Tag: Christmas in New York

Santa Season in NYC

Published on by juliebrannan1 Comment

This time of the year, New York City is filled with holiday decor, the lights driving back the darkness a bit as we head into winter’s solstice. Not all the lights are specifically about Christmas, but images of Santa are plentiful. What if you are interested in seeing – or even meeting – Santa in the city? There are many opportunities, and I will describe a few, leading up to the “Miracle on 34th Street” pinnacle of seeing the “real” Santa at Macy’s Santaland (not for the faint of heart). I will also let you in on a few experiences where Santa is there but not necessarily the main event.

First, a new experience that I tried this year, Santa’s Winter Wonderland at Pier 15 in the South Street Seaport area. This is a fun experience that could work for a family with kids (there is Santa there for a visit with little or no line waiting, hot chocolate, snacks) or adults out for a fun evening (there are specialty cocktails, terrific views, etc).

This is a ticketed event, with timed entry. There is also an option for a sit-down meal at a specific time in an enclosed see-through hut, but I didn’t try that.

For general admission, you get a hot chocolate or hot cider, and a choice of snack (soft pretzel, chocolate chip cookie, or churro), and you can eat outside or in one inside dining area that has open seating (but was a little crowded when I was there).

For parents hoping for a Santa visit, I saw very little waiting time and plenty of interaction. I am sure adults could see Santa as well if they wanted!

The decor was festive, and the views around lower Manhattan, the South Street Seaport, and the Brooklyn Bridge were all terrific. You could purchase a s’mores kit and roast the marshmallows over a fire.

Interestingly, there is a rival Santa experience right next door at Pier 17, Disney’s The Santa Clauses’ Winter Wonderland! More expensive, but also more elaborate, this experience has a synthetic ice skating rink as one of the possible activities. Santa is also available for a visit and photos, but on specific dates and times, so if that is important be sure to check that out before purchasing timed tickets.

Not all Santa experiences cost money (although many might cost time!). Hudson Yards is decorated fabulously for the holidays and has signs up saying when Santa is available, free of charge. I haven’t been there during those times, but the place where Santa is looks like a lovely photo opportunity. Hudson Yards has also set up “twinkle spots” all over the building for you to set up your phone to get a photo of yourself with all the holiday lights.

Winter Village at Bryant Park has the best holiday market in the world (and I agree with this recent ranking) and Santa is there for free photo opportunities, see his schedule here. Bloomingdale’s also has an opportunity to meet Santa, reservations required, and a $25 booking fee is involved but you get it back in the form of a $25 gift certificate. The time for this has passed this year but if interested in future years the information about booking was here.

Finally the ultimate – visiting the “real” Santa at Santaland at Macy’s. The procedure now is via reservation only, and the reservations open up five days in advance. In my experience, they go very quickly. There is no entering the line without a reservation, but the reservation does not prevent you from waiting on a line. When I went this year, on a Saturday in early December, in the afternoon, we waited 90 minutes to see Santa! Some of the time was spent in the delightfully decorated line inside Santaland, but a fair amount was spent in a line in a hallway that wrapped back behind the entrance to Santaland. When I have gone before on a weekday, the experience has not been this difficult, but of course most people need to work during the week, making the weekends extremely busy.

You have to pack your patience for a wait like that, and it may be difficult to stay off Krampus Court and keep on Nice Street . . . but seeing Santa there is a special experience. Macy’s won’t charge anything unless you choose to purchase their photos (which I recommend, they are terrific photos with very cute digital borders) and you are free to take your own photos too. You will pay with time and effort, but isn’t that often the case with so many things in NYC? I was at Santaland with a child this year, but a few years ago was with another adult (on a weekday, without a huge line! see below for picture) and Santa was just as kind to us as he was around a cute baby. Even as I was walking out this year, having been there mainly to see this baby get first photos with Santa and to take candids, Santa stopped me to ask my name and what I wanted this for Christmas! We are never too old to be reminded of our inner child, in my opinion.

Whether we are going to see Santa this year, or whether we ARE Santa this year, this holiday season reminds us that in the midst of darkness there can be light, that babies and children represent hope, and that opening ourselves up to unlocking our own inner childlike wonder can let a little magic into our everyday experience. Happy holidays to all!

NYC Holiday Decorations 2020

Published on by juliebrannan1 Comment

The year 2020 in New York City has certainly not turned out as we all would have hoped when they were clearing confetti from Times Square on January 1. This holiday season is unlike any other one – no Radio City Christmas Spectacular, or NYCB Nutcracker at Lincoln Center, or Santaland at Macy’s, just to name a few- but despite the pandemic, the city came through again with plenty of gorgeous lights and decorations.

I was so relieved when I heard Rockefeller Center would have a tree again this year. They limited access so that crowds didn’t gather unsafely taking photos under the tree, but it was easy to see it from Fifth Avenue (actually easier than usual, with so few tourists here).

Similarly, it was great to see Saks continuing their tradition of decorating the facade of their building on Fifth Avenue (just across from the Rock Center tree) with a light/sound show every 15 minutes after dark. To see a video sample, check out my Instagram post here.

This display on Sixth Avenue is a favorite of mine. Again, if anything it is easier to appreciate this year with the crowds so light.

Many holiday displays this year managed to work proper modeling of mask wearing into their offerings, including the New York Public Library lions and this nutcracker on Sixth Avenue.

Walking along Fifth, you could mail a letter to Santa, or listen to holiday music played from the Cartier display.

The Winter Village at Bryant Park and holiday market was back this year, just with more space between vendors and lighter crowds. Skating is going on as well, you can see a video of that here. To see this and many other holiday markets a few years ago, click here.

There was no Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade winding through the streets of Manhattan this year, but the Macy’s windows remind us of the importance of gratitude this year – for our health care and essential workers (and for our health if we have been lucky enough to maintain it).

There’s nothing quite as magical as New York City at Christmas, and we needed that delight and joy more than ever this year.

St. Patrick’s Cathedral was as majestic as ever this Christmas season.

Once again, New Yorkers decorated their homes to celebrate this dark time of year – in a very dark year – with light, humor, and bright color. To see a previous blog post about residential holiday decorations, click here.

So the dropping of the Times Square ball will be televised this December 31, but will occur in an empty area gated to prevent people from gathering. Regardless, the rejoicing that will ensue as we welcome in 2021 will not be lessened in any way by celebrating at home. As I wrote on the piece of confetti that will fall as 2021 arrives in NYC, I have tremendous hope for health, love and prosperity in this new year ahead.

2019 Dyker Heights Holiday Lights

Published on by juliebrannan2 Comments

As we head into the shortest days of the year, we fight off the dark with celebrations of light. In previous years, I have written about how New York City celebrates publicly (see here for 2015 and here for 2016 posts, and here for last year’s post on holiday markets). Several years ago, I had access to a car regularly, and drove to Dyker Heights with my family to see the famed holiday lights (see that post here). This year, one of my daughters and I decided to take the subway (D train from midtown) and walk (about 20 minutes from the 18th Avenue stop in Brooklyn), and on a cold evening with some snow flurries, the lights once again did not disappoint – and I believe they have become more elaborate since the last time I was here in 2014. This tradition in Dyker Heights began in the 1980’s and since has increased every year, with many residents paying professionals $20K or more to deck out their homes. On weekends, traffic is bumper-to-bumper, and the sidewalks can be packed – so go on a weeknight if you can. The best viewing is roughly 11th Avenue to 13th Avenue, 83rd to 86th Streets. Here are some photos of what I saw this year:

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As we head into our own Roaring Twenties, I wish light and joy in the hearts of all!

New York City Holiday Markets

Published on by juliebrannan4 Comments

New York City has a different kind of beauty in every season, but it never shines as bright as during the holidays. Many other years I have posted about the yearly holiday decorations (see here and here and here and here for instance!) but this year I wanted to shine a light on the many holiday markets that spring up, roughly from Thanksgiving to New Year’s. While it is very easy to find gifts for your loved ones on Amazon, I guarantee that the array of small vendors with unusual gifts will enable you to find something unique for everyone on your list. And while there is a certain level of comfort in shopping online in your pajamas, shopping in a NYC holiday market is an experience that surrounds your senses with holiday spirit. I can’t loop the jaunty sounds of Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy” theme, or provide the scents of hot cider and spruce candles, but I can show you some of the sights of the markets that brighten the city this time of year.

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Central Park is without a doubt my favorite place in all of New York City (see a few previous love letters here and here and here and here!) and if you are walking out of the park in December toward the southwest corner, you begin to spy the stalls of the small but atmospheric Columbus Circle market.

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Limited by its geography in size, this market is on the smaller side but has lots of interesting options.

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The great thing about these markets is that you don’t go looking for a specific item, but as you browse, something may just catch your eye as a perfect gift for a particular person (a unique and beautiful wine stopper for the oenophile in your life?).

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These ornaments make a terrific souvenir for visitors to the city,  but can also be personalized to give as a gift to the host or hostess of the holiday party you are heading to during this month.

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It’s hard to beat the visual drama of this market, with Central Park on one side and the towers of the Time Warner building rising on the other.

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Another market limited in size by the constraints of its location is the one in Grand Central Terminal.

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This one is just off the 42nd Street side of Grand Central, or if you are inside the main hall, just off that towards 42nd Street.

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If you go to a lot of these markets, you will see a few repeating shops, but surprisingly the vast majority are one-of-a-kind. For example, the Harlem Candle Company, which I love, is only at the Grand Central market. For that matter, they have no storefront, so the only way to smell these candles based on the Harlem Renaissance is to find them at this market (most of the year they are online only).

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Some markets only run for a few weeks, like the market at CityPoint in Brooklyn. The Arctic Adventure popup is throughout the season, but for a few weekends there is also a crafts-based market.

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The market here has some vendors that are Brooklyn-based and only found at this market.

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An indoor market, while less scenic, is certainly potentially more comfortable (I was here on a cold and rainy day!). And if at CityPoint, be sure to head downstairs to the DeKalb Market for lunch or dinner.

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Now we are moving on to one of the larger holiday markets, the one in Union Square.

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Easily accessible from multiple subway lines, this market is worth a few hours of your time, if you can spare it.

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My recommendation for this market, if you can, is to go on a weekday. Seen here, it will still be busy but you will be able to get around without too many crowds.

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Again, this is a place to wander and wait for the right gift to show itself. This stall sells kits for someone to make their own beer, or cheese, or sourdough pretzels.

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At all of the markets, there will be some vendors selling hot cider, or cocoa, or holiday treats to eat.

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I love seeing the Empire State Building off to the north through all the stalls.

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Finally, I come to the Bryant Park Winter Village, perhaps the largest and most elaborate of the markets. There’s an ice skating rink under a large Christmas tree. Skating itself is free although skate rental does involve a cost.

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Just behind the NYPL on Fifth and 42nd Street, blocks from Times Square, this market is a small-scale delight surrounded by the heart of large-scale Manhattan.

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There are some very unusual shops here – this is from a very luxurious resort and spa in Montauk.

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An actual outpost of the Metropolitan museum gift shop – the only one I’ve seen other than the ones in the museums.

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Similarly, to see an outpost of the famous Strand bookstore is a wonderful surprise.

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It’s hard to resist a stop of the Santa Claus Cafe, although at Bryant Park there are multiple options for food and drink, including a bar area to warm up with something alcoholic.

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Imagine, you can even visit the North Pole before taking in a Broadway show a few blocks away!

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As with the Union Square market, going on a weekday, but not during lunch or after work hours, will net the most space to walk around. However, this market is so large and well laid out that even in a crowd it doesn’t seem as overwhelming as the meandering Union Square can.

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Aaah, New York City during the holiday season. In the immortal words of the sign seen at Bryant Park Winter Village, “this place does not suck.” I could not agree more.

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