TravelingbeebryantRN & Flicks_withNick

Happy holidays and a happy new year to my fellow readers!  Are you working on your new year’s resolutions or preparing for a fun party? I can’t wait to share my new year’s resolutions, as I feel like they are looking different this year. First off, I want to tell you all about our trip to New York City a few weeks ago. We went to NYC the weekend before Christmas with my brother and his wife. It was absolutely wonderful.

Two of my favorite things in the world; Christmas and New York. What could get better than that? It’s hard to beat, trust me. Christmas in New York should be on everyone’s bucket list. Everyone should experience it at least once in their life. The city is honestly magical all the time, but Christmas time is just over the top. There is so much to do around Christmas in New York, but most of this list can be achieved in 2-3 days. Keep in mind that this is the busy season, and it’ll be busy when booking your trip. I’ll include some tips on how to navigate through the crowds. We did a travel nursing assignment in New Jersey around Christmas time, so we really experienced Christmas in the city for a long period of time. We just went to NYC for a weekend with my brother,  and his wife. They haven’t had this New York experience during Christmas, so we were so excited  to show them everything. Keep reading for all my top recommendations for things to do, where to stay, and where to eat. Happy holidays! 

Where to stay in New York on a budget

Two years ago, we had an assignment in New Jersey and spent a lot of time in New York. We lived in Maplewood, NJ, and took the NJ transit into the city almost every weekend. Maplewood was a cute safe town, and an easy commute to NYC. NYC is expensive… no matter where you stay. I am a person that needs a clean place, doesn’t have to be top tier, but as long as it’s clean, I’m  all set. We often stay at the Doubletree by Hilton Newark Penn Station. It’s super convenient to the train station,  and at a decent price. When we just visited, we stayed in an Airbnb. Honestly, I was not that impressed and will give you the low down. 

We wanted to make this trip cost efficient. We found an Airbnb in Newark, that was close to the NJ transit stations. We wanted to be able to uber to the train station in the evening, so we wouldn’t worry about driving after drinking. The Airbnb wasn’t in the worst part of town. We never felt unsafe. We contacted the Airbnb owners,  and asked if we could show up early. They said the Airbnb was ready and when we showed up, but the code to the door wasn’t working. We called the owners multiple times,  and didn’t get a response. Luckily, we ran into the cleaner and she let us in. The door was malfunctioning and we finally reached the owners, who had a hidden key. This turned into an issue because we almost missed our train. It did end up working out, but stress we didn’t need. The Airbnb was overall ok, the beds and pillows weren’t super comfortable. The place was clean and convenient, but I don’t know if I would rebook it. 

Transportation

From trains to planes to automobiles, the options for traveling around New York City are endless. While I would love to take a taxi everywhere, who has the money for that? We often drive into NYC, park at the hotel, and get around with public transportation. If we fly in, we often get an uber to the hotel and use public transport. Parking around the city is super expensive, and just not worth it. We use the NJ transit to get into New York City, and take the subway to point A to point B. 

Now that we’ve figured out where to stay and how to get to New York City, let’s figure out what to do! This is a brief map that outlines Christmas activities in New York. 

Activities in New York during Christmas time

Let’s talk about some of our favorite activities during Christmas time In New York City. I also want to touch on some non Christmas things to do. The problem is the activities are endless in New York City. You’ll never feel like you’ve had enough time or seen enough. 

Visit the Christmas Markets

What’s a better way of getting in the holiday spirit, than walking around with hot cocoa, and exploring some of the best holiday markets. There are so many good Christmas Markets in New York City.  It’s so much fun to see all the local art and pick up homemade christmas gifts for family and friends. 

Bryant Park Winter Village

One of the best holiday markets opens up at the end of October. The Bryant Park Winter Village is one of the most festive markets in New York. They have a lot of local vendors selling homemade crafts, and tasty treats. You also can’t forget about the ice skating rink. Nick and I ice skated at Bryant Park Winter Village two years ago, and let me tell you, that’ll be our last ice skating experience…They offer free admission for ice skating and ice skate rentals.

Grand Central Station Holiday Market

We didn’t make it to the grand central holiday market this year. There was just so much to see and so little time. This holiday market is nice because it’s inside, and helps on those really cold days! 

Union Square Holiday Market

We didn’t make it to the Union Square Holiday market this year. There was just so much to see and so little time.  This is another outdoor holiday market with 150+ vendors selling local crafts, art, gifts, and food. 

Okay, we talked about holiday markets, but don’t worry if you aren’t in a shopping mood, there are so many other things to do. 

Finding the Best Christmas Trees

Who goes to New York during Christmas time, and doesn’t find the best Christmas trees. Here are some of our favorites throughout the years.

Rockefeller Center

The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree attracts millions of visitors every year.  Obviously this is going to be first on the list, but New York City is home to so many other good Christmas trees. 

Wall Street at the New York Stock

This is always on my list to see. I feel like it’s so underrated. The New York Stock Exchange always does such a nice job! 

Bryant Park

I love Bryant Park. I think it always looks so magical! 

Lotte New York Palace Tree

They always do such a nice job with this tree

Radio City Music Hall Tree

Does this tree count? I’m going to count it! 

Tunnel Christmas tree

I always love a tree that’s different from the rest. The tunnel Christmas tree is different. It’s located in midtown manhattan.

Visit Rockefeller Center

Rockefeller Center is a national historic landmark located in Manhattan. Millions of visitors come to Rockefeller Center during the holidays every year. It’s in the center of Manhattan, making it super easy to get too.  They continue to update  with new activities, along with the classics. Whether you are in the mood to do some shopping, eat at one of the restaurants, enjoy the artwork, or enjoy the famous Christmas activities. Whether it’s taking photos in front of the tree, enjoying a hot chocolate (try Glacé… we didn’t get one, but they looked incredible), or ice skating. The top of the rock is always a popular observatory, but becomes more popular during the holiday season. Nick and I haven’t done this observatory, but this past trip we did a observatory, and I can’t wait to tell you about it! 

Exploring Central Park

I have to admit, I love central park in the fall or summer, but not during the winter. Don’t get me wrong, the ice skating, and the view of the plaza hotel are incredible, but it’s so icy! Be careful, you don’t want to fall and ruin your whole weekend. Tip: find the Gapstow bridge. It has the best view of the plaza hotel. Also, tik toks are saying you can go into the plaza hotel lobby to check out the decorations, it’s not true. We tried this month. You can go into the plaza hotel shops, but not see the lobby decorations from there. And no, sadly, we did not see Kevin. 

Radio City Music Hall

The Rockettes have been taking over Radio City Music Hall for the holidays since the 1930’s. This is absolutely on my bucket list, and I’m not even a musical person. The outside of Radio City is decorated and nearby are the famous Christmas ornaments. 

Visit the Holiday light displays

We were so disappointed with this trip that the holiday light display at Saks fifth ave was canceled. Macys was incredible, as usual. 

Holiday light display in dyker heights

Brooklyn’s Dyker Heights neighborhood at Christmas is truly an incredible experience. We didn’t make it this year, but we’ve gone in the past and absolutely loved it! 

New York Botanical Gardens Train Show

I’ve always wanted to go to the botanical garden train show, but we never have had enough time to go. It’s located in the Bronx, so it’s not the most convenient. Honestly, it looks incredible! It’s definitely on my bucket list. 

Hudson Yards Christmas Lights

Hudson Yards mall always does an incredible job at decorating during the holiday season. If you are looking for an indoor activity, this is always a great option. The lights are incredible and they do have some upscale shops to check out. 

Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanical Garden

Explore the Brooklyn botanical garden under moonlight, while enjoying festive treats and holiday music. The trail through the garden has local artist light exhibits and sculptures. 

Oculus

Honestly, I wasn’t as impressed this year with the oculus. Usually it’s filled with beautiful Christmas decorations. This year it seemed to just have an ice rink. This is again a nice indoor activity for a brisk day.

Activities that you can hit during holiday season or not in holiday season

Observatories

There are so many good observatories in New York City. It becomes hard choosing just one. Now which observatory has the best views of the New York skyline?

Empire State Building

The Empire State Building is the oldest observatories in NYC. It is also one of the iconic landmarks in the U.S. The Empire State Building was the first building to have more than 100 floors, 102 to be exact. It was the tallest building in NYC for a long time. The bottom floors are office buildings,  and stores. There are many elevators available, so the line was short to get into the observatory deck. While waiting in line, they had pictures of famous movies that show the Empire State Building. Depending on your ticket, you explored the outdoor observatory deck at 86th floor or 102nd floor. Overall, we really enjoyed the Empire State Building. I feel like you need to do it at least once in your life (especially if you are a how I met your mother fan). It’s not my favorite observatory, but it was pretty cool! Highly recommend purchasing tickets in advance. 

Top of the Rock

Top of the Rock is the “shortest” of the observatories, but it truly gives one of the best panoramic views of the city. Especially if it’s during the holiday season. The lines to get into Top of the Rock This past trip was absurd. Dress warm, and prepare to stay in line. Again, I would recommend purchasing your tickets ahead of time. I can’t give this a good or bad review, as Nick and I haven’t made it here yet! 

One World Observatory

In the heart of the financial district, is the tallest building in NYC, One World Observatory. The name refers to 1 WTC, also known as the North tower, which was part of the World Trade Center that was destroyed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The building contains some major corporations. The top floor is the One World Observatory, overlooking the city. Nick and I attended one world observatory when we lived in New Jersey. The views were incredible, and once in a lifetime experience. We did eat at the restaurant, and were less than impressed with the food, and service. I wouldn’t recommend the dining experience with a view. I would recommend going to the observatory and finding dinner elsewhere. 

The Edge

The Edge is a newer observatory in NYC. The edge is located near the  Hudson Yards mall. It has become quickly popular, due to the unique design of the building. The Edge Observatory is located on the 100th floor, making it the highest outdoor view point in New York City. Yes, higher than the Empire State Building. I was surprised too! I can’t give you a ton of advice on the Edge. We haven’t made it there yet, but I look forward to doing it next time!

Summit One Observatory

Summit is the newest observatory, and it has become very popular. It is located in midtown, near Grand Central Station. If you know New York at all, you know that if it’s near Grand Central Station, you will have the best views of the Empire State Building, other observatories, and the NYC skyline in general. We just visited this observatory for the first time and really enjoyed it. 

Even the elevator ride up to the observatory was incredible. They have you walk down a dark hall into a elevator. The elevator was all mirrors and they did some cool lighting. It felt like we shot up to the top of the building in a minute. My ears popped. 

The rooms/floors had different atmospheres. The first room of the observatory had massive windows that had incredible views of the city during sunset. 

Highly recommend going during sunset.  The other rooms had helium balloons to play with and an art installation of chrome clouds.

I gotta know, did anyone find their face in the clouds? We couldn’t! 

The top floor had a bar, and outdoor observatory deck. We had tickets that included drinks. The drinks were honestly not worth it. Unfortunately, it was so cold and windy, the outdoor deck observatory wasn’t enjoyed as much. Overall, this is our favorite observatory so far! Definitely check it out. 

I suggest purchasing tickets beforehand, as they typically sell out. Even with a purchased ticket, it took about a half hour to wait in line and go through security.

Saint Patrick’s Church

I’m not a religious person by any means. I really love this church located in Midtown. I think the architecture is incredible and it’s really beautiful. They often decorate depending on the season. I’m not as impressed with it at Christmas time, but more in the spring and fall.

Museum of Ice Cream

I’m in a Visiting New York City group on Facebook. People visiting NYC in the winter always need to go with a backup plan of indoor activities. I’m not gonna lie, I’m always hot, and let me tell you, it was cold this last trip. There are so many good museums in NYC, and it gets overwhelming choosing one. I wanted to include two good museums to visit anytime! The Museum of Ice Cream is so much fun for kids and adults. We visited a few years ago, and we always recommend it! Who doesn’t love ice cream samples?!

Of course, they will forever have the famous sprinkle pit. How fun is this?!

Museum of Color

Another Museum we absolutely adore, is the Museum of Color. This museum is so much fun and interactive. They do change the rooms often spicing it up, and also correlating with the season. 

Of course, they will always have the famous ball pit, and confetti room, no matter the season. 

9/11 museum and memorial

The 9/11 museum and memorial is something everyone needs to see. They did such a nice job on the memorial outside of the museum. It honors the people that lost their lives on 9/11. Mention all events that happened that day in NYC? The 9/11 museum was highly educational and incredible to see.

 Eat and Drink in New York City

I wanna talk about all the Christmassy bars and restaurants, but also want to give some other options as well. 

Eats

Liberty bagel 

A trip to New York isn’t complete without a Liberty bagel.

Oscar Wilde

Let’s start with a Christmas restaurant. Oscar Wilde has some of the best decorations in the city. The food was good, the drinks were good, both good? Or just combine the sentence.  but the atmosphere is a A+. Book reservations early for the holiday season.

Carmines

Carmines is definitely top on the list for restaurants in nyc. There’s a reason it was booked 1.5 months before our last trip. We didn’t get in this time, but it’s on the list for next time. It’s a family style Italian restaurant. 

Toni di Napoli

Since we didn’t get into Carmines, we went to Toni di Napoli. It’s another family style Italian restaurant. Honestly, we had the best food, and it wasn’t overpriced. 

Margaritaville

I absolutely recommend the time square margaritaville. It has the best food and vibe.

I couldn’t help it…I had to jokingly put this in here. This would be my last recommendation, as it’s a huge tourist trap and we haven’t been. I just needed a laugh! 

Boqueria

Nick and I checked out Boqueria after an event we went to. It has a  very cool atmosphere, great tapas, and good drinks. I would recommend the experience! 

Drinks

PHD Terrace at Dream Midtown

We visited this bar in the summer. It has a rooftop that’s beautifully decorated for the season. During the Christmas season this year, it has a frosted garden theme. Make reservations!

Magic Hour Rooftop

I love this rooftop in downtown Midtown. We seem to always go. We honestly go for the atmosphere, and decorations. They always do such a nice job. I was a little disappointed this past trip with the decor. I feel like they do such a nice job in the fall and summer, and do such a poor job during the Christmas season. Just compare fall and winter shots.

Oscar Wilde

See above description. Oscar Wilde does drinks and food well! 

Rolfs

Enter if you dare, especially during Christmas season. We’ve gone in the fall (they decorate year round) and in December. This bar is famous for its decorations and drinks. It’s definitely not famous for its food. If you are interested in having food at Rolf’s during the holiday season, make reservations a year in advance. I’m not joking. You will be in line for a long time during the holiday season. 

McGees Pub

The food is less than impressive, the drinks are mediocre, but the atmosphere is incredible. Anyone a  How I met your Mother fan? McGees Pub was the inspiration for Maclaren’s pub. There are How I met your Mother pictures and memorabilia. They also have a menu that is named after a lot of the show. As my brother said, “this is an insult to How I met your Mother”. You don’t go for the drinks or food, you go for the  atmosphere. 

Frostys

Don’t get me started on Frostys. The drinks were less than impressive, but the décor was incredible. So it depends on how low your standards are. Mention we had to pay for the place, and they didn’t have half their items?

Loreley Beer Garden 

We went years ago, when our friends visited us during the holiday season, when we lived in Jersey. It was definitely busy and you needed reservations. It was crazy to get inside, but served the same cute good drinks outside. We had drinks and enjoyed the decorations. 

Miracle on 9th street 

We went years ago with friends. It was beautifully decorated, and overpriced holiday drinks. But… What drink isn’t overpriced in NYC? Again, if you are going for holiday decorations.

Possible itinerary

I figured let’s give a rough itinerary for a holiday weekend in NYC. It depends on a lot of factors and how you want to spend your weekend. 

I hope you are ready for your next holiday weekend in New York City. If you are planning a trip, and have any questions, reach out! Also, if I missed your favorite holiday inspired  nyc activity or restaurant, tell me! I love the suggestions. Also, if you are going to NYC, take me!  Just kidding, but not really.  Stay up to date with all things travel, nursing, and of course Flicks_withNick’s movie reviews. Give us a follow on Instagram or subscribe to this blog! 

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year from travelingbeebryantRN and flicks_withnick!