Like others have said, NYC is so crowded at Christmas. DD (16) and I went last year and the crowds around Rockefeller Center and Saks were insane - like a scary, crushing mob of people insane. We were there for a few days right before New Year’s Eve. I love NYC during the Christmas season but will go earlier in December or after New Year’s.

Dyker Heights lights tour. By foot or by bus.

NP - Annie is at Madison Square Garden with Whoopi Goldberg as Miss Hannigan.

https://www.msg.com/calendar/the-theater-at-madison-square-garden-december-2024-annie

I also really enjoy the Union Square holiday market for gifts, hot chocolate, gingerbread, etc.

Annie hasn’t been on Broadway in a decade. While the idea of walking down fifth Avenue to see the displays is fine, do it at a very off time. Seriously, wake up at 5 AM and go. That is when they turn on the Rockefeller Christmas tree and there is no one around and it is magnificent..

Elf is on Broadway this holiday season. That would be fun. Or Annie if your kids are smaller.

I love all of the decorations. After you leave Radio City Music Hall, walk down the street and also go
To see Sak’s. Goodman Bedford used to have amazing windows but I haven’t been for a few years.

Have fun. NYC is the best at Christmas. And one of the dancers in the Rockettes went to school with my kids - I’m hoping to see her this year.

Trying to decide if we should book a Christmassy decorated restaurant (e.g. Papillon Bistro or Lillies) or go for a really good meal? We're staying in Times Square (I know I know).

We played hooky on a Monday in December this past year and took our kids. I thought the crowds were fine. In Bryant park you can ice skate and do the winter market.
You can see the window at Macys and Saks which our kids liked. I was especially impressed by Saks.
We liked eating at Ellen’s stardust diner - food just ok but the singing was so fun.

I would try to get a reservation to take your kids to serendipity. I’m a New Yorker and it’s one of my favorite traditions with my kids.

generally for the holidays we kind of just do the same touristy things as everyone else - the tree at rockafeller center, ice skating, the Christmas markets at Union square and Bryant park. The crowds by rockafeller center and the saks show are intense so just be prepared.

I also really enjoy seeing the nutcracker at the NYC ballet in Lincoln center. Grab a meal in the area before or afterwards - brunch at the smith, Italian at cafe fiorello, or head farther up the upper west side.

Yep, we’re aware of the crowds and typically like to do off the beaten path activities, but this is a very specific Christmas related trip for one of the attendees

We often go to NYC for Xmas but unfortunately most of midtown is literally shoulder to shoulder almost all day and most of the evening. It's fun to see 5th Ave and all of the decorated windows and the tree at 30 Rock and all that but the crowds are really crazy. If you want to attend a show or something you should probably book that now. Our favorite NYC things aren't really Xmas oriented like going to our favorite restaurants, delis and bakeries, walking through Central Park etc.

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

I would probably google best gingerbread desserts and similar

Anonymous wrote:We’ll be in NYC around Christmas with teens. We are going to do the cliche things like ice skating at the Rockafeller tree, Bryant Park, rockettes, macys Christmas display and the kids want to go to the plaza bc of Home Alone. Anything suggestions for thing else while we’re there holiday related? We’ve already been during different parts of the year so have been to several Broadway shows, tourist sites like Empire State , statue, etc. 🎄

Go look for Pizza Rat.

NYC at Xmas is fun but the crowds in midtown then are so insane it can be hard to do the typical things. If you can go earlier you might want to. We went last year midweek between Xmas and New Years and spent a lot of time standing in endless lines or navigating the crush.

We’d dove a trip the year before where we stayed way uptown and did off the beaten track stuff and it was more fun.

We’ll be in NYC around Christmas with teens. We are going to do the cliche things like ice skating at the Rockafeller tree, Bryant Park, rockettes, macys Christmas display and the kids want to go to the plaza bc of Home Alone. Anything suggestions for thing else while we’re there holiday related? We’ve already been during different parts of the year so have been to several Broadway shows, tourist sites like Empire State , statue, etc. 🎄