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Girl Gone Travel

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December 2, 2013

Fun Holiday Sights & Tours in NYC

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The holiday season is in full effect and the streets of New York are as crowded as ever. Personally, I can’t get enough of the energy of the city now – with its festive, happy vibe – though it’s important to note that I make sure to clear my head and place myself in total zen mode before hitting the streets to take it all in.

But, taking it all in can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t exactly know where to start. This is when taking a list can be extremely helpful in not only getting you to the best spots to see in the city, but also to highlight some other things you might have not noticed or known about.

I took a couple of days of playing tourist in the city to check some fun tours and happenings in town.

Tours

The Holiday Sites and Lights Tour with On Locations Tours takes you to some of the city’s most popular holiday movie sites, as well as some of the best window display viewings in town. Film location spots from popular movies such as Elf and Home Alone 2, among others, are highlighted. You also get a chance to stop and admire some of the most unusual and beautiful holiday displays showcased by popular shopping destinations such as Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s. You do all this while riding on a comfortable (and warm) bus, which covers a lot of territory during your tour saving you time, as well as keeping you safe from the cold and crowds. The guides are always fun and friendly, offering tons of behind-the-scenes information about the city and the films that celebrate it. I really enjoyed this tour at night especially because it’s when you really can appreciate the lights. The tour is about 2.5 hours long and adult tickets  are $35, plus $3 fee. The tour is family friendly. Tours run till beginning of January.

Lord & Taylor Holiday Windows_GirlGoneTravelLord and Taylor Holiday Windows

Barney's Holiday Window_GirlGoneTravelBarney’s New York Holiday Windows

Lincoln Center_GirlGoneTravelLincoln Center, favorite film location for many films, including holiday favorites.

The Ride Holiday Edition is a lot of what I already love about this unique tour, but with a holiday twist. See New York City in a way that few can, and meet fun New York City characters that help to make this city what it is. The tour is over an hour-long, but you really wouldn’t know it, as the fun never ends. By far one of my favorite bus tours in the city and definitely a must when visiting. The tour is a family friendly ride and, in my opinion, is best during the day. The holiday tickets are on sale till early January and are about $64.oo for a matinée excursion.

DSC04225Interesting NYC characters can be seen from The Ride

DSC04232City views from The RideThe Ride_girlgonetravelRocking out inside The Ride.

Exhibits

Discovery Times Square is a fabulous place to visit anytime of the year, so if you are looking for a cool place to visit with fun exhibits, this is a must on your list. The exhibits are always changing, but to give you an insight of how cool they can be, I wanted to share what they were showcasing when I last visited. (Updated 2018: This venue is no longer in business. We are searching for another epic venue to review in its place).

The Art of The Brick by Nathan Sawaya. If he is exhibiting at your city, I recommend you check him out. I took my little ones and we were in awe from the moment we walked in. Mr. Sawaya’s work using nothing more than LEGO is incredible – definitely put all my Lego projects to shame! I especially enjoyed seeing my children completely captivated by all the pieces and taking in every detail of how things were put together, how many bricks were used, and where the original inspiration came from, especially with the replicas of famous paintings by artist such as Van Gogh and Munch.

The Art of The Brick_GirlGonetravel The Art of The Brick_GirlGonetravel The Art of The Brick_GirlGonetravelThe Art of The Brick_GirlGonetravel

Go during the latter part of the day and you might avoid the holiday crowds and lines. Definitely aim to take your time there. The pieces aren’t for kids to play with, but admire, so it might not be best suited for little ones who may be tempted to touch.

Other Must-Sees

Of course, I have mentioned the rink and pop-up shops at Bryant Park. Another rink that just opened up to the public this weekend (till early March) is the rink at South Street Seaport. Pier 17 itself is under development, but the South Street Mall is in full swing with bars, shops, and now a fully lit Christmas tree and ice-skating rink to help celebrate the holiday season. Admission to the ice skating rink is $10, plus $6 for rentals. They also offer lessons and host birthday parties.

Don’t miss pop-up shops by Columbus Circle and the light display in the Time Warner Center.

Columbus Circle_girlgonetravel

We loved stopping into The Smith’s newest location on 63rd and Broadway for generous servings of comfort brunch food, as well as raw bar. Like all The Smith eateries around the city, this one doesn’t disappoint!

Needless to say, there are tons to see, plenty to do, and lots of fun places to shop in.

girlgonetravelReady. Set. Click! Get your camera ready for all the beautiful imageries of NYC during the holidays!

Wear comfortable shoes, dress warmly, and don’t forget your smile. Head out and see why the holidays in NYC are my absolute favorite time here!

All photos are property of GirlGoneTravel.com and may not be used without direct consent from the publisher. You can follow all my adventures while on the road or home thru Instagram (GirlGoneTravel).

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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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4 Comments
  • Jacob
    December 3, 2013

    Thanks for this great report, me and my girlfriend will go to NY for New Years Eve for the first time and we are really curious to see the city :-).

    Reply
    • caincarol
      Jacob
      December 4, 2013

      Yay! So glad you will be in town! Have a blast and thanks for reading!

      Reply
  • Kerry at The Insightful Wanderer
    December 2, 2014

    I have been to New York, but not at this time of year. I plan to return, for Christmas, but probably not for New Year’s Eve. I would love to try that holiday light Display tour. Thanks for the post.

    Reply
    • caincarol
      Kerry at The Insightful Wanderer
      December 2, 2014

      Thanks for reading! I hope you make it to NYC during the holidays. It\’s so fun!

      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 and 2 puppies. 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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Every time I’m in NYC I feel both a longing for Every time I’m in NYC I feel both a longing for it and a relief to not be living here full time.

I love that there are still communities holding on to remaining close knit, authentic, and supportive of each other. Nowhere anywhere can compete with the diversity - food, people, languages - all of it. 😭

The access to creativity…and if you come in the spring (or in the fall) it’s magic. 

But…there is so much that remains inaccessible to so many. The inequality and economic disparities are glaring and any sense of balance is a dream, with so many living paycheck to paycheck trying to get their heads above water.

Don’t get me wrong. I love it here. I miss it, and feel so damn lucky that I can come and get my fix, see family, visit with friends any time I want without a hassle. It is my city and I’d be mad if someone talked sh*t about it 😂😂 But I get it. It’s tough. But that’s why I love fellow city folks too, because we’re tougher.

Grateful for everything life in the Finger Lakes has gifted us. We remain so happy to have made the move and have built such a dream life there. And also that my city is a short drive away. ♥️

#nyc #lifeinnyc
New York City moment: This poor hawk was just tr New York City moment: 

This poor hawk was just trying to have its breakfast when a large audience not only gathered to watch it, but also proceeded to mislabel it calling it an eagle. The insult. 😂 

One lady to her male partner:
 Her: “Omg. I didn’t know eagles ate other birds!”
Male partner: “Of course eagles do! They are predators!”
Me: 💀💀

#nyclife #nycmoment #nyc
Last night I explored the @tinbuilding located in Last night I explored the @tinbuilding located in the historic South St Seaport of Manhattan on Pier 17. 

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This marketplace opened in September 28, 2022, by French Chef and restaurant owner Jean-Georges Vongerichten and is helping to bring new life to a beloved NYC neighborhood that has continuously worked to recover after the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.

I absolutely indulged in shopping at this market, loved my dining experience at Frenchman’s Dough, and can’t wait to go back.

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I recently sent my CV...yup, my whole resume, to someone who requested it, and in doing so, I seriously thought, "Oh, they're not going to think I've accomplished enough in my professional life." Instead, in the following interview, they expressed being in awe of all I have done and continue to do. "You are BUSY!" Though these hardworking-but-never-hard-enough immigrant genes don't always allow me to appreciate all I have accomplished, photos like these take me back to this moment that truly says, "Damn, girl. YOU DID THAT." Thank you to all the readers and followers who uplifted me and my work over these 10+ years and continue to do so. It's been an incredible adventure!
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#madisonwi #foodiegram #foodiedestinations #goodeats @destinationmadison
I love to travel. It has always been important to I love to travel. It has always been important to my family. My parents got my first passport weeks after I was born. They couldn’t afford to travel like I do now, but they understood, as immigrants, the absolute privilege that comes attached to having that shiny blue American booklet and they wanted me to have it.

I was yet again reminded of my privilege when my travel back home on this last trip was delayed over 24 hours. I have a village in place to make sure my kids were ok. Having my own business meant I didn’t have to report in to anyone, and was still able to work remotely so none of my clients were inconvenienced by it. Though the airline covered our hotel and food, we never worried that we couldn’t do it ourselves otherwise. While we were annoyed, we weren’t stressed.

So while I love to travel, and I love sharing my travels with you, I acknowledge that being able to do so, and dealing with the consistent travel disruptions so prevalent today without worries is a privilege…one that started with a little blue booklet that gives me more access to the world than some others do.

And I want us all in this travel space to be reminded of this. Of how lucky we are. Of our privilege to access and time and money.

So let us travel with grace and awareness. Let us remain rooted in reality and perspective. Acknowledging that our escapism isn’t one so easily accessible to others. Understanding that this is also why local stories have as much value as those to exclusive destinations, if not more. And, never forgetting, especially in the travel influencer and media space, that were it not for hosted campaigns and paid-for travel opportunities, most of us wouldn’t be able to afford the lifestyle we so beautifully curate online.

It doesn’t matter how often you travel, or how far. Just that hopefully you will be able to gift yourself the experience of doing so and experiencing something new.

#travel #travelmedia #travelinfluencer #wheretonext

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