Top (Ralph Lauren) | Pants (Vineyard Vines) | Shoes (J.Crew)
Bag (Michael Kors) | Sunglasses (Foster Grant)
It’s officially my favorite time to live in New York City! The holiday decorations are up and in full effect and I couldn’t be more excited about it. Yes, the streets are a little extra crowded and there is a little bit more stress on the faces of each person you pass but the glistening decorations and the warmth present in each experience are enough to keep you get you through.
Growing up, Christmastime was one of the few moments that my family trekked into the big city to see ‘the tree,’ ‘the rockettes,’ and of course do our fair share of holiday shopping. It was on one of those trips that I vividly remember telling my mom and dad that I wanted to move to New York City one day. I had to be six or seven years old and I remember my mom dressed me in a black velvet dress and floor-length poncho complete with a black beret (I told you I remember the day vividly!).
Since this day (and ALL of our holiday trips), I loved New York during Christmas and now that I live here, there are SO many more hidden holiday gems to be explored. Below I’ve put together a list of my favorites things to do during the holidays in New York City as well as a few tourist traps to be aware of!
Things I Love In New York At Christmas
1 | Holiday Markets. Whether it be the Bryant Park Winter Village, the Unique Square holiday market or the Columbus Circle Christmas village, I’m obsessed with them all. Taking a day and hitting up each and everyone has become one of my favorite holiday traditions since moving here. I love the little shops with trinkets perfect for family gifts and secret Santa’s, the festive goodies (always have to get at least two hot chocolates and multiple cookies) and the cozy bar scene. Visiting these markets always make me feel like I’m on vacation because the markets completely transform the park that they are located in!
2| Lotte New York Palace. If you are a Gossip Girl fan, this is a MUST-do on your itinerary. The hotel was the location for ‘The Palace’ hotel where the Van der Woodsen’s lived in the first season of Gossip Girl and various show events took place (Where Dan and Nate run into each other waiting for Serena to get home, The Ivy Brunch, etc.). During the holidays, they have a GORGEOUS and ICONIC Christmas tree in their Courtyard making it the perfect holiday photos. While the courtyard may be buzzing with tourists, I encourage you to actually go inside and check out the hotel. They have various cocktail bars that feel special and elevated and actually aren’t too crowded for the area during this time of year.
3| Serra by La Birreria. This is the restaurant on the rooftop of Eataly Flatiron. Each season the restaurant changes its decor and menu to be just as instagrammable as it is delicious. During the holidays, it is transformed to an incredible winter wonderland with snowflakes galore. Unlike a lot of the festive restaurants, the food is actually amazing.
4| Window Shopping. During the holidays, department window decoration may as well be an Olympic sport. Each department store dresses its windows to the nines featuring fashions of the season, traditional holiday stories and of course over-the-top light displays. My favorite is Saks 5th Avenue because they have an AMAZING light show that displays on the larger building making the entire block a work of art. I always tell people to make this their last stop of the night. after dinner, after drinks, around midnight is a perfect time to go. The crowds have subsided and the stillness of the city (even though it is actually really busy) paired with the glistening lights is something truly special. Second to Saks is Macy’s and then Bergdorfs! All are worth checking out.
5| Ice Skating in Central Park. This is hands-down the best ice rink in New York City. It is way less crowded than Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park and feels a lot more ‘local.’ Each year, I love gathering a group of my girlfriends to celebrate the holidays in the park followed by brunch at Sarabeth’s on Central Park South.
Things I Hate In New York At Christmas
1| Rolfs. I know that this is an unpopular opinion, but the Instagram haven that is Rolf’s is actually a nightmare. The line to get is always at least 45 minutes long, the drinks are outrageously expensive, and it is so crowded that you can barely lift your drink to take a sip. If you do get in for a round of drinks, I promise the only thing you’ll be thinking is whether or not the restaurant is at fire code. If you call and make a reservation, they probably won’t answer or put you on hold for at least an hour. If you CAN make a reservation for dinner, I absolutely think you should go (It is so beautiful and I think if youa re sitting at a table you will be a lot more comfortable than being squished into their bar area). If not, I promise this isn’t worth your time!
2| SantaCon. This is an awful day to be a New Yorker. Anyone ages 18-22 is out in full force celebrating the holiday season by dressing up like Santa and getting so drunk they can barely walk or talk. I hate this day so much, that this year I’m actually leaving the city and heading to Long Island for the weekend. I just hate the vibe it brings to the city!
3| Rockefeller Center. Another very controversial one! I will say that this was a staple on my family’s holiday city tour growing up so I won’t TOTALLY discourage it, but I promise there is much more to see and experience in this city than an overly crowded courtyard and a tree dressed in lights. In my opinion, this experience is just too crowded and overwhelming making it a poor use of my time when trying to suck everything out of this city’s best season.
No matter what you choose to see and do during this time, I know it will be special because that is what this city is during Christmas.
What I’m Wearing
Top (Ralph Lauren) | Pants (Vineyard Vines) | Shoes (J.Crew)
Bag (Michael Kors) | Sunglasses (Foster Grant)
Another thing I take VERY seriously during the holidays is holiday style. Give me all of the tartan, plaid, green, red and sparkles! I seriously built a freaking business around it!
This year, I’m obsessed with integrating navy into the holiday color pallette! I’ve seen Vineyard Vines, J.Crew, Madewell and more take this approach and I honestly couldn’t be more aligned. In this outfit, I mixed a few of my personal favorites. Firstly, a pair of plaid pants deserves to be in everyone’s closet. When first bought these pants I was expecting them to be pretty uncomfortable, but I was pleasantly surprised and love them. I will say that I think they run a little big and might get the legs tapered a bit
With a busy pair of pants like these, I always pair a simple top and accessories. A simple cable-knit is all you need to bring an extra ounce of preppy to your outfit, which matched perfectly with the pants bow.
Last but not least, these navy velvet booties are some of my favorites in my closet. Unfortunately, J.Crew no longer has them on sale but you can find a similar pair here, here and here. Regardless, if you don’t already have a pair of navy booties, I highly recommend! Navy is a neutral in my book.
