Christmas Time In New York - Get Out There And See It!!!

New York City, December, 2010 - New York is a fascinating city year-round but Christmas time in New York has its own special charms. With childhood dreams and a willingness to fulfill them a common wish in this holiday season, the opportunty to experience those and other desires are realized more during this time of year than any other. There are an endless number of places to visit in town and I'll clue you in on a few of them.

Holiday-themed productions are the rule this time of year and Wintuk is no exception for juggling, tricks and other amazing things to watch and have fun with.

If model trains are your thing, the Holiday Train Show at the New York Botancal Garden in The Bronx is a truly incredible experience. Garden-scale (also known as G-scale) trains meader their way through New York landmarks - and some of them are just memories now. The original New York Penn Station was destroyed in the 1960s where Madison Square Garden now stands but it has been resurrected and built with recycled plant parts. Trolley cars once ruled the streets of our city but now operate there again as the photo on the right suggests. The layout has a vast assortment of real and imagined trains. Waterfalls and rivers? Plenty of them! Bridges? Lots of them! This is 'a real worthy' as we say in the local vernacular!

If you're looking for a giant Christmas tree to see, Rockefeller Center's is not the only one. In the Financial District, a 60-foot Norway Spruce sits in front of the New York Stock Exchange. Just to the south of the tree, Broad Street has been made into an historic pathway as the history of the street is chronicled on the ground.

There are many different museums in Lower Manhattan that are open for visitors during the day. Federal Hall, The Museum Of American Finance and Fraunces Tavern are just three of them. There are some buildings in the area that date back to the American Revolution. There are many parks in the area including the first public park in North America - Bowling Green Park, which is where the American Revolution began and ended. A 3-day 'Culture Pass' gives you a discounted price and even transports you to each museum in this special program.



If you're looking for a real train to ride, 1930's vintage IND subway cars operate every Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm. The 'Shopper's Specials' (right) began operating November 28 from the 'F' Second Avenue station on the 6th Avenue IND line to the Queens Boulevard IND's Queens Plaza station. These are the cars of folklore - wicker seats, ceiling fans and all the smells and sounds of yore. The free rides (yes, you must pay the regular subway fare) end on December 26th.

The Italian American Museum at the corner of Mulberry and Grand Streets in Little Italy is an interesting place to learn about the immigration experience of Italians that migrated to this country. There are holiday-themed seminars and is a great snap shot of the past.



Grand Central Terminal rounds out this photo essay. Aside from the Main Concourse with its breath-taking sight, this historic structure also caters to shoppers. All kinds of goods are for sale in Vanderbilt Hall and food is available in the food courts on both levels.

What ever you do, enjoy the holiday season as here are a variety of places to go and places to see.