NYC 2011 Holidays: Top 5 Things to Do & See
Written on December 3, 2011 at 4:17 pm, by gzola
NYC Holidays 2011: Top 5 Things to Do & See
Searching for things to do on your 2011 holiday visit to the Big Apple? You’ll be glad you visited and experienced these great new and old New York City experiences.
1) The National 9/11 Memorial & Museum
Top of the list. It’s a must-see.
As New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg says, the experience doesn’t tell you what happened or what to think, rather; it challenges you and gets you to reflect on what happened. Watch this video. It’s an amazing recap of the journey that led to the building of more than an attraction. It’s become sacred ground on US soil and is both inspiring and beautiful.
Listen to Joe Daniels, President of the National 9/11 Memorial & Museum as he describes the memorial and museum. It’s worth a few minutes of your time to view this, and certainly worth a visit in person, whether you’re a local or planning a trip there this holiday season or in the 2012 New Year.
2) TIMES SQUARE | 42nd Street – Not Just for New Year’s Eve, But…
If you can make it there for New Year’s Eve, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience. And what I mean by that, is after you’ve experienced New Year’s Eve in Times Square, you can check it off your bucket list and attend something inside or in a warmer climate next time!
3) Museum of Natural History | Future Space Exploration
Lots of amazing exhibits to see at the Musuem of Natural History (amnh.org) including the special exhbition about the World’s Largest Dinosaurs. A favorite is one of the shows in the Planetarium projected onto the dome above your seats where you can journey beyond the night sky and our solar system to distant galaxies. The shows never cease to amaze and inspire you. It’s Beyond Planet Earth: The Future of Space Exploration (November 19, 2011-August 12, 2012) offers a vision of the future of space travel as it looks at humanity’s next steps in our solar system and beyond.
4) Rockefeller Center | “Top of the Rock”
Rockefeller Center or Rockefeller Plaza is a complex of 19 commercial buildings covering 22 acre between 48th and 51st streets in New York City, United States. Built by the Rockefeller family, it is located in the center of Midtown Manhattan, spanning the area between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenue. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.
Between 49th & 50th Street, and between 5th Avenue and 6th Avenue is where there’s a high concentration of great sights and activities related to Rockefeller Plaza. You can’t go wrong checking out one of the best views of the city (replaced as a top scenic overview of Manhattan since the World Trade Center Towers Windows on the World is no longer). It’s called Top of the Rock.
Get some exercise and partake in ice skating at the Rink at Rockefeller Center which is under the big Christmas tree (can’t miss it) and then wander down Fifth Ave to check out the animatronics window displays at the big retailers like: Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdoff Goodman, Barneys, Lord & Taylor, or Bloomingdales either displays across the street or nearby.
5) Central Park | Wollman Rink
Head into Central Park from any number of entrances, along Central Park South (57th Street) or Fifth Ave, or the western edge – Central Park West. It’s a treat whatever time of year. Follow any of the roads and paths to the Great Lawn and look around for spectacular views of the NYC skyline with Central Park as your foreground. Head over to John Lennon’s memorial – Strawberry Fields, then meander back outside of the Park toward the Upper West Side neighborhood, then down Columbus past Lincoln Center and end up on the Southwest corner of the park – Columbus Circle.
For you avid ice skaters, a larger rink than Rockefeller Center’s is right in Central Park – Wollman Rink. Just getting there is the journey you’ll enjoy. Enter from near the Plaza Hotel on 57th Street and Fifth Avenue or from Central Park West or the Upper East Side (further up Fifth Avenue).
Photo by Allen Skyy
Have a happy holiday season. Peace!
