Christmas in The Big Apple // New York City, New York
"I have never seen a city so imbued with color and happily drowning in cheerful holiday traditions, such as Christmas trees decked out in tinsel seemingly around every corner."
It has been a longtime dream of mine to visit New York City during the holiday season. Being an avid Christmas fan, seeing the Big Apple covered in snow, vivid lights, and the faces of eager shoppers warmed up by the festivities warmed me up like a fresh cup of hot chocolate. Christmas in New York City is pure magic and it completely lived up to its hype. I have never seen a city so imbued with color and happily drowning in cheerful holiday traditions, Christmas trees decked out in tinsel seemingly around every corner. The contents of my pre-finals trip contained traveling all over the city, from East Village to Sheepshead Bay Beach, the top of the Empire State Building to the Rockefeller Christmas Tree, countless parties with new friends to the best mulled wine in New York, and traversing Time Square during the first snowfall of the year in NYC, my trip was undisputably a holiday treat.
Exploring New York City (Day One)
Throughout my trip my talented friend, Anna, allowed me to stay in her charming apartment in Brooklyn with her wonderful roommates. Anna is a talented photographer and videographer, please check out her incredible work here. I spent my first day in NYC exploring Manhatten combining popular "to-do's" while getting spontaneously lost in the energized city. Later that evening, Anna joined me and took me to the Rockefeller Center to see the tree lit, a dream of mine to witness. Afterwards, Anna and her warm boyfriend, Phineas, took me to Cafe Himalaya, a Tibetan restaurant in Lower East Side, to try Momo's for the first time. After dinner, we walked through Christmas Tree Land to our first of many parties of the weekend.
The First Snowfall (Day Two)
"The white, noiseless work of the sky was enchanting to watch."
Anna and I woke up at sunrise to meet Violet and her mom, Sarah, to travel upstate for a photoshoot. We drove to Sheepshead Bay Beach and as we arrived at the calm shores, it started to snow. Anna and Violet told me that this is the first snowfall to occur in NYC, and it was true magic. The white, noiseless work of the sky was enchanting to watch. After our photo shoot with Violet, we went back to her and Sarah's workspace named Oliphant Studios. Oliphant Studios is a famous collaboration of painters who create backdrops for weddings, celebrity photo shoots, and films. Some members of their client list include Lady Gaga, Alexander McQueen, Ralph Lauren, Maroon 5 and Saturday Night Live.
"It was enchanting to see the colorful sea of people dusted by the swirl of snowflakes combined with the neon lights of the vibrant shops and billboards."
That evening, Anna and I spent our evening exploring Times Square during the first snowfall. Times Square is the most famous district in the world as well as the most visited tourist attraction in the world. It was enchanting to see the colorful sea of people dusted by the swirl of snowflakes combined with the neon lights of the vibrant shops and billboards. After some light shopping at the nearby stores to warm up, Anna and I explored a few holiday markets before going to our next holiday party of the weekend.
Sunset in Central Park (Day Three)
For my final day in NYC, Anna took me to Grand Central Park and we soaked in the warm sunset. Afterwards, Anna and Phinneas took me to one of the best places in NYC for mulled wine. Mulled wine is a spiced, warmed up alcoholic drink with the most common spices used being cloves, cinnamon, and ginger. This combination of materials leads to mulled wine having a "Christmassy" flavor. After getting warmed up with mulled wine, we had dinner at a friend's of Phineas' named Jane. Jane is a recent culinary student graduate who turned her adorable apartment into a homestyle restaurant. She served us a four-course meal with a wine pairing for each course. Spending the evening eating delicious food with friends old and new was the perfect way to end my time in NYC.
- B
