Sunday, December 22, 2013

Christmas in the City!

Okay, up front, New York City is what you make of it and your experience depends on what you like and want to do. For us, visiting New York City during the Christmas season is one of the best times of the year to see the city. Whether it is visiting Rockefeller Center or saying a prayer inside of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, the city is magical during the Christmas Season.

This go around we ventured around the city visiting spots we hadn’t seen on previous trips. This was the year that the NBC Studio Tours made the list of places to visit. Getting to see the set of Saturday Night Live was cool, especially as they we got to see the rehearsing for the upcoming Saturday night show [note: you can put yourself in a lottery in August each year for a shot at tickets for the upcoming season. Don’t get your hopes up though – you’ll have a 2% success rate for tickets as there are only 235 seats in the small theater!]. I’ll leave it up to you if you want to spend $24.00 to see one studio, but we were expecting a wee bit more.

After walking back from Rockefeller Center, we stumbled upon Bryant Park which was a surprising treat in the middle of the city. Located behind the New York Public Library, the Bryant Park Christmas Market rises up from the park from November 1st through January 5th and boasts 125 shops, an ice skating rink, and a rink-side restaurant called Celsius. The Park even has its own Christmas tree – a great spot to grab a snack, a cider, or even take your chances with a pair of skates.

Speaking of the New York Public Library – you’re probably thinking, a library on vacation?  For this one, the answer is yes, especially on a snowy Saturday in the middle of December. With marble and artwork throughout, it is a must see in the middle of the City. Be sure to check out the Rose Main Reading Room or look up when entering the Main Catalog Room where original artwork adorns the walls and ceiling. Browse through the halls and soak up a small exhibit or two. 



Overall, New York City is a special treat any time of year, but if you’ve never been during Christmas it is time to get it on your lists!

No comments:

Post a Comment