What more magical place on earth is there for the holidays than New York City?
The department store windows on the must see list:
Barney’s, Bloomingdales, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue and Lord and Taylor.
Holiday Trees are a great free form of entertainment! Here are some of the best:
- Rockefeller Center Tree, 50th Street and Fifth Avenue. The Rockefeller Center Tree is a spectacular mountain of branches covered with around 5 miles of lights. On view daily through January 3rd from 5:30am to 11:30pm, all day on Christmas, and from 5:30am to 9pm on New Year's Eve.
American Museum of Natural History Origami Tree, 80th St and Central Park West. For nearly 30 years, the lighting of the American Museum of Natural History's Origami Holiday Tree has marked the start of the holiday season for Museum staff and visitors. The striking 14-foot-high tree is decorated with more than 1,000 brightly colored, intricately folded paper decorations representing objects and specimens in the Museum's collection.
- Chorus Tree at South Street Seaport, At South Street Seaport. The beautifully decorated Chorus Tree with thousands of white lights stands over 50 feet tall and will feature the St. Cecilia Chorus. This annual tradition has drawn millions of visitors worldwide to the historic financial district over the past 15 years. There will be six performances per weekend from November 23rd to January 1st. Performance times are Fridays at 6:00pm & 7:00pm and Saturdays and Sundays at 3pm & 4pm. Performances last approximately 45 minutes each.
- Metropolitan Museum Annual Christmas Tree, 1000 Fifth Avenue. Tree and Neapolitan Baroque crèche go on view around Thanksgiving.
- New York Botanical Gardens Tree, New York Botanical Gardens. Two of the most magnificent holiday events at The New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx-the annual Holiday Train Show and Holiday Reflections festival of lights, both at the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory-raise the curtain November 23rd on six weeks of activities for children and adults.
- Park Avenue Trees, Park Avenue from 97th Street to 48th Street. The cherry and hawthorn trees growing on the avenue were strung with lights beginning in 1982 as a celebration of Hanukkah. In more recent years, the memorial has expanded to involve and celebrate all faiths, while furthering the cause of peace and invoking reverence for those who have sacrificed their lives for the country. December 4th at 6:30 PM, many New Yorkers of all ages come to Park Avenue and 91st Street to see performances give silent thanks in the very still night before the dedication and the lighting of two and a half miles of Memorial Trees.
- Lincoln Center Tree, Broadway and 63rd Street. Lincoln Center’s tree is a multi-cultural celebration of light at Josie Robertson Plaza.
- Charles Park Holiday Lights, Charles A. Dana Discovery Center, 110th Street near 5th Avenue. December in the Park wouldn't be complete without the Winter Wonderland Holiday Celebration and Kwanzaa festivities.
- Cathedral of St. John the Divine Peace Tree, 110th St. and Amsterdam. Commemorate the season of light with a stroll through the Cathedral to see Keith Harding’s silver-toned triptych, and the giant Peace Tree, covered with 1,000 paper cranes.
Friday, December 2, 2005
Celebrating 50 Years of Jim Henson and the Muppets-Screenings and Exhibit, The Museum of Television & Radio, 25 W 52nd Street. Celebrate the Muppets’ 50th anniversary. The Museum presents the screening series "Celebrating Fifty Years of Jim Henson and the Muppets," featuring rare and unaired programs, along with a companion gallery exhibit, "Jim Henson: The Muppets Say Cheese—The Photography of John E. Barrett."
Sara Bernhardt: The Art of High Drama, The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Avenue at 92nd Street. This is the first major museum exhibition in the US ever devoted to the great French actress. Over a sixty-year career, "the Divine Sarah" established herself as the premier tragedienne in the West. She pioneered use of modern technologies to disseminate her image, and was the first major stage actress to star in films.
Move Against AIDS: a five hour Dance-a-thon, Manhattan Center, 311 West 34th Street (between 8th and 9th Avenue). The celebrity-hosted dance-a-thon will benefit Gay Men's Health Crisis (GMHC) and its HIV/AIDS programs. Artists include club DJ's Chad Jack, Mary Mac, Tony Moran, Tony Touch, and Junior Vasquez, and performances by Jody Watley and La Bruja. The event will also include appearances by several special guest hosts.
Sunday, December 4th
14th Annual Holiday Double Dutch Classic, National Double Dutch League, Apollo Theatre, 253 West 125th Street. Teams from Denmark, Belgium and France join 7 teams from Japan for the 14th Annual Holiday Double Dutch Classic. Double dutch is a NYC game first played over 300 years ago by Dutch settlers. The sport is now popular in Europe and Asia.
Miracle on Madison Avenue, The Children’s Aid Society, Madison Avenue between 57th and 86th Streets. Miracle on Madison Avenue is an annual charity shopping event that brings together leading luxury retailers, restaurants and galleries on Madison Avenue in support of New York's neediest children. Over 125 participating establishments will donate 20 percent of the day's sales to The Children's Aid Society.
Friday, December 9th
Fashion in Colors, Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, Smithsonian Institution, 2 East 91st Street. Organized by the Kyoto Costume Institute, Fashion in Colors explores color as a design element through 300 years of Western fashion.
Sunday, December 11th
Hanukkah Crafts Festival, Ansche Chesed, 251 West 100th Street. Ansche Chesed will hold its 25th annual Hanukkah Crafts Festival, New York's longest-running fair of fine handcrafted Judaica ritual objects and decorative items. The show features the creative & unusual, as well as traditional crafts, in a wide array of media, including silver, ceramics, paper, wood, glass & fabric.
Monday, December 12th
71st Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy Dinner, Hilton New York, 1335 Avenue of the Americas. The 71st Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy Dinner is an historic, black-tie event, providing a unique opportunity for those passionate about college football to participate and witness the traditional awarding of the annual Heisman Trophy before fellow Heisman winners and over 1,000 invited guests. A VIP Cocktail Reception 5:30-7:00 PM; “Heisman Only” Memorabilia / Silent Auction; Exclusive “Heisman Weekend” Raffle; Photo Opportunity with the Heisman Trophy; Annual Heisman Dinner Souvenir Journal; Commemorative Gift Bag for all; and Heisman Trophy Merchandise exclusively by Reebok.
Monday, December 12th through Wednesday, December 16th
Interop New York, Javits Center, 655 West 34th Street. Interop New York is the most comprehensive IT event in the fall, showcasing the interoperability of the converged network with infrastructure, applications and devices. Key themes: Application Networks, Infrastructure & Services, Security, VoIP & Collaboration and Wireless & Mobility.
Thursday, December 15th through Saturday, December 17th
Candlelight Tours, Abigail Adams Museum, 421 East 61st Street and York Avenue. Transport yourself back to the holiday season of 1827. For three evenings, visitors are invited to tour the Museum's eight historically decorated period rooms by candlelight. Enjoy live seasonal music in the Upper Hall on traditional instruments such as the hammered dulcimer. Dec. 17th is a special family day-kids get a craft to take home.
Thursday, December 29th through Tuesday, January 3rd
New Years’ Eve at the Hotel Plaza Athenee Package, 37 East 64th Street. Ring in the New Year at the Hotel Plaza Athenee. Package includes Superior room or One Bedroom Suite, Champagne and chocolates on New Year's Eve, Daily Continental Breakfast for two and Gala New Year's Eve Dinner or New Year's Day Brunch in Arabelle Restaurant.
101st New York National Boat Show, Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, 655 West 34th Street. Celebrate 101 years of fun for the whole family. There's a boat for every budget & lifestyle with more than 1,000 of the newest models, electronics, engines and gear. Highlights include 5 Boats of Bond out of the movies, New Product Showcase, & more. Kids 12 and under free.
New Year’s Eve, December 31st
Watch the Ball Drop in Times Square on New Year’s Eve. People all over the world will watch the ball drop in Times Square at Midnight on New Year's Eve, but if you're lucky enough to be in New York City for New Year's Eve, you could watch the ball drop in Times Square live! December 31, 2005 will be the 100th Anniversary of the Ball Drop in New York City's Times Square.
New Year’s Eve Midnight Run. Try this four-mile run through New York City's Central Park that includes a (non-alcoholic) champagne toast, fireworks, and music to ring in the New Year.
New Year’s Eve in Brooklyn’s Grand Army Plaza. Celebrate New Year's Eve in Brooklyn. This New Year's Eve celebration features fireworks and the countdown to the New Year at Grand Army Plaza.
Brooklyn Bridge Walk into the New Year. Register at 10:30 PM, walk begins at 11:15 PM from Prospect Park. See New Year's Eve fireworks from Staten Island, Brooklyn, Central Park, NJ and the Empire State Building light show. Learn how the Brooklyn Bridge was built. Meeting Place: Outside Blimpie's Restaurant at 38 Park Row between Spruce and Beekman Streets across from City Hall Park. $25 if reserved in advance, $30 cash the day of.
Thank you to Wendy Perrin and Condé Nast Traveler for choosing us as their exclusive “Destination Specialist for New York City” for the second consecutive year! We are thrilled to be included amongst the top travel specialists around the world.
