How to Celebrate Christmas in New York City

I’m not a total Hallmark/holiday junkie, but I’m also no Scrooge. I’m somewhere in the middle, between feeling as excited as a little kid to pick out a real Christmas tree, and stressing about gifts (down to the wire!).

Whether you’re on either end of the holiday spectrum, there’s no denying that Christmas in New York City is the most magical time of the year. It’s the mecca of holiday spirit.

There’s a couple of iconic things that come to my mind when I think about the holiday season in New York City:

Saks’ & Bergdorf Goodman’s holiday window displays
Holiday shopping at above department stores (and said stressing about gifts)
Ice skating! and trying not to fall
The Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall
and of course…. The Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center.

For all these reasons and more, there’s an influx of tourists who come from all over the world just to be here for the holiday season. From Europe to Ecuador, and every U.S. state.

Literally. I did the leg work to prove it.

My podcast producer, Adam, and I hit the city sidewalks to find out what the streets are saying about Christmas in New York. We talked to strangers, sat next to a crazy Santa Claus, interviewed the ‘Christmas Freak’ and recorded some seriously special and personal moments from visitors.