Possibly the most popular and magical place in the United States to spend Christmas each year is New York City. Used as the setting for countless Christmas movies over the years such as Home Alone 2, this spotlight further accentuated the city’s reputation for holiday festivities.  Whether it’s the iconic décor and lights that are put up each year or it’s the endless treats you can try at the multitude of holiday markets sprinkled around the city, there are no shortage of ways that you can escape into a holiday wonderland while you are in New York throughout December.
The first stop we made during our holiday escape to New York was to begin dining on the incredible food at the holiday markets with our first stop being New York's newest market located at Macy's Square. This market consolidated a great collection of local artists selling holiday decorations and amazing food. In addition to traditional food that is inspired by the same Bavarian traditions that brought about the markets themselves, there is also a plethora of international culinary options to try. At this market, we tried out some Filipino sig-sig and Portuguese Natas. Not only did this market offer amazing food, but it also allowed us to enjoy our meal in the shadow of the Empire State Building. The cultural melting pot of New York has allowed immigrants from all around the world to come through this city while bringing their culinary traditions with them, allowing New York to become a city where visitors can discover food from all corners of the world, no where is this show cased more than within these annual markets. The Macy’s department store itself, also adds to the holiday spirit with a beautiful arrangement of Christmas trees, Santa Clauses, and another holiday décor covering the front of their iconic New York department store.
Our next stop on our Christmas adventure through New York City was the Bryant Park Winter Village, the area’s largest Christmas Market filled with an ice-skating rink, endless foodie experiences, and artists. The top meal from this market was easily the truffle infused Cheesesteak! A great cheesesteak on its own, the truffle oil and diced truffle put on up of it, really set off the flavor. This treat had originated in New York City and gained acclaimed at these holiday markets, where it has become one of the top traditions for many who visit these holiday markets. Other great treats we enjoyed with Bryant Park were the hot chocolate and mochi cookie, offering a terrific example of the traditional Bavarian treat of hot chocolate being found side by side with handmade mochi cookies that had originated in Japan. Although we did not get a chance to enjoy them on this trip, another very popular option within Bryant Park is their chocolate chimney’s, fried and hollowed tubes of dough with a chocolate icing on the inside, offering a New York twist on a Bavarian concept. The location of the park is one of the facets that makes the markets in New York, a truly unique experience. The entire park was surrounded by New York's renowned skyscrapers including the iconic Chrysler Tower. Another holiday market, another amazing time!
The next market on our New York Christmas escape was the Holiday Market at Columbus Circle, on the edge of Central Park. While substantially smaller than Bryant Park, this market was also noticeable less crowded than some of the other ones we visited in mid-city but offered equally high-quality food to try. These holiday markets not only offer food, but they also offer unique finds. For example, within the Columbus Circule market, we found some unique loose tea and spices at this market, that made for excellent gifts to bring back home other friends and family. In addition to the large markets in New York that have gained the most acclaim, the city is filled with countless other smaller markets. While wandering around the major Christmas Markets in New York City, we stumbled upon a few bonus markets like two near Times Square where we got to enjoy a few more holiday treats such as some tanghulu and a few more cups of hot chocolate and coffee.
After exploring the Christmas markets of New York, it was time to start bar hopping to some of the city's most festive holiday bars. First on the list was Papillon in Midtown Manhattan. This bar makes sure to go over the top with their holiday decorations in the best way possible with every square inch on the restaurant having some tinsel or ornaments over it from the floor to the ceiling. In addition, there were reindeer hanging from the ceiling and giant teddy bears over the entrance. Depending on what time of the week you arrive, it is not uncommon to need to wait an hour in a line outside of the bar to get seated, but the wait is well worth it. This was a great place to get a few drinks to start off the night! Trying out a few of there festive holiday drinks or a glass of egg nogg will easily put anyone in the holiday spirit. Next stop on our holiday bar hopping tour was Lilies Victorian near Times Square. This bar had a white Christmas theme with every inch of the bar being filled with white and fluffy decorations. The vibe here was a lot of fun with the bar going the extra mile to create a festive setting for the holidays. Bars such as these can be found throughout New York as they pride themselves on creating a truly unforgettable holiday experience for their patrons and really showcase the magic of New York at Christmas.
There are also countless landmarks that are put up through the city that have become icons. No Christmas trip to New York would be complete without a stop at the iconic Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center, featured in many New York holiday movies. Because of its acclaim, you will often find large crowds of people around the tree so getting a picture will often require some patience. There is also an ice-skating rink at the base of the tree for those who like to give ice skating a try. Another stop on our Holiday tour of New York were the annual Giant Christmas Tree Ornaments at the Radio City Music Hall which exude a very festive vibe in addition to the large Christmas tree located on top of Radio City Music Hall itself. Any visit to New York City needs to include some time wandering through Times Square, among the most iconic city squares in the world that's filled with people, energy, and activity at every hour of the day. During the holiday season, you will be sure to find travelers from around the world here, decked out in their holiday best and happy to exchange stories of the holiday traditions they have back home.
New York is filled with food, decorations, and magic during the holiday season and is an excellent place to spend a weekend during the holiday season in November. The energy and endless supply of activities can easily fill up a long weekend and there would likely be much more that needs to be experienced still. Just a few examples of more sights that I would have liked to have seen if more time was available are the wonderfully decorated holiday homes of Dyker Heights in Brooklyn or the holiday decorations of the financial sector near Wall Street. After getting a taste of New York at Christmas, I have become more encouraged to make more return trips here in future holiday seasons. But that is a story for another day…
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