Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park 2019

Okay, I know today is Halloween BUT one of my favorite spots in the city is opening today for the winter/holiday season. Bank of America Winter Village in Bryant Park opens today! I cannot believe the time is here already for this wonderful spot to be open again. 

I have been enjoying this winter village for many years, and usually spend Christmas Eve here, which makes me feel like I am on a movie set. Christmas music playing, folks ice skating and some of the BEST hot chocolate on earth from No Chewing Allowed. They have many shops that have been here for years, but each year new vendors pop up which keep the winter village fresh. If you have never visited, I highly recommend it and skating here is cheaper than Rockefeller Center (and I think prettier too!). Here are some of the great places I have visited through the years at this wonderful holiday tradition.  The chocolate selections here are just amazing and great for grabbing a gift for the chocoholic in the family! 

Every year I look at these lights and I never buy one. This year just may be the year I break down and get one. So. Much. Fun.  

 

William Cullen Bryant for whom Bryant Park was named in 1884 was an American romantic poet, journalist, and long-time editor of the New York Evening Post.

Gertrude Stein was an American novelist, poet, playwright, and art collector. Born in the Allegheny West neighborhood of Pittsburgh and raised in Oakland, California, Stein moved to Paris in 1903, and made France her home for the remainder of her life.  She hosted a Paris salon, where the leading figures of modernism in literature and art, such as Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Sinclair Lewis, Ezra Pound, Sherwood Anderson and Henri Matisse, would meet. Two quotes from her works have become widely known: "Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose," and "there is no there there", with the latter often taken to be a reference to her childhood home of Oakland.

Winter Village opens noon Thursday, October 31, for the 2019/2020 season. New this season: plan ahead and reserve your skate time online!

Hours
October 31, 2019 – January 5, 2020
Monday – Friday: 11am-8pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10am-8pm

Many Shops are open on major holidays and after Thanksgiving will be open later than 8pm

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Best November Activities in New York City

I have no idea where this year went! It really seemed to just fly by. I thought we would talk about some of the best activities in November in NYC. There are always so many events going on all year round, but these are those I felt were the absolute must-see for November.  I really love the holiday shops in Bryant Park, Union Square and Grand Central Terminal. I love when I can find unique gifts to give as presents. Hope you have a fabulous November!! 

In no particular order: 

1. Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade  - One of the most famous parades in all the world. You can check out the route and map where you wish to view this historic parade.

2. NYC Marathon - November 5, 2017 The world-famous New York City Marathon begins in Staten Island and runs through all five boroughs before ending at Central Park. Stand along Central Park South to cheer on the finishers. Free to watch.

3. Pre-Thanksgiving Parade Balloon Inflation - Get a preview of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade the day before, with an expedition to see the balloons come to life. A tradition since 1927, the giant balloons—featuring beloved pop culture characters—are slowly inflated in the streets around the American Museum of Natural History, at Columbus Avenue and West 77th Street. Nets and sandbags are used to keep them from escaping during the night.

4. Renegade Craft Fair - November 18-19, 2017 Shop from 225 artisans, chefs, and vintage vendors at the Metropolitan Pavilion. Free.

5. Holiday Train Show at New York Botanical Garden - Nov. 22 to Jan. 15, 2018 Watch model trains zip around miniature New York landmarks made of plant materials, and enjoy kids’ activities.

6. NY Comedy Festival - November 7 to 12, 2017  This festival features big-name comedians, special sketch and improvisational comedy, panel discussions, and benefits. Various locations.

7. Veterans Day Parade - This parade entertains 600,000 spectators as it goes up Fifth Avenue from 26th to 52nd Street. The opening ceremony is at 10 a.m., wreath laying at 11 a.m., and parade at approximately 11:15 a.m. Free. A great celebration to honor those who served for their country.

8. Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting  - November 29, 2017 and will remain lit until January 7th 2018 at 9pm. Admission FREE but on first come first serve basis.

9. Holiday Markets at Union Square and Grand Central Terminal - Wonderful handmade items from jewelry to gadgets; both open until Christmas Eve.

10. Cocoa and Carols Cruise from Chelsea Piers - A ticket to Cocoa and Carols Holiday Cruise includes hot cocoa, cookies, a bar drink, live music, optional sing-alongs, and 1.75 hours of city light views, leaving Chelsea Piers (Pier 62).

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