Monday Musings // NYC Holiday Bucket List

I’m back in New York City for Thanksgiving break and I am so happy. I still have an essay to write so I can’t totally relax but it’s so good to be home and away from my constantly busy schedules and stress of school. As it got closer and closer to this week, my list of things I wanted to do while I was home kept getting longer. My NYC Holiday Bucket List has grown so much I almost haven’t been able to keep up with it! I wanted to share it with you a) so I don’t forget about everything I want to do and b) so you can partake in the fun! Whether you live in the area or have an upcoming trip to NYC planned, here are a few holiday attractions you’ll definitely want to check out:

Bryant Park Winter Village – Bryant Park is my favorite ice skating rink in the city and the winter village is so much fun. There’s cute shops, yummy food and a massive Christmas tree. It’s not quite the size of Rockefeller Center, but it’s decorated beautifully with red, silver and blue ornaments. Back in 2014, I got apple strudel from a place called Hans’ at the winter village and I haven’t seen the same booth since but every year I go in the hopes of finding it again. I also tried my first macarons at the winter village, so no matter what’s there this year I can guarantee there will be no shortage of good food.

Louis Vuitton ‘Volez, Voquez, Voyagez’ – I first heard about this exhibit through Facebook Ads, but it looks really cool from what I’ve seen of it on Snapchat! It’s all about the history of Louis Vuitton and travelling. You can find it at 86 Trinity Place. If I do make it to the exhibit, it’ll definitely be on my Instagram story!

Rolf’s German Restaurant – This place is known for their insane Christmas decorations. I can’t make any promises about the quality of the food, because I’ve never actually been, but if you look it up on Instagram it’ll be on your bucket list faster than you can say ‘Rolf’s German Restaurant’. I know I’m already trying to plan when I can stop by to grab a drink and check it out for myself.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s – A little over a week ago, the Blue Box Café opened on the fourth floor of Tiffany & Co. on 5th Avenue. It’s so cliché but the space looks beautiful and I think it’s a unique New York experience, like tea at the Plaza. I haven’t figured out if they take reservations yet and I’m not quite ready to wait in the cold to get in but it won’t be long before I suck it up and pay $30 for a croissant just to say I had breakfast at Tiffany’s.

Bloomingdales Window Displays – One of my favorite winter traditions is walking down 5th Avenue at night to see the holiday window displays. Even though it’s not on 5th Ave, I’ve always been partial to Bloomingdales because it’s insanely close to my apartment so I get to walk past it all the time. This year their theme is The Greatest Show on Earth and the pieces already up inside the main doors are insane. The official window unveiling is Wednesday and I think it’s going to be amazing. If you’re in the city before January, you’ll want to head up to 59th and Lex to check out the displays, inside and outside.