I am already missing NYC and it has only been about 3 weeks! This was such a fun time that my mom and I shared on our 4th mother/daughter trip.  This year we had thought of a couple of different locations including New Mexico and the Biltmore, but so glad we decided to do NYC at Christmas time. When people say that New York is magical during this time of year, they are so right. I knew that I had wanted to come to New York during Christmas for a while now. It was one of those things that has been on my bucket list. This was my 4th time to New York and for sure the busiest, but most fun time to go. I would for sure recommend going the first weekend after the tree lighting so you can see the Rockefeller Tree, and so you can go early and get some of your Christmas shopping done before everyone else. Below are some of my tips and tricks on how to enjoy the best from your NYC at Christmas experience.

 Traveling/To Stay

As I mentioned above, I would go during the first or second week in December. It is always the first Wednesday of December when they typically do the tree lighting. The crowds might be lighter before the tree lighting or after New Years Eve, but if you want want to get in the Christmas spirit I would recommend picking one of these weekends. We flew in on a Friday morning and left on Sunday around lunch time, which I thought was perfect. I have highlighted some of my tips below for traveling into the city and what part of town I would recommend to stay in.

• Book Your Flight/Hotel Early: I booked our flight in September and the price was not that bad. Anytime from October on it started rising a ton and that first weekend the flights are extremely booked. Get your dibs on an early flight in the morning so you will have plenty of time to enjoy the city. This also goes for your hotel as well. Like I said there are 10 times more people here at Christmas time then at any other time.
• Hotel Rooms Are Small/Can Be Old: This is NYC so the hotel rooms are not going to be very big. During this time of year you are maybe in your room only to get ready, sleep and like if you were us eat a slice of pizza in bed while watching Friends late at night. Hotel rooms range in price during this time, but averages were on the high end going for $275+/night. We ended up booking through Priceline and saved a lot. Also your hotel could be very old and have some “history” to it like ours did. The amenities and cleanliness were still great, something to note though.
• Stay In Midtown For Great Walking Distance: We wanted to be within walking distance of 5th Avenue and the holiday displays and trees, but not anywhere near Times Square. The best spot was in Midtown which we were at 49th and Lexington which made it only 4 blocks to the majority of the sights we wanted to see. It was still far enough where there weren’t thousands of people and less noisy too.
• Fly Into La Guardia Airport: I realized shortly after checking in that United had booked us a flight into La Guardia, but leaving from Newark. The price difference for an Uber between the 2 airports was about a $40 difference. I would suggest using La Guardia since it seemed to be the most cost effective and fastest.
• Don’t Bother With Cabs/Uber: We only took an Uber to/from the airport and when we went to the Meatpacking and Soho area the first day. We actually ended up taking the subway back to our hotel from visiting those neighborhoods after. It is much faster to either walk or take the subway. During this time of year there is even an additional rate that Ubers charge for congestion because there is so many people on the roads.
• Be Prepared To Walk A Lot: Since it is much more enjoyable to walk and faster, you will want to bundle up and be sure to wear a beanie and gloves and comfortable shoes. The first day I had on flat boots and the second day I decided to ditch these and wear my sneakers. Each day we walked 8.5 miles as we did a lot of sight seeing. It was not bad at all, even though we were sore towards the end.

To Eat/Drink

NYC has some great food options and there is way too much to even choose from. You can get anything from Italian to some top grade sushi. Even their street food is really great. I loved venturing to find some of their best desserts and some that were specific to the holidays. Nothing says Christmas time like some gourmet hot chocolate or a decadent s’more treat. I was able to scope out some of the best Winter feel good and classics.

• The 0.99 Cent Pizza Is Great After Walking All Day: I do love pizza and all various kinds. Also when it is 1 block away from your hotel super late and all you want to do is curl up with the heater on, it is even better. Not to mention that pizza places outside of the main touristy areas don’t have super long lines, even if you go late at night. I know that there are better places than this 0.99 cent place like Johns of Bleeker Street, Luzzo’s or Sauce Pizzeria, but hey I wasn’t complaining.
• Check Out Restoration Hardware Rooftop Restaurant: We stopped by here for lunch on our first day. It is located in the Meatpacking District, which is away from all of the crowds and a cute area to just walk around. The interior of this restaurant is way too cute. If you are a fan of Restoration Hardware already, then you know that the décor and food would be spectacular. The whole ceiling is filled with chandeliers and it looks like a greenhouse with glass walls all around. There is an outdoor area as well that looks great for pictures with some of the snow. We ate some yummy burrata, a roast beef sandwich, and for sure had some bubbly.
• Grab A S’More Treat: When you go to NYC during Christmas you have to do all of the wintery things right?! One of those is heading to Bryant Park and getting the best sweet treat which is basically a s’more in a dough cone. We had to wait in just a little bit of a line, but it was totally worth it. The shop is called The Stackery and it is located inside the Lodge at Bryant Park. Everyone will run to get one as soon as they see yours too.
• Head To The Smith For Breakfast: We went to The Smith for breakfast on Saturday when we ended up sleeping in, and got there when it was it’s busiest time. They have first come first serve at the bar and for communal tables in the bar area, which was not a long wait at all. The Smith is known for their egg dishes which is always a great plus for this meal of the day. They have huge portions and we ended up splitting an egg Benedict dish. We loved it so much and because it was only 2 blocks from our hotel, that we came back again on Sunday morning right when they opened. Their French toast which has caramelized bananas with it was pretty amazing.
• Check Out Christmas On Steroids At Rolf’s: I had wanted to go to Rolf’s but had heard that there is always a line non stop. There was so much sight seeing and shopping that I wanted to do while we were here that I passed on this restaurant. I have heard mixed reviews about the food, but the decor looks so magical with all of the decorations. I hear they spend close to $100K annually on the decorations too! If there is not too long of a wait, I would at least want to grab a drink in here next time.
• Grab Some Classic Italian Food: The one meal I told my mom I wanted during our trip was a classic Italian dinner on Saturday night. There are so many great restaurants in NYC, and especially for Italian which was a hard decision on where to go. Of course the next logical choice was what is walking distance on the way to our show seeing the Rockettes. I looked at some around us and came across Fresco by Scotto which we ended up loving. It was extremely crowded when we first got in even though we had a reservation. Once we were seated the service was fantastic and the food too. I loved how our server carried on conversations with us, and the food was super authentic. They also had a great wine list. A lot of the Friends cast members and people from the Today Show would come here a lot too I found out.
• People Watch At The Polo Bar: We were not able to get into The Polo Bar while we were in NYC, but that is for sure the restaurant/bar to do some great people watching at. It takes a while now to get reservations and is a super swanky restaurant/bar with great booths and interior that of course is so Ralph Lauren. They also are decorated very cute for Christmas during this time of year.
• Order The Blossoming Hot Chocolate: On our first day after we went exploring the Meatpacking District and Soho, we decided to get a little sweet before heading back to our hotel. We decided to head to Dominique Ansel Bakery that had been recommended to me by so many of you. This was a cute bakery that has a great following. The sweets that are available are all very intricately decorated and so yummy. You almost don’t want to eat the sweets because they look so pretty. Also they have this great blossoming hot chocolate that was just rich enough for my tastes. They drop a marshmallow on top and then it blossoms into this little flower because of the heat. It is really cool to see this and of course snag an Instagram video too!
• Experience A Winter Wonderland At Serra Alpina: Any pop up Christmas theme is a must go to. This one is also a must for reservations, like all of the Christmas themed places in NYC. It is located on the top of the Eataly and is a pop up restaurant that brings all of your Winter wonderland dreams come true. It looks like the forest has been brought in with faux snow on all of the branches. They serve Italian and also serve house made ales!
• Enjoy A Cocktail In An Igloo: Right by Rockefeller Center there is this cute igloo bar at 230 Fifth Rooftop. They are heated and transparent so you can see a 360 view of everything around you. This is one of those fun bucket list things that is unique for a great cocktail. I would also recommend making reservations as well.

To Do

New York always has so much to do during any time of year. It doesn’t matter if you enjoy more of the museums/libraries or sight seeing, there is always something to do or see. The majority of our trip was spent sight seeing. This of course is a free option and makes it where we get to have more to spend on food/drinks anyway.

• Window Shop Along Fifth Avenue: This is the number one thing to do during this time of year. Our hotel like I had mentioned was only a couple of blocks away which made this super convenient, but we weren’t in the hustle and bustle non-stop. Just to warn you there is a ton of people and it is cold during this time of year. The best way to stay warm is to just walk arm and arm like my mom and I did, and this also helps us not get lost in the crowds. Everywhere between Cartier with the famous red bow to Saks, is a must see for decorations. My favorite windows were at Bergdorf Goodman that made fashion and holiday festivities really come tougher.
• See The Saks Light Show: Watching the light show on the side of the Saks building is a must. They do a different theme each year and this one was around Frozen 2. The whole light show goes to the sound of music and lasts a couple of minutes. It is for sure a magical thing to see. This area is probably the most congested because it is really close to the Rockefeller tree as well. The show starts again very soon after the last one so there is plenty of time to watch it at least once.
• Take A Picture At The Rockefeller Center Tree: You didn’t really go to New York at Christmas if you didn’t get a picture of the Rockefeller Center Tree. There is a ton of people around this whole area so getting a full picture of you in front of it is harder to do. A selfie right after you watch the Saks Light Show is great as well. There is ice skating here and famous buildings and statues. This is one of the largest trees and they light it typically the first Wednesday in December. If you want to beat some of the crowds, then try to get there super early in the morning. It was great to see because so many Christmas movies have been filmed here.
• Walk The High Line: The High Line is a nice park trail that is a couple floors up that is close to 2 miles long. It is pretty much an elevated park which has great views of all of the buildings and sky lines. Right by it you can go into Chelsea Market to get all of the yummy eats and shop into some unique boutiques.
• Visit The Holiday Market At Bryant Park: This was one of my favorite activities during our trip. It was a big park with holiday pop up shops all throughout. We were able to get some cute ornaments and a candle that smells amazing. They also have stands with cider, doughnuts, and all of the yummy food. There is also an ice skating rink here if you are up to doing that. It was great to watch people ice skate while we were indulging in our s’more treat. They also have some great Christmas trees all around to take a picture in front of as well.
• Macy’s Is A Must: You have to go to the largest store in the world which is Macy’s in NYC. There are so many different floors and the decorations are a must to see. I really liked their window displays as well which were interactive and completely different from other displays. The building architecture and history is so great, and is a magical time during this time of year.
• Stroll Through Central Park: I wanted to take a carriage ride through Central Park, but everyone else did as well. We went here around 5 pm and I would think you have to get there very early in the day to get in the line for the carriage rides. It was not snowing when we went, but there was still ice glistened on the grass. There is something so calm about walking through a park instead of in the normal streets of this concrete jungle. You can spend hours here as the park is so large. All I kept thinking of was Home Alone and the bird lady.
• Have Tea At The Plaza: Last time I came to NYC I had tea here at The Plaza and loved it. The building, history, and famous filming locations including Home Alone gives it a lot of buzz. When they bring you the tea there is a whole carousel cart of sweets you can enjoy as well for the real tea time experience. There was a line this time outside of the door just to get in. We did go ahead and take a picture outside the front to relive our inner Kevin McAlister.
• Can’t Forget About The Real Reason For The Season At St. Patrick’s Cathedral: We came here at night and during the day time. It was the most beautiful church I have ever seen in my life. The architecture is incredible and the size of this church is unbelievable. This is a must visit, especially during this time of year. St. Patrick’s has a beautiful nativity set inside which was my favorite. There are a ton of visitors that come here, and there is enough candles to light to send a special prayer in this incredible setting.
• See The Rockettes At Radio City Music Hall: It wouldn’t be a Christmas trip without adding in this great show. I bought us tickets to this show the day of and I am so glad we went. We had seen them when they came to Houston a couple of years ago, but it was not the same as seeing them in New York. The Radio City Music Hall is a classic building and if you have never been before, you have to. It is fun for the entire family and the real animals that come in for the Nativity piece of the show is spectacular. The Rockettes are so talented with so much history at Christmas time.

This was a bucket list trip to visit NYC at Christmas time, and I am so glad we got to go together. It was probably one of our favorite mother/daughter trips at such a magical time of year. If you are interested in going, I would for sure book a trip. They keep up the decorations for a couple of weeks after Christmas and the crowds might be down a little. If not, there is time for next year too!