Holiday Festivities – Day 4

One of the best parts about living in New York City is the variety of holiday markets and festive decorations. There are holiday activities throughout the city for visitors to explore!

-Bryant Park: Located near some of New York’s most famous sites, what is normally a green space amidst tall, shiny skyscrapers becomes a winter oasis. The centerpiece of the Winter Village is a large ice rink where visitors can skate just a couple blocks away from Times Square. Surrounding the ice rink are booths filled with gifts, food, and drinks. Visitors can stroll through the market and take in the sights and sounds. You can find everything from cultural cuisine and wares to plants, from puzzles to Christmas decorations.

-Union Square: The Union Square Holiday Market was perhaps our favorite Christmas market due to its location and its size. You can easily spend an hour meandering through the stalls of the market. Like the market in Bryant Park, the market in Union Square features a wide-range of shops. Some of these have a European flavor, fitting for the traditional Christmas market, such as a stall selling German Christmas decorations, foods, and other small gifts. Other shops are local companies selling clothes, food, and homewares. Some shops are specialty shops, while others have a lot of variety. If you’re doing some holiday shopping, it’s easy to find things for a variety of people and personalities. If you get hungry or thirsty doing all that shopping, there are plenty of shops selling local favorites, cultural cuisine, and hot drinks.

-Garment District Market: The Garment District features its own Christmas market similar to those found in Bryant Park and Union Square, albeit on a smaller scale. Instead of being in a large urban space, the market at the Garment District is a series of stalls along the sidewalk, allowing passersby to glance in the shops and grab a bite to eat on the way to work or to the subway.

-5th Avenue: While strolling down 5th Avenue can be interesting at any time of the year, glancing into and walking around the pricey designer stores and boutiques, this famous street becomes even more festive during the Christmas season. Stores have holiday themed displays, and many extend these decorations to the facades of the stores. The most opulent is the exterior of Saks Fifth Avenue, which features a light display every ten minutes each evening.

-Neighborhoods: Many New York City neighborhoods decorate streets and shops for Christmas, giving the entire city a joyful appearance. As is the case any time of the year, simply walking around the city is a fun and rewarding experience. You never know what beautiful building, facade, light display, or decoration is waiting around the next corner.

-Red Balls at Radio City: Just across the street from Radio City Music Hall are large fountains. During the Christmas season, large, red, glass ball style ornaments are placed in these fountains. Along with other Christmas decorations near the fountains, the ornaments lend a festive air to the atmosphere, especially against the backdrop of Radio City.