NYC at the holidays?

[paddington_bear]

I'm not going to visit my parents for Xmas, so I'm thinking of maybe going to NYC some time over Xmas break (not literally at Xmas but before or after). Part of me thinks: Lights! Tree! Ice skating! Windows! But another part of me thinks: Crowds! Crowds! Crowds!  So....is the Big Apple during the holidays a "yay!" or a "nay!"? 

[mamselle]

My favorite playground, next to Paris (well, and maybe London...)!

It will depend on what's open and what's available, but....oh, boy. NYC is big enough to absorb it all, just wear a money belt and don't carry much.

The Pierpont Morgan has a lovely art gallery, usually with seasonal displays, and an excellent gift shop.

The Met holiday tree will be up, and depending on the weather, walking around in Central Park before going to the Met works up a great appetite for later.

The Guggenheim, of course. The Cloisters, absolutely. They often have concerts, too, worth checking out.

The Natural History Museum, and there used to be a nearby restaurant that was very good, I can look to see if it's still there.

I booked tickets for the NYCB Nutcracker once, they were up in the upper gallery, but it was cool just being there and seeing it all. It might not be too late for that (and Nutcracker usually runs for a week or so after 12/25, so you could still see it if you don't go until after Boxing Day).

The NYPL lions will probably be decked out in something fun, and they always have a good display in the downstairs level area.

St. John the Divine used to do Missa Gaia on New Year's Eve, but whatever they do it will be good.

If you like swing dance, there's a goofy-lovely little place on the west side of Central Park, they'll have a dance and live music most nights.

Go online and check out the New Yorker's food reviews. And their theater suggestions. And their dance and music profiles...

Most venues will be very strict about testing and vax cards, and they may not all have exactly the same requirements, so check them all out before making plans.

I'm usually going there to use library collections, but as you can see, I have tried not to waste my time in the off-hours...

;--}

M.

[downer]

The city is busy. Traffic is horrendous, especially as more parts of Manhattan are being made pedestrian and bike friendly. Also a lot of restaurants have street seating now with shacks on the street. A friend says that the rats are thriving as a result. It remains to be seen how much of that stays up in the winter weather. Probably quite a lot of it.

Subways are getting pretty crowded. Restaurants and clubs are full. I don't know how it is in hotels and tourist attractions, but I'm guessing they are busy too. Many museums are requiring timed ticketing booked ahead of time, so you need to plan things out ahead of time more now.

For the most part, things are mostly back to a version of normal. So it you would have liked it in 2019, you will like it now.

[ab_grp]

My first thought upon seeing this thread title was "NO!!" It is certainly beautiful and interesting, but the crowds can be very crazy.  Don't try to stop on the sidewalk and look around or figure out where you're going.  You will be swept away or run over.  There have been times that I have had to nearly dive to the side to get out of a crowd that was carrying me with them in some direction.  I have been to NYC loads of times during the holidays and not, and it is two very different environments (IMO).  That being said, I think if you do little chunks of it at a time and adapt as needed it could be fun, especially if you have never been there at that time.  Are you thinking of staying in a hotel in the city? That could be manageable.  Pick out a couple things you want to do and then add other things around those depending on what works out.  Getting in and out through Penn Station can be a nightmare on a typical day, let alone the holidays.  Of course, YMMV, and there are lots of things to do and see.  The decorations are amazing.  It's nice to watch the skaters.  I always think of the air smelling of roasted chestnuts. 

[paddington_bear]

Lots of good things to think about! I hate crowds and grow impatient quickly. But maybe NYC at the holidays is worth it?  I don't know.

[jerseyjay]

For the most part, things are mostly back to a version of normal. So it you would have liked it in 2019, you will like it now.

This. Things are not back to pre-Covid levels, but they are way past the period when you could walk down 42nd Street and there'd be almost nobody there. In fact I walked 42nd Street the other day. The Port Authority was full at rush hour, though not what it was several years ago. Bryant Park was full of people reading and hanging out; the reading room at the NYPL had a fair bit of people there (with masks), though again not what it was before. (The remodeled branch library at 40th and 5th is also open, and there is a nice rooftop cafe.) It seemed that at most a quarter of the stands at the food court at Grand Central were open. I been to bars and restaurants that were full. I am not sure what hotels are like now. (They are now in the process of installing the ice skating rink in Bryant Park.)

Personally I hate  NYC over the holidays and having lived in the metropolitan area for several decades have tried my best to leave town (preferably to the southern hemisphere or the West Coast) as much as possible. I find that snow and slush and cold weather makes everything take three times as long. I don't like the cold. But this was true in 1995, 2005, and 2015. Which is to say, if you like NYC in the winter, it is as good as it ever was. If you don't like NYC in the winter, it is as bad as it ever was. Personally, I love NYC, but I wouldn't go there for tourist reasons in the winter. Spring and fall are much better. But I realize many people disagree with me.

(On the other hand, as a historian, I find it more productive in the winter because there is less temptation to go outside and do fun stuff. Again, this probably differs with other people.)

[mamselle]

This was years ago, but I once just decided with a friend to go there and stay over the Thanksgiving holidays.

We had a blast. We met a Dutch woman and her daughter at the Met who showed us this very good Indian restaurant, and we sat, getting to know them, for two hours at lunch, then we split up while she went to get cheap tickets to see "Cats" and I hit the library at the Pierpont Morgan, then met up again for dinner at Iridnis (may not be there anymore--cool place), etc.

She was German, from one of the smaller towns, and had never been to as large a store as Macy's, so we scoured the place until midnight that night; the next day we saw the American Dec Arts museum (now sadly gone), etc.; she saw another play while I went to the Dance Collection at the NYPL/Lincoln Ctr., and so on, and so on.

The next day, we visited St. Patrick's Cathedral, just to see it, attended St. Thomas' Anglican service (she was Lutheran, so not too far a liturgical stretch) with a stop past the Rockefeller Ctr ice rink at some point as well.

I always stay at the hostel on Amsterdam and 101st, near Columbia--huge, clean, and inexpensive, and more fun because you meet more people from all over the world. We took the bus most places, or walked, because you see more, but if crowds are something you prefer to avoid, there used to be 25 taxis lined up at every stop light and it didn't cost much to go from one part of town to another (the pickup companies have eaten a large hole in that option). 

I say, if you can, go.

M.

[hmaria1609]

If you'd like to see some historical sites, A History Lover's Guide to New York City by Alison Fortier (2016) is a starting point. It's available through Arcadia Publishing.  I have the author's book about DC and enjoyed it.

[mamselle]

Yes, someone does a walking tour of lower Manhattan called "Colonial New York," which is tres cool, too.

M.

[cascade]

I lived in NYC for about ten years. December can be cold and uncomfortable. You get wet from snow, sleet, or cold rain. Slush accumulates everywhere and your feel inevitably get damp. You can't avoid it because New York is a walking town. There are many crowds and people seem frazzled because of all the holiday shopping and preparations they have to do.

And yet... I really miss that time of year in NYC. The city lights at night in the cold air, the energy of humanity, the cozy feeling of retreating into a warm diner or restaurant. There's a magic there, as corny as it sounds. It's hard to explain but I suggest trying it out!

[mamselle]

In terms of crowds and Covid concerns, which I confess I failed to link at first, this info could be useful:

   https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19-data.page

There are other resources, too.

M.

[Harlow2]

I've often waited until the k-12 schools are back in session and come in for a few days to soak up some art.  Hotels often have great prices, but the hostel sounds interesting, and I've never done a walking tour so I'll put that on the agenda. Thanks, Mamselle,  for the ideas.

[mamselle]

The hostel is awesome, and it's near two subway lines and four bus routes as well as being within walking distance of Columbia Univ., several cool breakfast places (Western Restaurant is/has been a favorite), and Central Park.

They are also the ones that offer the walking tours (free/small fee/tips), too.

Book early, though, they're often full by the time the holidays roll around.

   https://www.hiusa.org/find-hostels/new-york/new-york-891-amsterdam-ave

You don't have to be a member, but the rates are cheaper; you can also pay for a membership with your booking.

M.

[paultuttle]

In December 1963, my parents honeymooned in NYC. My mother still has the half-boots that she bought to keep her feet warm amid the snowdrifts.

She remembers it as a magical time--shops all lit up with Christmas, snow everywhere, and lots of things to do and see and experience.

But YMMV, especially if you're not going there on your honeymoon.

;)

[Cheerful]

In December 1963...

This reads like a poem, Paul Tuttle:

In December 1963,
My parents honeymooned in NYC.
My mother still has the half-boots that she bought
  to keep her feet warm amid the snowdrifts.
She remembers it as a magical time--shops all lit up with Christmas. 🎄
Snow everywhere, and lots of things to do and see and experience.

But YMMV.
Especially if you're not going there
on your honeymoon!