Christmas In New York City

Us across the street from Radio City Music Hall

Christmas in New York City is amazing.  Maria and I traveled there recently to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child – which I’ll write more about later – and had the bonus of seeing the town lit up for the holiday season. It really was spectacular, and we didn’t even get to window shop all of the displays that I’ve heard so much about, and have been made famous in so many Christmas movies.

Another time.

Here’s a quick look at what we did see, and where to find it, on our whirlwind of an adventure.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

The Christmas market and skating rink at Bryant Park

Our hotel was only a couple of blocks of Times Square. Another block from that is Bryant Park, which is on the back side of the New York City Public Library’s main building – seen in the back left of the photo.  The park was a near daily stop for us, with their awesome market. In the background the Empire State Building is lit up blue.

The tree inside the New York City Public Library

The New York City Public Library was our second stop upon arriving in town. It only makes sense, I suppose, seeing as I’m now working at a library. I’d love to work there someday, but the commute would be a bit much from western New York.

A library statue decorated for Christmas

The Christmas tree and crowd outside Rockefeller Center

The crowds outside Rockefeller Center were insane. And while the tree is spectacular, I liked other ones we saw in town much better.

Some of the decorations outside Rockefeller Center

The Christmas tree outside Radio City Music Hall

I thought the Radio City Music Hall tree was pretty awesome, for instance, how it kept changing colors. The intersection, while busy with traffic, was not near as crazy as a couple of blocks away at the Rock. Also, right across the street, were the giant Christmas bulbs in the photo at the top of the post.

We did all of the above on our first night, just in a short walk from our hotel and then through Times Square. The next day we were off to see One World Trade Center and the memorials. I didn’t notice a lot of Christmas decorations there, but they did have a pair of trees tucked away on opposite sides of the lobby (below).

Inside One World Trade Center

As is the case with the Harry Potter play, I’ll write more about my visit – the first since the construction and opening – to the World Trade Center another time. For now, I’ll just leave it that it is without a doubt a must-stop for any visitor to New York City.

The origami Christmas tree inside the American Museum of Natural History

The day after our visit to the World Trade Center, so our second full day in the city, we hit the American Museum of Natural History. One of the highlights of our stop there, at least for me, was the origami tree that they had tucked away near a cafe in the lower level. It’s a shame, too, since it really was my favorite Christmas tree out of all of them.

A decorated dino outside the American Museum of Natural History

Our final full day in New York City started out at the Met – one of my favorite museums in the world. And while my main goal there was to see Washington Crossing the Delaware, something I’ve missed on my previous visits since it wasn’t on display, the Christmas tree wasn’t to be missed either. It was huge. Massively huge. And it’s something I’d make a point of seeing (below) if you ever have a chance to be in town over Christmas.

The Christmas tree inside the Met