 A trip to New York City during the holidays is a bucket-list item for many people. Seeing the massive tree sparkling in Rockefeller Center, skating in Central Park, catching a show on Broadway, and visiting Macy’s Herald Square top the list for many visitors. Our family finally did a holiday trip, spending two days enjoying the festive sites that make New York City so popular. Keep reading to see what we learned during our two-day action packed visit and suggestions to help build your future holiday trip to New York City. It's never too early to start planning! This post contains affiliate links; if you purchase something familyTravelsUSA may receive a small commission. As always, opinions are my own. 1. Pack Your Patience. The volume of visitors in Midtown Manhattan during the holidays is no joke! Pack your patience to deal with wall-to-wall sidewalks, especially in places like Rockefeller Center, near the iconic Fifth Avenue windows, and around Times Square. Every ice rink we saw was full, including the Wollman Rink NYC in Central Park, and the one at Rockefeller Center. Definitely do your research ahead of time to reserve tickets if ice skating is on your NYC bucket list! The city is home to festive, holiday markets, including the Bryant Park Winter Village, with small shopping stalls that visitors flock to no matter the time of day. Try visiting in early December and mid-week if you can. If you go right after Christmas like we did, be prepared for large crowds and extra walking time to get to that dinner reservation! Honestly, I’m not sure there is a time in December that won’t be busy but knowing what to expect should help. 2. Make Reservations Well in Advance. I booked our hotel in early December when many of the best room deals and options like double beds were sold out. We stayed at the Moxy NYC Times Square (7th Avenue & 36th Street) in a room with two twin bunk beds. The hotel itself is a bit more funky than your typical hotel but works well if you don’t plan to spend much time in your room. It had a large bar/lounge area on the second floor which was busy during breakfast. In hindsight, for more room options I should have booked a room back in the fall with a flexible cancellation policy. The same applies to dinner reservations at popular restaurants like Carmine’s or Patsy’s Italian Restaurant. Luckily, I was able to reserve a table at Osteria al Doge just a few weeks before our trip, where we enjoyed a wonderful Italian family dinner. If you are willing to wait outside for a few minutes, you can usually get into Ellen’s Stardust Diner. The singing waitstaff never fail to impress! Related Post: 20 Things to Add to Your New York City Bucket List 3. Dress for the Weather. Choose warmth over style and save the fancy clothes for another trip (unless you are heading out to an upscale restaurant or event). Warm coats, hats, gloves, scarves, and comfortable walking shoes are a must! Plenty of vendors were selling colorful scarves, which came in handy during our visit. We spent most of our trip walking outside, with temperatures in the low 30’s. It had snowed just a few days before our visit, and cold rain was also in the forecast after we left so be prepared for changing weather and check the forecast before you go. You can duck into stores to warm up, just know that many of NYC's iconic stores, especially on 5th Avenue, had massive lines to get in. The New York Public Library has a beautifully decorated lobby and the Polonsky Exhibition of The New York Public Library’s Treasures is worth a look if you want to step inside and warm up. The Macy’s Herald Square is home to the Macy’s Holiday Square, with seasonal vendors inside the store for a warmer shopping experience. We also went inside the beautiful St. Patrick’s Cathedral. 4. Head to the Box Office. No matter the time of year, for many visitors, a trip to New York City is not complete without a Broadway show. During the holiday season, the Radio City Rockettes Christmas Spectacular is very popular. Seeing a show wasn't a priority on this trip, but we all agreed that if we could get discounted tickets without spending too much time in line, we would see a matinee on day 2. After looking at the daily listing of shows on the TKTS by TDF site, we stopped by the ticket booth in Times Square, where the wait was estimated at an hour. Rather than stand in line, we found a show (Sunset Boulevard) with tickets in our price range and walked to the box office to purchase tickets for the next day.
5. Avoid Driving Into the City. Over the years we have traveled to New York City from the DC area numerous times. Each time I say "Next time we'll take the train;" however it seems we always drive because it's the most economical. With that said, I highly recommend not having a car in the city. Dodging stopped cars and trying to get through the Midtown car and foot traffic is not for the faint of heart. If you do have to drive, consider options for parking in New Jersey and taking a train into the city. It’s an option I need to research for our next trip, starting with this article from Free Tours by Foot. We always book city parking in advance using Spot Hero. To avoid the stress of driving, trains, buses, and planes are better options to get to New York City. My grown kids have used the convenient bus lines between DC and New York City several times. Once in town, plan to walk or take a taxi. The subway is an economical option if you are comfortable with it. If you read this far and are still wondering whether it's worth visiting New York City in December, I say bundle up and embrace the holiday spirit! Being prepared and setting expectations can go a long way to a smooth trip. Here’s a suggested two-day itinerary based on our trip just after Christmas. We walked from 36th Street all the way up to Central Park and back.
Day 2:
Next time I will plan ahead and reserve a spot at one of the popular Christmas-themed restaurants/bars around the city like Rolf’s German Restaurant. We did take a few minutes to stop in Tavern on the Green in Central Park and Frosty’s Christmas Bar to check out the holiday decorations.
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