If you have ever been lucky enough to spend some time in New York City, you know what a special city it is on it’s own. But if you’ve ever gotten to spend some time in New York City during the Holiday Season, then you are truly lucky. The city which already carries its own magic seems to turn that knob up to 1000%. All those songs that mention the street lights even blinking red and green must be inspired by Manhattan. Light displays, oversized Christmas Trees, Store windows and even parks are transformed to celebrate the most wonderful time of the year. Rockefeller Center is, of course, the center of all Christmas decor in the city, shines brightly every year as people from all over the world come to see the infamous tree. There are plenty of things to see all over The Big Apple during the Holidays, but one of my all time favorite things that has become a must see during Christmas are the Christmas/Winter Markets that pop up through the city.
If you have been following this blog, you have no doubt realized my love for London/England. What you may not know, is that my love for New York City runs probably 100 times deeper. My first trip to this city was in 1998 as a freshman in high school. I believe my first trip there during the Holiday season was that same year. I fell so deeply in love with everything the city had. The energy, the smells (yes even the sewer smell), the food, the lights, Broadway, everything. Christmas there looked like what I saw in the movies. Little Kevin McCallister painted the perfect picture of how magical it was standing in front of that tree in Rockefeller Center. I’ve been fortunate enough to make many trips back to the city during the Holiday season and find something new and magical during each trip.
When I first started talking about different destinations with Randy that I was going to feature on the blog, New York was brought up and promptly decided that we had to save it for Christmas time.
Because my love of New York runs so deeply through my veins, one blog on the city isn’t going to be enough. We will obviously be making several stops back here. Heck, I could write a book just on New York alone with several chapters dedicated to New York at Christmas alone. But Christmas in Manhattan needed to be rung in a bit for this blog. There’s way too much to cover. Therefore, I thought about my favorite part of it in the past few years: and thus, here we are.
Three years ago, Randy surprised me with a full switcheroo move on my Birthday, which is November 30th. Instead of heading to Annapolis, which was the original plan, we packed our bags and headed to Manhattan. We were there for December 1st and seeing the start of the Christmas season. I mentioned to him during our wandering through the city that I remembered there being a fun little set up in Bryant Park, a famously located park that surrounds the New York City Library on 42nd street. We wandered down and found the most magical of Winter Villages.
These markets are reminiscent or take their cue from German Christmas Markets that are famous in different parts of Germany. Bryant Park is full of 125 small glass huts that showcase many artisans, ranging from food based gifts to jewelry to home decor to Christmas ornaments. It’s so fun to weave in and out through them all, finding unique gifts that are one of a kind and can’t be found anywhere else.
I will say, if you are not a fan of crowds, you may not care for this. Everything is located fairly close together and the booths are small. After working in Atlantic City and Walt Disney World, I do not care for large crowds. Randy says he’s always surprised that I love New York as much as I do based on that fact. But I deal with it as much as I can when I’m up there. Trust me, it’s worth it.
There’s so much to see through the village, but of course my favorite stops are the food ones. Almost anything you can imagine can be found in these Christmas Markets. Desserts like Macarons, Ice Cream, Cookies, Waffles, Fudge and more are available. International goodies like Bratwursts being roasted over open air grills, Handmade Corn Arepas topped with various ingredients and Middle Eastern goodies such as Kabobs and Stuffed Pitas are everywhere. And of course, there are seasonal treats like Hot Chocolate, Mulled Wine and Christmas cookies are available to help warm you up. It’s actually borderline overwhelming.
If that wasn’t enough, there is a beautiful and large ice skating rink right in the center of it all for those who want to partake in Ice Skating or for those who just want to watch. This ice rink it’s the largest FREE ice skating spot in the city. We were lucky enough on that night to arrive for the official Bryant Park tree lighting. Not only was Christmas Cheer at an all time high, but Jane Krakowski was there to host the Tree Lighting Extravaganza featuring Olympic Ice Skaters Meryl Davis and Charlie White and Johnny Weir!
This Market is so unbelievably magical, especially during the Holiday season. But the best part is, it’s not the only one.
All over the city, you will find similar booths and stalls featuring similar artisans, fun food goodies and Christmas decor. On Broadway, heading towards Times Square heading up around 38th street towards 42nd, the side streets are full of these locations offering all kinds of Christmas goodies.
In Central Park, right by Columbus Circle, you will find a similar set up with even more unique gifts, more food and more Holiday Magic.
And these outdoor markets aren’t the only ones! In Grand Central Station, you will find the Grand Central Holiday Market, including a Northern Food Hall, celebrating Christmas favorites by way of Norway and Sweden.
We enjoyed these markets so much that we actually made a few return trips to them over a two day stay. We enjoyed so many food treats and finding some unique gifts and treats that we couldn’t find anywhere else. My recommendation to you is to stop in on these on a weekday if possible to find slightly less crowds then on a weekend. And don’t be afraid to go during the day as well since they are open then.
New York has so many gifts to give during the Holiday Season. The Radio City Rockettes have become synonymous with Christmas for many. Taking a Holiday Horse Carriage Ride through Central Park holds magic for many, especially those who haven’t seen it before. Wandering through The Plaza Hotel to see where Home Alone 2 was filmed is a must do. Although the city is full of so many people and things can sometimes get hectic, there is something so whimsical about it. These markets add to that magic. While you will still encounter some of that “New York Charm” from some, many folks there are bursting with Christmas Cheer and can’t wait to share it with others.
My heart is broken that like many others, our Holiday trip to NYC hasn’t happened this year. I keep thinking of all those small businesses that are at those markets each year that might not make it through this year because of others who can’t make their yearly trip. I’m sure next year will be back with vengeance of many who want to make their NYC Christmas Adventure happen. If you can, head to Etsy to support these Artisans year round to ensure that they will be back at these markets next year!
Stay tuned this week for my take on a few of our favorite goodies from these Markets. And we are wishing you all a Very Merry Christmas, no matter how you are celebrating this Holiday season!