New York City for the Holidays

It’s nearly midnight on a cold December night in New York City, but you'd never know it from the crowd still gathered around the glittering holiday tree that towers over Rockefeller Center. Families, couples and groups of friends laugh and burst into impromptu renditions of favorite carols as they watch ice skaters zoom, wobble and slide across the rink, toasting each other with steaming lattes and pose for photos.

Noticing a young family struggling to get a selfie that captures all the elements—parents, children, tree—I walk over and ask if they’d like me to take their photo. They’re thrilled and hand over their phone without a moment’s hesitation. Ten minutes later I’ve taken half a dozen photos for strangers, and I’m beginning to enjoy the camaraderie. Everyone is happy, offering to return the favor and take a pic of our family in front of the tree.

Walking back to our hotel, I mention to my husband that the whole situation surrounding the tree—all those people just handing me, a stranger, their phones so they could commemorate a wonderful evening—has revved my Christmas spirit into high gear. Now, stopping at the tree on the way home from dinner has become a holiday tradition for our family.

I never thought I’d be a person who loved New York at Christmas—too crowded, too expensive, too touristy! But once I discovered my muse, I finally got it. Christmas takes on a life of its own in New York, and almost everyone finds a way to participate, from seemingly gruff office building security staff members who don Santa caps during the season to the Empire State Building, aglow with festive holiday colors to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah and the Salvation Army. It’s nearly impossible to escape, but I’ve discovered that giving in and loving it is part of the fun. Here are some of my favorite holiday stops.

The Other Christmas Trees

The tree at Rockefeller Center may be the city’s biggest, but it certainly doesn’t stand alone. Encircled by an 18th-century crèche comprising dozens of figurines, the 20-foot-tall spruce that dominates an alcove in one of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s medieval galleries, is decorated with Baroque cherubs and angels. On the other side of the park, the tree within the American Museum of Natural History is completely covered with more than 1,000 origami ornaments. If you find yourself in Greenwich Village, make time to stroll through Washington Square Park and take in the 45-foot tall white-lighted tree that stands under the famous arch. Rather celebrate uptown? Join carolers on the first Sunday in December for the group singing and lighting of the Park Avenue Christmas tree, which is located on the steps of the historic Brick Church.

Hidden Gems Behind the Holiday Displays

I’ve also fallen for some of the city’s holiday traditions. As they have for decades, department stores like Bergdorf Goodman, Sak’s, Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s still go all out with their holiday window displays; each a self-contained wonderland filled with music, astonishing reveals and glorious whimsy. Inside, escape the crowds and take a breather at one of the elegant in-store restaurants still housed in these grand department stores. Hushed and elegant, L’Avenue at Saks resembles a ski chalet in the French alps; tables near the tall windows look out over the tree and skating rink at Rockefeller Center. The walls leading to BG restaurant at Bergdorf’s are decorated with vintage advertisements, photographs and shopping bags; book ahead to ensure a window table. Located at the top of a winding staircase within Bergdorf’s Men’s store, art deco-styled Goodman’s Bar feels like a secret. For a break from the bustle in the Financial District, slip into the Red Room Bar at Printemps, the French department store that opened on Wall Street in 2025. The bar celebrates the historic Red Room, a soaring space done in red and gold tiles in 1931 by muralist Hildreth Meiere.

Carols, Candlelight, and Hidden Harmonies

New York’s live holiday shows—Radio City’s Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes, Nutcracker performances at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall, and a host of other holiday performances—are legendary. But the city is also filled with lesser-known celebrations of seasonal music. Held at various locations around the city, Fever’s Candlelight Concert series features the Highline String Quartet performing festive favorites in candlelit spaces. Churches are another great place to surround yourself in traditional holiday compositions; some of New York’s best choirs perform at the Church of the Ascension, St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Thomas, St. Bartholomew’s and, of course, St. John the Divine, the massive cathedral that after more than 100 years, remains unfinished. If you can’t make it to a Christmas concert, you’re not totally out of luck: talented church choirs perform at weekly services, where you can hear their gorgeous harmonies for nothing more than what you choose to place in the offering plate.

Dining in Holiday Style

New York restaurants also take on a special glow during the holidays. In the Gramercy neighborhood, Pete’s Tavern and Rolf’s have been known for decades for their over-the-top flashing, singing and otherwise dazzling décor. Midtown’s Papillon Bistro becomes a holiday wonderland each season with glittering garland, bright stockings, wreaths, trees and whimsical ornaments hanging from every available space. Oscar Wilde, which also goes all-out for Halloween, takes Victorian décor to new heights with miles of plaid ribbon, dozens of grosgrain bows, hundreds of gigantic blinking orbs and live-sized stuffed polar bears. If you need something a bit less…exhausting, book a table at La Grande Boucherie, a French bistro set within a stunning open atrium on West 53rd Street. Here, white lights, red bows, green trees and towering floral displays offer an understated backdrop for your holiday toast. My favorite Christmas splurge is a glass of Champagne in the glamorous bar at the Baccarat Hotel. Done in red and black, and hung with shimmering Baccarat crystal chandeliers, the space is tucked behind a doorway in the second-story Grand Salon, where mirrored walls reflect the light reflecting from hundreds of pieces of crystal.

Understated Hideaway

Just a block from Central Park and across the street from Carnegie Hall, the Park Hyatt is a quiet oasis within midtown’s busy thrum. During the day, free hot chocolate flows from a silver samovar; top yours with marshmallow and stir it up with a peppermint stick. Midcentury-styled rooms are sleek but comfortable; for the best view, take the elevator to the 25th-floor pool and look out over the city lights from the floor-to-ceiling windows.