Trefler - Fodors New York City 2014

The phrase in a New York minute is clichd for a reason: in this wonderful, frenetic, and overwhelming city, things really do change in a flash. Even for those of us who live here, keeping up with the latest in news, art, music, food, sports, and politics can be exhausting. But it is never dull. In 2012, New York elected its first openly gay official as speaker of the City Council (go Christine Quinn!) and locals and tourists lined up for hours to try and grab a seat at culinary hot spots Mission Chinese Food and Pok Pok Ny. Artisanal was another buzzword from 2012 that continues to be bandied about in 2013, arguably most prevalent in Brooklynsure, it may be home to the gigantic, new Barclays Center, but it is also a creative and culinary hotbed of talent. Where else can you find such a high concentration of artisans dedicated to producing small batches of handcrafted beer, jams, chocolate, pickles, granola, and saltwater taffy? One of our favorites is Mast Brothers chocolatethe brothers send their own vintage schooner to South America to source cacao beans that are brought back to their Williamsburg factory and turned into handcrafted chocolate bars. Only in New York, folks .

In 2012 the city braced itself against Hurricane Sandy, and experienced unprecedentedand devastatingflooding and blackouts. The damage is still being repaired but as history has shown us, the cityand its peoplewill bounce back better than ever.

With 2013 under way as we go to press, heres whats on our radar for 2014:

No doubt there will be the usual sex, lies, and videotape political antics to challenge the headline writers of the local media, but theres also no doubt that the main story in New York City politics will be the new mayor.

Were optimistic about the economy and opportunity in New York. A few quick positive indicators: the hotel sector is growing at a record-setting pace. Sixty-eight hotels are slated to open in 2014 (after 50 new places were added in 2013). Tourists keep on coming too; 2012 had a record number of visitorsaround 52 million, up from the previous years 50.9 million. The Manhattan real estate market is strong, especially the luxury real estate market; a penthouse apartment on Central Park West recently sold for a record $88 million, so things cant be that bad, right?

If theres something the quintessential New Yorker cant get enough of, its sports, so if youre looking to make small talk with a local, just pick a team. But which one? This is where it gets complicated. Fans can now see the Brooklyn Nets (Jay Z is a part owner) in their brand-new digs in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center. The NY Giants won the Super Bowl in 2012 (their fourth), so fans will be hoping for a repeat soon. NonNew Yorkers love to hate the Yankees because, well, theyre so good (theyve won the World Series 27 times as of press time). And dont forget about New Yorks other teamswe also root for the Jets (football), the Mets (baseball), and the New York Liberty, the womens basketball team. Soccer fans also have a team to support: the New York Red Bulls. Need more? Dont forget the Rangers and Islanders (hockey) and, of course, the Knicks (basketball). Then theres the US Open, which attracts the best in tennis every year.

Before the Whitney decamps to its larger space in the Meatpacking District, its blockbuster exhibit of 2014 will be a retrospective of Jeff Koonss work. It will be the first time a single artist has ever taken over almost the entire museum. The Met will exhibit several hundred pieces of jewelry from New Yorkborn jewelry designer Joel A. Rosenthal in the first retrospective of his work, and there will also be an exhibit of works by French sculptor Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. In 2014, the MoMA (The Museum of Modern Art) will showcase the works of Isa Genzken, arguably one of the most important and influential female artists of the past 30 years. Many of the nearly 200 works in the exhibition are on view in the United States for the first time.

On Broadway in 2014, there will be revivals of Cole Porters Can-Can and Pippin. Disney will bring Aladdin to the stage.

New York City weather, like its people, is a study in extremes. Much of winter brings bone-chilling winds and an occasional traffic-snarling snowfall, but youre just as likely to experience mild afternoons sandwiched by cool temperatures.

In late spring and early summer, streets fill with parades and street fairs, and Central Park has free performances. Late-August temperatures sometimes claw skyward, bringing subway station temperatures over 100F (no wonder the Hamptons are so crowded). This is why September brings palpable excitement, with stunning yellow-and-bronze foliage complementing the dawn of a new cultural season. Between October and May, museums mount major exhibitions, most Broadway shows open, and formal opera, ballet, and concert seasons begin.