Our Christmas in NYC!

For Christmas this year, we decided to spend the holidays in NYC! If you've followed me for a while, you know we've spent the last few Christmases out of the country. Last year we were in India and Nepal on our honeymoon over the holidays, and in prior years we've been in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica. We always love jetting off over the holidays, but after spending our one year anniversary in Cabo this November, we decided to stay 'local' for Christmas and head to New York.

Being in the Big Apple for Christmas was as charming as it sounds - I would definitely add to your bucket list. We typically visit NYC every year in April (and I've come in the Fall for Fashion Week), so visiting this time of year was a delight. We lucked out with gorgeous weather, and even though I wanted to see snow, the 50 degree temperatures were perfect for roaming around the city. 

We were there for three nights, which was just the right amount of time to see some new things and visit some old favorites. Here's a look at what we did! 

After checking into our hotel around one o'clock, we headed out the door and walked to Bryant Park. I'd read about the holiday shops at Bryant Park, which features 175 boutiques that are set up during the holidays. The stores include everything from holiday decor, to jewelry, clothing, toys and artisanal foods. They also have an ice skating rink and a Christmas tree, so it was a great way to start our trip. 

From there we went to see the window displays at Macy's in Herald Square. The window displays were excellent, but I was disappointed by "Santa's Workshop" inside. I would definitely skip it if you go. It was nothing more than Christmas trees with ornaments and decorations - the same thing you'd expect from any department store during the holidays. After that, we headed back to our hotel to freshen up before having an early dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, Taboon.

Once we were finished we walked to Rockefeller Center to see the Christmas tree. It was absolutely beautiful, and we actually saw a couple get engaged! After that we went to see the windows at Saks Fifth Avenue, and caught a bit of their light show. The light show was based on Frozen 2, and the whole building was covered in lights and accompanied by music. Very cool! 

On our second day, we walked up and down Fifth Avenue, did some shopping and looked at all the decorations. After that we walked over to Madison Avenue, and visited the Goyard boutique (no, I didn't buy anything - shocking!) and Laduree for my favorite macaroons. 

Even though we've been to New York countless times and visited the MET on several occasions, we'd never been to the Guggenheim Museum before. We decided to take a trip to the museum, and although I'm happy we went, I doubt I'll be returning. Although the building itself was interesting, the art wasn't exactly my speed. It was laid out sparsely, not to mention it was mainly modern art, which I am not the biggest fan of. 

Once we finished there, we strolled through Central Park and visited Bow Bridge, which is where we got engaged. I always love retracing our steps from that day, and constantly am trying to convince Adam to get down on one knee and pretend it's happening for the first time! After a quick trip back to the hotel to freshen up, we went to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes. I absolutely loved the show! Not only were the Rockettes great, but it was a fun Christmas story, as well. After that we went to Gallaghers Steakhouse before calling it a night! 

We started our third day, which was Christmas day, by going to St Patrick's Cathedral for mass. Every time I'm in New York, I visit St. Patrick's, so it was extra special to get to finally attend mass there. We got there early but it was already crowded! We ended up having to stand the entire time, but definitely had no complaints. 

From there we jumped on the subway (I didn't spot any rats, ha), and headed downtown. On our last trip we had gone to the 9/11 Memorial Museum,which was incredibly well done and very moving. When we were previously in that area, there was a lot still under development, so we hadn't had a chance to visit the One World Observatory. On the 101st floor, you are greeted with stunning 360 degree views on the city. It was absolutely breathtaking, and we were lucky enough to have a crystal clear day. Once we finished there, we went to the Oculus before walking around Battery Park. 

After that we jumped in a cab and went to see the Vessel in Hudson Yards. From there we went to 230 Fifth, a rooftop restaurant that has these cute outdoor igloos set up for the winter. The rooftop has gorgeous view of the Empire State building and is definitely worth a visit. That evening we saw Moulin Rouge on Broadway, which was absolutely phenomenal. To close out the evening, and our trip, we did the obligatory evening walk through Times Square.


Here is a look at what I packed!