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5 Things To Do in New York City This Christmas

Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Tabby Duff
Her Campus Placeholder Avatar Sophie Dunne
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Albany chapter.

Who can resist the holiday season in New York City? At Christmas, the city is a place where dreams are made of, just like Elf showed it to be. It becomes a winter wonderland during the festive season, and there really isn’t anywhere else you should rather be than frolicking through Central Park’s snow or paying Santa a visit at Macy’s. With sparkling lights on every corner, the streets filled with eager last minute shoppers, and all of the larger than life decorations, it’s chaotic, but it really is the most wonderful time of the year to be in New York.

Here’s my top five things to see over the holidays in NYC:

1) Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree & Ice Rink

Of course, top of the list is the Rockefeller Center and its world famous giant Christmas tree. It really is something else, standing at up to 30 meters tall, it’s festive, and it’s got the ice rink that Buddy and Jovi skated on underneath it too – what more could you want?

2) Central Park

Central Park is amazing at the best of times, and doesn’t disappoint during the winter months. It’s like a magical world within the busy city center, with its ice rinks home to figure skating clubs and ice hockey teams.

3) The lights and window displays on Fifth Avenue 

 

Fifth Avenue is one of the most festive (and expensive) streets in New York, with department stores like Saks Fifth Avenue displaying holiday décor in the windows, glittering lights outside of Tiffany’s, and a colossal Christmas wreath in the doorway of the Trump Tower. Each store you pass is competing for the best window decorations on the block.

4) Pop-up Christmas markets

The Christmas markets don’t let you down either. Places such as Bryant Park and Columbus Circle have a number of stalls dotted around, selling things from pancakes to posters for reasonable prices. Definitely worth a quick browse for some last minute Christmas shopping.

5) The biggest decorations on 6th Avenue

Only in New York would you see Christmas decorations that are larger than life. Head to midtown Manhattan and take a walk down 6th Avenue and you’ll see huge red glitter baubles, brightly lit reindeer, tree branches hidden by holiday lights, and it’s hard to miss the giant Christmas tree at Radio City Music Hall.

(Photos Courtesy of Sophie Dunne)

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Tabby is a 3rd year student at Swansea University in the UK, currently on a year abroad at the University at Albany, New York. She studies English & American Studies, and is the Travel & Study Abroad blogger at Her Campus Albany. She absolutely loves to travel, having already visited a number of cities in the U.S. and Canada since arriving last summer, including Boston, Chicago, Montreal and Washington D.C. Tabby also enjoys music, shopping, eating a lot of food (and instagramming said food) and excessively watching Netflix. She hopes to pursue a career in Journalism once she graduates in 2016, having done some work experience previously at Microsoft MSN and now working for HC. http://instagram.com/tabbyduff 
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Sophie is a 4th year student at the University of Nottingham, England. She is studying American Studies and would love a career in Journalism or Public Relations (preferably while living in NYC). Sophie has been a Fashion Blogger at HC Nottingham since she started at the University at Nottingham in 2012/13. She was also a Publicity Intern during her second year at HC Nottingham in 2013/14. She was a Campus Correspondent during her year abroad for HC Albany as well as contributing to writing for HC Nottingham. She is currently the Head of Publicity for Her Campus, as well as continuing to write fashion blogs. She is a self proclaimed fashion and make-up addict and she also enjoys travelling, reading, (excessively) watching TV shows and films, music, shopping and of course writing for Her Campus!