You’re standing on a corner in New York City yelling TAXI. You hop in and they take you to your destination. Where are they taking you?
For me, it was a no brainer as my mom, two friends and I took a holiday journey to the city that never sleeps.
We caught a flight over to LaGuardia airport Dec. 19 and the excitement when I got off the plane was already buzzing. Instead of hearing about holiday travel on the TV – for once, I was living it. The chaos of people loading the jetway, bags in hand, ready to spend Christmas with family and friends. And my vacation with mine was just getting started!
We jumped in a cab to NYC which looked like a few miles and 30 minutes on GPS. It was an hour and about 10 minutes to our hotel. It depends on who’s behind the wheel: taxi drivers vs. Uber drivers. 35th street and 8th Ave. here we come!
We spent our arrival day checking in and visiting a holiday market, where the six-story Macy’s store overlooks Herald Square.
When exploring NYC at Christmas, look no further than Rockefeller Center. Rounding the corner and seeing the glistening Christmas tree was one for the books, literally!
Seeing something that’s been on my bucket list was a feeling of magic. It took me back 20 years to when I would wake up Christmas morning and see the presents under the tree, and the crumbs from the cookies left behind by Santa. Remember the magic of Christmas? 20 years later being in Rockefeller was a magical feeling once again.
Day 1 was a test run of being cold. Just because we survive Michigan winters doesn’t mean we’re immune to it. The chill in NYC is a different beast. You can probably tell from the rosy cheeks.
Just across the street is where we found ourselves about 8 hours later, NBC studios.
Day 2 started dark and early. We had to be at the Today Show by 5 a.m., so by 4:30 a.m., we were out the door, posters in hand, and in line by 5 -- with only 5 people in front of us.
Get your phone ready, (mine was not) it’s HODA!
She greeted us and thanked the dozens of people for braving the cold for what was going to be 4 hours.
6:15 a.m. and we were through security… I’ll take a few of those handwarmers. And then we waited for showtime.
7 a.m. came and went.
At 8 a.m. more people started piling in and thank goodness because we needed the warmth.
8:30 a.m. was here (which felt like forever) and the whole crew was finally with us.
That morning the Young People’s Chorus of NYC was performing. Check out their rendition of ‘Joy to the World.' They knew how to warm us up!
Our time to shine was over. Frozen feet and rosy cheeks, we stumbled to the nearest Starbucks (which in NYC, is not hard to find).
After a slight warm-up, we braved the cold again. This is when we realized taxis, subway surfing (if we knew how they operated) and the double-decker bus were our source of transportation the next two days since our bodies were if not already exhausted.
But to keep us on our toes, that night we went to Radio City Music Hall to see a Christmastime staple, the high-kicking Rockettes.
As the days moved along, day 3 started later than day 1 and 2. Believe it or not, the chill in the air got worse, but we somehow found ourselves on a ferry circling the Statue of Liberty in the middle of the Hudson River.
Yes! Bundled up like never before and another Starbucks run to warm us up.
While walking through the streets of Lower Manhattan, the sharp contrast between the bustling city life and the somber atmosphere of Ground Zero was striking.
After two days of high energy and the vibrant NYC, this was different. It turned into a place where time seemed to stand still. The towering skyscrapers seemed to shrink. The constant hum of the city was there, but here it felt peaceful.
We spent hours walking through the museum, but it was impossible to take in everything.
As we left and returned to the bustle of NYC, a part of the city felt different. The energy of Manhattan has always been lively and fast-paced, but Ground Zero reminded us that behind the noise, the heart of the city is found in strength, its unity, and ability to heal.
It reminded me how fragile life can be, but also how powerful the human spirit is in the face of adversity.
We got our sleep on day 4 and this was going home day. We spent the rest of the morning and early afternoon touring Central Park in a pedicab.
But everything in between this time was food, sounds, and more sights.
Sounds as if car horns were part of an orchestra. The one and only taxi driver that talked to us said the honks are like musical instruments. One honk is for this. A toot-toot is a hello to the buddy in the next cab over. A long honk is to tell the next driver to wake up or the dozens of people filling the crosswalk on a blinking red hand. There is some courtesy, and I mean the slightest when crossing on a green guy. The people of Manhattan are in a hurry.
If you ever wondered what daily living was like in NYC, it’s packing 26 hours in a 24-hour day.
As far as food goes, my mouth is watering for more. It seems like every other person who has been to NYC says to try the pizza and bagels.
I’ll let the pictures do the talking!
That’s all I got, and I hope you made it to this point. If you did, great! You can watch how our days went in NYC in a more visual way. Just follow me on TikTok @aleczajac.
As we settle down from the holiday season, I hope yours was magical. NYC at Christmas is a magical experience we’ll never forget and if you’re planning your own holiday adventure, NYC is a place that will fill your heart with joy and wonder. You will not be disappointed, and we can vouch for that.
Happy New Year!