Today I wanted to recap our trip to NYC! This is the third time I have been during Christmas and tons of you asked questions about what we did, where we ate and where to stay. Christmas is always my favorite time to visit the city and Olivia surprisingly LOVES NYC! Since I bring Olivia on almost all my trips, our NYC trips look a little different than most bloggers, but we still pack in tons of fun. I will also share some other tips for you all that do not have kids!
TOP CHRISTMAS THIGNS TO DO IN NYC
- Rockefeller Center– One of the most Iconic places to visit in NYC during Christmas. “The tree” is located here as well as an ice skating rink! The decor is gorgeous and Ralph’s coffee had a pop up located here this year as well. It gets VERY crowded here in the afternoon so if you are wanting to snap a pic, get here early.
FULL BLOG POST HERE
- Window Shopping on 5th– The store fronts are definitely showing off this time of year and so much fun to see. From the iconic Cartier bow, to the amazing light show at Saks, 5th avenue is worth taking a stroll down and you will find tons of instagram pic opportunities.
- Grab a Drink at Rolfs- This legendary restaurant was at the top of our list this trip. Making reservations here is VERY hard. We had a couple tell us they called over 100 times, not joking. We lucked out to get a table because we had Olivia and she was not allowed in the bar area. The food was not our cup of tea, so I would definitely make the time to stop by for a drink to see this beautifully adorned restaurant. (TIP: go around 3:00pm to get in much faster. The line starts to get very long around 4:30pm- on. I do not recommend bringing kids as you will have to dine and the food is not kid friendly or worth the $$)
- See the Rockettes– We did this last year and it did not disappoint. The performance is amazing and 100% worth seeing.
SKIRT Zara (love this) | TOP Topshop | BOOTS Stuart Weitzman | SCARF Zara (similar) | HAT F21 | BROOCH Chanel
- Visit Lotte Hotel (aka the Palace)– This is always our favorite place to stay and visit during Christmas time. The decor is stunning and the perfect for photos with the family. We ate brunch at Villard here as well and it was delicious. It is on the fancier side, so keep that in mind if you have kids.
TARA’S DRESS NBD (similar) | TARA’S SHOES Jimmy Choo | OLIVIA’S DRESS Zoe | OLIVIA’S SHOES Amazon
- Visit the Plaza– This year they had scaffolding covering all the stunning decorations, but the Plaza is usually my favorite place to snap pictures at. We were actually in NYC for a fancy party that Olivia was invited to by the Children’s Salon. It was located in the iconic Oak room which was absolutely gorgeous! We LOVE having Tea at the plaza, but it is pretty pricey. If you want to forgo that, make sure you go to the bakery hall located on the bottom floor. I highly recommend checking this out and go with an empty stomach haha.
TARA’S COAT Wayf c/o | TARA’S SWEATER BP | TARA’S HAT Free People | TARA’S JEANS 1822 | TARA’S BOOTS Stuart Wetizman (similar) | OLIVIA’S COAT Target | OLIVIA’S SWEATER Old Navy| OLIVIA’S SKIRT Massoinette c/o | OLIVIA’S BAG Crewcuts | OLIVIA’S SHOES Target
- Visit Central Park- Taking a stroll in Central park is always one of the last things we do on all our NYC trips. In the winter you can ice skate at Wollman Rink. The city views are absolutely beautiful too. The rink is cash only so keep that in mind!
- Christmas Shops at Bryant Park- If you love visiting little Christmas shops white sipping on hot cocoa, this is your spot. You can also ice skate in Bryant Park too.
- Nutcracker Ballet– We had plans to see this while we were in town, but Olivia as exhausted each night and I knew she would not be able to hang. Olivia loves ballet, but I do think most kids would prefer the Rockettes.
FULL BLOG POST HERE
- Roam Upper East Side– We shot photos at the Ralph Lauren store on Madison and we loved how quite the Upper East Side was during the holidays. The homes are decorated beautifully and there are tons of picture opportunities on this side of town. Grab a macaron at Laduree and stroll around this side of town.
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
Serra Rooftop at Eataly– transformed each year during Christmas and the perfect place to grab a drink
Igloo Bar (Rooftop 230 Fifth)– The entire rooftop is covered in transparent heated igloos! The perfect place to grab a hot chocolate or drink and take in the scenery
WHAT TO PACK
While it typically does not snow in NYC in December, it is very cold. Definitely pack gloves, hats, a heavy coat and comfortable shoes. While you can cab everywhere, we always end up doing a ton of walking. I dress Olvia in a lot of layers. Making sure she was warm is always top priority and I also ensured her skin was completely covered, by a blanket, if we were walking a longer distance. Stroller wise, I have always used a Nuna Pepp. These strollers have held up on numerous trips and easy to maneuver.
SHOP OLIVIA’S SUITCASE
SHOP TARA’S SUITECASE
WHERE TO STAY
NYC is full of tons of hotels at all different price points. Our favorite hotels have always had the most ideal locations. The Quinn and Lotte are highly recommended by us, but there are so many amazing options. I recommend doing a ton of research and map out where you want to visit in the city.
OTHER NYC CHRISTMAS BLOG POSTS
Winter Neutrals at Rockefeller Center
Share your favorite places to visit in NYC in the comments! xoxo Tara
I bet your little one loved it! Memories that will last a lifetime!
Briana
https://beyoutifulbrunette.com/
Everything is too cute!
Mireia from TGL
https://thegoldlipstick.com/