New York City At Christmas

Expect the unexpected. New York City is full of surprises.

As with many popular destinations, everyone thinks they know something about New York, maybe a lot because of the endless exposure on television and in movies.

It took me a few years living here to shake off my preconceptions about this mythical place. (First tip: Subways are not dangerous. In most situations, they are far and away the easiest way to get around.)

Upstate residents sometimes call us "Parisians without the accent." I think this is unfair to the French. We are grumpy, but if you paid my rent, you'd be grumpy too.

Now, a fresh module with the list.

1. Macy's Thanksgiving Parade, unless you know someone who can get in the bleacher spots in Herald Square, is vastly more enjoyable on TV. Indoors, get it?

When we were first here, my wife and I got up very early and went to see the parade. We got to the cross street just early enough to watch some floats whiz by over the tops of the legions of heads in front of us while discussing known remedies for frostbite.

Really want to have some relaxed fun with all the creative floats? If you go up Central Park West, where they set up the parade the night before, you are free to wander a true wonderland of sights and sounds, up close. It's free. Bring your camera to save some pictures you will never see in the news.

2. Don't waste your time traveling all the way downtown to see visit the World Trade Center site.

No disrespect intended, but this is finally into the reconstruction phase, and all you'll find are girders reaching skyward. Workers are filling the huge whole that the disaster left, but no remnants remain.

Come back when the work is done and memorials are in place.

3. Macy's and Bloomingdales are great stores, and you shouldn't miss them, but your time will be better spent at any one of the string of holiday fairs that dot the city at Christmas. Union Square, Bryant Park, Columbus Circle and other venues host exciting, upscale and temporary shops that feature merchandise difficult to find elsewhere in any season.

4. If you must see a Broadway show, your best bet is to plan ahead from home when you have time for research, even buy your tickets beforehand, but if you're like me and better at advice than execution, you may find yourself contemplating that long, motionless line in Times Square that you suspect leads to the TKTS half-price booth at 47th Street.

What you should know that most tourists don't is that the same organization operates another booth at the South Street Seaport. The difference is that this one sells tickets for tomorrow's shows, which means you might even get to have a pre-show dinng that includes chewing.

So, head down to the Fulton Street subway station, walk a few blocks east, and after pondering the beauty of Brooklyn Heights across the East River and that bridge that's always for sale, search out TKTS, stand in a much shorter line and get what you want for tomorrow. South Street Seaport itself is both scenic and historic.

Stick around and enjoy the stores and exhibits.

5. Ice-skating plans? Pass up Rockefeller Center and travel six blocks south to join the equally long line for the much larger rink in Bryant Park. A very nice spot under towering skyscrapers with a great restaurant and a seasonal bar nearby.

6. Hotel rentals are shockingly priced, even in these times. A good number of New Yorkers are away and will rent their apartments and homes for less.

Google "short term apartment rentals" and find some bargains. They will have, by definition, the conveniences of home, even you're not.

7. If you must do a hotel, be generous with yourself and read carefully ads that feature tempting phrases like "walk to subway," "five minutes from Times Square" and "Skyline views."

What they are trying not to say directly is that you'll be staying in Queens, Long Island City most likely. This may a wonderful area to live in, although you'd be more likely to work there. These new hotels are springing up in industrial areas that have not seen residents in a century. (The walk to the subway may be a little dicey.)

8. Let's be practical and talk restrooms, better known as toilets outside the United States.

As a visitor, you may become convinced that there aren't any not designated for "Customers Only," and indeed, using the facilities wherever you stop for lunch, snacks, dinner, whatever is always well-advised.

But rather than adopt a no beverages strategy, here are some places where public restrooms are almost always available: Starbucks (God bless 'em); McDonalds, Macy's in Herald Square with several, Grand Central Station, Penn Station, but probably the most convenient spaces are in the lobbies of virtually all hotels spread around New York City. If you're well-dressed, a doorman may even hold the door for you and give you good directions.

9. Christmas in New York City can be a tough time to hail taxis, much in demand when weather deteriorates. So, unless you enjoy walking in the city, learn the subways.

Maps are in every station, and if you plan, you can even download a PDF before leaving home. The subways are fast, reliable and generally filthy on the platforms, although the cars are rarely a problem.

Squeeze into the next train and get where you're going quickly and cheaply.

10. Finally, here are recommendations for things to do that you might not have thought about: Eataly, 5th Avenue and 23rd Street, guided by chefs Lidia Bastianich and Mario Batali, is easily the best Italian cooking, shopping and eating experience in New York City, maybe the world (video below); the Roosevelt Island Tram (59th Street and 2nd Avenue) will glide you silently through tall buildings, then sweep you into a panoramic four borough view, unbelievable at night, round trip for under five bucks (see video below); the Tenement Museum, 90 Orchard Street on the Lower East Side, is startlingly unique experience for history buffs and the descendants of immigrants (Aren't we all?) alike.

11. As you get a little closer to Thanksgiving, many of the best window displays go up now in the major stores. New York's are probably the best in the world. What we have done to enjoy them is start at Bloomingdales at 59th and Lex, then meander south, stopping to see Barney's, Lord and Taylor, Saks, Rockefeller Center and Macy's. If you have time, take a quick jaunt up 42nd Street through Bryant Park and enjoy the seasonal show at Grand Central, which straddles Park Avenue. You will also find a terrific arts and crafts gift bizarre on the south end of the terminal.

Those are my tips. They should help you make the most of New York City at Christmas.

Sorry for the interruption, but I just created this. It's Christmas-oriented, and I think it's hilarious. Santa is pregnant, and the elves are to blame. Check it out.

By the way, you can customize it from a T to a hoodie or a sweatshirt or whatever. I hope you like it and give it some thought as you continue on with the show. Thanks!


Damned Elves by DeborahJulianArt
make your own custom t-shirt at zazzle