Ever since I watched Elf and Home Alone 2, I’ve dreamed about going to NYC during Christmas. The lights, flashy decorations, wonderful food, and snow – seems like a dream right? My family and I actually spent the holidays in New York City last year and here’s my review and storytime of everything that happened. I’m sure some of you may be thinking of going to NYC during the holidays, so I provide some tips! Fortunately, my family didn’t lose me (much to their disappointment, although we almost lost my dad but that’s a diff. story). I’m going to go through my trip in chronological order from Dec 20-26 in 2018.
Disclaimer: I kind of forgot so many details like restaurant names so…I apologize for the lack of details for certain things. Also, I will sue you if you use my photos 🙂
TIPS!
- If you’re a student or even recently graduated, bring your student card! You can get a discount on a variety of things – save your hard earned dolla dolla bill y’all
- Use the metro for everything, it’s not super difficult to learn how to get around especially with Google Maps since it’ll literally say what stop to get off at. Also, despite the stereotype that New Yorkers are rude, so many random strangers actually helped us a lot randomly with directions and were very kind!
- A lot of famous attractions and events are free after a certain time or day so check their website thoroughly!
- Check the weather daily, it went from raining, snowing, being windy, and sunny in a span of 6 different days during our stay
- Wear lots of layers! Y’all I know Toronto can be cold but you never experienced that wind in NYC, it’s some next level whiplash to your face 😦
- Lots of restaurants will have a crazy long wait (45-1 hour+ wait) so try calling ahead with your hotel’s phone or Airbnb host’s phone to make a reservation
- Ask locals on what to do. Of course checking reviews online is helpful but a lot of locals do know the best way to get to an event. For example, one of the receptionists at the hotel was so sweet because she warned us about certain closures on the weekend on the metro because of construction but we wouldn’t have known about that if we didn’t talk with her. Also, ask people who have visited New York prior on things they’d recommend as well.
I’d just like to start and say that for some reason, my dad thought that we were Olympic athletes and could walk around everywhere. It was madness, sometimes we walked 20,000 steps which is like 15 kilometers, yea pure craziness I know. You know for the sake of unity and friendship and Christmas-hood…I wouldn’t really recommend this method. Like my feet felt like they were breaking, blistering, sweating, crying sometimes 🙂
Day 1: Times Square babY
I guess my memory is actually a lot worse than I thought because I don’t even remember what airline we took to get to New York, oh yea we flew because we ain’t dealing with no traffic, snow, accidents, angry drivers, crazy ppl, etc. during the best holiday. We landed in the evening – literally I only remember this because I was looking at the photos. Right after dropping our stuff in our hotel (guess what else I don’t remember? yep, the name of the hotel…aha…), we went to Times Square and took photos. But we were starving and the main focus was to get food. We went to Bubba Gump which is in Times Square. Thankfully the wait wasn’t long and it’s kind of tradition that we check out Bubba Gump (I’m not sure when this tradition started with my family but it has, also my mom’s favourite movie is Forest Gump). Food was amazingly good because a) starvation mode b) it was hot and it was rainy outside. After eating and walking around a bit we decided to head back to the hotel and just take it chill because our schedule was quite busy for the duration of the vacation (at least I think so? I honestly cannot remember).
*Sidenote: oddly enough, Times Square wasn’t crazily busy that day. Like it progressively got busier as it got closer to Christmas
Day 2: Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) aka being pretentious about art time
Ah yes, I remember fighting for a spot to eat at the hotel cafe area against all these other families, good times really. Then fighting for the last pancake against Kathérine who’s from Paris and you have to give her the last one because it’s her first time in NYC and she’s pregnant you know.
- Anyway, we went to MOMA and it was amazing. I love art so this was something I really wanted to do. I’m not going to lie, it was pretty crowded so it was hard to admire certain pieces. It was also hard to take photos especially with the popular art works.
- I love their gift shop, I got a tote bag which I still use today! One of the best purchases I’ve ever made.
- the food in the MOMA is quite pricey! I think there was free wifi inside, also I used my student card so my sister and I got a discount!
- after a certain time on Fridays (? I think), entrance to the MOMA is free but I’d double check on their website
- there was also free coat check! Just a super long line that’s all
We ate tacos after at a …taco joint…that we don’t have in Canada, it was nice. The weather was eerily warm that day and we were sweating lol. After strolling around for a bit, I remember we went to Barnes and Nobles purely for somewhere free to sit and for free wifi. I read almost all of “Becoming” by Michelle Obama and secretly took photos of recipes from random cookbooks (don’t judge, I’m not buying a cookbook in American dollars who do you think I am?). We also got coffee from the Starbucks inside, it was nice. Then we went shopping along that strip. Afterwards, we went to k-town and got some Korean food for dinner. Then we walked around the Empire State building, we already went inside last time we came to New York so it was just nice seeing it again. Then we fought over what to watch on TV in our hotel. I think we started Pirates of the Caribbean then ended up watching the last half of Elf, it was a mess.
Day 3: Mother’s Birthday and CHEESECAKE!
It was my mom’s birthday so we decided to semi-celebrate by going to Eileen’s Cheesecake, I forget who recommended this…but uh shoutouts to you. I am salivating as I type this out. Eileen’s cheesecake is one of the best cheesecake I’ve ever tried in my life and I quite like cheesecake. First of all, they’re in cupcake sizes so it’s the perfect amount and you won’t get sick of them. We shared 3 because they’re really expensive…which I guess makes sense because they’re so good. They’re perfectly sweet and crunchy at the bottom. Okay enough about Eileen’s.
We went to the World Trade Center and walked around there for a bit and took photos. It was really aesthetically pleasing. Afterwards, we went to Little Italy and got Italian food, it was perfect on a cool day. Then we walked to Soho and it’s like hipster but cool there. You know like someone who just always looks good no matter what. We walked into this store that was very interactive, it was kind of like the One of a Kind Show combined with the Bay combined with Instagram if that makes sense. We just tried not to break any of the expensive items we saw.
Day 4: Amnesia took over, I’m sorry but I don’t know what we did…other than going to church I think
We went to Times Square again and that’s all I got sorry kids. And Tim Keller’s church but uh…my mind really draws to a blank. Hopefully nothing important happened that day. You know I’m quite worried about my memory now. All I have from Snapchat on that day is that we got Chinese food for takeout.
Day 5: Radio City Rockettes
We woke up early to go to Times Square but more importantly Radio City to see the Christmas show with the Radio City Rockettes! We bought the tickets online in Toronto, they were expensive and also selling out quickly! My sister and I really enjoyed the show, it was festive and so well-done. The audience members were pretty tame and I liked the dancing. Afterwards, we got Chic-Fil-A for lunch obvi our favourite fast food place please don’t @ us. (Although, after going to Cali, In-n-Out shook my world). I think we walked around a bit more and knowing my parents, we got Korean food again in a different place in k-town – all my fellow like Asian Asians will know that they can’t go a few days without Asian food lol. I remember it was good but our waiter suggested giving more tip and I was so put off by that because SIR it’s a free country. We can do what we want, I mean look at what your president’s doing! (Sorry that might’ve been a bit too far)
I didn’t have anywhere to put the photos below so I’m putting them here….now. It’s of Koraen food and the Brooklyn Bridge!
Day 6: Mewwy Chwistmas ya filthy animals
Lol nobody says “brooklyn tingz” and I’ll never be saying that again. Anyway, we trekked to Brooklyn and saw the infamous Brooklyn Bridge and took lots of photos. We got coffee then went to the 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York. I think the memorial museum was a highlight of the trip for me. Originally, I didn’t really want to go because I thought it’d be depressing and boring. However, much to my surprise, it was really good and I learned so much. I obviously was really young when 9/11 happened and I didn’t really know just how devastating it was to the entire world including NYC. I learned about it in school but reading personal letters, hearing voicemails of victims who were on the plane, and just reading about it in the museum was incredibly eye-opening but also humbling. I was pretty much getting a lump in my throat feeling the whole time trying not to cry in front of a bunch of strangers (although there were a lot of people crying). I just realized how blessed I was to be alive with my family together, all safe in New York on Christmas day. Then we went back to the hotel and got a huge pizza, buttered corn, french fries, chicken wings, it was lit.
Day 7: ‘Til Next Time New York
I had such an amazing but tiring but really good time in NYC for Christmas and the holidays. I miss it a lot, but it’s nice spending Christmas at home this year.
Gloria's Scribbles and Thoughts 