Thanksgiving is one of my favorite times of year to be in New York City. It’s a great time to take a horse drawn carriage ride throughout Central Park, to go ice skating in Rockefeller Center while admiring the Christmas Tree, and of course watch the Thanksgiving Macy’s Day Parade live. And what better place to start your holiday shopping than on Fifth Avenue!
Last year we decided to go see mom and the extended family in Jersey and sneak in two nights in the Big Apple for a New York Getaway at the Four Seasons Hotel New York in Midtown Manhattan on 57th Street, one of NYC’s most upscale shopping destinations.
Our room was located on the 33rd floor overlooking the skyline of New York City. It was a perfect view from all the windows. The room was spacious with the bed on one side and a sitting area on the other. The bathroom was exquisite. I particularly enjoyed watching all the news coverage of the Thanksgiving Parade on the little TV while putting on my makeup.
Four Seasons New York strives to make sure all your needs are met. The lobby area, including The Garden Restaurant, is stunning, a timeless contemporary design impressive in grandeur.
The Garden Restaurant experience is quite enjoyable surrounded by all the trees. They serve breakfast, lunch, and brunch on the weekends. The service and food were terrific. Tables are generously spaced so private conversation is easy. It’s perfect for meeting friends or relatives for breakfast or lunch.
From the hotel, it’s a short walk to Fifth Avenue and Central Park. Some of the top luxury brands stores are within walking distance (Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chanel). One of my favorite store is the Louis Vuitton store on Fifth Avenue. It’s my husband’s worse nightmare when I tell him I want to go inside. They have the best selections of purses and it’s hard for me to resist buying maybe just one.
We really enjoyed walking around the city and seeing all the department store holiday decorations. It certainly made me feel very festive and into the holiday spirit.
One of the highlights of our trip was going to a Broadway Show. We went to see The Book of Mormon. A must-see if you’re in New York.
If you are in New York City during Thanksgiving Weekend, make sure you go to the front of the American Museum of National History to watch the famous giant helium parade balloons get inflated the day before Thanksgiving. The action starts around 4pm on Thanksgiving Eve on 77th & 81st Streets between Central Park West and Columbus Avenue. Public viewing is from 3 until 8 pm. It’s best to arrive at about 5 pm when the balloons start to take shape. Also, you might want to consider getting VIP Tickets for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade. You can buy the tickets online. Some hotels also offer packages that include the VIP tickets.
At the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, you can expect dazzling musical performances, cool floats, and awe-inspiring helium balloons. It can be very cold so make sure you bundle up.
Thanksgiving vacations can give you and your family more time to spend together and less time to worry about whether the turkey gets burned. Whether you want a traditional holiday or decide to celebrate with a twist, make this Thanksgiving a day to remember with a fun family trip to New York City.
Happy Thanksgiving and hope you enjoy some gobble gobble!
Tamara @ We3Travel
November 19, 2014 at 5:55 amI love the Four Seasons. When I lived in NYC we lived very close to there but now when I go back and visit I enjoy the holiday decorations more. At the time all I wanted was to get through all the tourists! Times change.
Carmen
November 19, 2014 at 8:08 pmHi Tamara,
I lived in NJ for 23 years and used to spend all my weekends in the city. Now when I go back I feel like a tourist and all I want to do is go see the sites.
Katie
November 19, 2014 at 6:28 amThanksgiving is definitely THE time to visit NYC! Or, anytime around the holidays for that matter… I love the lights, trees, and good city cheer.
Nice to meet you in Athens at #TBEX, by the way!
Carmen
November 19, 2014 at 8:11 pmHi Katie,
I can’t agree with you more. I love seeing all the buildings decorated and going to see the Christmas tree. It certainly gets me into the holiday cheer. Nice, meeting you too!
Roma
November 19, 2014 at 10:32 pmI really love some of the American traditions. 4th of July, Thanksgiving & Halloween all seem so much fun and jovial.
Carmen
November 20, 2014 at 2:24 amHi Roma,
Sometimes I think we have too many holidays. I spent Halloween in Israel this year and it just wasn’t the same. I miss seeing the kids come to the door with their costumes. Thanksgiving is more of a family holiday for us. It’s when all the kids come home from college to be with the family. I’m cooking this year so it’s exciting for us to have everyone over. It’s also the beginning of the Christmas holiday season.
Richelle
November 20, 2014 at 8:26 amWow your photos look like they’ve been taken straight out of a movie (or a set for Sex in the City/ Gossip Girl). It looks beautiful! Unfortunately, Thanksgiving in China is kind of sad because it doesn’t exist here and there are no ovens so I can’t cook anything.
Carmen
November 21, 2014 at 3:24 amHi Richelle,
Thanks, I miss watching “Sex in the City”, that was one of my favorite shows. My favorite part of Thanksgiving isn’t so much the cooking, it’s waking up the next morning for the “Black Friday” sales. It’s a shame that you have no ovens in China.
Hannah
November 20, 2014 at 9:50 pmI love watching the parade on tv 🙂 thanksgiving is so much bigger in the US than here in Canada. I was in NYC in Christmas last year to see some of the lights etc- so awesome!
Carmen
November 21, 2014 at 3:26 amHi Hannah,
After standing out in the frigid temperatures for a while, we went back to our hotel room and watched the parade from our room. I love being in the city during Christmas.
Revati
November 23, 2014 at 12:51 pmHad no Idea about NYC taking on this avatar during Thanksgiving! Definitely looks like a great time to visit
Carmen
November 26, 2014 at 11:14 pmHi Revati,
The Macy’s Day Parade is a fun event to see live in NYC. It’s also one of the best places to shop for on “Black Friday”, when all the department stores discount everything for a few hours by 20-30% off.
Michele {Malaysian Meanders}
December 6, 2014 at 3:18 amWe finally had a chance to visit New York City last week for Thanksgiving. I was a bit bummed that the statue at the Rockefeller skating rink was surrounded by scaffolding, but everything else was so magical. Yes, the fabulous store displays got me into the shopping spirit, and I was impressed at how imaginative they were. Seeing the parade live was a dream come true for my kids.
Carmen
December 7, 2014 at 1:25 pmHi Michele,
Glad to hear that you enjoyed your time in NYC. I bet they loved seeing the huge balloons flying over them.