Christmas time in New York City is truly something magical. The giant trees, the ice skating rinks at the parks, and the glamorous department store windows — I’ve never seen anything like it. Although I always go home to visit my family for Christmas, I really enjoy the first couple weeks of December when I get to explore all of Manhattan’s enchanting holiday spots. Seriously, if you’ve never been to the city during the holidays I would highly recommend.
Here are some of the best spots to check out:
1. See the extravagant store windows on Fifth Ave.
Cartier
The Cartier store is one of the most popular photo spot for influencers. My photo was actually part of an article on The Cut about this spot!
Saks Fifth Avenue
There is a huge light show every 30 minutes after sundown outside of Saks Fifth Avenue. I’ve seen it a few times and it’s very cool!
2. Have a Christmas cocktail at a holiday-themed bar
Holly Jolly Holiday Bar at Mad Morton
The drinks are good and the decorations are amazing. If you pay ahead for a table, you’ll get tokens for cocktails when you get there, so it was worth it in my opinion. It definitely fills up, so you will need to make a reservation.
FYI, December reservations get fully booked months in advance, so if you try to call ahead of time you’ll get a busy signal (trust me, I tried). But, they have a line to get to the bar where you can enjoy a holiday-themed drink (at a pretty expensive price tag). My friend and I waited in line for about 40 minutes to get in and I got a Bourbon Egg Nog, which cost me about $26 (tip was included).
This pop up bar puts up different locations and experiences all over the world, including five in the state of New York. I went to Miracle on 12th St. in the East Village.
3. See the giant tree at Rockefeller Plaza
A must-do if you’re in the city during the month of December.
4. See the Rockettes perform at Radio City Music Hall
I’ve seen the Rockettes show twice and it’s super enjoyable. The dancers are incredibly talented and there is a whole storyline with tons of cool special effects throughout. It’s a great family activity!
5. & Check out the lights outside of Radio City Music Hall
Outside of Radio City Music Hall there is a big fountain with red Christmas bulbs in front of the Chase bank. It’s another great photo spot! And there are usually other pretty lights and displays around the area.
6. See over a million Christmas lights at Hudson Yards
Hudson Yards, a huge shopping center in Manhattan, puts on a beautiful light display during the holidays. It’s a great place to shop, grab some food, and explore.
7. See a holiday-themed burlesque show
My aunt, cousin, and I went to see Santa’s Secret, which was a super unique immersive variety show inside Hudson Yards. It had a speakeasy vibe with a live band, drinks, and performances that followed a funny (and very R-rated) storyline. It was so much fun!
8. See the giant tree at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel
For those who didn’t know, this is the hotel from Gossip Girl! Check out more holiday photos I took at this iconic location.
9. Check out the Winter Colorland at the Color Factory
The Color Factory is an immersive exhibit in Manhattan all about, well, color. And around the holidays, they give it some wintery updates — confetti Christmas trees, light-up snowmen, and more. So my friends and I dressed in red and white outfits and had some fun taking pictures around the interactive installations.
10. See the display inside and outside of Macy’s on 34th St.
Macy’s on 34th St. is not only a great place to do some Christmas shopping, but it’s also one of the best spots to see pretty lights and store windows in Manhattan.
11. Go to a holiday-themed drag brunch
Drag brunches are a thing in NYC all year long, but if you love Christmas songs then you should definitely attend a holiday-themed one. We went to 230 Fifth, which is a popular brunch spot in Manhattan. My family and I wore Christmas sweaters too, which made it even better.
12. Go ice skating at the Bryant Park Winter Village
The Bryant Park Winter Village has a great holiday market where you can shop from tons of small businesses. And then, of course, there is also ice skating and hot cocoa. I’m not very good at ice skating, but I did give it a try with my friends for the experience!
13. Shop the Union Square Holiday Market
In addition to the one at Bryant Park, you can also go a little further downtown to the Union Square holiday market. It’s a great place to buy cool and unique items for gifts (or for yourself).
Check out my YouTube video on NYC holiday spots:
Have you ever been to NYC during the holidays?
