Fresh white heaps of snow taking over the grey boorish sidewalks. Shopfronts twinkling with bright lights with people bustling out of them, pulling behind big paper bags whose contents seem to be neverending. Giant nutcrackers standing guard by the buildings.Parents scurrying behind their kids over the vast pond which has frozen over for the season. A Christmas tree looms big, lighting up the entire vicinity around it. If you want to to see all of in one place, we would love to say, that place would be New York. Yet besides all of that you can catch by plain sight, there are still several more that one cannot miss to experience in the Big Apple to have one of the most unforgettable Christmases ever. Do stop by them and you will know just what we are talking about.
Visit Central Park
When the winter comes, it makes Central Park its abode and we have to say, it really makes it all its own. The way up the snow-swept stairs up into the misty park can only be described as a gateway into Narnian fantasy world altogether. Every corner is just an wonderful moment waiting to happen: Ice skating at the rink, a romantic carriage ride around the park, maybe even grabbing a hot bagel from the stand is a memory you can only make when in Central Park. Another charm of the Park is the Delacorte clock, which is found over the zoo which plays Christmas carols like “Deck the Halls”, “Jingle Bells”, “Chanukah, Oh Chanukah!”, “White Christmas”, “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel” and “Joy to the World”, which would get any passerby into the holiday spirit.
See the Rockettes
The Christmas Spectacular featuring the Radio City Rockettes have been a mainstay of New York’s Christmas season for decades together. Christmas is one of the rare times that this company performs for the general public and it is an once in a lifetime experience. This Radio City feature is scheduled to run this year from November 8th till 5th January of 2025, where the Rockettes perform 5 times a day to make up for the rest of the year when they are in their off season. The Rockettes rehearse mere months before their opening date but you would never know that fact if you see their performance which is so well-coordinated that it feel almost like a simulation. Some of the highlights of the show include the Rockettes as Nutcrackers and their infamous ‘Eye High kicks’ where all of their kicks hit the air at the same time.
Go to Bryant Park
If there’s one place that’s at an all-time high during Christmas, that would be Bryant Park. Bryant Park is a hub of winter activities with bumper cars on ice, curling bar, skating etc. The perimeter of the park is surrounded with a number of gifts kiosks selling items varying from custom made jewellery to local crafts, where you can make your last minute Christmas purchases or you decide to grab a bite, there is no shortage of eateries you can visit here. If you want to catch a break from that scene altogether and just spend some quality time with your friends and family, we suggesr you reserve one of the ‘Cozy Igloos’ which is a private setting for you in the midst of all the festivities, where each session is 90 minutes with assorted selection of food and drinks and can accomodate about 8 guests per igloo.
See the Holiday Train Show
You might deny but the fact is true that Christmas brings out the child in us. And there’s no other show this season that truly excites the child within you more than the Holiday Train Show when the train whistles announcing the start of its engine. The Train Show consists of a model train going through a pathway filled with replicas of several of New York’s finest landmarks, probably giving you an entire virtual of all of New York. Taking place in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, this show is staged from November 23th to January 4th. You can also stop by the ‘Locomotive Lounge’ where you can enjoy Christmas specialities such as gingerbread and spiked cider cocktails as you hum along to the holiday tunes playing in the background. This is an activity which can be enjoyed by all ages.
Don’t miss the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights
If there’s any neighbourhood in New York City that really knows what Christmas spirit is all about, then Dyker Heights is the place. Situated in Brooklyn, this street is known for his larger than life Christmas decorations where front lawns of houses are filled with life sized nutcrackers, sleighs pulled by reindeers, angels, Santa Clauses and so on while the house behind is of course not overshadowed as they are covered wall to wall with spritely lights which light up the house to look inviting. The displays extends from 11th to 13th Avenues, otherwise known as the Dyker Heights Boulevard which goes on from the 83rd to 86th. While some visitors stroll by the street in cars, tourists especially take out bus services only to experience this display first-hand.
Check out the holiday displays at 5th Avenue
5th Avenue always makes sure that it has something special in store around the holiday season and that is the Holiday Displays which are exhibited during the period from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. Starting from the time of the 1800s, these displays have featured the works of several major players such as Trey Parker, Matt Stone, Andy Warhol, Salvadore Dali and Maurice Senak. The very first Christmas themed display was proposed by R.H Macy and The Macy’s department store in 14th Street was reason how this tradition begun in the first place. Many other stores went on to follow Macy’s example and nowadays, it has become somewhat of a competition between retail store owners to present with the best display window for that season. This popularised the trend of window gazing and till date, it has kept loyal patrons eager for these displays. Hopes are high that it will live up to the hype this year as well.
Finally, the Christmas tree at Rockfeller Center
What is the Rockefeller Center known for? It might be known for once being the potential venue for the building of the Metropolitan Opera building or the fact that its houses the media powerhouse which spews many successful late night hosts but during this time, its known most for one thing and one thing only, and that the giant Christmas tree, which might not be as towering as Rockefeller Center’s building but is enough to take away people’s attention. People spend their evenings skating in the rink under soft warmth of the lights of the tree. It is the perfect cherry on the top.
Christmas in New York is magically, and anyone who says it is not, can be rest assured that any of the places talked about above would change not only change their mind but would make fall in love with Christmas all over again.
