Christmas in New York (2010)

Liberty Plaza. Photo by DMT.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

I have always wanted to spend Christmas in New York City. Everything about the season seems like it would be bigger, bolder, and more beautiful in the city with all of the hustle and bustle of the crowds, the softly falling snow flakes, and the twinkling store windows.  I’m sure that native New Yorkers probably find these things irritating and annoying since they’ve had years to experience the “magic of the season” and now just want to escape the crowds, dry off the snow, and avoid the tourists who clog up the sidewalks as the gawk at windows the residents see every day.

I can’t help it, though, I believe in the magic.  I believe that Christmas in New York would fill me with awe and wonder at every turn.

So, in the spirit of my fantasy Christmas in New York, I’ve created a list of the things that would make my holiday season joyful.

2009 Bergdorf Goodman window. Photo by Dan Cross.

1. The Christmas Windows Walking Tour: This map provides visitors with a route that takes them past the decorated windows at Macy’s, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Bloomingdales.  The site recommends dressing warmly, wearing comfortable shoes, and keeping a close eye [or hand] on one’s belongings since the sidewalks in front of the stores are quite packed and provide the perfect opportunity for pickpocketing.

The Pond at Bryant Park. Photo by Bryant Park.org.

2. Ice Skating at Bryant Park: The Pond [as it's referred to] is open to anyone who wants to skate, and does not charge admission.  Skates can be rented for $13.00 a pair, however.  I know I would spend my time on the ice clinging to the wall, but it would be worth it to skate on the rink where Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack finally meet in “Serendipity.” [Correction: As my friend and trusted NYC fact checker, D. points out in his comments, the rink they meet on is actually in Central Park, but I like the image of them meeting at the Bryant Park Pond better, so I'm not editing out my mistake].

3. Radio City Music Hall: It may be cheesy and commercial, but who in the world doesn’t want to see the Radio City Rockettes performing their perfectly choreographed high kicks in matching holiday costumes?  Seriously.

St. Patrick's Cathedral. Photo by Wiki Commons.

5. Midnight Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral: While I jokingly refer to myself as a “recovering Catholic,” I find that when I think about Christmas in New York, it always includes a trip to St. Patrick’s for midnight mass.  I’ll have to make a note to myself for Christmas 2012 because midnight mass at the cathedral requires reserved seating.  [Does God know about this Catholic version of Ticketmaster?]

6. New York Philharmonic – Handel’s Messiah: Click on the link and listen to a recorded portion of the performance.  The recording sends chills down my spine, so I can’t imagine the experience of actually sitting in Avery Fisher Hall listening to the choir build on each “Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”

Brooklyn Bridge at NYBG. Photo by Heather Cross.

7. The Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Gardens: The Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Gardens features model trains traveling around the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory amongst over 140 replicas of New York City landmarks. The replicas are created by award-winning designer Paul Busse using only plants.

8. The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree: A Norway Spruce lit with 30,000 lights and topped with a Swarovski crystal star?  That’s the ticket!

9. Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche: From November 30 to January 6, the Metropolitan Museum of Art offers “A vivid eighteenth-century Neapolitan Nativity scene—embellished with a profuse array of diminutive, lifelike attendant figures and silk-robed angels hovering above—adorns the candlelit spruce.”

The Met Christmas Tree. Photo by the Met.

10. Santa at Macy’s: I’m not sure that I have a burning desire to sit on the jolly old elf’s lap, but the little kid in me definitely wants to see Santa Claus in all his glory – preferably before the crumb snatchers arrive.

Is Christmas in New York better than Christmas anywhere else?  I can’t answer that question, but I can say that, for me, the beauty of the season lies in love, hope, wonder, and my optimistic faith that magic and miracles are entirely possible – if we chose to believe in them.

Here’s to Christmas 2012 in New York City!  I believe!

(UPDATE: If you are interested in this year’s Christmas events in NYC, check out my 2011 Christmas List!)

One Year to Move soundtrack

Brooklyn

Brooklyn Heights from Lower Manhattan. Photo from Wikimedia Commons

All signs point to Brooklyn.

I’ve been researching where I want to live when I move to New York, and while I’ve tried to envision myself in many of the different neighborhoods, I seem to be getting a signal from the universe that Brooklyn is where I belong.

The first sign was the Battle of Brooklyn. Fought in 1776 after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, it was the longest and largest battle of the entire American Revolutionary War.  Brooklyn is stubborn, resistant and has a history of doing things its own way – I can relate.

The idea that I should live in Brooklyn started to germinate about a year and a half ago, when I begged D. to take pictures of “all those Brooklyn girls” mentioned in Rod Stewart’s song “Downtown Train.”  D. promised he’d try, but I think he’s been wary about invading other people’s privacy – even on a subway platform – either that or Brooklyn girls scare him [Don't judge! I've heard those girls are kind of tough].  In any case, my imagination ran wild and “Brooklyn girls” became the mythical representation of all that is mysteriously exciting about New York City.  I want to be one.  I think.

The second sign occurred during a shopping trip with J. We visited Sephora in search of the perfect shade of pink-but-not-too-pink lipstick.  After an hour of trying on every brand and shade we could locate [and assuring the nice sales people who work that, yes, we we were finding everything okay] we finally found the perfect shade – Buxom’s “Brooklyn” [which we now both own!].

A few weeks later, J. sent me an email in which she had attached a link to a line of address change cards from Lucky Duck Letter Press.  The cards are called “Brooklyn Brownstone” and they’re perfect!

Last month, Daily Candy offered up creations from the Butter Queen of Brooklyn! Four flavors of homemade butter named after former US First Ladies: Martha Washington: Roasted Garlic, Chives, and Tarragon; Eleanor Roosevelt: Pecan Praline; Jackie O.: Bing Cherry, Bourbon Vanilla, and Pink Sea Salt; Lady Bird: Hibiscus Lime.  Yummy!

Photo by Butter Queen of Brooklyn.

I’ve also been digging through the real estate ads again.  I’ve fallen in love with curved nooks, large windows and the personality of each Brooklyn brownstone, but I’ve also realized that falling in love is probably going to cost me upwards of $2000.00 a month. This is probably the minimum I’ll need to rent an apartment that is in a safe neighborhood and has enough space to allow me to maintain a bedroom rather than mount a sleeping bunk over the stove in the kitchen.  I’m either going to need a bigger savings account or a better paying job – or both.

There is something very appealing about being able to live in a part of the city that feels like a community.  Brooklyn is the largest of the five bouroughs in New York with a population of more than 2.5 million.  Its residents are incredibly diverse in race, class, gender, sexuality, and country of origin making it an intersection of interesting experiences!  Brooklyn offers a lively residential experience, proximity to the city, and a chance to escape the urban jungle for a little greenery and the hope of being able to afford an apartment that is bigger than the size of the average high school gym locker.

Photo by the New York Observer

The ethnic makeup of Brooklyn lends itself to a wide variety of restaurants and shops – Italian in Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights, and Bay Ridge; West Indian in Crown Heights and Flatbush; Polish in Greenpoint; and Chinese in Sunset Park.  The city has also provided the backdrop for books such as William Styron’s Sophie’s Choice, Betty Smith’s A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, and Paule Marshall’s Brown Girl, Brown Stones [three books I have loved!], and for the 1970s cult classic, Saturday Night Fever.  C’mon, who wouldn’t want to live in the city where John Travolta strutted down the street in white polyester bell bottoms as the Bee Gees blared from a boom box?

The sign that made me finally admit that Brooklyn is where I belong, appeared last weekend when a woman came into the store where I work and asked for a small  part.  While we were waiting to see if it was available, we got to talking about what she did for a living.  She told me that she was a grad student at NYU, and when I asked where she lived in the city her answer was – yep – Brooklyn.

Brooklyn seems like the right choice for me.  It’s close enough for me to be able to work and play in Manhattan, but far enough away to give the hope of being affordable and to provide a respite from the hustle and bustle.  The architecture is beautiful, and so far, the apartments I’ve perused on the New York Times Real Estate section seem cozy, but full of light.

I think I could feel very much at home in the city where all those Brooklyn girls live!

One Year to Move Soundtrack