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December 24, 2009

Holiday in New York City: Grand Central Station

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Well, here it is. The holidays in New York City. My kids have not been sleeping well…or rather, I have not been sleeping well. The little ones have been waking up way too early for my liking and I am not sure why.  It may have something to do with the excitement in the air overall.

This is our second Christmas in New York City since we moved back from Wisconsin. When I lived in WI, and any time I lived anywhere other than New York and spent the Holidays there, I was miserable. I missed the lights, and music. The sounds of the songs coming from stores, the bells ringing from the Salvation Army volunteers on every corner. It always made my heart sink.

And since I have returned, I have made sure to take it all in, not miss a thing…and in the process expose my kids to all the magic that is New York City during the Holidays.

So, in the next couple of days or so, I will share with you some of the things we are doing during the holiday season, and if you aren’t here, or can’t partake in some of the fun going on, I hope, as is always my wish at any season, that you will decide to celebrate it here next year.

Today we headed to Grand Central Station. You know, the same place I wrote about when I told you about the awesome marketplace they have there. Well, Grand Central Station has a few things going on during the holidays.  I made a brief mention of it on NY Metropolista, but our real-life adventure was way more fun.

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We started off by visiting the Holiday Fair. It wasn’t too crowded. Very colorful and a lot of handmade products and products made with natural materials, which made each gift very crafty and unique. One of my favorite booths was the Ka Kee Organics booth. Such cute little outfits and toys. I immediately thought about my little nephew out in Austin, TX, and all the cute little things I could get him from there.

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The rest of the fair had hand made jewelry, soaps, wool hats, ceramics, and glassware. The fair is only on till tomorrow, Dec. 24, but if you have a chance to stop by, even if just to look and pick up some business cards for online shopping, later on, it’s a nice experience.

After browsing through the Holiday Fair, we walked over to the Main Concourse and waited to see the Holiday Light Show. It starts every day at 11:00 am and continues every half hour to 9:00 PM till Dec. 31. Once the music and display started, the boys sat on the floor and watched in awe. It’s pretty cool, and the kids really enjoyed it. I looked around as people rushed past all the displays and thought to myself what a shame it was the so many missed it in their hurried frenzy.

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IMG_4499After watching the Light Show, we walked over to the NY Transit Museum to catch the 8th Annual Train Show, a display of Lionel trains honoring all the various MTA trains recent and past. For my boys, this was the cherry on the cake. They were totally into it…and to tell the truth, so were the very many other little boys and dads in the store. The display is on till Jan. 18.

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We soon started feeling hungry. A lot of people don’t know this, but Grand Central’s Food Court is the best food court in the city. This is because the vendors are from some of the best eateries in town. From Junior’s Cheesecake to Manhattan Chili Company to Cafe Spice, this is such great food that we often just go there, because it’s all the great stuff in one location. But our absolute favorite place with the kids is Two Boots. There are several locations throughout the city, and I have to say it is one of the most kid-friendly pizza joints I know, and man is the pizza delicious!

I usually order a cheese pizza for the kids, and hubby ordered a Po’ Boy, but I ordered my favorite pizza there, the Bayou Beast. Spicy hot, with shrimp and andouille…it is yummy. We had a great time and it was a perfect ending to our time at Grand Central, which made for a good 2 hours of Holiday fun we all enjoyed.

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Check again soon to read about our next Holiday Adventure!

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Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

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2 Comments
  • Meryl
    February 21, 2010

    I was there this week, but I missed all the Christmas fun. I love Grand Central.

    Reply
  • New York City prepares for the holidays | Babble New York
    October 25, 2010

    […] on 42nd and Park already has set November 15, 2010 as the date on which they will set up their Holiday Fair. I would suggest to keep checking out their list of events for the many special events they often […]

    Reply

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About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

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Love coffee as much as I do? Here is my (very, ver Love coffee as much as I do? Here is my (very, very) short list of fave coffee shops, from Manhattan to Brooklyn. 

I spend A LOT of time at coffee shops…whether in my job as a barista or during my free time exploring endless cafes during my travels, but especially around NYC and the Finger Lakes. These are the most noteworthy cafes I find myself returning to again and again in New York City.

📍@conwellcoffeehall in the old Life and Trust Building in the Financial District. An epic space, great brekkie and coffee, brought to you by the same folks of Sleep No More…who (separately but in the same space) offer similar interactive-style performances we know them for, this time revisiting the age of old money, big banks, and the stock market crash collapse of 1929.
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📍The @plantshednyc in the East Village. Airy space with a beautiful selection of flowers and plants, and big, bright windows whereby to enjoy your cafe choice. 
📍@DawnsTillDusk in Dumbo is a cafe by day and wine bar by night. It’s a Yes to both for me!
📍@Usaginy in Dumbo is an art gallery, with small bookstore and gift shop, and cafe…but their in-house freshly made onigiri is 😘👌🏾
📍@pplnyc in Williamsburg is rustic, and pretty, and cute…and yeah, the coffee’s good!
📍@bluebrown_nyc in Williamsburg stole my heart when I first visited last year on my birthday. I love the vibe of this community cafe and the creativity they bring to their pastries and drinks.
📍@Devocionusa (anywhere), though my local spot is Dumbo. I love that they are all about the coffee…and just the coffee. No fancy, trends here. Come for the impeccable coffee, and delicious pastries, and cool vibes. But mostly, the coffee.

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