Good Living

 

Christmas is here and New York is one of the best places in the world to be during this festive period! Here are the top things you can to enjoy it to the maximum!

 

The towering tree in Rockefeller Center
The towering tree in Rockefeller Center is an international symbol of the holiday spirit. This year’s version is a 14-ton Norway Spruce from upstate New York. It’s wrapped in 50,000 multicolored, energy-efficient LED lights and crowned with a Swarovski crystal star. The lights shine daily from 6am to midnight (on Christmas Day it’s lit for 24 hours). The tree is just the beginning of things to do in Rockefeller Center. The Rink at Rockefeller Center is one of the world’s most famous patches of ice and this year marks its 86th anniversary. Skating runs 9am to midnight daily. Nearby you’ll find the Top of the Rock Observation Deck and one of New York’s most breathtaking views. Three floors of indoor and outdoor decks offer sweeping open-air perspectives. The area also boasts world-class shopping, great bites, famous art and architecture, and Radio City Music Hall, home of the Rockettes. 

 

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse features floor-to-ceiling windows with breathtaking views of Sixth Avenue and Rockefeller Center. For Christmas and Christmas Eve this year, join them for a 20 oz. prime rib dinner, served with horseradish cream, red wine au jus, and château mashed potatoes (the regular dinner menu will also be available).

 

Culinary legend Jean-Georges Vongerichten has launched his massive new food space in The Seaport. The Tin Building brings bars, grocery markets, full-service new restaurants (many with open kitchens), and quick service counters into a stylish, sprawling historic structure. They're open on Christmas from noon to 8pm—gather with friends and family  to feast on holiday specials at T. Brasserie, House of the Red Pearl, The Frenchman’s Dough, and Fulton Fish Co. Reservations are now available.

 

Seasonally focused contemporary American seafood and an elegant-yet-classic experience await at Midtown East’s The Sea Fire Grill. On Christmas Eve, don’t miss a special tradition—the Feast of the Seven Fishes. A prix fixe menu starts with a choice of oysters with caviar or a crudo trio. Squid ink spaghetti with lobster and crab is the second course, followed by entree options like branzino, swordfish, and roasted halibut. Dessert is included: New York style cheesecake, molten chocolate cake, or tiramisu. The restaurant is open for Christmas as well, with a prix fixe menu that starts with eggnog. (For a steak dinner to remember, sibling restaurants Benjamin Steakhouse and Benjamin Prime will also offer Christmas Day special menus.)

 

One of New York’s most spectacular experiences is getting out on the water. Discover the magic of Christmas in New York on City Cruises’ special brunch, lunch, and dinner cruises, sailing Christmas Eve and Christmas Day from Chelsea Piers and Lincoln Harbor Marina. Dance to live entertainment as you enjoy chef-prepared meals, holiday décor, and spectacular skyline views, including the Empire State Building, One World Trade, the Brooklyn Bridge, and the Statue of Liberty. (You can also ring in the new year with New Year’s Eve lunch and dinner cruises, and New Year’s Day brunch and dinner cruises.) Take it all in from a climate-controlled deck and enjoy City Cruises’ distinctive hospitality.

 

Adapted from Charles M. Schulz’s timeless story, and featuring the classic music of Vince Guaraldi, everyone’s favorite holiday classic comes to life in a new production of A Charlie Brown Christmas: Live on Stage. Join Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Linus, and the whole Peanuts gang as they sing, dance, and learn the true meaning of Christmas. Limited engagement—only seven performances, Thursday through Christmas Eve.

 

Cornelius serves “old farm, new table” fare within the grandeur of Grand Central Terminal. Lobster strudel, foraged mushroom tartlet, and Hudson Valley steelhead trout are all on the menu, to be paired with 250 wines from the thoughtful international list. There are also City Winery wines by the glass and craft cocktails including a caviar martini, oyster martini, and an espresso old fashioned.

 

Celebrate the holidays from the top of the city! One World Observatory has launched a reimagined version of its ONEderland holiday experience, with a cozy chalet lounge, a gingerbread café, a European-style holiday market, and photo ops on a ski lift high above the city skyline. Open now through January 7th.

 

The Metropolitan Opera is into its inspiring 2022-23 season, packed with opera’s most talented stars performing across a wide range of repertoire. Between December 16th and January 6th, a New York City tradition returns with The Magic Flute—Holiday Presentation. The Met’s abridged, family-friendly version of Mozart’s musical fairy tale features Maestro Duncan Ward making his company debut, conducting Julie Taymor’s irresistible production. Don’t miss the timeless story of Tamino, the noble prince on a quest to win the fair princess Pamina, joined by the bird catcher Papageno and the Queen of the Night.

 

Don't fight the season—embrace it. City Vineyard’s Winter Igloos have returned, keeping up to 8 guests cozy. Reservations are now open for the igloos at City Winery’s Wine Garden in Rockefeller Plaza, with mulled wine, spiked cider, signature wines, hot chocolate, and snacks, all accompanied by iconic plaza views. City Vineyard at Pier 26 in Hudson River Park has igloos as well, enhanced by river views.

 

A great place to get in the spirit of the season is Frosty’s Christmas Bar, a festive pop up in Times Square. Look for life-size toy soldiers, ribbons and wreaths, garlands, and a holiday soundtrack that spins until 4am. Bartenders sport their finest ugly sweaters, reindeer antlers, and sexy Santa hats and suits. In addition to four bars in the sprawling space there’s a restaurant serving lunch and dinner. Opens Wednesday, November 30th.

 

The Origami Holiday Tree has returned to the Natural History Museum. The theme this year is Beautiful Bugs, inspired by the Susan and Peter J. Solomon Family Insectarium, opening early next year as AMNH expands. Check out more than one-thousand pieces of origami, including intricate grasshoppers, butterflies, beetles, and museum icons like the Blue Whale. Through January 9th.

 

Six immersive holiday installations greet you on your way to Santa’s secret speakeasy in Hudson Yards. Christmas cocktails and variety show acts that include live music, ballet, and burlesque complete the scene at Santa's Secret.

 

The Paley Museum's holiday extravaganza PaleyLand has returned. Get in the spirit of the season with screenings, experiential holiday exhibits, arts and crafts, photos with Santa, and meet and greets with costumed characters.

 

One-million dazzling lights have returned to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden after a sold-out run last year. Lightscape's Winter Cathedral and a reimagined Fire Garden are back, joined by installations like Neon Waves, with strings of neon cord stretched between the garden’s famous cherry trees.

 

The Makers Show Holiday Market returns to Downtown Brooklyn, Fridays through Sundays for most of December. Look for 60 vendors, dance parties for kids, cookie decorating, workshop topics like ugly sweater making, and visits from the man in red himself.