When you think about Christmas, you might well think of the festive wonderland that is New York City in December. Recreated in many a Hollywood movie, the thought of ice skating, wandering through Central Park and stopping off to see extravagant window displays in historic department stores are at the top of anyone's Christmas list. Make your dreams come true this year and visit New York at Christmas time.
Rockefeller Christmas Tree
There are few things as quintessentially New York at Christmas as the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. Head over to the Rockefeller Center and see the iconic Norwegian spruce lit up in full glory - the lights are on every evening till 9pm on 7th January. If you're in New York City in November, don't miss the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting, a blowout Christmas extravaganza of a ceremony with incredible performers and live music.
Bryant Park Winter Village (photo)
Another New York City winter stalwart, there are few things as Christmassy as a toasty evening spent at the Bryant Park Winter Village. The biggest draw here has to be the 17, 000 square foot ice-skating ring - which, amazingly, is free. Open every day from 8am - 10pm, you can bring your own skates or rent them for $20. As well as this, surrounding the ice rink are 170 different holiday shops including the Pierogi Boys (making epic renditions of everyone's favourite dumpling,) Good Stock (to warm up with homemade soups) and the unforgettable S'Mores Bar by Squash (a favourite NYC marshmallow company.)
Dyker Heights Holiday Lights
For an eccentric Christmas activity, book onto one of the bus tours out to Dyker Heights, a Brooklyn neighbourhood with a penchant for over-the-top holiday light displays. On the 3.5-hour bus tour, you'll witness 25-foot toy soldiers, a two-story tall Santa and impossibly, a house decked out with more than 30, 000 different lights. This Christmas spectacle has happened annually since 1986, when a holiday-loving new resident called Lucy Spata moved in - now known locally as "Mrs Claus" - and inspired her neighbours to join in too!
Holiday Window Displays
For a similarly spectacular experience of maximalist Christmas decorations, wander past New York's biggest department stores to see their annual extravagant window displays. Don't miss Barneys, Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue, as well as Bergdorf Goodman and Tiffany and Co, for a truly New York experience of the holiday season. Each year these iconic stores pick a theme, from sweets (think giant candy canes and gingerbread houses) to The Grinch, and the ensuing creativity will make your mind boggle.
All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914
For fans of theatre, New York City has some of the finest productions and actors working there. For a special Christmas treat, buy tickets for All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914. This moving and unforgettable musical, originally shown on Broadway and created by writer-director Peter Rothstein, takes as its subject the 1914 Christmas Day truce between British and German troops during World War I. It draws on Christmas carols and war songs, as well as poems, letters and diary entries from soldiers, to create an extremely moving play that will bring you renewed appreciation of your loved ones this Christmas.
A Christmas Carol at the Merchants House
A special little Christmas event in New York City is the annual performance of A Christmas Carol in the peaceful Merchant's House museum. This tradition began after Charles Dickens spent a month performing it here in 1867, and the one-hour play is re-enacted during the Christmas period. The atmosphere here is truly enchanting – it's performed by candlelight in the historic building - and there's free mulled wine and festive snacks.
New York Christmas Walking Tour
If you're visiting the city this Christmas, why not do your sightseeing with a Christmassy twist? Book onto the Christmas Walking Tour and spend an hour wandering around Manhattan - you'll walk past many of the sights mentioned on the list - such as the Rockefeller Christmas Tree and Bryant Park Winter Village. You'll also finish off at the Radio City Music Hall, where you can see the fantastic 90-minute stage show the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes - a festive treat that stars over 140 different performers.