1. SIT UNDER THE GIANT CHRISTMAS TREE AT THE TRUMP TOWER

The Trump Tower is a 58-story skyscraper at 725 Fifth Avenue, on the corner with 56th Street, bordering Tiffany’s, and facing the fabulous Chanel windows. It is regarded as one of the most iconic buildings in New York City and as an emblem of the Trump empire itself. During the Christmas period all of 5th avenue is full of decorations at every corner, but the Trump Tower is a symbol of American popular culture. Hedges and bushes of white and red poinsettias, large and small parcels with gold paper and red ribbon arranged in every corner, gigantic wooden Nutcracker Princes, a large decorated fir tree on the lowest floor, among the soft lights of the restaurant. Background music, twinkling of spotlights, gurgling of water that descends from above on the long orange marble wall. So this building attracts thousands of visitors, and a photo under the Trump tower tree can only bring good luck!

3. ICE SKATING UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREE IN ROCKFELLER CENTER

One of the favorite activities of New Yorkers during the winter season is to try ice skating. As winter approaches, ice rinks pop up in different parts of New York.
It may be for the magic transmitted by many films or for the happy and festive spirit of the people who skate, but when you pass by one of New York’s skating rinks, you really want to go for a ride!

So if you’re on vacation in the winter or better yet you’re spending Christmas in New York, don’t worry if you’re not a professional skater or have never tried it in your life. Have fun spending an original hour skating on the ice!
The Rockefeller Center ice rink (“The Rink”) is undoubtedly the most historic and famous. Skating here, perhaps right under the huge Christmas tree is a dream.
The track is not very big and the prices are high, but the location for a tourist is certainly the best!

4. BE MESMERIZED WITH YOUR NOSE UP GAZING AT THE GIANT SCREENS OF TIMES SQUARE

Times square in New York is one of the classic unmistakable places, it is the most visited place in Manhattan. This plaza, also known as “the crossroads of the world,” has dozens of giant LED screens and is filled with quirky characters. Times Square is an overwhelming place and invaded by people who come from all over the world, always and constantly crowded. To get a view of what’s going on in the square, go to the famous red stairs, sit down and look around. Times Square is also famous for its screens full of advertisements for the world’s most famous brands. An advertisement here costs between $5,000 and $50,000 depending on the size of the screen. There are also many themed restaurants, such as the Hard Rock Café, Bubba Gump and Planet Hollywood. We decided to have lunch at the Hard Rock Cafè, with fries and hamburgers, nothing more typical and satisfying after a day walking in the cold! During the Christmas period, if you look up you can see the famous sphere that descends every year to announce the arrival of the new year.

5. SEE THE CITY FROM THE TOP OF THE ROCK OBSERVATORY

The Top of the Rock is Rockefeller Center’s 3-level observation deck. On the 67th and 69th floors there are internal rooms with large panoramic windows, while the 70th floor is an open terrace with a 360° panorama and 260 meters above the ground. With terraces facing East, West, North and South, the panoramic views of Top of the Rock make this attraction the ultimate observation deck in NYC.

Believe the rumors: according to many it is the best place to admire New York from above and in our opinion it is true. We made an appointment for the visit at 3pm to see the sunset over the city of New York. The visit does not have a maximum duration, so we waited for about 5 pm when the sun began to set, and trying to resist the incredible cold and wind, we went to the upper, completely open panoramic terrace, and from there we enjoyed the sunset of the sun and the night lights that began to illuminate the city an incredible view!

6. STARE AT THE COLORFUL AND GLITTERING WINDOWS OF MACY’S AND SASKS

In addition to the classic Christmas decorations and the most beautiful fir trees positioned in strategic points of the city, NYC focuses much of its glittering charm on the shop windows. Naturally the most beautiful shop windows are concentrated, needless to say, on Fifth Avenue, the street with the most beautiful and luxurious shops, where the boutiques of all the most famous brands are found. But in my opinion nothing equals the windows of Macy’s and Sasks. In particular, Sasks also offers night shows including light shows with music that invades the whole street in front of Rockefeller Plaza. Macy’s has a theme for its Christmas decorations every year, and when I visited New York, in 2022 the theme was “give love”, a recurring theme both outside and inside the store. And if you’re in the holiday spirit & fancy some shopping, you need to head up to the 9th floor & check out Macy’s Holiday Lane for the most extravagant Christmas decorations ever!

7. BUY NEW YORK SOUVENIRS AT BRYANT PARK HOLIDAY MARKET

Bryant Park’s Winter Village is one of the best attractions during Christmas time in NYC. Its 17,000-square-foot ice-skating rink that’s free to use (if you bring your own skates) is always the highlight, but its Winter Village in all its holiday spirit is a close second. When I visited New York there were over 170 kiosks of artisanal vendors selling their innovative wares, so it is safe to say that you will find a gift for all of your loved ones. I have bought some lovely Christmas decorations for friends and family, like Christmas tree balls with pictures of New York painted on them. If you get hungry, don’t worry, there are some of the most interesting food concepts to choose from while you shop. And if that isn’t enough to do, you and can grab some skates, and hop on the ice for a little fun!

8. TRY THE BEST PIZZA IN LITTLE ITALY

I’m Italian, so even though I recognize that the experience of hamburgers and huge, succulent steaks with fries is important to immerse yourself in New York culture, if you ask me for the most satisfying culinary experience during my holiday, my answer will be that there is nothing better than a properly made Italian pizza. Little Italy is located in lower Manhattan, and is among New York City’s most storied neighborhoods, having welcomed hundreds of thousands of Italian immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These newcomers have imported their customs, traditions and, perhaps best of all, the cuisine. Little Italy borders another immigrant neighborhood: Chinatown. Chinatown is a bustling, densely populated neighborhood that attracts foodies and tourists with its many Chinese restaurants offering dumplings, pork buns, and hand-pulled noodles. The busy sidewalks are lined with shops selling everything from souvenirs to fresh and dried fish, herbs and spices. In your visit to New York you cannot miss a visit to these two very particular neighborhoods, and make sure you stop by for lunch or dinner, you won’t regret it!

9. FIND THE MOST DECORATED HOUSE IN DYKER HEIGHTS

At Christmas, outside the center of New York, there is a neighborhood and in particular some streets, which every year during the Christmas period become the main attraction in New York, not to be missed, almost more than the Rockefeller Center tree!
It is the Dyker Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn.
Dyker Heights is famous for its beautifully decorated houses.
It is said that it all began on a Christmas in the 80s when Lucy Spata decorated her house with wonderful and showy lights. The neighbor Alfred Polizzotto and the whole neighborhood gradually began to compete by adding more and more Christmas lights, huge toy soldiers, nativity scenes, Christmas decorations, etc., transforming the whole neighborhood into a magical branch of Santa Claus’ country!
The streets most affected range from 11th to 13th Avenue and from 83rd street to 86th. The best time to see the decorated houses is from about 5 to 9pm, because some owners then turn off the lights, and also because this time allows you to take the subway at a still acceptable time so as not to travel too late in the evening towards Manhattan (the return by public transportation takes more or less one hour).

10. ENJOY THE VIEW OF THE CITY SKYLINE FROM THE WATER

If you are lucky enough to plan your cruise on a sunny day and not, as you can see from the photo on the left, on a day of complete fog where visibility is zero (just joking of course!), the New York City Cruise is one of the most special and romantic experiences of your vacation in New York.
There are a lot of Christmas cruises, lunch cruises, evening cruises, sunset cruises, with meals included or not, New Years cruises, with fireworks included or not, etc. so you have really plenty of choices according to your travel plans and budget.
Most cruises are approximately 2.5 hours long and do a complete tour of Manhattan Island, starting with the Manhattan skyline, then continuing to One World Trade Center, Brooklyn Bridge and downtown Brooklyn, and, of course, an up close look at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island! New York can be an incredible city when on foot, but there’s nothing like the calmness of a cruise ship.