Tis the season. Your holiday guide for Manhattan in one blog post.
I realize that we’re nearing the end of the holidays but this is something I will use to refer to in the future and hope to keep up to date for Soho Mini readers every time December rolls around!
As I was putting together my gift guide this year which you can find here, this idea sort of dawned on me this to put together all of my personal favorite things to do during this special special time in the city. This is a blog post driven by the amount of DM’s I received on my Instagram asking for my holiday must-see recommendations in NYC. I realized that my idea of this blog is slowly starting to come to life which has really been the best gift of all to me, so thank you! Anyways… back to the holiday goodness! IMO: Manhattan truly shines every December, literally and figuratively. If I had to put my finger on my the best time to come visit NYC, it would be during this time, no doubt. There’s just something magical about this place when the holidays are here, you can really find SO many gems hiding on every corner and street.
I decided to just keep this guide focused on Manhattan (if you have a request for another borough let me know). Don’t forget to comment below what your favorite activity is in the city if I missed it. Might add it to the list in the future, if it’s mini-approved.
The Winter Village and Holiday Markets
To me, it is not officially the holiday season without visiting one of the Winter Villages during December. My favorite one is the Bryant Park Winter Village for a few reasons. They have an ice skating rink, usually some sort of lounge to grab cocktails, and in my opinion it has the most vendors selling beautiful artisan-made gifts, crafts, and keepsakes. It’s MAGICAL. Whenever someone visits J and I, we always make a stop here and then go see the tree at Rockefeller Center. And no, I’m not adding that to this list because…well you must live under a rock and have never seen one Christmas move if you don’t know to do that while you’re here!
Bryant Park Winter Village
Holiday Bars To Visit
Yup, definitely making this it’s own point. Even if you do not drink alcohol (good for you!), you might still enjoy this list because the decorations are A1 and it’s fun to be around the cheer(s). Anyway, here are the bars that I recommend to get into the spirit:
Rolf’s German Bar and Restaurant. This place is soooo close to J and I’s apartment. Since moving in we haven’t been able to successfully bring anyone during the holidays because of how long the line is. HOT TIP: go during an off time, like a really off time. Monday-Thursday early afternoon. There might be a line, but nothing compared to what it will be like after 5 PM and not even close to what it’s like during the weekend. Even if you have a reservation for dinner—YOU MIGHT STILL HAVE TO WAIT. My friends and I got very lucky before it was as well-known as it is today, being able to walk in on Friday night. I personally think it’s worth it but no chance I would wait in the cold for two hours. If you get in, order the Christmas Smoothie and don’t look back.
The Arlo SoHo Après Arlo. I’ve never been skiing (yet—going in January for first time!) but I’d imagine my day of “hitting the slopes” would really look like this. Yes, hi, I love bougie things. Entering this Winter oasis, you can enjoy heated cabins outdoors—trust me this is BIG during December when some days are freezing out of nowhere and they have a whole hot toddy menu. Definitely make a stop here, plus it’s my FAVORITE part of the city.
Pete’s Tavern. Got to shout out one of favorite local bars. If you don’t make it to Rolf’s or get sick of the line, there are so many bars that really go all out with the lights that you can pretend you’re there. Pete’s is a historical landmark of a bar and is even rumored to be one of the first speakeasy’s in NYC back during the prohibition days. They make a great cocktail and pump up the holiday decor, and they have great bar food.
The Standard East Village Winter Garden. My parents, J, and I went here last year and got lucky to be able to just walk into a Yurt and get a table. Recommend making a reservation if you can! They have blankets in a warm Yurt which makes the entire vibe cozy and chic. I love it! We ordered a pitcher of their spiked cider and you can gave even order some apps (if my memory serves me right, they have charcuterie boards available). Cheese boards + Yurts + Cider? Done deal.
Rolfs German Bar and Restaurant
The “Other” Christmas Trees and Where To Find Them
The Rockefeller Center Christmas tree is just the start of incredible trees you can find in New York City. To be honest, I love seeing them in the boutique hotels around the city. Almost every boutique hotel has them and they’re usually some of the most stunning decorated trees I’ve ever seen. Here’s a few that do it right and you can get that fire picture WITHOUT the craziness at Rockefeller Center:
The Plaza Hotel
Holiday Windows, Sites, and Bites
The Holiday Windows worth stopping at (to me) are any of the major department stores like Bergdorf Goodman, Macy’s, and Saks Fifth Avenue. Walk through the new Nordstrom Women’s store if you have time because they did such a nice job decorating for the season. Plus shopping :) The outside of the Cartier Mansion is beautiful every year as well. It’s such a treat at how wonderful these places decorate and so worth stopping by for a quick picture!
Certain blocks in different neighborhoods put up beautiful lights that just make a cold winter night that much better (with a cup of hot cocoa or cider in hand obviously). My favorite is the Upper East Side hands down because of their awesomely decorated 73rd Street in between 2nd and 3rd avenue. I also love the way Central Park decorates with big light up ornaments, and the Christmas trees in the Flatiron District and Washington Square Park are divine.
FOR RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATIONS:
That’s all folks! Let me know which place is your favorite and if there’s anything I forgot to add here.
xox Soho Mini
Photo by Ilana Strauss, at The Gramercy Park Hotel.