Hi friends, welcome back! Bryant Park is always one of my favorite spots to be around the holidays. This park has it all: a giant Christmas tree, great views of NYC, ice skating, holiday shops, Christmas music, people watching, and lots of delicious food! They also have events throughout the season such as a tree lighting ceremony, carolers, and visits from Santa. It’s a must-see spot around the holidays that should be on everyone’s NYC Holiday itinerary.
I used to love the tree, but for some reason they stopped putting ornaments on it and I personally think it looks a tad plain and needs some color.
This is how it used to be decorated back in 2019. This picture of us makes me laugh because it kinda looks like we’re sharing one giant coat.
My friend and I stopped by after the tree lighting ceremony and it felt like we had the whole place to ourselves.
I enjoy watching people of all levels skating, it makes for great entertainment! The ice skating is free (skate rentals extra) and you can reserve a 55-minute slot to skate. At Rockefeller it can cost over $50 a ticket during peak times. I’m not a good skater so I never truly intend to cross that off my Christmas Bucket List 🙂
I’ve never bought anything from the shops, but they’re fun to walk through and window shop.
My favorite thing to do at Bryant Park is try out some food and enjoy the views. I love getting a chimney cake from Sweet Tooth Bakery. You’ll get tons of stares walking around with these.
If you’re craving Greek food, Koukli opened up this year and we tried their Bak-lava Hot Chocolate, Greek Fries, Chicken Pita, and Loukoumades (Greek donuts). This was very filling!
Casa Toscana has delicious bombolonis and sandwiches. I’ve been to their other locations, but not this one.
El Pambazo is also delicious, their nachos and Mexican hot chocolate are my fav! Last year we also got this tasty Braised Beef Sandwich.
The private igloos would be a great way to stay warm, or you can give your athletic skills a test with some miniature curling. There truly is something for everyone!
As you can see, Bryant Park is a great spot to hangout and enjoy the holidays in the heart of NYC! It’s also close to Fifth Avenue so you can grab a bite before seeing all the festive sights. Speaking of sights, Rockefeller and Saks are coming up next 🙂
