Some of NYC's most popular tourist destinations include Rockefeller Center, Macy's, and Bryant Park.
The day after Thanksgiving, the crowds seem to go up a lot.
I was barely able to move when I visited some of the attractions.
While the holiday season in New York City is wonderful, it's a good idea to avoid tourist attractions.
There are many other things to do during the holidays, including a less crowded, more fun bar.
In December of 2022, I set out on a journey to see if it was all that bad.
I began my journey at Central Park, walked to the Plaza Hotel and the Pulitzer Fountain, strolled down Fifth Avenue, and ended my journey at Macy's Herald Square.
The first rink was at the park. People are climbing on rocks to look at the rink.
The southern part of the park has a skating rink. It has been a popular holiday destination for decades and has appeared in many holiday movies.
Even though I came to skate here last year, I had no recollection of people looking at me from a rock ledge.
I looked directly at the rink when I climbed up to see what everyone was watching.
I felt like I was at the zoo, as people lined up around the gates.
There are more people at the other gate than at the other gate.
People were in the ice.
I don't think I'll go back to the rink because it was disorganized last year and I didn't like it.
Most of the benches where I would sit to eat were full so I didn't eat a snack.
I chose a hot drink.
I got a hot chocolate and it made me feel better.
Hot chocolate helped me out.
I was warm enough to head to the Plaza Hotel.
You can see the view of the park from the Plaza Hotel, even if you don't stay there.
One of the most well-known hotels in the world is the Plaza. Kevin stayed at the hotel in Home Alone 2 and asked Donald Trump for directions to the lobby.
The Plaza is no longer covered in scaffolding. I wasn't happy to learn I couldn't get inside.
The sign in front of the door said only guests of the hotel or restaurant were allowed in the building.
The hotel employee stopped anyone who was walking in to see what they were doing and turned them away.
The Pulitzer Fountain, which is located across the street, was decorated as well. A musician is singing a song.
The Pulitzer Fountain has become an ice-skating rink with polar bears and penguins. The ornaments and lights were toned down.
Fifth Avenue is usually filled with people during the holidays.
The Peninsula Hotel is a landmark in NYC.
There is a lot of legendary shopping on Fifth Avenue, from Bergdorf Goodman to Louis Vuitton.
It was. I felt like I was being chased by a group of people.
New York City's visitor numbers have almost fully rebounded since the beginning of the Pandemic. In November, NYC & Company predicted that over 6 million people would visit New York City between Thanksgiving and New Year's.
While the multiple holiday installations lining the street bring festive cheer, it also means people are constantly stopping to take pictures.
You have to be ready for that.
The most famous cathedral in the US is St. Patrick's Cathedral.
The largest Gothic cathedral in the US opened in 1879. There are more than five million people visiting each year.
I was thankful for a break from the cold, but I was shocked by the architecture and holiday decorations.
This is a great activity for people on a budget. The main altar was covered in flowers and the church was completely decorated.
I was surprised by how many people showed up to see the decorations. I watched people take pictures every turn.
A lot of traffic was held up by the manger being near an exit.
The visitor ducked out of my way when I was about to take a photo.
I went back into the cold to look at the lights at the store.
The flagship store of the company is on Fifth Avenue. It has been there for almost 100 years.
There is a display window here.
This year's theme is "reconnecting with family and loved ones during the holiday season" and the windows are full of popular games and toys.
There is a display at night.
This year's light show features all of the songs of the famous singer.
I was disappointed to see that the store was not decorated for the holidays.
I had to walk through the entire store to get to the ornaments that the store was selling.
The store is across the street from the center. It was overrun with people just by looking at the line outside the store.
It's a huge draw for parents who want to entertain their kids with Legos.
The crowd around me made it hard for me to get close to the tree.
Insider previously reported that this year's tree is from Queensbury, New York.
I felt like I was in the background of a picture of a poor tourist.
It was starting to get a bit too much for me.
I headed west towards the winter village. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is held at Radio City Music Hall. The street was too crowded for me to even get close.
The Radio City Christmas Spectacular is one of the Rockettes' biggest shows. You should go at least once. The play is playing through January 2.
The Empire State Building can be seen in the distance.
One of the largest holiday markets in New York is located in Bryant Park. Bryant Park has a better view and is closer to my house.
The Winter Village is located at Bryant Park. It wasn't crowded the last time I was there, but it was crowded again this time.
Two weeks ago, I went to the Winter Village and there was no one there. It gets more crowded as you approach Christmas.
You can find pages and pages of shops in the market's directory.
I didn't want to go to Bryant Park because it was so packed.
I decided to wait because the lines were so long.
Macy's Herald Square is the brand's flagship location and the largest department store in the United States.
The store has over one million square feet of retail space across 12 floors and occupies an entire city block. This was the location of Macy's in the 19th century.
It was difficult to see the display windows between all the visitors. I was guilty of getting in the way of others' photos.
It was easier to see when I came back an hour later.
The store's traditional "believe" sign has been replaced by a large "Give Love" sign.
In order to make sure I wasn't hallucinating, I walked around the entire Macy's store.
There was a sea of people when I entered. I felt like I was going to lose my mind.
The crowd took me where I needed to go.
I appreciated the decor once I had a second to think.
They don't have to pay to decorate at Macy's.
I walked around the first floor for a while before checking out the new attraction.
Macy's said that it would incorporate Toys 'R' Us into its stores in 2021.
There was a toy store on the seventh floor. I had to use an old fashioned escalator to get there.
You would expect the escalators on the first few floors of Macy's to be made of steel. You take a wood paneled escalator when you get up higher.
A bunch of screaming kids ran around a toy store as I arrived.
There were a lot of kids in the various aisles, at the play place, and looking at the pops.
I hopped on the escalator to get to Santaland.
Santa was on the eighth floor while the toys were on the seventh.
Behind closed doors there was a line to meet the big guy.
You have to reserve a time to meet Santa but there was a long line.
After the chaos of those floors, I went to a random floor and found it completely empty. It was nice to be outside after a long day.
The sixth floor was mostly devoted to home and kitchen items. I felt like I was breathing again.
I thought about my day as I left the store. I took over 19,000 steps in the name of holiday cheer according to my fitness tracker.
It was very tiring.
I was tired after a long day in the crowd. It was worth it to see the tree at the Rockefeller Center, it's still my favorite place to be during the holiday season.
The most wonderful time of the year is when I'm in the best city.
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