Head to New York City for the Holidays and Experience NYC’s Legendary Holiday Style
Posted: December 2nd, 2011
To savor the best of New York Holiday Activities, make sure you stay in a Times Square Hotel in Manhattan and experience as many of these New York Events and New York Activities as possible.
There’s no place like New York City during the holidays. Regardless of your religious persuasion, NY Activities and NY Events do the holidays right and inspire residents and visitors alike into the Holiday spirit.
Sure, there are lots of crowds, but that’s part of the exceptional ambiance – the pulse, the energy -- that makes NYC a number one holiday destination. So put on your coziest jacket and most comfortable, yet fashionable, shoes and follow these recommendations for a chance-of-a-lifetime holiday in true NYC style.
From world-famous Manhattan Shopping and New York Holiday Events to NYC Holiday Activities and Broadway performances, put these top 15 recommendations on your NYC Holiday checklist.
1. Holiday Windows at New York City department stores | Fifth Ave., New York, NY 10018
NYC boasts some of the most visually splendid Holiday window displays in the nation and they’re all within minutes of Times Square and our NYC hotel. A brisk and refreshing two-mile stroll from Times Square will lead you past all NYC’s best including Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Bloomingdales, and Lord & Taylor.
2. Radio City Music Hall’s Christmas Spectacular | Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
November 11 – January 2
This NYC Christmas Spectacular truly is spectacular. The Rockettes are the world’s most famous high kickers and this show is now in its 79th season. Combining celebrated classic performances like "New York at Christmas" with all-new numbers, the cutting-edge digital mapping technology of ChristmasVision transforms Radio City Music Hall into a giant canvas.
3. Grand Central Holiday Gift Fair | Grand Central Terminal, 87 E 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017
November 14 – December 24
If you’d like a break from the NYC Holiday chill without missing out on the NYC Holiday cheer, visit The Grand Central Terminal for The Grand Central Holiday Gift Fair. You’ll discover a diverse mix of great gift ideas in the warmth and elegantly-decorated Vanderbilt Hall.
4. Union Square Holiday Market | 100 East 17th Street, New York, NY 10003
November 18 – December 24
It’s time for Union Square Park’s 18th Annual Holiday market. More than one hundred red-and-white booths will feature plenty of affordable, quality items that are sure to delight family and friends on your holiday gift list, as well as coupons available at the information booth for you to enjoy local business offerings at a discount.
There are many choices for a Times Square Hotel including the historic, newly remodeled Milford Plaza Hotel, a Times Square New York City Hotel. Located in Times Square, Milford Plaza Hotel is surrounded by Manhattan’s famous landmarks and attractions including NYC’s Theater District, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, Central Park, and countless other NYC attractions.
5. Holiday Train Show at Grand Central Terminal | Grand Central Terminal, 87 E 42nd Street, New York, NY 10017
November 19 – January 16
Experience New York City during the Holidays in a size and scale that’s more comprehensible than the real thing. The New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex and Store at Grand Central Terminal’s annual Holiday Train Show features Lionel trains running on 8 separate loops of track through a 34-foot-long miniature New York City scene. Vintage trains from the museum's collection will also be on display.
6. New York Botanical Garden Holiday Train Show | 2900 Southern Blvd, Bronx, NY 10458
November 19 – January 16
More trains – but these will allow you to experience New York City during the holidays in one of the most unique ways possible. The Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden features meticulously crafted miniatures of New York City all made entirely out of plants. Seeds, bark, leaves and fungi are used to create landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge while large-scale model trains navigate the fantastically rendered New York landscape.
7. Origami Holiday Tree | American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West & W 77th Street, New York, NY 10024
November 21 – January 2
The beautifully decorated Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History welcomes visitors to the institution throughout the holiday season in NYC. This year's Origami Holiday Tree decorations pay tribute to some of the largest and most impressive animals and displays found in the museum.
8. Annual Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche | Metropolitan Museum of Art, 100 5th Avenue, Manhattan, NY 10028
November 22 – January 6
For a nostalgic Christmas tradition that honors the New York City Holiday Season from days gone by, the Medieval Sculpture Hall at The Metropolitan Museum of Art features a blue spruce Christmas tree surrounded by 18th-century holiday decorations including cherubs and angels and a detailed Neapolitan Nativity scene. Visitors can enjoy Seasonal music and tree-lighting ceremonies for a charming Holiday experience.
9. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade | Central Park West & W 77th Street, New York, NY 10024
November 24
A world-famous event since 1924 when it was originally Macy’s Christmas Parade, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade features celebrities, Broadway performers, enormous balloons, and the first personal Santa appearance of the Holiday Season. The parade begins at 9 a.m. at Central Park West and West 77th Street and proceeds through Manhattan until reaching the Macy's store at Seventh Avenue and West 34th Street. For a sneak peak, check out the balloons coming to life as they’re inflated on November 23.
10. George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker | David H. Koch Theater, 20 Lincoln Center, New York, NY 10023
November 25 – December 31
Performed by the New York City Ballet, this annual production is an internationally famous and classic NYC Holiday Event. Since 1954, The New York City Ballet’s performance of George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker has been a family favorite with heart-warming visions of the Sugarplum Fairy, waltzing snowflakes, the Land of Sweets, and some of the most exquisite dancing you’ll ever see.
11. Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Square | Broadway & 63rd Street, New York, NY 10023
November 28
For one night only, the neighborhood around Lincoln Square in Manhattan transforms into New York's largest Holiday festival. Beginning with a tree lighting in Dante Park, the Winter's Eve festivities include street performers, food from some of the area’s best restaurants and fun activities, inside and out, for both kids and kids-at-heart.
12. Rockefeller Center | W 49th Street & 5th Ave., New York, NY 10020
November 30
If you're visiting New York City during the Holiday Season, you will not want to miss the breathtakingly enormous tree at Rockefeller Center – particularly during the tree lighting ceremony, which begins at 7 p.m. on Nov. 30 this year. The tree can be seen throughout NYC’s holiday season from the popular ice-skating rink below. Whether you choose to skate or not, be sure to check out this NYC Holiday icon.
13. Columbus Circle Holiday Market | Central Park S., at Central Park W., New York, NY 10019
November 30 – December 24
Central Park is a favorite New York City Holiday destination for both for its charming and romantic Carriage Rides through the snow and for the Columbus Circle Holiday Market. Located at the southwest entrance of Central Park, the fair returns during each NYC Holiday Season, bringing crafts and gifts for all ages from more than 100 vendors.
14. Lighting of the World's Largest Hanukkah Menorah | Grand Army Plaza, at Prospect Park, New York, NY 11215
December 19
New York City wouldn’t be a Holiday Season favorite if it didn’t honor Hanukkah with the same exuberance and extravagance as it does Christmas. A 32-foot-tall, 2-ton, steel Candelabra at Grand Army Plaza is the largest in the world and a candle is lit nightly by a cherry picker while guests enjoy folk dancing and “sufganiyot” (Holiday jelly doughnuts).
15. Times Square Ball Drop | Broadway & 7th Avenue between 47th & 42nd Streets, New York, NY 10036
December 31
The NYC Holiday Season culminates to one of the most notorious events in the world with the annual Times Square Ball Drop. Live performances and throngs of people create an exhilaration of watching it live that can’t be rivaled. Plan to spend the last hours of the year and the first hours of the next at Times Square for the ultimate NYC Holiday experience.
About Milford Plaza Hotel - A New York Hotel
Milford Plaza Hotel is located in the heart of New York City, surrounded by Times Square, the Broadway Theater district, Manhattan’s best restaurants and nightclubs, the Empire State Building, the subway, shopping and more – and is undergoing a $140 million renovation to remain among the best NYC Hotels in Manhattan with 1,300 Guest Rooms and Guest Suites.
The Milford Plaza Hotel is readying all new Guest Rooms, Lounge, Fitness Room, and accommodations that will impress guests worldwide. This historic Times Square Hotel is perfectly located near all NYC Activities and Attractions that bring visitors to Manhattan – for business or pleasure. Jacob Javits Convention Center, the financial district, Madison Square Garden, MOMA, Central Park, the Rockefeller Center, Greenwich Village, and much more is within minutes by walk or ride. Come see the best of NYC and stay at The Milford Plaza Hotel – the favored destination for a New York Hotel.
When visiting New York City, choose Milford Plaza Hotel, an Affordable NYC Hotel with Discount Manhattan Hotel Room Rates.
