID DETAILS! THE NATIONAL ENQUIRER IS OPENNG UP IN … Pigeon Forge, Tennessee and Branson, Missouri. The National Enquirer, the supermarket checkout tabloid that thrives on gossip and weird headlines, has announced that it is planning an interactive family attraction, National Enquirer Live, in Pigeon Forge this spring, then open a second attraction this summer in Branson. “We are super excited,” Renee Johnson, GM for the Branson location, told the Springfield (Missouri) News-Leader. “This is a long time in the works.” He indicated that the two National Enquire Live locations will cost a total of $25 million. Although Johnson said FrontPage Attractions wasn’t ready to discuss what was going to be displayed yet, the 30,000-square-foot Branson location is at 3115 W. Missouri 76, in the former Starlite Theatre. In Pigeon Forge, the 20,000-square-foot National Enquirer Live will be located at 2115 Parkway, in the Pigeon Forge Attraction District, according to a press release.
Ticket prices, displays and more will be announced at a later date. For more information, visit www.NationalEnquirerLive.com, or, call 865.366.1609.
—CLEAR Introduces Simplified Biometric ID and Boarding Pass Verification: The company, which specializes in identity verification, has launched a new experience enabling CLEAR members who have provided a Delta SkyMiles number to simultaneously confirm their identity and boarding pass information with the touch of their finger or blink of an eye at the airport security checkpoint. CLEAR’s patented biometric solution, a first of its kind for domestic travelers in the United States, eliminates the need for these members to show ID or scan a boarding pass at nearly all of the airports in CLEAR’s nationwide network, although TSA may still ask some passengers to show their ID and Boarding Pass. CLEAR says it is changing the way consumers experience the world by transforming the cards in their wallets into a single biometric ID.
After a one-time enrollment, CLEAR members enjoy “secure, frictionless experiences” at 41 airports and venues nationwide. Says CLEAR President Ken Cornick, “CLEAR appreciates the support we’ve received from our partners at TSA, Delta Air Lines and airports across the country in making our latest innovation available to members.” CLEAR’s biometric identity platform is certified as Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technology by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and complies with National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. The company has also been awarded numerous patents by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), including for biometric systems and methods used to determine a person’s identity and access. For a list of major airports in the U.S. that use the CLEAR system, visit https://www.clearme.com/where-we-are/.
