{Holiday Cheer} Best Holiday Lights in NYC

New York City is arguably one of the most magical places to be during the holiday season, especially at night with all the twinkle lights, bundled up with a hot cocoa or cider in hand. I’m pretty much in love with that city, and there’s no better time to visit than right now to see all of these gorgeous holiday displays.

Rockefeller Center

Pretty much the heart of Christmas for the city, Rockefeller Center is the location of New York City’s official Christmas tree. Or holiday tree. Whatever you celebrate. So of course, this area is going to be decked out in decorations, and is definitely a great place to kick the night off. Plus there’s ice skating, and who wouldn’t want to slide around on ice, squealing with your heart pounding, hoping you don’t fall with a bunch of strangers?! Yeah, I’m totally up for that. Count me in!

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Winter Village at Bryant Park

Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park has a free public ice-skating rink and over 125 holiday shops, food and seasonal activities. Of course, the village has gorgeous holiday light displays with its own giant Christmas tree.

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Dyker Heights

The day after Thanksgiving, while the rest of us are enjoying a little Black November shopping or recovering from our tryptophan coma, the residents of Dyker Heights become Santa’s elves, hard at work to transform their neighborhood into a holiday fantasy. And when we say transform, we mean transform. It is the Griswold family Christmas house on on speed, with every square inch of some properties taken up with lights, life-size reindeer, Santas, nutcrackers, snowmen, and nativity scenes.

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Plaza Hotel

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Saks Fifth Avenue

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Saks Fifth Avenue displays the Land of 1,000 Delights – a 10-story tall theatrical light show on the facade of their building.

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Macy’s Santaland at 34th St.

Macy’s goes all out with a 13,000 sq ft winter wonderland for families to explore, with an enchanted forest, a working train display, and even elves to help show you the way. And of course, the little ones can visit Santa through Christmas Eve. Admission is free, and photo packages range from $30-$60.

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Lord & Taylor

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Five window displays themed, Enchanted Forest, including animated digital technology to enthrall the little ones.

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Bergdorf Goodman

Bergdorf Goodman’s window display named Destination Extraordinary depicts a dreamlike scene of lush gardens.

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Bloomingdale’s

This year, Bloomingdale’s partnered with a group of visual artists to create chandeliers which embody their artistic definition of the word “light.” After the holidays, these one-of-a-kind designs will be auctioned off for the Child Mind Institute.

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Henri Bendel

From Bendel With Love is a 4-story, less traditional display inspired by Love Wall creator James Goldcrown’s signature Bleeding Hearts mural.

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Tiffany & Co. on 5th Ave

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Tiffany blue window display titled Make the World Sparkle.

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Barney’s

Themed “Love, Peace and Joy,” these window displays depart from the typical holiday themes. Instead, they are creative interpretations of love, peace and joy by commissioned artists, including Rob Pruitt, Nick Cave, Ebony G. Patterson, Studio Job and Trey Parker and Matt Stone of Comedy Central’s South Park. If you take pics of yourself making either a heart or peace sign with your hands or jumping for joy in front of the displays, share using the hashtag #LovePeaceJoyProject, Barneys New York Foundation will donate $5 per photo to causes like STYLEFUND, a fashion initiative to help women be more confident in how they dress and The Russell Westbrook Why Not? Foundation, which teaches children to never give up.

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A few of Luxe’s preferred hotels in NYC: