The Llewellyn Family in Rockefeller Center
Last Christmas, we visited New York City, staying with a friend in Jersey City. If you recall, the day after Christmas, the northeast got socked with one of the biggest storms of the year. As we got to the Path Train, lined with thousands of passengers waiting for a train that wasn’t arriving, we wondered if we’d get to our show at Radio City in time, despite allowing more than two hours transit time. Fortune was with us and we arrived a mere ten minutes before the show started!
If you’re thinking of visiting New York City, or you just want to reminisce about a past holiday trip, come along on a quick holiday tour of the Big Apple, photographed in December 2010. You’ll get a look at Radio City and the fabulous Rockettes, FAO Schwarz, St. Patrick’s Cathedral and a rare view of Fifth Avenue and Rockefeller Center with its angels, giant tree and Swarovski Star, all wrapped in their snowy finest!
A few tips, if you’re visiting New York City during the holidays:
- Expect large crowds, and watch your wallets and handbags to avoid pickpockets. Be sure to bring layers, because the weather can be changeable.
- If you get cold, duck into a hotel to warm up. Hotel are decorated beautifully during the holidays and it’s also a good place to find a clean restroom and get away from the crowds for a bit.
- Going out for lunch or dinner? Try to get advance reservations. If you find you’re starving and all of the restaurants, cafes and diners are too crowded, you can often get a nice meal at a hotel restaurant. We went to the New York Marketplace at the New York Hilton for lunch. The price was reasonable for New York City, the service was terrific and it was not very crowded, so we didn’t have to wait.
- Be sure to stop by Grand Central Station to see the 6-minute holiday light show on the ceiling of the Main Concourse (presented from November 30 through New Year every half hour between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m.) and their wonderful holiday fair (open prior to Christmas, but not after).