Christmas In New York - Living With The Wolf

If there is one city to spend Christmas in, New York is the place! Christmas in New York is magical! It’s called the fairytale of New York for a reason and honestly, it did not disappoint one bit!

If you are looking for a white Christmas in New York, you might get disappointed! The chances of you actually getting snow on Christmas Day, is low. But never say never! There’s always a chance!

What’s Open On Christmas Day?

A question that gets asked a lot is, ‘what is open on Christmas Day?’

Good news, a lot of things are open on Christmas Day! So if you are worried you won’t be able to visit anywhere or eat anywhere on Christmas Day, you couldn’t be more wrong! There are places shut. But most of the restaurants, cafes, and coffee shops in the tourist areas are open. The one thing I do recommend is if you are planning on eating out at a nice restaurant on Christmas Day, book in advance. Also expect a lot of places to have set menus and often are not cheap. But if you look around, you can find places without set menus/cheaper to eat at.

Not only are the eating places open, but also the big attractions are all open too. I always recommend booking any activities/sights you want to see in advance to prevent standing in long queues. I recommend this not just for Christmas Day, but for any of the days you are in the city. No one wants to waste half the trip queueing!

If you need transport to get around the city on Christmas Day, the subways are open on a Sunday’s time schedule. Basically still running but not as frequently as a weekday service.

The Christmas ‘ Must-Sees’

Here are some of the best bits to see at Christmas in New York: A Full Guide To New York

Please note I have a separate guide to New York about everything else you need to know when planning a trip to the city, and the ‘must-see’ sights, none Christmas related: coming soon

Ice Skating

For me, ice skating in the Wollman Rink was a big dream of mine! But I know for many, ice skating at the Rockefeller is. Whichever location you choose, it will feel magical!

Once you’ve decided on your location to skate at, I recommend booking in advance! If you don’t, be prepared to queue for hours! Also if you prefer to skate when the ring is quieter, choose an early morning slot.

For the Wollman Rink in Central Park, at the time we visited, it cost us $35 each and $10 for skate hire. Remember the skate hire is in American shoe size.

Here is the website we used to book our tickets: https://wollmanrinknyc.com/

Rockettes

The Rockettes Christmas Spectacular, at Radio City, ia incredible! The tickets are not cheap, but honestly, they are worth every penny!

The Rockettes are such an icon to the city at Christmas! It all started in St. Louis, Missouri in 1925. In 1932, the show moved over to New York and performed at Radio City Music Hall ever since. A show that people from all over the world come to visit!

Prices vary, depending on the day you choose to visit, and the time you choose to visit. To book your tickets, head over to their website: https://www.rockettes.com/christmas/

Rockefeller

If there is one Christmas Tree to see, it’s the tree at the Rockefeller! In fact, this tree is that famous, people from all over the world tune in to see the tree go up, and the lights turned on at the beginning of the festive period, every year!

It gets extremely busy around near the Rockefeller. If you want to avoid crowds, and not be packed like sardines, I recommend visiting in the morning. We visited just after sunset, and it was crazily busy! You could hardly move!

Take A Wonder Along The Avenues/Streets

There’s nothing better than strolling the avenues and streets at Christmas. Seeing all the decorations, Christmas trees, and fancy lights. Free to do, and certainly gets you into the Christmas spirit!

My three favourite Avenues/Streets to look out for are: 5th Avenue, 6th Avenue, and 42nd Street. Here’s what to look out for on each street:

Macy’s

Macy’s, located on 42nd Street, is must see! Not only is it famous for being the world’s biggest department store, but it’s also certainly one to see at Christmas time! There’s something just so magical about it!

If you have kids, there’s a Santaland on the top floor, with a chance to meet Santa.

Please note: if you are planning to inside the store, it closes early on Christmas Eve. So do check the store opening times before you visit.

Saks

At Christmas, Saks, located on 5th Avenue, puts on a lovely light display between the hours of 5 pm and 11 pm, running every 10 minutes. It’s absolutely brilliant to see! Don’t worry it’s free to watch, so you can stand and watch it as many times as you want!

Cartier

Cartier, located on 5th Avenue beautifully decorates the outside of their store every Christmas. It’s one differently worth seeing it!

Giant Baubles

The Giant Baubles outside Radio City, down 6th Avenue, are not to be missed! It’s not every day you get to see baubles bigger than your head, randomly placed on a street!

Hudson Yards

Hudson Yards with over 200 million lights, deserves an award for the most festive-looking shopping mall! Never seen anywhere with some many lights! A giant 32-foot hot air balloon in the foyer and escalators covered in lots of little gold lights. They even have a number of phone stands dotted throughout the shopping centre, for selfies with the decorations! If you visit before the 16th of December, you can have a free photo with Santa! Unfortunately, we were too late for this!

The best time to visit is at night, as the Christmas decorations in the foyer stand out more. But don’t worry, if you are visit during the day, the place still looks ever so magical!

Bryant Park Winter Village

Love a good Christmas Market? Bryant Park down 5th Avenue is where you want to be! Full of homemade gifts, igloos, food, bars, and even an ice skating rink. There is something for everyone!

Visiting on a cold spell? You might even be lucky enough to see the fountain frozen over. Have to say, that was pretty spectacular to see!

The park is open every day from 11 am to 8 pm, with reduced hours on Christmas Day. (However, please do check these times the year you choose to visit as they might change!)

Union Square

Union Square holds a Christmas Market each year. The market isn’t as grand as Bryant Park, but if you love homemade gifts, you will love Union Square Christmas Market. It’s row after row of stalls, selling so many different products.

If you are planning on visiting Union Square Christmas Market, check the opening times before you visit. The year we went, it closed early on Christmas Eve, and reminded shut after Christmas.

The Oculus

The Oculus Centre or as some call it, the World Trade Center PATH station, is absolutely stunning! It has become the most expensive train station in the world, costing 4 billion dollars to build! Not only is it a train station to 12 different Subway lines, but it’s also home to a Westfield Shopping Centre. Basically, a place with something for everyone!

Not only is the Oculus stunning to see all year round, but at Christmas, the place feels extra special! They decorate the centre with beautiful Christmas decorations, giving the place a real festive joy at Christmas.

Washington Square Park

Honestly, I was in two minds about adding Washington Square Park to the list. They have a lovely Christmas Tree located next to Washington Square Arch and a few street performers. But that’s all there was!

I would say, if you are in the Greenwich Village Neighbourhood, then it’s worth a visit. If you are nowhere near the area, I wouldn’t suggest taking a trip to the park just to see the tree! The tree is nice, but nothing special. The park is also nice to visit, but it’s a place that’s probably more enjoyable in the warmer, summer months!

Meatpacking District

The Meatpacking District is classed as one of Manhattan’s most fancy neighborhoods! The year we visited, there was some quirky snowman dotted along the streets. It was just lovely to walk around and see them all! Where or not they change what they have on display each year, I do not know.

Chelsea Market

Chelsea Market, located in the Meatpacking District, is the world’s largest indoor food market! Open every day, with so much choice, you won’t get bored! The hardest part is deciding where to eat!

At Christmas, the place becomes a bit of a grotto with all the decorations! Even if you are not hungry, it’s still worth a walk-through!

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