This post is about our visit to New York in December 2016. However, I am sure that the information will be useful for any readers travelling to New York during the holiday season and at other times. December really was a wonderful time to visit this remarkable city.
Where did we stay?
Hotel Metro
West 35th Street
This hotel is perfectly located in Midtown, just a 4-minute walk from Macy’s and the Herald Square subway station heading west and 3 minutes from Fifth Avenue to the east.
Our room was a Premier Double Double on the 8th floor and was really quite spacious for Manhattan, spotlessly clean and with all the facilities we needed.
There was a coffee machine and bottles of water in the room and the bathroom had been recently renovated with several settings on the shower with excellent water pressure. Breakfast was included and was fairly basic but the tea, coffee, yogurt, bagels, pastries and cereals were more than enough to set us up for a day of sightseeing.
Hotel highlights
Free wine and canapés were served in the lounge/library from 5-6.30pm every evening. This was a lovely touch and proved to be a great way to unwind, especially with Christmas movies playing on the TV in the library.
The view of the Empire State building from the roof terrace was stunning. In the week before Christmas this was a great place to see the Christmas light display. We found out later that we should have had Mariah Carey’s “All I want for Christmas” on the radio to accompany it but the view was great anyway!
Where did we eat?
Keen’s Steakhouse
Just around the corner from the hotel was Keen’s Steakhouse on West 36th Street. We had booked a table 2 months in advance and were not disappointed. The steak was delicious and was served with possibly the best fries ever! The mulled wine was welcome after the cold outside and the tasteful, understated Christmas decorations were just right.
Rock Center Café
During our last visit to New York we enjoyed a few summer evenings having a drink or a meal at the Rock Center café so we were keen to try it out in the winter too. The service was top notch and although we had a 30 minute wait for a table, this gave us time to enjoy a cocktail at the bar. We thoroughly enjoyed the 3 course meal with views of the ice rink and it was lovely to see a carefully arranged proposal at the end of a skating session. Fortunately she said yes and the whole restaurant stood and applauded.
One Girl Cookies, Dumbo, Brooklyn
A most welcome break on our City Rover Walks tour. I enjoyed a lovely cappuccino and we sampled a range of cakes and biscuits, including a delicious Brooklyn whoopie pie. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly – really lovely! They are great to follow on Instagram too.
Juliana’s, Brooklyn
After our Brooklyn tour, we queued for a short time for a table at Juliana’s. The legendary pizzas were delicious as was my dessert – Carol’s canoli.
Eataly (so good we went to both branches!)
Eataly NYC Downtown
The vast array of restaurants and gourmet offerings took us aback – Eataly was a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. After a good deal of wandering around enjoying the fabulous displays and tempting aromas, we decided on a pizza! We enjoyed a lovely lunch at Rossopomodoro where the ambiance and stylish décor matched the high quality food.
Eataly NYC Flatiron
We had an amazing lunch at the pop-up Italian Alps restaurant on the roof. The atmosphere was great and the food was delicious. We had raclette to start with and a meat fondue to follow. As we left Eataly I felt quite sorry that we didn’t have time for a picnic before our flight. The selection of fruit and salads was mouth watering but the picnic will have to wait for our next visit to New York.
What did we do?
Radio City Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes
My family laughed when I booked this in August but when we sat in our excellent seats they agreed it was well worth it. The show was colourful, timed to perfection, full of surprises and quite simply out of this world. Each scene was truly stunning. I had read that there are microphones on the Rockettes’ tap shoes and you really could hear every beat. Amazing!
It is hard to select highlights but I have to mention the Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, Sightseeing in Style and Celebrate the Miracle (with real camels)!
The whole experience eclipsed all my expectations. Even the Art Deco ladies’ room was a highlight!
Rockefeller Center
Being a huge fan of Home Alone 2, I was hoping that my expectations of the Rockefeller Center at Christmas were not too high. I can honestly say that it was even better than I hoped. The tree was breathtaking, the ice rink was fabulous and the shops were as good as ever, notably Papyrus, Godiva and, of course, Lego. The atmosphere during the day and in the evening was warm and convivial and when the light display began on the Saks Fifth Avenue store, accompanied by the “Carol of the Bells”, it was just perfect.
Grand Central Station
This was our third visit to New York and our third visit to Grand Central Station. I love the atmosphere of excitement and romance of all train stations but the beautiful architecture here is hard to beat. After wandering through the Christmas market, which contained some beautiful one-off craft goods and cards, we left the main concourse to have fun in the “Whispering Gallery” again and enjoyed a no-fuss dinner at Shake Shack.
Brooklyn Bridge tour
Many thanks to Ryan and CityRover Walks for a fascinating morning tour of the Brooklyn Bridge, Dumbo and Brooklyn. On a very cold but clear crisp morning, we were regaled with a huge range of stories and anecdotes and this was a real highlight of our holiday. Ryan was a knowledgeable guide who was able to make history come alive and move and amuse his audience. We had crossed the Brooklyn Bridge before but had got lost in Brooklyn and not really seen much of it. Our tour enabled us to see iconic views of the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges from Brooklyn Bridge Park and look at the Christmas decorations outside the brownstones in Brooklyn Heights. We had a very welcome stop at the gorgeous One Girl Cookies café in Dumbo and had time to read the menu at the River Café (maybe next time).
Empire State Building
Another must-see just around the corner from our hotel was the Empire State Building. We arrived at 8.30pm, long after the daytime queues. The views at night were truly spectacular and the Art Deco lobby was at its best with yet another beautiful New York Christmas tree.
One World Observatory
It was an early start to arrive on time for our pre-booked elevator ride to the top of the One World Observatory with its 360 degree views. We didn’t do the self-guided iPad tour but just let the views speak for themselves. Truly amazing!
Shopping – a story best told in pictures:
