Things To Do in the City During the Holidays

by: Alexandra Casalaspro and Nathaniel Toto

During any time of year the city guarantees an exciting, entertaining and eventful experience. This can especially be seen in the winter with the reintroduction of multiple iconic traditions seen throughout the month of December. While all of these activities can be done in places other than the city, there’s no better way to experience holiday joy. The best holiday activities like ice skating can be done in the city’s most iconic rink, the rink at Rockefeller Center. The rink opens November 5th with a general admission fee of anywhere from $20 to $54. This price depends on the time and day. Keeping up with the holiday spirit, the rink is decorated in a Christmas theme and you can always expect a fun experience with friends and family. If ice skating is not your thing there’s a huge variety of other things to do, especially since you're in the city. Again in the Rockefeller area is the Rockefeller Center annual tree lightning. The tree is amazing and just being around it makes your day full of Christmas cheer. The tree is first lit on November 30th, and stays up until the first week of January. The tree is lit everyday from 5:30 pm to 12 am and this only changes on Christmas, as it then stays lit for 24 hours that day. Visiting the tree with family or friends would be a great idea, and as the Rockefeller annual tree lighting is only available in Manhattan it makes an eventful trip you can take once a year! Hot chocolate is another vital staple for the holiday season, and the winter season as a whole. This makes another experience you should participate in (especially during the winter months) to taste hot chocolate. Hot chocolate is available in many stores around the city, but to get the best experience you should go to the best rated one. We recommend going to “Bar Pisellino.” This Italian style cafe is rated 4.5 stars and serves not only hot chocolate but coffees and teas, meaning anyone can find something they enjoy. The cafe also serves “finger foods” like paninis, meaning you can stop for a quick bite as you enjoy some amazing hot chocolate. Now, for people who love a more musical or dancing based experience or really anyone that enjoys entertainment, watching the Radio City

Rockettes show would be just for you. This show features Santa, wooden soldiers and the amazing Rockettes making it a spectacular experience. The Rockettes dazzling costumes and signature kick line really steal the show and make you wish you could watch it again and again!