I love holiday music and couldn’t wait for the day after Thanksgiving to play it. New York is an amazing place to be in December with so many festive decorations and events!
Below is a rundown of some of the best NYC has to offer over the next Month (plus the best trees, skating rinks, window displays and gift fairs)!
* Now through Jan. 9 – I am determined to see the New York Botanical Garden’s Train Show this year. It is supposed to be amazing (particularly just after dark). Miniature trains chugging past a miniature NYC (along a half-mile of tracks, passing 140 New York landmarks) constructed entirely of natural materials: nuts, tree bark, fruits, pinecones, and leaves, housed within the warmth of the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. * Now through the end of January – Artist Daniel Libeskind is bringing The Hanukkah Project to the Jewish Museum and worth a visit to see the collection of famous menorahs. Candles will be lit to create a line of fire!
* Nov. 30 – the Tree at Rockefeller Center is lit! Lighting ceremony begins at 7pm and features stars and performances. 
* Dec. 2 – First Thursday’s in DUMBO for the art gallery walk while artists are open late!
* Dec. 3 – The Movember Gala Parté! You survived the month with that itchy ‘Mo (and people telling you that you look like a pedophile) - now celebrate your hard work! $20 tickets can be purchased HERE (or if you raise at least $100 for the cause, you earn a ticket free).
* Dec. 9 – The Yelp Snow Ball is FREE and includes booze, food and other little extras. A $10 donation to the NYC Coalition Against Hunger is optional, but good karma is always nice around the holidays! The list of vendors participating is impressive – check it out and RSVP HERE
* Dec. 9 – MoMA by Night (tickets in advance are $14) –What better way to see art than with cocktails, music and gallery talks after hours! I saw the Abstract Impressionist New York exhibit this weekend and it really is a must-see.
The Best Christmas Trees (and Menorah) worth a visit:
* The annual Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History is 13 feet tall.
* The Annual Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Créche at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the Medieval Sculpture Hall. While you are there, don’t miss the John Baldessari exhibit, which closes January 9th!
* Standing over 50 feet tall, the Singing Christmas Tree at South Street Seaport has carolers performing Fridays at 6:00 pm and 7:00 pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm, through Christmas.
* Lincoln Square, Madison Square Park, Washington Square Park and Bryant Park all have trees worth checking out if you are in the ‘hood.
* And, of course, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree!
* The Menorah Lighting at Grand Army Plaza – The World’s Largest Hanukkah Menorah has a lighting ceremony each night, Dec. 1 – 8 at 5:30 pm, by a cherry picker! Fifth Avenue at 59th Street
Make time to cruise past these holiday window displays:
* My absolute favorite, by far, are the windows at Bergdorf Goodman. Since there is only one store and they don’t need to replicate it across the country, they pour money and creativity into their windows. Year round they are my favorite, but they go over the top for the holidays! Fifth Avenue at 58th Street.
* Macy’s, Bloomingdales and Lord & Taylor are all worth a peak! Barney’s is always fun too!
* Saks Fifth Avenue stepped it up this year from the snowflakes to a 3-D projection show.
* For those of you who like to look at sparkly things, Tiffany’s, Van Cleef and Arpels, Cartier and other jewelers on Fifth Ave always put together fabulous little windows!
Ice Skating Rinks:
* Skate beneath the famous tree at Rockefeller Center
* Do a lap in Central Park at Wollman Rink
* Avoid all the tourists and head to Northern Central Park’s Lasker Ice Skating Rink
* Bryant Park ice skating rink is fun and the holiday booths are set-up for shopping as well!
* Sky Rink at Chelsea Piers
Holiday Gift Shopping Bazaars and Fairs:
* My favorite gift shopping destination is the Young Designer Market in Nolita – tons of artisanal accessories, goods, clothing and jewelry for reasonable prices!
* I am actually also getting a few gifts this year from the New Amsterdam Market
* I bet the Hester Street Market would also have some great local goodies for filling those stockings with local products (and they have super yummy food booths for curbing your appetite while shopping (like Luke’s Lobster and the Meatball Shop)!
I am sure I will have at least one more post in the next few weeks, as other events get advertised, but this should get you all started and in the holiday spirit!
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL!!!
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