text: Economic and regional influence The fair was credited with increasing tourism in New York City even before the formal opening. The city's hotels were often overcrowded during the fair's 1964 season, and garages were also overcrowded as well. Broadway theaters recorded increased ticket sales, as did other visitor attractions such as the Empire State Building and Radio City Music Hall. Though major department stores and restaurants saw increased business, other merchants reported that the fair had not had a measurable impact on their business. To avoid the crowds, many residents also left the city during the fair. Attendance at local amusement parks declined during the fair, and some parks, such as Freedomland U.S.A., never recovered.
  At the end of the first season, the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau estimated that the city had earned $400 million due to the fair. The Christian Science Monitor wrote in 1965 that the fair had only partially benefited the area's economy. After the fair ended, The New York Times estimated that the fair had increased local restaurant profits by 8%, while stores in Midtown Manhattan saw their profits increase by approximately 4%. The highways leading to the fairground remained in use after the fair's closure, and residential development in Queens increased following the fair.