During December, New York City turns into a winter wonderland because there is so much to do and see. Many tourists come from all over the world to experience this because it is truly fascinating. The most viral thing to see in the city is The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree in Times Square. The tree contains more than 50,000 thousand LED lights that light up the 80-foot-tall tree. As if that is not good enough, the tree is topped with a three-dimensional Swaroski Star. It is so large that it weighs 900 pounds and has about 3 million crystals. It is light daily from 5 AM to midnight every day until January 13th. If you want to have some fun while still being able to view the tree you can Ice Skate at the Rockefeller Center. It is a perfect Holiday activity that helps bring out your holiday spirit. The Rink is open daily from 9 AM to 12am daily up until early April 2024.
Credit: Rockefeller Center
Just a few blocks down from Rockefeller Center is Bryant’s Park Winter Village. It is open from 11 AM-8 PM during the weekdays and opens at 10 AM on weekends. There are so many fun activities to participate in at the Winter Village. Similar to Rockefeller Center, you are able to ice skate for free if you own a pair of skates. If you do not want to skate, the Winter Village also has about 180 kiosks. You can find many fun and festive gifts for loved ones as well as try a variety of different holiday foods.
One of the best cost free options is to head down to Brooklyn and see Dyker Heights Christmas Lights. Over 100,000 people come from all over the world to see these holiday decorated homes. All of the decorations are over the top with things like Christmas carols from speakers to life size Christmas inflatables and a ton of holiday lights. This tradition has been going on for over 30 years. Majority of the homes are from 83rd to 8th St and 11th to 13th avenue. The best time to visit is after 5 PM when it is dark out so you can get the full Christmas experience.