Ah, holidays in the city—Eggnog lattes, Christmas windows, and lots of very patient New Yorkers spreading cheer waiting in line for everything. Lol. Why have the lines gotten so INSANE around the holidays?! Yes, lines have always been a thing here, especially at Christmas, but the amount of barricades that have been incorporated in the last five years is unnecessary. I come from New Orleans, a city famous for parades and the crowds they bring. You know what we don’t use? Barricades. If you tell people they can only cross the street every five blocks, it causes a bottle neck of very mad folks. If you let people figure out how to cross the street themselves, they do it fine. Just saying. Sorry for the rant. My point is, you know what ruins my holiday spirit more than drunk Santas peeing in the snow at 10am? Barricades. So this holiday season, I give you a list of popular NYC events to avoid and some lesser known events with which to replace them. Because I wish you sanity this year. Making New York more livable one step at a time…
DON’T: Visit The Rockefeller Christmas Tree. Lighting is Dec. 4th at 8:00. Do not get caught anywhere near there after 6:00. Do not try to see the tree on the weekends at normal hours. The tree stays lit till 11:30, so if you have to, your best bet is 11pm.
DO: Go to Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Square on Dec 2nd. https://www.winterseve.nyc/
Live music, family fun, food carts, and a tree lighting, all free. Yes there are crowds, but so much to pick from and you aren’t crammed in. This is a truly lovely night for locals.
DON’T: Go to Macy’s to get your kid’s pic with Santa. It got so crowded some years ago, Santa is seen by appointment only. And that appointment is just your assigned time to stand in line. No thanks.
DO: Bring your kid to see Santa at Brookfield Place. https://bfplny.com/event/santa-at-brookfield-place/ Ok, it isn’t free, photo packages start at $29. But you can make an actual appointment online, and then spend the rest of the day exploring their “magical holiday experience”, which I will tell you is pretty magical. There are also great free family events on weekends. Check it out.
DON’T: Dress up like a Santa and act like an idiot. Just don’t.
DO: Bring your boombox to the coolest live caroling event in the city on Dec. 15th. This one you can’t understand unless you’ve been there, it’s just SO New York. Do it. http://newyork.unsilentnight.com/
DON’T: Go to the balloon inflating, for the Thanksgiving Day Parade (You thought I was going to say the parade itself. But no, even the sweet inflating the night before, which used to be a very low-key event for the locals, has now turned into a mob scene!)
DO: Nothing that early on Thanksgiving morning. You’ve earned it, LIVING HERE. Curl up with your eggnog latte, sit your butt in front of the tv, and don’t move for hours, watching dumb commentary about high school bands. Rest up for black Friday, where you will also not leave the couch, and then go bananas, secretly, at your desk, on Cyber Monday. Like a true New Yorker.