Christmas in New York: made famous by a family that forgot their kid, an adult elf, a miracle on 34th Street and a few Meg Ryan movies. The allure of Times Square, Central Park and the Rockefeller became too much for me over December 2017, so I found myself whooshing past the exit doors at JFK International Airport and into the freezing night.
We were in the city from 14-22 December and luckily, enjoyed the remnants of crunchy winter snow - a far cry from our sizzling temperatures back home. Over the next couple of days, the parks turned white, but not so much to slow us down as we moved around town, taking everything in.
The feature Christmas display is obviously the huge tree planted within the Rockefeller Centre, and standing in front of it, I was transported back to all of those iconic Christmas shows I’ve loved over the years.
Up at the observation deck, we spotted a gorgeous Christmas tree in the courtyard of a building only a stone's throw away. We decided to investigate and, a short stroll later, we found ourselves in front of The New York Palace Hotel - very well-known for its Christmas decorations, according to my trusted Instagram followers.
Our hotel was close to Bryant Park, which transforms into a winter wonderland and Christmas market during the festive season, complete with a very large Christmas tree, ice-skating rink and beautiful stalls selling festive food and gifts. Naturally, it became a regular pitstop for us, and we self-armed with plenty of things to bring back.
Behind Bryant Park is the New York State Library. Wow, what a stunning building! Proving Christmas in New York is the perfect time to turn normally mundane buildings into a sight to behold.
Finally, for the shopaholics among us, we made some time to drop-by all of the shopping and retail displays. For those who want the whole, sparkly low-down, I've got a separate blog post on Macy's at Christmas Time (complete with pictures galore).
Instead, here are my favourite snapshots of Saks 5th Avenue at Christmas - their window display told the story of Snow White (with a trapped Evil Queen), and the ground-floor display was the epitome of classic Christmas elegance, Breakfast at Tiffany’s style.
In our final few days enjoying Christmas in New York, it warmed up slightly (to a whopping 10*C one day!), melting the snow and topping off the star on a wondrous trip to a city twinkling with lights, laughter and good spirit.
Finally, a few final photos of some of the street scenes seen as we pounded the pavement for 8 days.
Have you been to New York at Christmas? Have you ever wanted to go? Let me know your favourite New York Christmas displays for my next trip, and if you’re wanting to bring a little magic of a New York Christmas into your own home, look through our extensive catalogue of decorations. We’re the Southern Hemisphere’s Christmas specialists!
