NYC Holiday Fun: What To See And Favorite Eats [2022]

Hi there! Ana here. 

New York City is always magical. No matter how many times you go, there’s always something new to discover. That’s what makes it special, even if that means that there’s always something under construction, or renovations, or places you expect to find are not there. Any NYC holiday fun is always a great time!

Add Christmas to the mix, and New York just gets extra special. 

I wanted to return to New York for Christmas since the first time I went when I was seven or so. It was something I discussed with Cameron ever since we met all those years ago. And now, we’ve done it! 

We actually decided to go because it made the most financial sense. The original intention was to go to the Dominican Republic…but the cost of one RT ticket was more than the cost of TWO RT tickets to New York from Dammam. ??? 

Tips on booking activities in NYC:

• Book and make reservations well in advance: If your time is tight, make reservations and buy tickets as soon as you know you want to do something. For some popular places like Momofuku Noodle Bar (see below), you may need reservations well in advance. A lot of popular Broadway shows still sell out.

• Take advantage of free museum days: Think about museums you want to go to, and if you can, plan to go on their free admission days. For example, the 9/11 Memorial Museum is free on the last Monday of the month (you need to reserve a ticket – be patient!), and the Whitney Museum of American Art is free on Friday nights. 

• Give yourself one or more “chill days”: Sightseeing can be exhausting. Maybe one day could be set aside for enjoying a slow lunch in a place you want to try out, or simply staying in your hotel room or rental and having delicious takeout, watching movies, organizing your pictures or shopping from your trip, etc. We stayed in on Christmas day and it was lovely: watched a bunch of Netflix, ordered Chinese food takeout, and just spent time together as a family with my sister and nephew. 

What we did: Sightseeing

Before arriving, my sister and I made a possible list of things to see and do to find a middle ground and prioritize things depending on what we all wanted to do and when. When we travel, we always decide on “must-see” or “must-do” things and do those first. So here are some of the best:

• Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island: I will say going in the cold and the rain is not fun. One ticket will give you access to both; expect to spend at least two hours out there if you want to take it all in. You catch the ferry at Battery Park and head to Liberty Island first, then to Ellis Island, then back to the city. 

You can get tickets to the crown and the platform, but they sell out quickly and the crown isn’t always open, so check before you buy. 

When you see it up close and go into the adjacent museum and see some of the pieces that have been replaced in previous restorations, you appreciate it more as a structure, and you get why it’s such an uplifting symbol that has represented the US and given hope to so many over the years. Don’t want to pay for the ticket and still see the Statue? Hop on the Staten Island Ferry for free and you get a pretty clear view.

Important note: You go through airport-style security before you’re allowed to get on the ferry. Avoid huge bags, water, or liquids. 

Save time for Ellis Island. The exhibits are incredibly informative and illustrative of the history of immigration to the United States. I personally learned a lot. 

• Museum of Natural History and Hayden Planetarium: The civilization exhibits looked dated and like they hadn’t been refreshed in a long time. Gave us kind of school fair vibes actually. Not what we expected for a museum of this level. However, the animal exhibits, the mineral exhibits, the meteors, and basically every other exhibit is incredible. The dinosaurs are particularly impressive. This one will be a huge hit with kids and anyone who loves science. The Hayden Planetarium is very well set up in a way that kind of makes you go through the whole thing. The dome show is spectacular.

• MoMA: Look, modern art is not our cup of tea, for the most part. But we did want to see Van Gogh’s Starry Night and I wanted to see Picasso’s Demoiselles D’Avignon. There are fun impressionist and post-impressionist sections in the museum, which was enjoyable, but the more contemporary parts of the museum, we honestly just skimped over.

• Central Park Zoo: The Bronx Zoo is a lot better, but if you’re in Midtown Manhattan and want to see some fun animals or don’t have time to go to the Bronx, this zoo gets the job done. The tropical pavilion is very well put together and has beautiful birds. The zoo also delivers in the cute animal department, with seals, red pandas, and snow leopards. It’s easy to forget you’re in the city, but that’s Central Park.

• The High Line, and with it, The Edge at Hudson Yards: The High Line, an old, above-ground train line refurbished into a park, is a great way to see the West Side from a different perspective. These days that means the very expensive apartments that stand to each side of the line! You can also catch spectacular city views. Some of those views across the Hudson reminded me of the views across the water in some parts of Seattle.

The Edge is the highest observation deck in the Western Hemisphere. We chose it because it’s the one where you can see all the other iconic buildings from – the Empire State Building, the Chrysler building, One World Trade Center, 30 Rock, and the stuff you see in skyline pictures. And the views are absolutely spectacular. 

The observation deck reminded us of the Burj Khalifa deck in Dubai, in that there is an indoor deck and an outdoor deck. You can get good views from either. We decided to go at night to get the city lights view.

Before getting to the observation deck and before my nephew could try the $9 hot chocolate at the Edge bar, we had to stand in line. 

For over an hour and a half. Despite having timed tickets. 

We knew it would be crowded because it was the newest observation deck in the city. But we expected the lines to move a little bit quicker, and they didn’t. There is something missing in terms of organization. It takes away from the experience, and that’s a shame. 

We enjoyed and loved it because the views are spectacular, and it’s New York. It’s always magical, but lordy lord, over an hour and a half in line really did put a damper on our excitement. 

Last but not least, we went to see The Book of Mormon, our first Broadway show and one we’ve wanted to see for a very long time. Pros: It’s hysterically funny. Cons: The drinks inside the theater were some of the most expensive drinks we’ve ever paid for. If you’re in New York and haven’t seen it, we highly recommend it, unless religion-based jokes offend you.

Favorite Eateries This Visit 

1. Levain Bakery: With multiple locations in NYC (it’s also in LA), Levain is most famous for its cookies. We stopped in the Upper East Side location for coffee and some loaf cake. Our understanding is that usually, it’s rather busy, but we went in the early midday, so we didn’t have to wait around for long. Very good. I would return to try the cookies! 

2. El Churro: Located around the corner from the super-famous (and crowded!) Katz Delicatessen in the Lower East Side was a welcome post-meal treat. We all love churros, so we stopped for a late afternoon treat one day. They have a variety of dipping sauces available, but we went classic and got chocolate. Made to order and gluten-free if that matters to you. No website, but you can check them out at 175 E Houston. 

3. Momofuku Noodle Bar (reservations required): We made reservations about a month in advance for the East Village location. We were a bit surprised when we realized this location was in a mall (it seems like more of an Asia/Middle East thing than an American thing), but we love noodles, and the restaurant is very famous, so we were quite excited to go. And it was worth it. I’d say prices are similar (maybe a bit more) than what I would expect for a similar place in a city of similar size. Best thing ordered on the table: the pork belly buns. Exceptional. But the noodles we ordered (ginger scallion and cold spicy for Cam and me) were unusual but delicious. Worth a visit. 

4. Parm: This was our Christmas Eve dinner. We went to the Upper West Side location, and basically ended up there because it was open, indoors, and we were hungry. After trying it, I think it’s very good American-style Italian food, and delivers on flavor and coziness. The garlic bread is possibly some of the best garlic bread I’ve had. Cam and my sister Ana both had chicken parm. I had baked ziti. Everyone had wine. Portions are generous. Very generous. Two can share an entree and still easily end up stuffed. 

5. S & P Lunch, formerly Eisenberg’s (in fact, the sign outside still says Eisenberg’s): A former colleague from New York recommended this place. It also appears in the New York Times’ Top Inexpensive Restaurants of 2022. It’s a deli with a very long counter to sit on and some tables in the back. You may have to wait a bit for a table if you’re in a large group. The menu’s strengths are the sandwiches, with offerings like pastrami, the Reuben sandwich, and the turkey club. Other offerings include matzo ball soup and rugelach for dessert. 
   • We went later in the afternoon and it was quite busy, so our group of four had to wait for a table for at least 15 minutes. At the time in the afternoon we were there, they were out of pastrami (sad!!) so we settled for turkey clubs, which were just turkey clubs to be honest. Not particularly remarkable but still enjoyable. The stars of the show were the matzo ball soup and the rugelach, neither of which we had tried before.
   • Matzo ball soup is made with a light broth with dill, and includes some small vegetables like carrots. I thought matzo balls were made of chicken – tasted like chicken when I had it, oops! I now understand that most broths have chicken so that may be where the flavor is coming from. It is a Jewish dish traditionally served during Passover, but people make it throughout the year. And I’m glad they do because it’s delicious. 
   • Rugelach, on the other hand, is a dessert filled with raspberry and cream cheese. They’re meant to be made in small sizes, ideally bite-size. They are an ideal dessert, just enough to get a little sweet after a meal. 

Honorable mention: Mamá Tala Restaurant. We ordered from this Dominican restaurant via Uber Eats. Excellent chicharrón and mofongo, rather generous portions.

We didn’t do a lot of going out or going to bars or any of that, and that’s okay. We can do that another time, and there will be a next time. Most importantly, we got to spend time with family we hadn’t seen in almost two years (three for Cam). And it was glorious! 

Already looking forward to our next visit! 

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