For anyone with a bigger Christmas budget this year, setting your sights on Christmas in New York City is definitely a festive vacation idea to consider. NYC is really quite magical during Christmastime, with more lights, events, and festive cheer than a lot of other major cities!
Just think about the amount of Christmas movies that are set in New York City - it’s the perfect backdrop for the kind of cozy, fairytale festive season we all really want!
So, a winter trip to New York City is definitely on the cards. But what should you get up to once you’re in town? The Big Apple has a lot to bite through at any time of the year, but Christmas is when you can’t move for something else to do!
Let’s run through a few recommendations. Here are some of the best Christmas activities to try out when you’re in New York City. Just make sure you plan your time properly so you can move from A to B without losing out!
Take in a Show
There’s nothing like a musical at Christmas! And Broadway is a dazzling sight during Christmastime in NYC! The billboards only add to the overall festive glow the city takes on, and you’re going to love the feeling of being in the theater district.
Why not take in a show while you’re here? There’s a lot of Christmas productions on offer during the festive season - both on and off of Broadway, in fact.
If you’d prefer a cozier, more comfortable, and quieter theater for the evening, definitely take a look at the playbills at the smaller theaters. It’s the perfect way to wind down after a day of festive shopping down Fifth Avenue!
But either way, head on down to the theater, enjoy the warm seating and the actors on stage, and bask in the Christmas spirit!
Go on a Christmas Tree Tour
NYC is famous for its Christmas trees! So when you’re visiting over the festive season, you’re obviously going to want to see as many of these displays as possible.
The most famous of them all is the tree at The Rockefeller Center. You’ll get to see the classically gigantic Norway Spruce (that they get in fresh every single year), that’s been decorated with about 50,000 lights that shine all the way through to January.
But there are other, slightly lesser known tree displays at Central Park, Bryant Park, and Madison Square Gardens. And this list isn’t even exhaustive either!
Madison Square Gardens have actually been running their Christmas tree display for over 100 years now, and staying nearby at Pearl Hotel with quick access to Madison Square Garden will mean you get to spy it from your window every night!
Spend Time at the Markets
European markets often take top billing during the festive season, but NYC has quite a few amazing markets to shop around as well.
There’s the Winter Village at Bryant Park to enjoy, which always has the best stalls, food, and Christmas feeling every single year. Try out the ice skating rink, if you’re feeling up to it, or hire out one of the igloos within the village, where you can enjoy mulled wine and hot cocoa with a bit of calm and privacy.
If you’d rather stick to the streets, you can also visit Macy’s Holiday Square. If you wanted to visit Macy’s anyway (as it’s a pretty iconic Christmas store in its own right), you’ll be able to shop for so many more festive items just by spending a bit of time going round the market.
Go on an Illuminations Tour
It’s not just the Christmas trees you can tour around! There are many Christmas light displays to find as well, where millions of twinkling lights, tinsel, and baubles help to create a festive feeling you don’t really get anywhere else.
A lot of the shops will have Christmas displays in their windows, and even just snapping shots of your favorites is a good way to spend the time.
But if you want to see any of the bigger, more famous displays, you’ll want to start at Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, where their Christmas Lightscape offers a proper wonderland walk.
It’s the perfect spot for families to get into the festive spirit, especially if you’ve just come off of a long flight! Go stretch your legs far into the Christmas forest - just make sure you’re wrapped up warm.
Go Shopping (even if you don’t buy anything!)
We’ve mentioned it a couple of times already, but NYC is the perfect place to be if you want to buy some Christmas gifts.
Whether you’re sneaking a few for yourself or you want to get something special for a friend or your partner, the shopping districts you’ll find yourself in are second to none!
And it’s not just the famous streets where you’ll find all the big department stores and boutiques. Shop around these areas as well - especially if you’re on a budget!
NYC has plenty of quieter corners where you’ll be able to shop for locally made and handcrafted goods, and there are many bookstores to nip in and out of too.
But if you don’t want to buy anything while you’re in NYC, that's totally OK too. The shopping experience is still fully enjoyable when you’re not heading to the counter. No matter the store, the premises always seem to be decked out with amazing decor which deserves to be seen too!
New York City is an Amazing Place to Be During Christmastime!
Of any city a person could choose to spend their Christmas in, NYC is most often the top pick.
It’s one of the best decorated, most festive feeling cities to visit during December, and their holiday activities often stretch well into January as well.
So if you want to go along for a later, off-peak vacation after the rush has been and gone, it’s more than possible to plan something out!
Photo: Steve Cancel at pexels