The holidays are the best time of the year to visit New York. There’s extra energy in the city, and the holiday lights and decorations can be magical. Not to mention the shopping!
We visited our family in New York over Thanksgiving — and took in the best of the holiday season.
Over the course of our visit, we managed to bust several pervasive myths about holiday time in New York City.
1. You have to arrive at 6 a.m. to see the Thanksgiving Day parade
Everyone warned us that the parade route would be packed and if we wanted to get a spot we’d have to arrive very early. We sauntered over to 6th avenue at 50th Street at 10 a.m. and had a great vantage point with Radio City Music Hall in the background. We weren’t in the front row, but back where there was space to move around.
2. The best shopping deals are on Black Friday
We spent the Wednesday before Thanksgiving at Macy’s enormous flagship store. Clerks were busy setting up for Black Friday, but as far as I could tell, the deals were all available in advance of the actual event. We also saw people lining up before midnight Thursday awaiting the opening of stores on Times Square. The shopping frenzy starts earlier and earlier every year!
3. Hotel rates are at their highest during the holidays
I was pretty intimidated by the rates that hotels were quoting — but we lucked out with a $105 room at the Sheraton Times Square on Priceline. The hotel sits literally on top of a subway station, making it easy to get around. If you are lucky enough to snag this hotel on Priceline, there is a reasonable deli just around the corner — one of those 24-hour places with a fresh fruit and salad bar and a hot food buffet. You pay by the pound — $7.99.
4. New York is very expensive
New York City is very expensive! But there are plenty of free attractions, and ways to economize on other expenses.
We really enjoyed viewing the giant balloons the night before the Thanksgiving Day parade. They are lined up on 81st street, alongside the Museum of Natural History. Very fun.
I have been wanting to see the High Line for quite some time and finally had the opportunity on this trip. I was totally awed by how beautifully landscaped the abandoned elevated rail tracks were. I guess I wasn’t expecting a linear sculpture garden. It was a great way to walk off Thanksgiving dinner!
Rockefeller Center is another fun place to visit. It is decorated to the hilt for Christmas. There is a sound and light show projected on the building opposite the Plaza. The building is the Saks Fifth Avenue department store, and the show theme is synced with the animated holiday window displays.
We did splurge on the elevator ride to the “Top of the Rock.” It’s kind of a touristy thing to do — but it offers great 360 degree views of New York City. We loved the art deco details of the building. Tickets were $27, quite pricey.
5. Tourists Can See More in a Week than Residents Do in a Year
You know the saying about how the tourists take in all the attractions but the locals never get around to seeing them? Well this myth actually rings true.
Because our short visit was over the holiday, we did not get to take in all the sights — the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, the Met and the Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), the Tenement Museum — those we will have to save for another trip.
Many of these attractions as well as the Top of the Rock are included in the CityPass for New York City, which can save you 42 percent over ticket prices for individual admissions. Usually, the CityPass is only good for nine days, which would mean cramming a lot of museums and other attractions into a short visit.
For the winter months however, CityPass is running a promotion that extends the life of the pass through February 28, 2014.
This special offer makes the CityPass attractive to New York natives, because it allow enough time to use all the admissions. This is a great deal if you are look for ways to entertain your kids over the winter months.
A similar deal is in effect for the CityPass in Seattle, Houston, Boston, and Philadelphia.
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