If you're planning a Christmas vacation and have never experienced New York City at Christmastime, prepare yourself and your loved ones to be overwhelmed with holiday cheer. The city comes alive during the chill of the season in a way it doesn't any other time of year. You can't go downhill skiing or chop down a Christmas tree to haul back to your hotel room, but you can go ice skating and experience at least two of the best Christmas trees in the world, along with many other elaborate displays of holiday spirit on the sidewalks and inside the museums, stores and theaters of the Big Apple.
The holiday windows of the major NYC department stores in Midtown Manhattan are a sight to behold, as they try to one-up each other year after year with elaborate window displays that rival Broadway productions. Two of the best can be found at Macy's and Bloomingdale's.
Macy's Herald Square
151 W. 34th St.
New York, NY 10001
(212) 695-4400
Bloomingdale's
1000 Third Ave.
New York, NY 10022
(212) 705-2156
To truly get into the spirit of the season, try lacing up a pair of skates and hitting the ice at the Wollman Rink in Central Park or the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center. Beginners are welcome and encouraged at both rinks.
Wollman Rink
Central Park
New York City, New York 10021
(212) 439-6900
The Ice Rink at Rockefeller Center
30 Rockefeller Center
New York, New York 10020
(212) 332-7654
Since the early 20th century, the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City has been a yearly tradition for locals and tourists. Featuring the Rockettes with multiple costume and scenery changes, this long-running annual show is a celebration of the season and the city.
Radio City Music Hall
1260 Avenue of the Americas
New York, New York 10020
(212) 307-1000
With a well-attended lighting ceremony the first week of every December, The tree at Rockefeller Center stands tall and luminous throughout the month of December, until the actual 12 days of Christmas are over in early January.
30 Rockefeller Center
New York, New York 10020
(212) 588-8601
Every Christmas, the Medieval Sculpture Hall inside the Metropolitan Museum of Art--one of the world's great art museums--features a large baroque Christmas tree with a unique Italian take on the Nativity at its base. A visit to the tree has been a tradition for many families in New York since the mid-20th century.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street
New York, New York 10028
(212) 535-7710
