• by Erin Everhart , Staff Writer, Yesterday

Today is all about the World Cup.

The 5-week saga that has taken over North America is coming to end this Sunday. As a resident of one of the host cities, there’s been something genuinely electric about watching this tournament unfold. Entire neighborhoods turn out in jerseys, half-a-dozen languages are heard at any given restaurant, and strangers hug over penalty kicks. It’s been a real reminder of what a shared obsession can do to a city. 

If that’s what Atlanta has been like, I can only imagine the vibes in New York right now, two days before Spain takes on Argentina in the World Cup Finals at MetLife Stadium.

New York is in a totally different league. When I was in journalism school, New York was everything to me. I desperately wanted to be part of the bright lights, the big city, and the energy that only exists in the city that never sleeps.

It didn't pan out that way. Turns out, I like sleep, and also big bathrooms, garages, and a yard to grow tomatoes, which isn’t exactly conducive to New York’s vibe. So now, I happily visit as often as possible. 

And this summer, New York has opened her arms to millions of people who’d never set foot in it before. It's one thing to host a World Cup; it's another to make eight million people and a few million strangers feel like they all belong to the same city, if only for a summer.

No one has had a closer seat to that balancing act than my guest today. We sat down with Nancy Mammana, CMO at New York City Tourism + Conventions to hear how they pulled it off.

Listen to the full episode here.