Christmas Time in NYC

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year, Christmas in NYC.  Well, to be fair, any day in New York City when the Christmas lights shine bright is an amazing time to visit the Big Apple.  I never tire of New York.  It is my favorite city in the world.  As a result, I try to visit New York City every few years.  Fortunately, my friend Tina is usually game.

This December in New York City we kept some traditions and added in some new.  There is never a shortage of things to do in NYC.  As always, we went to some dinners and shows, strolled through Central Park, admired the Christmas lights, and popped into a few museums. 

But we also added visiting the library, some other parks, and some famous breakfast and lunch places into our itinerary too.  We even tried staying in a different part of Manhattan, but by the time we organized this trip, affordable hotels in convenient locations were limited at best.

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Where to Stay in Manhattan

We ended up at the Park Central Hotel.  I would not recommend this hotel while their elevator refurbishment is underway as it created long lines.  We took service elevators and walked the stairs frequently!  That said, the staff was friendly and helpful, and the location was very convenient for our dinners and shows.

Where to Eat in Midtown

This year, we enjoyed two pre-theatre experiences and one evening out.  While it didn’t go as planned with one of our reservations messed up at Tatiana’s in Lincoln Center, in all, we had a nice time.

In place of Tatiana’s, we visited a restaurant just a few blocks from our hotel called, Blue Willow.  We were a little nervous about picking a random place off the street, but the restaurant had great reviews and we were lucky to find a seat at the bar at 6:30pm.  We got the last two!

Known for its pots for two, we somehow found toppings to add that fit both of our diets.  The food, service and atmosphere were all excellent.  We really enjoyed our first night out in NYC despite the cold and rainy weather!  At least the weather lessened the crowds for the Christmas lights?!?  Or maybe not!

Admire the Christmas Lights

Compared to two years ago when people were still scared of COVID, there were mobs of visitors this December in Manhattan.  And it was worth joining them for the Sak’s Fifth Avenue and Dior Christmas light display.  As always, the windows were lovely, but the lights circling the side of the building that blinked with music were mesmerizing.

Across from them was a view of Rockefeller Center and the Christmas tree reflecting in the wet streets.  It’s amazing how Christmas lights can be so inspiring!  We loved these along with the many others around the city, including Radio City Music Hall and Macy’s.  The Macy’s windows were interactive.  We sang karaoke and got our picture in a Christmas ornament!

Pre-Theatre Dining in the Theater District

Our other pre-theatre dining experiences in New York included Osteria la Baia and La Grande Boucherie.  It’s a sin to go to NYC and not get Italian, and French food is one of Tina’s favorites, so we always try to dine at both.

Osteria la Baia is on 52^nd between 6^th and 7th and is just a short walk from the Park Central Hotel.  The spacious venue with chic, modern décor serves spectacular pasta.  My truffle pasta was divine, and Tina loved her gnocci. It had to be made from scratch. That said, the service was lacking at this theatre district restaurant. Certainly, make clear you have tickets to a show.

La Grande Boucherie affords its patrons a lovely atmosphere in an art-nouveau style space with a heated atrium.  It is located on 6 ½ Avenue between 53^rd and 54^th.  This midtown brasserie features 40-foot glass ceilings and serves both a regular menu and pre-fixe theatre menu. Both the meal and service earned the 4.5 star google rating.

Other Famous Eateries in NYC

Other Famous Eateries in NYC include Liberty Bagels and Katz Delicatessen.  I selected Liberty Bagels for a quick place to grab breakfast on our way to Central Park and the Met.  I was surprised to find out everyone else in Manhattan did too when we encountered the long line down 58th street.

Apparently, Liberty Bagels is ranked the #1 spot to eat in Midtown and it serves the best bagel in Manhattan!  Who knew?  I just looked for a bagel shop on google maps that was on our path at 58^th and 5^th Avenue.

Fortunately, Liberty Bagels was prepared for its popularity, and they serviced the long line with both friendliness and efficiency! While they are known as the home of the rainbow bagel, they feature a huge selection of bagels and cream cheese. 

I ordered a bagel toasted with butter and eggs.  This was a mistake.  It needed salt and they may have forgotten the butter.  On the other hand, Tina’s bagel with salmon and cream cheese was spectacular!  Definitely add some cream cheese and savor the flavor while people watching at the tables in Pulitzer Plaza.

Katz’s Delicatessen is known for its corned beef and pastrami sandwiches as well as the famous orgasm scene in the movie When Harry Met Sally.  Katz’s, located in the Lower East Side, is the oldest deli in NYC.  Opened in 1888, it has a long history.  It’s tasty meats, cured for 30 days rather than the standard 36 hours, secures its longevity.  The food portions are enormous so go early with an appetite as it fills up quickly around lunch time.

Things to Do in NYC

While New York City is a melting pot for food, it also features many things to do that can’t even be covered in one article.  Each time I visit the Big Apple, I do something new.  This time we planned one day on the Upper East Side and another day on the Lower East Side.

Our nice itinerary for the Upper East Side included breakfast at Liberty Bagels, a walk through Central Park, a visit to a museum, a tasty afternoon treat, and a visit to the library before heading out for an early dinner and show in the New York’s Theatre District.

Admire Art at the Met

During this visit to the City, we wandered through Central Park to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as the Met.  I’m embarrassed to say that while I have been to a handful of museums in New York City including the MOMA, the Met Cloisters, and The Whitney, it was my first time to set foot in the Met 5^th Avenue.  What an extraordinary museum!

The Met presents more than 5,000 years of art in 2 million square feet of space.  Art lovers can easily spend a whole day exploring and dining in the museum.  We specifically attended a Degas vs. Monet exhibit that was extremely interesting.  It compared the two friends’ styles both in their paintings and the choices they made while pursuing their careers.  I really liked some of their horse paintings.

Taste a Pastry

After a few hours in the very busy exhibit, we went for and afternoon tea and pastry at Noglu.  Our walk took us north past the Guggenheim (another museum I need to visit) and a few blocks east to this quaint eatery.  It was hard to choose from their selections of pastries, many gluten free, but we consumed just the right amount of sugar for our walk back to the hotel.

Visit the New York Public Library and Nearby Christmas Market

With some time to spare, we detoured through the jam-packed Christmas market in Bryant Park and popped into the New York Public Library at its flagship location in the Stephen A Schwarzman Building.  What a pleasant surprise!

Not only was it decorated for Christmas, but its collection of treasures exhibited on the first floor was outstanding.  We saw the Gutenberg Bible, the first photo taken from space, original prints from the Audubon Society, and a collection of Winnie the Poo characters among many other things. 

While we as tourists loved the collection and admiring the architecture, the library is world renowned for its research center which was not open to the general public, at least during the holidays.  Students and researchers needed a pass to access the stacks of books.

Attend a Broadway Musical

From the library we returned to our hotel and freshened up for our dinner at Osteria la Baia and show.  We saw Kimberly Akimbo which was absolutely hysterical.  The show is about a girl that ages seven years for every one year she is alive. The acting was fabulous, and the voices were good for the young cast.  I highly recommend seeing this Broadway Musical.

The following evening, we enjoyed dinner at La Grande Boucherie and saw Six.  The show is short with no intermission.  It is the story the six wives of King Henry VIII to pop music.  It was more like a rock concert with fans shouting.  The cast, which turns over each year, has a true following. 

We saw the cast’s last performance, so it was extra loud.  Many people love this show, but we did not fall into that category, and couldn’t understand the hype.  Afterward, we turned to Google Reviews.  Apparently, people love it or hate it. 

Soak Up Some History

Our day on the Lower East Side was somewhat washed out by the rain.  But after our breakfast at Katz’s Deli, we visited the Tenement Museum. The Tenement Museum highlights the life of different immigrants. The museum offers both neighborhood walking tours and tenement apartment tours.

We joined a 60-minute apartment tour in one of the two dilapidated buildings the Tenement Museum owns and learned about an Irish family from 1869. It was very interesting to see how they lived and the problems they faced. 

I asked the tour guide which is the best tour to take, and they suggested the Under One Roof Tour which is a 75 minute which compares the lives of Russian Jews and Italians in 1910.

Wander Through Union Square

After our history lesson, we popped into some secondhand clothing shops, and a few galleries before returning north through a variety of parks as well as Union Square.

Union Square is a lovely area with a Christmas Market in December, many big retailer stores, and charming cafes and eateries.  On a nice day, it would be a wonderful part of Manhattan to explore, especially during the busy holiday season as it is far less crowded the midtown and Times Square. In fact, all of the Lower East Side was quite pleasant compared to midtown which was inundated with tourists enjoying Christmas time in NYC. ETB

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