Destinations, New York, Travel, USA

Christmas in New York

Alyssa in a warmly light room, though she is in the shadows

Christmastime in New York City is wonderful.

Christmastime in New York City is also busy, crowded, and expensive.

This time last December, Michael and I sleepily boarded a 6:00 a.m. flight out of Florida with our return flight booked for 8:00 p.m. the following evening. This being peak travel season, we spent $150 each for plane tickets, $320 on a one-night reservation at the now-defunct Hotel Dumont, and $160 on two tickets to see the Rockettes (plus meals at places both thrifty and not). It was an outrageously expensive two days in the city, for us at least. We were exhausted by the end of it, surviving on the city’s energy rather than sleep.

But it was magical.

We got to see and do all of the things I’d dreamed of as a kid: peering into the storefront windows, watching the Rockettes’ famous kick line, exploring the Christmas markets, seeing the Rockefeller tree, and walking through the red, green, and white-lit city in the snow.

After dropping our luggage we headed for the Great Northern Food Hall (now closed) for Scandinavian holiday pastries and walked through the small holiday market within Grand Central Station.


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Alyssa eats a Danish honey heart in NYC
Enjoying honninghjerter – Danish honey hearts (though they weren’t shaped like hearts!)

Between holiday shopping for friends and family at places like Everlane’s Cashmere Cabin pop-up, Sockerbit, Dover Street Market, and Scandinavia House, we stopped at the big-name department stores to see their holiday window displays. No matter the time of day, the sidewalks surrounding the stores are crowded and foot traffic swells and flows like the waves of an ocean, which makes it difficult to linger.

Collage of Lord and Taylor's Christmas window display
Lord and Taylor
Tiffany & Co.'s decorations in New York for Christmas
Inside Tiffany & Co.
A crowd waits in line to see Santa at Macy's
The line to see Santa at Macy’s – expect a 3-4 hour wait to see the big guy!

We’d also made reservations at the recently-opened Augustine (now closed) and Le Coucou, which meant we had a schedule to keep to. Throughout the weekend, we stopped at the other holiday markets located in Union Square, Columbus Circle, and Bryant Park (the last of these was already open when we visited the city just last month!).

Alyssa and Michael in front of the Christmas Tree in Bryant Park
The tree at Bryant Park

We ordered tickets to the final Rockettes Christmas Spectacular show of the evening, which meant we saved money (peak tickets cost more!) but were exhausted by the time 10:00 p.m. rolled around. I had to wake Michael up several times during the show, and other kids around us were also nodding off. But, I’m glad to have finally seen the toy soldier segment in person and I have checked this off of my holiday bucket list.

Collage of the Rockettes performance and Alyssa and Michael in selfies
The Toy Soldiers Scene; outside and inside Radio City Music Hall

After the show, we walked back out into the chilly air to see the Rockefeller Tree. Even close to midnight, the surrounding area was thick with visitors. These are the types of crowds I dislike – groups of people who aren’t paying any attention or courtesy to those around them, and also areas where pickpockets thrive. We quickly snapped a couple of not-so-great photos and ducked back out.

A crowd of people in front of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree
Rockefeller Christmas Tree

Alyssa and Michael take a selfie in front of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree

Our visit coincided with SantaCon, much to the disdain of locals. The city was filled with people dressed up as Santa with the primary purpose of drinking all day and all night. We saw “Santas” drinking out of flasks at 8:00 a.m., stumbling throughout the street (with children saying, “Look, Mom, it’s Santa!”), and barely hanging on to the handrails on the Subway. It was easy to see why people complain about the masses crowding their streets.

A bar with a bunch of people dressed as Santa inside
Santas

With little on our itinerary the following day (except for our flight home!), we wandered the city more, visiting the World Trade Center site and admiring the way the city’s families practice holiday traditions.

A photo including both The Oculus and One World Trade Center
The Oculus and One World Trade Center
Alyssa and Michael take a selfie at The Oculus
Inside the shopping center
A photo of the September 11 Memorial in NYC
The September 11 Memorial

Alyssa and Michael take a selfie in front of a display of wreaths

A large building in NYC, in the foreground is a tree with twinkling lights

The most magical thing happened about an hour before we left – the city’s first snowfall of the season. The temperatures dropped when the snow started, but suddenly we felt warmer than we had in a long time.

Alyssa and Michael in the snow in NYC - the Empire State Building is in the background

Christmas trees for sale that are coated in snow

A blurry photo of snow


WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT VISITING NYC AT CHRISTMASTIME

First things first: prices are exceptionally high this time of year. Early in the month of December, flights are typically less expensive than toward the end of the month but hotels are pricey. On the flip side, flights get more expensive the closer you get to the holidays, yet some hotel prices are incredibly low during the last couple weeks of December (except right at Christmas and New Year’s, of course).

To make the most of your quick NYC Christmas weekend, consider choosing a hotel over an Airbnb for ease in storing your luggage. You’ll find that discounts are occasionally provided for Rockettes shows, and pricing varies by date and time. One of my favorite money-saving travel tips, you’ll save both time and money by choosing to dine at a splurgier restaurant for lunch and enjoying a lighter dinner later.

But best of all, much of the “New York Christmas Experience” can be had for free by wandering and engaging your senses.


FINAL THOUGHTS ON VISITING NEW YORK AT THE HOLIDAYS

If I had to define my travel style, I would consider myself quite the value traveler. I know when I feel it will be worth it to splurge, and when it’s better to save – and a once-in-a-lifetime trip to New York City at the holidays is the perfect time to splurge a little. Still, Michael and I couldn’t have done all of this and bought each other Christmas gifts a few weeks later; so instead, we considered this our Christmas gift (and it was far better than anything store-bought). If you’re looking for a memorable holiday activity, I highly recommend doing the same!


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