Christmas in New York City
As you probably know from every holiday movie ever filmed, there is no better place to spend the Christmas and holiday season than New York City. Millions of lights illuminate the city that never sleeps, and Christmas trees and decorations all around town add to the festive feel.
It can get pretty cold during Christmas time in New York, and as I’ve said time and again, I am not a fan of the cold, but for those
few magical days it didn’t bother me all that much. In fact, the Christmas we spent in New York is probably one of our most memorable and one that the little ladies dream of doing again. Here’s a look at a few of my favorite things about Christmas in New York.
Radio City Christmas Spectacular
Radio City Christmas Spectacular – Just when you think Christmas in New York can’t get any more spectacular, the Rockettes enter the building and prove you wrong.  The plot of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular centered around a mother and daughter learning that the true meaning of Christmas isn’t wrapped up in some gift, and while that was quite entertaining, the real treat was those dancing, prancing and high-kicking Rockettes.
The Radio City Rockettes perform at the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lighting ceremony in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)

The show also featured a nativity scene, which, I personally found pleasantly surprising, in an old-fashioned, screw being PC, let-me-tell-you-the-true-meaning-of-Christmas-Charlie-Brown  sort of way.

Holiday Windows – A walking tour down Fifth Avenue to gawk at the beautifully decorated windows of the department stores is a must. The Big 5 of NYC shopping – Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord and Taylor, Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, and
Macy’s – are the most famous, and have displays that are virtually works of art.
Holiday windows in NYC
Holiday windows in NYC

However, the Fifth Avenue stores aren’t the only game in town, so to speak. Most stores do up their windows for the season and they
are all worth a peek.

Rockefeller Center – Rockefeller Center is home to that fabled, fabulous, famous Christmas tree, so we just HAD to go see it. We didn’t stay to admire it for too long. Not because it wasn’t grand, because it kinda was. But I have issues with claustrophobia and couldn’t deal with being crowded in with a gazillion other people trying to get a gander of the tree.
Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and ice rink

My advice for those visiting the tree at Rockefeller Center: hold on tight to your loved ones, snap a quick picture or two and get outta there. Upload the pictures to Facebook later. Also, skip the tiny, overcrowded, overpriced ice skating rink there and go to the one in Central Park instead (which isn’t exactly cheap either, but cheaper).

Holiday decorations around NYC
In addition to the holiday windows and the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, there are lots of random decorations all over the city that are just crying for you to take a picture next to it to post on all over your social media.
Shopping – Even more beautiful than the department store windows all dressed up for the holidays, was the merchandise inside all marked down when the holidays were over. Do try to hang around a day or two after Christmas so that you can spend the money or gift cards you got at those wonderful sales.
Have you ever spent Christmas in New York? What are some of your favorite
holiday things to enjoy there?