New York City, The City that Never Sleeps Especially During the Holidays! 

 

So you want to spend a full week, seven days in New York City? Well, we can tell you it is possible to spend seven years, even seven decades in New York City and still feel as if you have not seen it all. First of all this city is constantly changing, in with the new – out with the old, sometimes even last year’s new in out – that makes NYC dynamic, challenging, fun and exciting.

You will have a great time in New York! There are so many unique places to visit. The city has a reputation for being expensive, and most tourists spend more than they ever could have expected on everything, but they don’t have insider information.

An example of insider information: A tourist can spend a fortune taking a Taxi from Kennedy Airport to a hotel in Jersey City across the Hudson from NYC. Usually, the fair is about $120 + a 25 tip ($155.00) and that is just getting to your less expensive luxury hotel (with to die for views of NYC, I might add). A knowledgeable insider can get there, using a Metro Card for under $5.50 using a bus from Kennedy to 120th St.($2.75) then transferring to the Subway (A-Train) downtown, transferring to the E Train below 53rd and taking the E all the way to World Trade Center (WTC) Station, then taking  the PATH Train ($2.75 – Port Authority Trans Hudson Railroad) under the Hudson River to the first stop (Exchange Place) and walking to your nearby hotel. That’s almost $150 more in your pocket in your first hour (+/-). You can also take the “AirTrain”* from Kennedy and transfer to the E-Train subway, then to the PATH Train to NJ’s Exchange Place Station for under $15. (* The “AirTrain” is also available at Laguardia and at Newark airports.) Complicated? Maybe, but with experience, it becomes quite easy! We all know how hard it is to earn 150 bucks! Every part existing in New York has an insider’s hack that allows living in NYC to be an option for regular folks, not just the wealthy.

Tips are expected everywhere in NYC, so always have some ($1s) or ($5s) available for whoever has given you service, good, average or poor it is expected. (Like your taxi, your bags from the curb to the front desk, your bags from the front desk to your room and in reverse at check out.)

If this is your first trip to NYC and you want to keep your budget under control we recommend a New York Sightseeing Pass, and to take advantage of the Double Decker Hop-on & Hop-off Buses. Think about it, you get off when you want to see something, and you get back on the bus when you are ready to see a different part of the city, plus you see get a great orientation of the city.

Start your adventure on the top deck of a NYC Double Decker Bus, for a tour of Manhattan highlights (about 4 hours if you just stay on the bus). Visit The Freedom Tower, where your child can ask, “Is this what they call a skyscraper?” Yes, One World Observatory, is the panoramic observation deck on the 100th floor, near the top of the tallest building in New York City, lookout out on the stunning city below and far beyond. From the Observatory, it is a stunning sight to watch the Sunset over America.

How about a “Sunset Cruise,” starting on the Hudson River and seeing the sun’s magic hour, orange reflection on the tall buildings. It is “the-best-ever-view” of NYC as you navigate the waters around Manhattan, with views of the Brooklyn Bridge, Governor’s Island and the Manhattan skyline, cruising and enjoying a majestic evening. There are several dinner cruises where you can raise your glass of champagne and toast a night you’ll never forget!

Pick up your Statue of Liberty tickets from any Grayline Visitor Center then take a downtown loop and hop off at Battery Park. Relax on a round-trip shuttle boat across the Hudson River and enjoy the Statue of Liberty and Liberty Island, then stop two is Ellis Island. It takes about 3 or 4 hours to see both and then come back to Manhattan.

Also on the lower end of Manhattan is the 9/11 Memorial and Tribute Center, a moving experience – very reflective and very beautiful.

Hop on a high-quality rental bike to really experience Lower Manhattan. This is where it all began with a Dutch colony before the British took over. The streets are short and there is no grid, but lots of cobblestones. There are majestic old sailing ships and a tugboat docked at the South Side Seaport, and you must see Trinity Wall Street (founded 1698, this church build 1839-49) an Episcopal Church. Queen Ann of England gave the Church 40 acres of Manhattan for a farm – the church still owns those 40 acres and all of the buildings on top of them !?! Wow! Wall Street itself, is where a wall defined the upper edge of “New Amsterdam”. Visit the Federalist Style of City Hall, the majestic Brooklyn Bridge, the Winter Garden, and food court, facing The Hudson River, between the World Trade Center buildings and so much more. All of lower Manhattan is very interesting! 

Times Square is always buzzing, an exciting “nightmare” of thousands of people – often shoulder to shoulder, flowing like a river in both directions. This flashy, neon and bright-lights intersection of NYC truly never sleeps. If you start your day here, mid-morning is a much quieter Times-Square (named for the New York Times), and not nearly as crowded, this can be the time to see “Ripley’s Believe it or Not,” a family-friendly magic show at the LOL Comedy Club, “Madame Tussauds Wax Museum”, miniatures from around the globe at “Gulliver’s Gate” and have lunch at Planet Hollywood, Bubba Gumps Shrimp, Red Lobster or even McDonald’s – this place caters to tourists! There are some good Italian restaurants around-the-corner, and a steakhouse or two, plus some NYC pizza-by-the-slice restaurants and NYC Diners nearby if you seek them out. Times Square changes at night and you can enjoy the magic, immersed in the twinkling city lights and seeing the streets and the night sky if you take a bike rickshaw back to your hotel. These rickshaws are tons of fun, the young people doing the work are quite friendly and they charge by the block, so ask up front. 

Get up early to experience the best view in NYC from the top of the most iconic skyscraper, the Empire State Building! Beat the crowds with Sightseeing Pass Fast Track Entry. Keep in mind in NYC there are three blockbuster rooftop/observatory views, World Trade Center, Top of the Rock and The Empire State Building. (P.S. Ask how long the lines are to get to the observation decks before purchasing your tickets. There are “Disney World” like lines inside these buildings you cannot see until you are in line. They can take an hour or more to navigate before you see the view.) After you are back from the top of the Empire State Observatory head around the corner to Korea Town or downtown to shop and dine in SoHo. Each of these “villages” (Little Italy, China Town, and Korea Town) is a world of its own. Walk around, explore and buy a remembrance of your time in these fascinating ethnic neighborhoods.

SHOPPING: The more thrifty among you will want a NY experience, without paying Manhattan prices, by visiting the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets, a day trip away from the city, ask your concierge or a Grayline Visitor Center about this option. Remember, New York City is full of great shopping, from boutiques to the giant Macy’s, or Bloomingdales or other top-of-the-line brand retailers who have their flagship stores along 5th Avenue, down from the Plaza Hotel, and all along the upper east side of Madison Avenue.

ART MUSEUMS: If you take the CitySightseeing Uptown Loop Bus, you will enjoy your day at NYC Museums. The Metropolitan Museum of Art., The Guggenheim Museum, The Neue Galerie, The Frick Collection, the Museum of the City of New York and EL Museo Del Barrio. The Hop-on Hop-off option will help you cover the distance of the Museum Mile with less exhaustion.

CONTEMPORARY ART: You can visit the “new” Whitney Museum of American Art in lower Chelsea (14th St) at the end of “The High Line” walking park, in an area traditionally called the Meatpacking District. Along with the museum have come some new shopping options, nightclubs, and fun restaurants. The Whitney is the museum artists (fresh-faced or proven) in New York enjoy most to hang out. You can often see Art Stars wondering through the large galleries. The Whitney recently moved from Madison Avenue into this new building overlooking the Hudson River. The Museum now anchors The Chelsea Contemporary Arts District of NYC. If you have the legs for it, there are 300 to 400 contemporary (meaning the artists are still alive) art galleries between 18th Street and 29th Street (North and South) and 10 Avenue and 11 Avenue (East and West). This is where “the-shock-of-the-new” art is first shown. (Actually, it now begins in the incubator galleries of Brooklyn, then the artists are discovered and brought over for shows in Chelsea.) These galleries are open Mon. – Sat. 11am – 6pm. SOHO only has a few galleries any more and 57th Street and Madison Ave have galleries selling old school masters like Picasso, antiquities, Impressionists, etc. After the galleries close you can enjoy the rough and tumble humor of the adult Comedy Clubs or the many nightclubs of NYC.

FOR MID-CENTURY ART and late 20th Century Modern Art check out the Museum of Modern Art, in midtown at 53rd Street & 6th Ave. or for Edgy Contemporary Art you must visit “The New Museum” in the Bowery.

FOR SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL MUSEUM EXPERIENCES try the American Museum of Natural History including its Hayden Planetarium, this museum is one of the most prominent institutions in the world, or the New York Historical Society Museum – 400 years of NY History and the oldest museum in the city. Next head south to see The Intrepid Air and Space Museum, on the flight deck of an authentic US Navy Aircraft-Carrier. Here you’ll find more than 30 restored airplanes, one of America’s actual Space Shuttles and a very cool Stealth Fighter Jet. Wow!

LITERATURE: If you love books don’t miss out on the New York Public Main Library – it is large and quite fun to visit or the Morgan Library, which is actually a museum (with an entrance fee). It was the home of banker J.P. Morgan and he collected quite a wonderful library of books and very interesting artworks.

THEATER, Yes, Broadway Theater is known for musicals and serious drama alike, then there is Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway where experimental theater can be found,  New York City and London compete for the title of best theater cities, but there is simply more theater options in NYC and this is where you are visiting today! Check with your concierge for theater ticket options. Or plan ahead and buy your tickets in advance, most shows sell out.

What about recommendations for the best slice of pizza in the city, and where are the hot nightclubs, etc, etc, etc.?

As we said we cannot cover it all in one week or in one article. After the photo section below we do list special holiday events] you should know. If you are visiting NYC during these two months of the Holiday Season, you are so lucky. Go for it all and enjoy the hectic pace of NYC!

Below are some visuals – the Best of New York City.

( Source: For most photos and information, Gray Line CitySightseeing Tours link; https://www.sightseeingpass.com/en/new-york/itineraries/4#14.38/40.75858/-73.98793 )

THE HOLIDAYS IN NYC

EVENTS from Thanksgiving until New Year’s Eve:

The holiday season is the most magical time to be in NYC. Our guide takes you to the tree lightings, parades, shows and markets you won’t want to miss.

No one celebrates the holiday season like New York. Whether it’s the colorful balloons floating through the City during the Thanksgiving Day Parade, the bright lights of the famous Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree or the incomparable excitement of a million revelers coming together to watch the ball drop during the world’s biggest New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square, all eyes are on NYC during the most wonderful time of the year.

• 23 Days of Flatiron Cheer

The annual 23 Days of Flatiron Cheer brings many holiday-time traditions to this proud neighborhood. Throughout the three-plus weeks, expect an interactive installation in the North Public Plaza at Broadway and 23rd Street, performances from local groups, contests and giveaways from local businesses. Most of the events will take place in the public plazas surrounding the Flatiron Building.

• Holidays at the Apollo

The legendary Apollo Theater presents several holiday events this month, kicking off with the free annual Coca-Cola Winter Wonderland festival. Take pictures with Santa and hear music from local a cappella groups and choirs; in the evening, there’s a special holiday edition of Amateur Night. Other events include a Holiday Joy Gospel Concert and Kwanzaa Celebration on December 29.

• Paul Winter’s Winter Solstice Celebration

Cathedral of St. John the Divine is the largest cathedral in New York City and one of the loveliest; entering its elegant confines could cheer up even the Grinchiest among us. At this nonreligious celebration of the season, watch dancers and musicians reenact ancient solstice rituals for a modern audience. 

• Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Square

Once again this season, the neighborhood around Lincoln Square serves as the setting for the City’s largest holiday festival (for one night only). The proceedings begin with a tree-lighting ceremony in Dante Park and an assortment of musical acts taking center stage; check the website for the lineup. There will also be street performers, food from some of the area’s best restaurants and fun activities for kids and grown-ups alike.

• Brooklyn Nutcracker

Brooklyn Ballet’s The Brooklyn Nutcracker, a reimagined holiday classic, combines ballet, hip-hop and world dance genres that reflect Brooklyn’s cultural diversity. The digital set transports the audience from old Dutch Brooklyn to contemporary Flatbush Avenue. 

• George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker

It’s likely you already know the fanciful, fantastical Christmas Eve story and Tchaikovsky’s unforgettable melodies—but it’s certain that no NYC holiday season is complete without seeing choreographer George Balanchine’s confection come to life. The glittering classic, performed annually by the New York City Ballet since 1954, has become one of the City’s signature family-friendly traditions. Expect to warm your spirits with visions of the Sugarplum Fairy dancing in your head.

• The Holiday Shops at Winter Village at Bryant Park

After taking a few turns around the ice-skating rink, finish up your holiday shopping at The Holiday Shops at Winter Village at Bryant Park. Browse the many vendor booths offering clothing, jewelry, household gifts, crafts, art and more. 

• Christmas Lights Tour of Dyker Heights

Each December tour company A Slice of Brooklyn presents this bus tour of the famous Dyker Heights Christmas lights. More than 100,000 people visit the Brooklyn neighborhood annually to see the awe-inspiring decorations—many of which have lights synchronized to music and animatronic features. Rather than wander the neighborhood yourself, let A Slice of Brooklyn guide you on this 3.5-hour jaunt—during which you’ll learn stories of the homeowners so dedicated to the art of holiday cheer. Some may even come out and greet you.

• Lighting Largest Hanukkah Menorahs

Both the Manhattan and Brooklyn Grand Army Plazas host competitors in the race for the World’s Largest Hanukkah Menorah. Gather around the 32-foot-high, gold-colored, 4,000-pound steel holiday icon across the street from The Plaza hotel (Manhattan) to kick off the Jewish Festival of Lights; lightings for that one generally take place at 5:30 pm, though it’s around 3:30 pm on Friday and 8 pm on Saturday, bookending the Sabbath. Across the East River, go to the top of Prospect Park to see its similarly sized rival illuminated; lightings are at 6 pm most evenings, with Friday’s at 3:30 pm and Saturday’s at 7 pm. The Brooklyn organizers host a kickoff concert prior to the lighting on Hanukkah’s first night and have music and potato pancakes each evening.

• Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes

This iconic song-and-dance extravaganza, featuring the legendary Rockettes, is one of the holiday season’s must-see attractions. This year’s show combines such classic scenes as “Parade of the Wooden Soldiers” and “New York at Christmas” with new numbers and cutting-edge digital projection and digital mapping technology, which transforms Radio City Music Hall’s interior into a giant canvas.

• Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting

It doesn’t get much more picture-postcard NYC Christmas than the sight of the stately Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, towering above the ice rink below, all decked out in its finest holiday bling. Things get even more festive when thousands of revelers fill the area for the lighting of the Norway spruce. A star-studded lineup, usually hosted by NBC Today show anchors, provides plenty of live entertainment. The crowning moment comes when the switch is flipped and the Swarovski star-topped tree’s tens of thousands of (energy-efficient LED) lights come alive. Expect plenty of “oohs” and “ahs” from the crowd. If you can’t make it to the big event on November 28, worry not—you can see the tree (and snap plenty of photos of it) through early January.

• Annual Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche

To take part in a New York City Christmas tradition unlike any other, go to the Medieval Sculpture Hall at The Met. You’ll see a tree dotted with cherubs and angels and surrounded by a detailed Neapolitan nativity scene composed of more than two hundred 18th-century figures. Complemented by seasonal music and tree-lighting ceremonies, it’s a true holiday delight. 

• Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

A Thanksgiving tradition for more than 90 years, this parade is one of the most famous holiday events in the world. Millions line the streets of Manhattan to watch celebrities, Broadway performers, clowns, marching bands, floats (including Santa himself riding a reindeer-powered sleigh) and the true headliners of the day: the all-star roster of floating balloons—Snoopy, Hello Kitty and friends—flying high above the route. The procession heads south down Central Park West from 77th Street, east along Central Park South to Sixth Avenue and then south along Sixth Avenue to West 34th Street, ending in front of Macy’s in Herald Square. Also, the balloon inflation along the perimeter of the American Museum of Natural History has become its own beloved Thanksgiving eve tradition.

• NYC Ice-Skating Rinks

New York City’s many ice-skating rinks are synonymous with winter and the first glimpse of the holiday season. If you prefer your skating experience to come with a killer view, take a spin at Wollman Rink (open late-October through March), with its amazing skyline vistas from inside Central Park, or enjoy the spectacular surroundings of the seasonal Rink at Rockefeller Center (in December, the famous tree will be there too). The Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park, which is open October to March, is another fine option with stunning architecture nearby. For an indoor experience that will make you feel like a professional hockey or skating star, visit City Ice Pavilion in Queens or the Aviator Sports & Events Center in Brooklyn; both operate year-round.

• Times Square Ball Drop

Celebrate the arrival of 2019 with the world’s biggest New Year’s celebration. It’s a chance to catch live music and other performances before and after midnight and be part of this unique party that the whole world is watching. Last year’s performers were Nick Jonas, Sugarland, Camilla Cabello, and Mariah Carey. It’s best to get to Times Square as early as possible; street closures begin during the midafternoon, and the choicest spots are usually filled by 3 pm or earlier.  

• Kwanzaa Celebrations

This celebration of African-American heritage takes place from December 26 to January 1 each year and culminates in a feast and gift-giving ritual. The holiday is rooted in seven principles known as Nguzo Saba, which promotes unity, culture and community development. The City’s largest Kwanzaa celebrations both take place on December 29: the American Museum of Natural History hosts a one-night fete featuring African dance, spoken word, live musical performances, and traditional crafts; Harlem’s Apollo Theater hosts dance, music and various family-friendly activities.

• Christmas Eve Caroling at Washington Square Park

Croon “Silent Night” under the arch at Washington Square Park on the night before Christmas. The Rob Susman Brass Quartet will provide the melodies while you and revelers from all over the city sing in perfect (er, sort of) harmony. Don’t fret if you can’t remember all the words to “Peace on Earth, Good Will to Men”—there will be songbooks provided by the Washington Square Association. 

(Source for this Holiday section: https://www.nycgo.com/things-to-do/events-in-nyc/holiday)