Nakia Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Is this a totally bad idea? I have dreamed of spending Christmas in NYC for a long time. I've never been to NYC at all, and I just have this picture in my head of it being wonderful at Christmas. Any thoughts??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JenMama Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 We moved from NY about 5 years ago. It is lovely at Christmas. The tree at Rockefeller Center and ice skating, store window displays, the roasted chestnut vendors on street corners, the Radio City show, the snow. It's all wonderful! But it's really cold. Because Manhattan's an island, the freezing wind is impressive. I remember leaning into the wind trying to walk home from work. And the holiday shoppers make it more crowded than usual. So if you're good with crowds and cold, then you'll love it. If not, fall! Central Park in fall really is amazing. If you're a walker, it's so much easier to run around to all the museums and shows in the nice weather. And you can add The Empire State Building, The South Street Seaport and Ellis Island to your list - all would be unpleasant in winter IMO. Spring's great, too. Summer's pretty stinky (literally) in the city, but it's the least crowded. There's some amazing hiking about an hour north of the city if you go in better weather. And apple picking... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susan in KY Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 We moved from NY about 5 years ago. It is lovely at Christmas. The tree at Rockefeller Center and ice skating, store window displays, the roasted chestnut vendors on street corners, the Radio City show, the snow. It's all wonderful! But it's really cold. Because Manhattan's an island, the freezing wind is impressive. I remember leaning into the wind trying to walk home from work. And the holiday shoppers make it more crowded than usual. So if you're good with crowds and cold, then you'll love it. If not, fall! Central Park in fall really is amazing. If you're a walker, it's so much easier to run around to all the museums and shows in the nice weather. And you can add The Empire State Building, The South Street Seaport and Ellis Island to your list - all would be unpleasant in winter IMO. Spring's great, too. Summer's pretty stinky (literally) in the city, but it's the least crowded. There's some amazing hiking about an hour north of the city if you go in better weather. And apple picking... :iagree::iagree::iagree::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djsmom Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I've had the same dream for years...ever since seeing Home Alone 2:) I would love to spend a month there, from Thanksgiving & the Macy's Day Parade, all the way through Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Dress warm and have a magical Christmas! I love NYC at Christmas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EducationX2 Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 We can meet there. :D I've always wanted to spend Christmas in NYC. Right now I actually live within (reasonable..) driving distance of NYC, but this will probably be the last year I'm even close. But only if we can go ice skating first, and you promise not to laugh when I spend more time sitting on the ice than skating on the ice. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Oh, I'd love it! Fall would also be nice. I've always wanted to go up and see the Rockettes Christmas show. I once dreamed of being a Rockette. I am two inches too short.... yeah, that was the only obstacle, I'm sure. :D Maybe if you don't want to be there ON Christmas, go for the Macy's Thanksgiving parade, and stay until the Rockefeller Center tree lighting!! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelaNYC Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 Not a bad idea at all. It is the most wonderful place at Christmas and it's my favorite time of the year here. During the day it's really not cold at all - the buildings block most of the wind and you do so much walking that you almost feel warm. The Christmas tree, the holiday windows, all of 5th Avenue, FAO Schwarz, The American Girl Store, Radio City, Rockefeller ice skating, Columbus Circle...I can go on and on. It's crowded, but it's fun. You have to come and experience all of it at least once in your life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in AL Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I had the same thought this past Christmas and took the family. I'm sad to report that NYC appears to be stuck in political correctness and Christmas as we traditionally know it is not there. The decorations were minimal. I guess you need to consider that there are multiple religions in NYC and perhaps they don't want to focus on one more than the others. We especially wanted to see all the store windows, which we did. They were bizarrely decorated. Bergdoff Goodmans was Lady Gaga. Most were alien or spaced theme and mostly white. Macys had one window with Santa reading to kids by a Christmas tree, that is the only Christmas like window I remember. The shopping was excellent. The food was good. Spaces such as stores and restaurants were very small. Everything appeared to be covered in soot. Sorry for such a downer review. I think it would be a great city to have fun shopping, eating, maybe a girls weekend, but I certainly didn't get that Christmas feel from it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catwoman Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I agree with all of the positive comments, but please be sure you LOVE crowds, because if you don't, you will be positively miserable. As an example, Rockefeller Center at Christmastime can be nothing short of claustrophobic, even though you're outdoors, because the crowds can be overwhelming, and you'll probably have to wait in line to get in to stores like the Nintendo Store, the Lego Store, and FAO Schwartz. You also need to be OK with waiting in line to get into restaurants. Personally, I was very disappointed in the Christmas decorations in the city last year, as most of the store windows were very stylized and not traditionally Christmasy, thus not much fun for kids to look at (and I wasn't too excited about most of them myself.) And call me a scrooge, but I wouldn't wish the crowds at the Thanksgiving Day Parade or New Year's at Times Square on anyone, and I wouldn't bring my ds into that huge crush of people. (And I'm also too impatient to get to either place hours and hours ahead of time just to get a decent spot to stand!) Again, NYC at Christmas can be a lot of fun, but it can also be very stressful, depending on your personality. My ds loves NYC, so we spend a lot of time there, and because both my dh and I have always lived in the city or the surrounding suburbs, we might be a little jaded about things that would be a lot of fun for tourists, but I wanted to point out the potential negatives along with the obvious positives, so you can make the best choice for your family. Whatever you do, though, if you decide to make the trip, make your hotel reservations early so you'll have a wide selection of accommodations, and be sure to choose a very centralized location that are close to your chosen attractions. Don't try to save money by choosing a hotel in a questionable location, and don't choose a place just because it's inexpensive, as you get what you pay for -- and if the weather is lousy, long walks may not be practical and taxis get super-expensive when you're sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, so in the end, you may end up spending more money to have less convenience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 It is lovely at Christmas. The tree at Rockefeller Center and ice skating, store window displays, the roasted chestnut vendors on street corners, the Radio City show, the snow. It's all wonderful! That's what I think of when I think of NYC at Christmas... Sounds lovely! I've only been there in the fall and found that to be a perfect time to visit. We're heading back to NYC in October (spending a few days in the city and then heading to West Point for DH's reunion). Whatever you decide, have fun! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted July 10, 2012 Share Posted July 10, 2012 I've had the same dream for years...ever since seeing Home Alone 2:) I would love to spend a month there, from Thanksgiving & the Macy's Day Parade, all the way through Christmas. :iagree::iagree::iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted July 11, 2012 Author Share Posted July 11, 2012 Your answers are making me giddy with delight!!! BUT I found out today that my brother, who is in the Army, will be home for Christmas for the first time in 5 years!! So, we'll be spending this Christmas right here in NC with him. YAY!!! NYC in 2013 maybe! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-rap Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 We went there once the week before Thanksgiving, and it was so much fun! Things were already decorated for Christmas, and I didn't think it was overly crowded. (Most of the crowds would be there the following week.) We got a good deal at this hotel, which had a beautiful old-fashioned Christmas tree in the lobby: http://www.theroosevelthotel.com/ We did stroll past Rockefeller Center, but had just as much fun strolling through Central Park (which also has ice skating). We saw a movie at the old Ziegfeld movie theater, and did just a little shopping. I love New York and I don't mind the crowds so much, although we do tend to do things a little out of the mainstream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SunnyDays Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 Your answers are making me giddy with delight!!! BUT I found out today that my brother, who is in the Army, will be home for Christmas for the first time in 5 years!! So, we'll be spending this Christmas right here in NC with him. YAY!!! NYC in 2013 maybe! That's wonderful!! :grouphug: NYC will be there later, so glad you get to see your brother for the holidays! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted July 11, 2012 Share Posted July 11, 2012 It is super fun! The windows at Macy's, the HUGE tree and the ice skaters, the Rockettes. It is also very crowded, but that is part of the fun...I guess. You should get the Christmas in NY popup book! My mom got it for my boys in preparation for seeing the Rockettes. The love that book and we read it every Christmas. It really does cover all the highlights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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