New York was a city between seasons when I visited earlier this month. Southern Ohio trees shed their leaves several weeks ago so it was shocking to find brilliant pops of gold and bronze amidst the skyscrapers.
It was also beginning to look a lot like Christmas as an abundance of lights, trees and wreaths brighten the streetscape.
Zuccotti Park is located near our hotel in lower Manhattan. My friend and I took a late night stroll and I was delighted to find this spot.
This nearby office lobby tree was even more stunning in person and was even pretty in the daylight.
The tree and menorah at the World Trade Center were meaningful in this quiet spot. We passed by on the way to breakfast and I was pleased to linger for a moment and appreciate the significance.
And all of this was in one small area of the city!
If you’re in downtown Pittsburgh, seek out the gargantuan mirrored buildings and you’ll find PPG Place. This spot is home to a beautiful Christmas tree and an ice skating rink. Inside, there’s a great Santas of the World exhibit.
It’s lovely both day and night. This is just a quick snap from the car window but I would highly recommend spending a holiday weekend wandering around Pittsburgh to check out the shops, decorations and museums. There are so many amazing museums.
Bonus points if you can time your visit with Light Up Night, the most festive day of the year in the city. You won’t regret it!
Every year the town of Cambridge transforms into a charming destination that celebrates Victorian era Christmas. The concept of the Dickens Victorian Village is brilliant if you ask me.
Downtown Cambridge is a special place at any time of year. There are loads of historic buildings that house some lovely shops, restaurants, offices and even a fantastic bakery that has been in business for nearly a century. A gorgeous 1881 era Courthouse holds court (literally) over the downtown, providing a gorgeous focal point and even a backdrop for an amazing light show during the holidays.
The Dickens piece adds something unexpected. You see, it involves about 180 life sized characters in Victorian dress and arranged in about ninety vignettes around downtown. They tell the stories of people who lived here and of the activities that went on in this area. There are carolers, a photographer, a glass blower, a seamstress and many, many more. I was especially taken with the Father Christmas and with the coal miners who looked so lifelike I wanted to sit down and ask their stories.
Characters can be found under lampposts, in doorways and in building windows. A few are placed so unexpectedly, that they were almost surprising when I happened upon them in the dark. I did return the next morning to hit a couple of shops and got to see some things in the daylight I had missed the night before.
Plaques placed with each scene tell a short story, making this public art project an easy history lesson too.
This event always takes place November 1 through December 31 and has been going on for seventeen years. It attracts small groups like families as well as large groups that come by the busload to take part in the fun every year.
Go if you can. It’s free to walk around. As mentioned before, there are plenty of places to eat and shop while you’re there so be sure to support those small businesses. Click here to read about that fabulous light display at the courthouse too!
For all you National Road enthusiasts, note that this is right on that famous route we all enjoy so much! Follow Make The Journey Fun on Facebook to see more pictures from the Dickens Village!
For all the Courthouse enthusiasts who are out there making the journey fun, something special goes on each holiday season in Guernsey County, Ohio. They put on a holiday light show at the courthouse that features about 30,000 lights synchronized to Christmas music.
The courthouse is a prominent 1881 era sandstone building that presides over the lovely Cambridge downtown. Seeing this modern light and music show featured on this gorgeous old building is pretty incredible.
The show begins at 5:30 p.m. nightly through January 1. Bundle up and plan to have dinner at one of the downtown restaurants. Better yet, make it a day and hit some of the shops too! There’s a nice vintage store and a used bookstore that I’m partial to. Oh, and the town hosts Dickens village characters as well.
I’ll tell you more about that tomorrow.
Want to see some clips of the light show? I’ll post some on the Make the Journey Fun Facebook page! Check it out now!
Italian American workers quietly began a New York City tradition on Christmas Eve 1931 when they decorated a tree on the construction site of Rockefeller Center. The twenty foot tall balsam fir was adorned with strings of cranberries and paper garlands made by their families. It was here on a cold Depression era night that they lined up to collect their paychecks.
Little did they know that this act of cheer would inspire generations of travelers like myself to make the pilgrimage to the city for a glimpse of what is now a landmark.
The first official tree went up two years later and an ice skating rink opened in 1936. This year’s tree is an 82 foot tall Norway Spruce from Queensbury, New York. It positively glows under 50,000 LED lights and a Swarovski crystal tree topper.
The trees are always handpicked and come from all over the country. Trucks, cranes and scaffolding are required to transport, place and decorate the annual tree which is dedicated with an official lighting ceremony the Wednesday after Thanksgiving.
Seeing the holiday decorations was the main point of going to New York at Christmas and this iconic tree didn’t disappoint. However, I would note that going on a Saturday in December wasn’t ideal because there was an absolute crush of people in all directions through the touristy areas like Rockefeller Center.
I’m not a big fan of crowds but this was one of those “when in Rome” moments where I tried to just appreciate the experience for what it was. We would have loved a closer view but it really didn’t seem worth fighting the crowds for a different angle.
They estimate that 125 million people visit each year and it felt like about 25 million of them were there Saturday night.
I wondered later what it would be like really late at night or just before sunrise. Is it just as bad? I can’t help but wonder what it would be like in Rockefeller Center at daybreak.
Perhaps another time.
Meanwhile, I’ll be grateful to those construction workers some 91 years ago for thinking to brighten their worksite with a beacon of hope and holiday cheer.
Seeing New York City at Christmas has been on my bucket list since I was a kid, first seeing the Rockefeller Center tree on tv. When I mentioned that to my Pittsburgh pal Nichola earlier this year she said “let’s do it.”
Everyone needs that friend who makes adventuring a priority.
It was a whirlwind involving Nichola, her mama Patty, her college aged son and his girlfriend.
We hit the highlights but the list of wants that we didn’t touch was a mile long. Rest assured we are already talking about a sequel trip in warmer weather.
That’s the thing about a place like New York. There is so much to see in the way of iconic landmarks that it’s hard to get to all the cool off the beaten path stuff. Plus, there’s always something new to see
It would be amazing to spend time wandering neighborhoods and seeing what’s what.
Another time.
For now, I am home with lots of memories and stories to share with you. I also have a burning desire to sleep for a hundred years since rest wasn’t really a priority. Plus, I ate very little that was good for me so I was stoked to come home and make a veggie omelette and sautéed zucchini for dinner.
So check back for more on the holiday stuff, the observation tower we chose, lots of random pictures and many thoughts from a country mouse who had a fantastic time in the big city.
Plus, I have photos from the Phipps Christmas display in Pittsburgh and from the Christmas fun in Cambridge, Ohio. I’ll squeeze it all in soon!
