NYC Christmas bucket list

[Anonymous]

We went last year between Christmas and New Years and it was crowded but manageable.

Love the Rockettes. Got to see the windows. Enjoyed a really good meal at Pecora Bianco at Bryant park.

[Anonymous]

The winter garden at the world financial center downtown is decorated beautifully during the holidays and has "Santa" and a cute ice rink right on the Hudson. It's kind of off the beaten path for holiday tourists, so you can enjoy it without the crowds. You can also fit in the Oculus while you're down there and have lunch at Eataly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What’s the earliest in December that will still feel super festive?

I would probably google best gingerbread desserts and similar

We used to go up the Friday after Thanksgiving and it was pretty darned festive. I agree with people who warn about the crowds in Midtown, though. I'd recommend an early stroll past the store windows, early admission to the Met (if you're a member), and then retreating to less-typical (although still popular) haunts: small stores in Soho/Greenwich Village, afternoon tea somewhere other than the Plaza, Broadway Barbara at the Public rather than the Rockettes. Nothing against doing the most famous classics; I just find the crowds stressful and not conducive to family fun.