Christmas Time in the City

 

The Time Warner center at Columbus Circle is decorated with Moravian Stars that change colors. Several times in the evening there is a coordinated concert of holiday music. 

This may be the post of the  A to Z Blogging Challenge that will take the most time to put together. I think I may have at least 1,000 pictures of New York City at Christmas. Some aren't blogworthy, but for every picture I selected there a dozen more that I could have used. I also got the lyrics to "Silver Bells" in my head and spent part of this rainy April afternoon listening to several versions of the song.

I chose a few "must-sees" and a few personal favorites. The lions of the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue(below) are a personal favorite. I enjoy seeing Patience and Prudence dressed in their holiday finery. If you enjoy animal décor, last year the American Museum of Natural History welcomed visitors with decorated with topiary dinosaurs, also festively dressed.  

My absolutely "must-see" are the department store windows on Fifth Avenue. They start at Bergdorf Goodman at 58th Street and go down to Lord and Taylor at West 37th Street. Continue to 34th Street and you're at the Empire State Building. Turn right to Sixth Avenue and you arrive at Macy's. My favorite windows are at Bergdorf's, but I recommend the entire walk. It is crowded and at the peak of the season there may be a half hour waiting time at Saks Fifth Avenue. 

Another "must-see" is the Christmas tree at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It is decorated with Eighteenth century Neapolitan angels and beautiful nativity figures. Christmas music is playing and it is a serene oasis in an often too-busy season.

One of the least serene places in December is Rockefeller Center, but it is festive, fun and a "must-see." This was a Saturday night in December, 2015 and this was as close as I could get to the tree.

The lights of Dyker Heights

 

I've shared my "must-see" sights in Manhattan and now we're going back to Brooklyn. The Dyker Lights are a must-see across the river. I've chosen one of my favorite displays, but there are blocks of homes and tens of thousands of lights. I've toured the area with friends and I've toured with the company whose link I provided, A Slice of Brooklyn Bus Tours. This area is not one subway stop from Manhattan and a tour may be a good alternative to seeing Dyker Lights and Bay Ridge, another neighborhood with great decorations.

 

This is one of my favorite houses, the "Blue House" in Bay Ridge.  

 

Our last stop is back in my Upper West Side neighborhood, The Mermaid Inn. It's one of the best seafood restaurants that is not at  a beach. These are this year's decorations. They were simple, but cozy and festive. The menu can be pricy, but there is a less crowded and fun happy hour with smaller portions of the delicious specialties.

I've been happy to share my must-sees with you. Despite not being a fan of winter weather, Christmas time in New York is one of my favorite times. With the proviso that you may be wearing boots and a down coat and there may be ice on the sidewalks, it is one of the best times to visit New York.

As ever, thanks for visiting and take good care.