I’ve been to New York City plenty of times, but never Christmas and it was an experience I was craving after a couple years staying mostly at home. I can preface that I love any and all New York based Christmas movies and romanticize the city–and it lived up to my expectations. Here’s how I spent three days in the city shopping, eating and indulging in tourist destinations.
Car Service + Where We Stayed
The first day we flew in early to make the most of the first day. I hired Ultimate Black Car for pick up to and from the airport which was overall a great experience. This reduced some of my travel anxiety by having a vetted driver pick us up who followed COVID protocols.
We stayed at Moxy Chelsea–which received a ton of great reviews online and among my friends who have stayed there in the past. I booked a double bed room with a view for a few extra bucks and it was incredible. The cost was about $600 per night after taxes and fees.
Day 1 Shopping and a Show
We wasted no time checking in the hotel by 9:30 a.m., grabbed coffee and croissants from Feroce Cafe next door and ventured around Chelsea visiting the Chelsea Market and a few high end shops like Hermes. We walked to the east village to check out a few more luxury consignment shops and designer stores like the Real Real, Rebag and Gucci.
We struck good luck this day too and stumbled into Italian American eatery Carbone for a lunch without a reservation (we tried to book a reservation a month before we left and completely booked up!) This place is a well known spot among locals and foodies alike including my friend Jasper who has a much more sophisticated palate than myself.
I ordered the spicy rigatoni with a glass of wine and Jasper ordered the squash side, lobster ravioli and a fancy glass of whiskey. The mozzarella and garlic bread was incredible and this meal will go down as one of the best I’ve experienced.
Top of Jasper’s list was to visit the Milk Bar flagship location which was conveniently (and dangerously) two blocks away from us. We ordered cookies and espresso.
Our evening plans included a visit to the Bergdorf Goodman’s–we shopped both stores to see the men’s department and women’s handbags, popped by the Rockefeller Center for a glimpse of the Christmas tree and the ice skating rink before heading to Radio City Music Hall for an 8 p.m. showing of the Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes. This has been on my bucket list and it didn’t disappoint.
Day 2 Views and more Shopping
We woke up sore and stiff from putting in almost 20k steps the day before so we cabbed it to Times Square to walk through before stopping by Magnolia Bakery and heading to the Rockefeller Center Top of the Rock observation deck. After, we shopped Sak’s (I found the perfect Mackage knit beanie) and Jasper loaded up on fancy candies and a Swarovski ornament.
Again, we popped over to Milk Bar and this time we shared a slice of cake, cereal milk ice cream topped with sprinkles and peppermint bar truffles.
We then cabbed it to Soho for more shopping–stopping in Bloomingdales, All Saints and more. I stayed in the rest of the night to recover from all the walking and Jasper took himself to Oscar Wilde for cocktails.
Day 3 Brunch
Our original itinerary called for Jack’s Wife Freda (I’ve been there before for brunch) but we let ourselves sleep in and it was a bit of a jaunt so we opted for A Hole in the Wall for brunch (part of the Henri Hotel.)
I ordered an iced latte and the brekkie plate with an egg sandwich loaded with hash browns and bacon with a side of crispy sweet potato fries. Jasper ordered a cortado, a shot of espresso and the smoked salmon plate with capers and a poached egg. It was delicious, the space was beautiful and it wasn’t too crowded.
After, we headed straight back to Milk Bar for some final NYC treats. I got another cereal milk cup and a confetti cookie to go and Jasper ordered a dozen cookies in the cutest tin to bring to a friend’s party (and miraculously fit it into his carry on.)
Tips for Holiday/Winter Travel to NYC
My first tip would seem to be obvious, but pack comfortable shoes. If you’re a lazy midwesterner like me you assume the shoes you wear to and from the grocery store while parking in the closest spot possible are so comfortable, but they may not make the cut if you’re strolling down blocks and blocks of streets because cabs are unavailable. Pack comfortable sneakers.
I’d also skip adding the meet and greet to a car service if you choose that route over a cab. I thought this would be great to have someone ready by the baggage claim to grab us and take us to the car, but he was running late and ran in after we waited 20 minutes and then we had to follow him up a parking ramp because he had to park in order to do the meet and greet–when he could’ve just met us outside the airport doors. Save the money and skip the meet and greet.
Pack a super warm coat. It wasn’t too cold during the visit, but I felt the most comfortable when I wore my long down coat.
Don’t forget your vaccination card! This is required for shows like the Christmas Spectacular and to sit down in restaurants. You can use the Clear Pass too. I had that set up as a back up along with my hard copy of the vaccination card.
Pace yourself! Our first day we did ALL the things and paid for it emotionally and physically the rest of the trip. We also had the Met and the 9/11 memorial on our list, but just didn’t have time to do it all!
