The Ultimate Guide to the Holiday Season in NYC

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or nothing at all, it’s undeniable that NYC has an incredible energy and is full of holiday cheer in December. This is true for even the most jaded of locals (like me) and first time visitors who have previously only seen NYC in their favorite holiday movies.

Now, pause Home Alone for a few minutes and read on for the ultimate guide to the holiday season in NYC!

1. See the Famous Tree at Rockefeller Center

The annual tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center is free and open to the public on a first come first serve basis.

The tree is generally lit during the first week of Thanksgiving and stays up through the first week of January. In 2018, the Rockefeller tree lighting ceremony was held on November 28th. The tree will stay up until 9 pm on January 7, 2019.

While the tree is up, you can view it any time between 5:30 am and 11:30pm. You can expect Rockefeller plaza to be extremely crowded during the ceremony, so you may want to come late one evening to view the tree with fewer people around.

2. Visit a Christmas Market

A number of Christmas markets pop up for the holiday season. My personal favorite is the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park, which has holiday shops, a skating rink and a seasonal winter themed restaurant.

The Union Square Holiday Market has a great selection of local vendors. 

The Columbus Circle Holiday Market is located close to Central Park, so a perfect jumping off point for a walk around NYC’s most iconic park. 

The Grand Central Station Holiday Fair is indoors – meaning you can escape the cold in an NYC landmark while finishing up your holiday shopping!

3. View the Holiday Windows

NYC stores are famous for their holiday window displays. Each year, department stores and luxury stores compete for foot traffic with increasingly opulent displays. My recommended route is to view the best holiday windows in this order:

1. Bloomingdales – 1000 Third Avenue 59th Street and, Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022
2. Bergdorf Goodman – 754 5th Ave, New York, NY 10019
3. Tiffany & Co. – 727 5th Ave, New York, NY 10019
4. Saks Fifth Avenue – 611 5th Ave, New York, NY 10022
5. Macy’s – 151 W 34th St, New York, NY 10001

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4. See the Rockettes Perform

The Christmas Spectacular featuring the Radio City Rockettes is undeniably NYC’s most famous holiday show.  The show is only 90 minutes long, leaving you plenty of time to enjoy the city for the rest of the day!

5. Go Ice Skating

One of my favorite winter activities is ice skating – even though I’m pretty terrible at it! What can I say? I love falling on my face in front of other people. It keeps me humble. 

NYC’s most famous skating rink is, of course, the rink at Rockefeller Center. You can expect big crowds and long waits. If you are still set on skating at this iconic rink,  adult admission is $25-33 (depending on whether it’s a peak day), child admission is $15 and skate rentals are $12.50

My favorite skating rink is at the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park,  where skating is free and you can rent skates for $20. Another great midtown option is the Wollman Rink in Central Park, where skating costs $19 for adults Fridays to Sundays ($12 Mondays through Thursdays) and $6 for children (both weekends and weekdays) with skate rentals for $10.

You can expect both the Bryant Park and Wollman rinks to be significantly less crowded than the skating rink at Rockefeller Center. They also both have beautiful views of the surrounding NYC skyline.

Fun fact: the Wollman Rink is featured in the movie Home Alone 2 in a skating scene starring criminals Marv and Harry.

For a more local experience, take your skates out to the LeFrak Center at Prospect Park. Admission is $7.25 on weekdays and $10 on holidays and weekends, and skate rentals are $7.

If you’re in the Meatpacking District, The Standard Highline hotel sets up a seasonal skating rink in its outdoor plaza and serves winter themed drinks.

6. Have Lunch, Dinner or Drinks at Rolf’s 

Rolf’s German Restaurant is famous for setting up an EXTREMELY ornate display of indoor decorations, which stay up until May. Make a reservation during the holiday season or prepare to wait in line. I went on a gloomy rainy Sunday and only waited about 10 minutes, although I’ve heard waits can be much longer.

7. See a Performance of the Nutcracker

Did you really celebrate the holidays if you didn’t see The Nutcracker? The NYC Ballet at Lincoln Center performs George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker daily leading up to New Year’s Eve.

8. Hang Out in a Rooftop Igloo

The rooftop bar 230 Fifth has 17 heated, transparent rooftop igloos open during the winter. Grab a bright red robe, buy a spiked hot chocolate and enjoy the beautiful skyline views. Seats in most of the igloos are first come, first served, and others can be reserved in advance.

9. Take Photos with Giant Ornaments in Midtown

If you need the perfect Instagram worthy holiday photo during the holiday season in NYC, check out the giant Christmas lights in front of 330 West 42nd Street, the giant holiday ornaments on display in front of 1251 Avenue of the Americas (across the street from Radio City),  and the giant nutcrackers guarding the doors of 1285 Avenue of the Americas.

10. Visit the Lotte New York Palace Hotel

The Lotte New York Palace hotel always has one of NYC’s most beautiful Christmas trees in its courtyard. You may also recognize this hotel as Serena van der Woodsen’s home from the Gossip Girl series! This is my favorite tree to visit during the holiday season in NYC!

11. Sip Drinks Fireside

Find a bar with a roaring fireplace and warm up between activities. My favorite midtown bar with a fireplace is Lantern’s Keep at the Iroquis Hotel, which is near Bryant Park and Times Square so perfect for a festive day exploring NYC during the holiday season.

12. See the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights

Think no one decorates their homes for the holidays in NYC? Think again. Residents of Dyker Heights, Brooklyn, try to outdo each other each year with their flashy but fabulous holiday decorations.

Take the D Train to 79th St and New Utrecht Ave and walk about 15 minutes at NYC pace (aka walk briskly, no sauntering!). The lights are usually on display from 11th to 13th Avenues (akas Dyker Heights Blvd) between 83rd and 86th Streets.

I’ve written a full separate guide to visiting Dyker Heights during Christmas, since it’s such a fun attraction!

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The Best Hotels in NYC for the Holiday Season

If you’re not sure where to stay in NYC during the holiday season, here are some great options:

• Lotte New York Palace has the most gorgeous tree
• Iroquois New York Times Square has a bar with a roaring fireplace
• The Plaza is one of the filming locations from Home Alone 2
• The Standard East Village sets up a holiday yurt village in its outdoor space

Have you spent the holiday season in NYC? I’d love to hear about it!

xx

Vicki

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