New York at Christmas

Visiting at Christmas certainly made this trip extra special, because it snowed and we felt like children again! We arrived on the day the Christmas tree lights were switched on at the Rockefeller Center and, although it was a long, cold wait, it is one I would recommend, because it really does take your breath away when they are finally switched on!
Taking the trip to the top of the Empire State Building at night is probably the best thing I have ever done. I have never seen anything like it and can't put it into words--it is so beautiful :o) Of course the Statue of Liberty has to be done and is well worth it, although it is smaller than I imagined.
We also visited Ground Zero and took a tour around the United Nations building, which was a lot better than I expected.
Central Park is a must. We saw it in the snow but I imagine it is beautiful whatever the weather.
There are plenty of cool places to eat and it really is a buzzing city.

Quick Tips:

The Grayline sightseeing bus is an excellent way to see everything and one I really recommend. Tickets can be bought from staff waiting near bus stops wearing red grayline coats.
I would advise buying a guidebook before you go and reading it on the way. Not only does this give you added excitement, but you get a rough idea of where to go and when (eg. some museums are free admission on certain days).

Best Way To Get Around:

The Grayline sightseeing bus operates on three routes, and you can get on and off as you please. One loop takes you uptown, one downtown, and while we were there, the third one was the holiday lights. We used it as transport and also sat through each of the routes in full, listening to the tour guide. Of course, you will want to ride in a famous yellow taxi, and this can be done on the way from the airport to your hotel as they have a fixed rate for taking you into central Manhattan.
The subway (Metro) is really easy to use and a lot cleaner than I imagined--I had images of dirty trains covered in grafitti but it wasn't the case. In fact it was a lot cleaner than the London Underground.
I wouldn't advise driving at all!

This was classed as a 3-star hotel on the internet, but I thought it seemed higher.

It has a large lobby with marble floors and chandelier lighting. It is always busy, but kept immaculately. The rooms were fairly small with a separate well-equipped bathroom. We had a double bed and dark wood furniture included two bedside cabinets, a wardrobe, and desk. There was also a TV.

The hotel is located next to Penn Station and opposite Madison Square Garden. It is a two-minute walk from Macy's, five minutes to the Empire State Building, and 10 minutes to Times Square. It was on a room-only basis and I would stay here again.

We walked along Broadway and the atmosphere was fantastic. If I was to return, I would definately go and see the Lion King. A lot of shows were fully booked, so it is advisable to book in advance, but there were many people selling tickets around the city. If you don't book in advance your hotel concierge will probably be able to check availability for you.

Central Park is absolutely beautiful and it is hard to believe you are still in New York. The snow made it gorgeous when we visited, but I imagine it is lovely in any season. The year-round ice-skating rink was extremely busy with very large queues of eager skaters. We took a walk around a section of the park (it is huge) and it was fairly busy. Horse-drawn carriage rides were taking place around the park, which gave it that magical touch. During a sightseeing tour at night, we stopped off at the Tavern on the Green restaurant, which was all lit up like a winter wonderland. A visit to NY is not complete without at least half a day at Central Park.

Everyone knows that a trip to the Big Apple is not complete without a bit of shopping -- well, window shopping anyway! There are a whole host of shops, but Macy's (the world's biggest store) and Bloomingdales are musts. Hershey's is also really popular and there is a huge Toys R Us in Times Square that has a Ferris wheel inside! The Christmas window displays were in another world! The ones at Saks even had queuing systems in place!

Empire State Building:
This was just amazing. It was the best $10 I spent! You are whisked up to the 100th or so floor and your ears actually pop in the lift! It is strange watching the floor number increase so quickly! When you step out and look at the views, it is spectacular. The photos we took just did not do it justice -- my advice is that you have to do this trip when it is dark.

Statue of Liberty:
You board a boat at Battery Park that takes you to the statue. You can no longer climb to the crown, but it is amazing just to stand in front of it to have your photo taken! There is a gift shop here selling some really lovely items. The trip includes access to Ellis Island, but it was closed due to snow during our visit. The Staten Island Ferry is free and gives excellent views of the Statue of Liberty too.

Times Square is a must because it's the most happening place I've been!

After getting rid of our bags at our hotel, we went for a walk around Manhattan and the whole atmosphere is indescribable. I have never been anywhere where you can feel the atmosphere so strongly.

We had to wait for three hours at the Rockefeller Center for the huge tree's lights to be switched on and it was freezing! Anyone thinking of going should wrap up warm, get there early for a good view of the entertainment, and maybe take a blanket or something to sit on. Several people had and we were envious! Security is tight and once in it is very difficult to get out so anyone who might need a trip to the toilet should go on the way!

There was a good line-up of musical entertainment before the lights were switched on, and it was all relayed on huge screens, ensuring that people everywhere could see. It was a lovely thing to be part of, although I probably wouldn’t do it again because it was so cold I could hardly bend my legs!! But it was fun nevertheless!

After seeing the lights we walked back to the hotel taking in the likes of the Empire State Building (the top of which is lit up red and green for Christmas) and the Chrysler building on the way.

The next morning we decided to buy tickets for the Grayline red tourist bus. It had been snowing heavily, so when we bought our tickets (from a man opposite Macy’s) we were given free ponchos. The tickets cost $49 and were valid for two days. A bit of persuasion got him to throw in an extra day, so for three days it was quite a good price.

If there has been snow I would be wary of sitting upstairs on the open-top buses because, as pretty as it may be, it gets quite scary when blocks of ice fall from the skyscrapers--trust me!

A look around Chinatown is a must, and if it is a romantic meal in a beautiful setting you want, then Little Italy is for you. Beautiful Italian restaurants line the streets, and people stand in their doorways politely trying to entice you in and handing out business cards.

Times Square at night is bustling and it is well worth spending an evening there. We went to Planet Hollywood for a meal one night and when we came out a lot of people were waiting around. It turned out they were waiting to see Britney Spears who, low and behold, turned up about 10 minutes later and we caught a glimpse of her getting out of her car and posing for waiting photographers before going inside. It was certainly an unexpected highlight.

A policeman dealing with the crowds told us that further down the same road filming was taking place for Julia Roberts’ new movie Mona Lisa’s Smile. We took a walk down and took photos of a building that had been turned into an old-style theatre and old-fashioned taxis lined the street. We are just waiting for the film now so we can spot it!

There are plenty of places to eat in the city, as you would expect, and prices vary. One thing you can be sure of though is that there is something to suit all tastes!

We also visited Ground Zero to pay respects to the victims of September 11 and, although it was over a year later, hundreds of tributes remained pinned to the fences surrounding St Paul’s Chapel opposite the site.

We also visited the Fire Museum on Spring Street, which was very interesting and a step away from the main tourist attractions of the city.

An afternoon was also spent in Greenwich Village, where we were given a tour by a friend of my boyfriend’s, who moved to Manhattan a couple of years ago. It seemed like a different place seeing it through the eyes of a local.

One place that we never planned to go but which was among the most interesting was the United Nations building. The tour is very interesting and the guides are extremely knowledgable. Even if you do not have a thirst for politics, you will enjoy it and walk away knowing a few memorable facts.

We only had four days in New York and wanted to make the most of the trip so we took along the Inside Out travel guide. It is pocket-sized and only £6.99/$9.95 (ISBN 1-84139-851-9). It has a fold-out map which was invaluable and an information section offering tips on places to see, places to shop, entertainment, places to eat, hotels and space for notes. It is a great book and contains everything you need to know- even a slide out pen and flip-out compass to make sure you don’t get lost!