What a magical place!  Christmas lights, the hustle & bustle of people shopping for the last minute gifts, the smells of food from the hot dog stands on every corner, the absolutely amazing architecture, and the beautiful Christmas windows!  That is just for starters!  My trip to New York City at Christmas was one of the best trips I've ever taken.  

The view from my room on the 29th floor of the Hilton Garden Inn on 35th Street was amazing.  I could see the Empire State Building across the street and the largest store in the world, Macy's on 34th Street!  It was so close to everything too!  We arrived late Thursday night and immediately strolled down to Times Square.  New York City is truly the city that never sleeps!  People were everywhere and the city was alive!

Day one started with Starbucks Peppermint Hot Chocolate and watching Good Morning America from the window outside.  We then walked the 32 blocks on Fifth Avenue to view all the Christmas windows at the Department Stores (Macy's, Lord & Taylor, Saks 5th Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, etc.).  They were spectacular!  When we reached Central Park, we took a horse-drawn carriage ride around the park for nothing short of romantic, dream-filled moments.  We played at FAO Schwartz Company on the giant floor piano and ate a hot dog from one of the thousands of stands on the corners.  Along our walk we visited St. Patrick's Cathedral where the architecture was just awe inspiring!  That is a must see for anyone going to NYC!  That night we treated ourselves to a Christmas NYC Pops concert at Carnegie Hall!  History abounds in that place!  Wow!

Day two was crisp & cold, but that didn't stop us!  My husband and I shopped at Macy's, visited Rockefeller Center to see the ice skaters and NYC Christmas tree with a processional of lit angels.  We took a bus tour ride to Uptown Manhattan where we saw some of the old brownstone buildings and another spectacular architectural building, St. Johns Cathedral!  Later that day we ate at a quaint restaurant where the atmosphere was filled with people at an elbows length away, but warm & cozy.  That evening we went to the top of the Rock (top of Rockefeller Center) for a view of the city at night. We enjoyed the Radio City Christmas Spectacular with the Rockettes!  This version was the best I've seen!

On our final day in NYC, we began with breakfast at a nostalgic diner, Andrew's, on the corner of 7th Avenue and 35th Streets.  It felt like a diner from the 50's with the old style booths & bar area.  Next came the Empire State Building.  (Special note:  be sure to purchase your tickets in advance to avoid some of the lines and go early!)  We journeyed to the 86th floor where the views of the skyline were so beautiful.  You could see for miles and the sky was clear blue.  For lunch we had to squeeze in some NYC authentic pizza.  We found John's Pizzaria on 44th Street between 7th & 8th Avenues in the Theatre District.  This place is an old church and has some beautiful architecture and details.  The atmosphere and food was great too.  After lunch we ended our trip with one of the most beautiful buildings I've seen, Grand Central Station!  The sculptures on the outside were breathtaking!  Inside everything was made of white marble and the ceiling was this zodiac painting.  Absolutely beautiful!  

What a trip!  Bring your walking shoes, because you will want to see it from street views.  There were people from every country and sometimes it felt like we American's were the minority.  So cool!  If you haven't taken a trip to NYC, you must go!  It is worth it and you'll not forget your adventures...