The holiday season was a long one, especially in New York City, the most populous city in the United States. Every year, millions of people travel from all across the country to the big city to experience the magic of Christmas in New York. NYC transforms into a winter wonderland during the holiday season. Snow blankets the streets of Manhattan, the Christmas window displays are in full effect, and ice skaters slide across the Rockefeller Center Skating Rink. What better way to break up the long, boring months of winter than to go experience New York in its most remarkable season!

On January 2, I took the two hour trek to New York City to experience first hand what it is really like during the holiday season. An avid shopper, the majority of my day was spent on 5th Avenue. Walking down the avenue, we saw a large group of people crowded around the front of one store: Saks Fifth Avenue. Saks Fifth Avenue has one of the greatest window displays I have ever seen. Their six animated windows are always at the heart of the holiday season in New York. This years windows were transformed into scenes from classic fairy tales with iconic New York locations providing the backdrop. Adding to the beauty, this year, Saks debuted a new Snowflake Spectacular, a 3-D light show that plays out across the department store’s exterior each evening. The store truly takes your breath away.

I eventually made my way to the center of Christmas in New York, The Rockefeller Center Ice Rink and Christmas tree. For the being January, I was surprised at how crowded the area was. The tree exceeded all of my expectations. Victoria Granda (‘16), who accompanied me, notes that, “Christmas in New York is something everyone should experience, it’s cheerful and bright and would make anyone happy.” Next holiday season, I would highly recommend visiting New York City.