Manhattan is a magical place over the holiday season. Twinkling white lights decorate storefronts, while horse-drawn carriages trot through a snow dusted Central Park.
Even with a troubled economy, nothing beats Christmas in New York! With restaurants, bars, theatres and department stores packed with happy holiday-goers, you’d never know we’re in a recession.
If you’re planning a trip to the city, here are my top five things to do in NYC this holiday season:
Practice your high kick:
The Christmas Spectacular, starring the legendary leggy Rockettes, is an annual holiday tradition at Radio City Music Hall, the largest indoor theatre in the world. While the legendary show only runs until Dec. 30, aspiring Rockette dancers can kick up their heels all year long.
The Rockette Experience is a three-hour workshop taught by a real Radio City Rockette. Wannabes can learn choreography from the Rockette’s repertoire, go through a mock audition, pose with a Rockette teacher, and take the Stage Door Tour.
The program gives regular people the opportunity to train with these world famous dancers in their actual rehearsal hall. Students must be at least 10 years old, with some training in jazz, tap, and ballet. For $108, you get a Rockette dance class, a tour and a free t-shirt.
www.radiocity.com/rockettes
Take the plunge:
If cold water and the onset of hypothermia gets your blood pumping, check out the annual Coney Island Polar Bear Club New Year’s Day Swim. At 1 p.m. on Jan.1, hundreds of swimmers take a dip in the icy waters of the Atlantic.
Part rite of passage, part frosty philanthropy, winter bathing has been a New York City tradition since 1903. Pack your swim suit, surf boots, some warm clothes and a sense of humor for a fun day of frostbite. www.polarbearclub.org
Cirque:
Catch Wintuk, a Cirque du Soleil holiday production at Madison Square Gardens, which runs until Jan. 4. Wintuk “tells the touching winter tale of a boy’s quest for snow in an imaginary land.”
In typical Cirque style, Wintuk includes acrobatics, creatively costumed dancers, puppets and high-energy music.
This family-oriented show boasts some 50 performers, from contortionist tight-rope walkers to jugglers, balancing their technical twists and twirls.
Sharpen your skates:
While there are many iconic places in Manhattan to ice skate (including Rockefeller Center or Central Park) the Polar Rink is a sparkling new facility to cut your blades on. The American Museum of Natural History, which offers such exhibits as Sea Monsters, Climate Change and The Butterfly Conservatory, now boasts a new state-of-the-art skating rink.
Visitors can sip hot chocolate, take in the Upper Westside view and glide around a 17-foot-tall polar bear. Skate rental is included in the ticket price, which is $10 for adults, $8 for kids and $9 for students and seniors. www.amnh.org/museum/polarrink
Light up:
For an illuminated look at New York, hop aboard a guided tour of Brooklyn’s most famous (and often gaudy) Christmas lights. This three-and–half-hour tour takes visitors through the Italian-American neighbourhood of Dyker Heights, a residential area said to have the most extravagant holiday yard decorations. A trip here promises mansions draped with lights and front yards stacked with neon nativity scenes, animatronic toys, mechanical reindeer and 30-foot toy soldiers. Happy Holidays!
– Julia Dimon is co-host of Word Travels, airing on OLN, and editor of www.thetraveljunkie.ca.
