New York City Buzz
On the 7th day of Christmas… the NYBG Holiday Train Show
The Botanical Gardens in the Bronx showcases a special display enjoyable for the whole family. Enchanting model trains zip through a display of 150 landmarks, each re-created with bark, leaves, and other natural materials—all under the twinkling glow of the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. Marvel at G-scale locomotives humming along among familiar sights such as the Brooklyn Bridge, Statue of Liberty, and Rockefeller Center on nearly a half-mile of track. This year’s exhibition showcases Midtown Manhattan’s iconic skyscrapers and other architectural wonders, featuring new replicas of the Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, General Electric Building, and St. Bartholomew’s Church. Tickets...
On the 6th day of Christmas… Ice Skating at Rockefeller Center or Bryant Park or Central Park
There are numerous ice skating rinks around New York during the holiday season. The most famous has to be The Rink At Rockefeller Center. It is open from 8:30am to 12am typically (check for specific days) and people tend to spend anywhere from 10-45 mins there at a time. You can reserve your tickets with VIP skate reservations and prices can vary from $60 - $150 per person. If you are looking to skate on a budget, I highly recommend going to Bryant Park and taking advantage of the free ice skating at The Rink open daily from 8am-10pm, October...
On the 5th day of Christmas…The Christmas Spectacular Starring The Radio City Rockettes
You will shout out “5 Golden Rings”, or should I say “kicks”, when you see this show! Every holiday season, one of the most beloved annual Christmas shows in history takes place at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. The iconic Radio City Christmas Spectacular incorporates more than 140 performers that keep the audience enraptured for 90 minutes. The most notable Radio City Christmas Spectacular performers are The Rockettes, the famed precision dance troupe known for their synchronized kicking. Make sure to take notice at the two numbers that have appeared in every Christmas Spectacular since...
On the 4th day of Christmas… Rockefeller Christmas Tree Lighting
For over eight decades, the Christmas Tree at Rockefeller Center and the holiday decorations adorning and surrounding have stood as a holiday beacon for New Yorkers and visitors alike. From the beginning, the Tree was a gathering place and reflection of what was happening in the world around it. The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree is today a world-wide symbol of the holidays and synonymous with New York City. The 2017 tree will be lit for the first time on Wednesday, November 29. Live performances in the past have included Tony Bennett, Neil Diamond, Josh Groban, Tori Kelly, Sarah McLachlan, Dolly...
On the 3rd day of Christmas… St. Patrick’s Cathedral
It doesn’t matter if you are Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, or even an Atheist you just have admirer the beautiful architecture and majesty that is St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Every year faithful from around the Tri-State flock to St. Patrick’s Cathedral in celebration of Christmas. A lottery is held every year just for people to receive a special ticket to the Christmas Eve midnight mass. If you are not able to receive a ticket to that, the church also holds a special children’s mass on Christmas day. Some parents will line up as early as 6am to make sure they are able...
On the 2nd day of Christmas… Saks Fifth Ave. Holiday Light Display
The theme of this year’s holiday windows at Saks Fifth Avenue is “Once Upon a Holiday,” and the department store teamed up with Disney to celebrate the 80th anniversary of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. For the first time in 94 years, all of its 14 windows are animated, bringing the fairy-tale to life. There is also a light display that plays a timed holiday light show to festive music. Make sure you stake out a good place because it can get very crowded on that 5th ave. street.
The 12 Best Things To Do During the Holidays or New York At Christmas
The holiday season is one of my favorite times of the year. New York just blooms with excitement and anticipation. The city comes to life with caroling, dancing, and tourists from all over the world sharing in the urban holiday experience with New York locals. We at TopDogTours like the Holiday’s so much we even offer a nightly Holiday Lights Tour of midtown Manhattan from the end of November through the month of December giving you all the holiday history that New York has to offer. Over the next 12 days, in the spirit of the 12 days of Christmas,...
Halloween Tours in the Village or Ghosts in the City
Halloween has always been a time where it seems the veil between our plane of existence and what lies beyond becomes a bit thinner. No place celebrates that more than Greenwich Village. New York's Village Halloween Parade is an annual holiday parade and street pageant presented on the night of every Halloween in New York City's Greenwich Village. The Village Halloween Parade, initiated in 1974 by Greenwich Village puppeteer and mask maker Ralph Lee, and is the world's largest Halloween parade. It has been called "New York's Carnival." Although the parade is currently not as informal and wild as it...
Death Avenue or How New York Got a Really Cool Park!
Death Avenue. Two words that strike fear in the souls of mortal men. Death Avenue was a nickname for both 10th and 11th Avenues from 1846 to 1941. During this time, large freight trains come down 10th Ave; which would back up to numerous loading docks. The down side of this was the fact that these trains would run down the street among carts, horses, cars, pedestrians and children. Unfortunately, gruesome deaths were very common. There was a report issued in 1908 that said in over 56 years, 436 people had been killed on the line. In 1894; a...
Our First ‘TopDog’ Central Park Fundraiser for Dogs
When the company first started, I knew I wanted to give back in a way we wouldn’t be able to as private citizens. Once we had gotten our bearings as new business owners, I was trying to figure out what kind of cause we should hold an event for. We had adopted our younger dog Scarlett, last year from Muddy Paws Rescue here in NYC and I followed them on Instagram (who doesn’t love seeing cute dogs in their feed) and was on their mailing list. Holding a fundraiser for dog rescues soon became a clear choice as I saw...
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