Published: December 10, 2009

Once Thanksgiving ends, the holiday season hits full force. Decorations suddenly appear in every window, lights are strung over the trees and Christmas carols ring loud over department store loudspeakers.  But the best part about the holiday season is right in your own backyard, since New York is renowned for its magical feel throughout the winter months. Tourists and locals alike flock to Manhattan to see the bright lights, the decorated windows on Fifth Avenue, and the famous tree lighting in Rockefeller Center. There are so many things to do around the city during the holiday season that it’s hard to know where to start! While all of these activities are exciting, living in NYC nine months out of the year gives us a locals an attitude, and all the tourists snapping pictures and standing in the middle of the sidewalk are enough to bring down anyone’s holiday spirit. This year, try some of these snazzy events happening in town that may be a little more exciting than the typical tourist attractions.

Brooklyn Christmas Lights and Holiday Decorations Tour
November 2009-January 2010
Dyker Heights, Brooklyn (11th Avenue to 13th Avenue and from 83rd to 86th Street)
Take the D or M trains to 18th Avenue, or the R train to 86th Street
Hours: Displays are most intense between 7 and 9 p.m. (make sure you go early before people turn the lights out in their homes for the evening), seven days a week but weekends are the best.

If you want to see some of the most extravagant Christmas light displays, you should see the festive homes of the Dyker Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. This Italian-American section of Brooklyn was made famous in the PBS documentary “Dyker Lights” and was featured on TLC’s “Crazy Christmas Lights.” An estimated 100,000 people visit the area every year, and you can be one of them! Many of the Christmas light displays are done professionally and they tend to evolve each year in an unspoken effort to “outdo” each other. In addition to over-the-top Christmas lights, the homes are covered in holiday cheer with large, inflatable Christmas decorations, motorized Christmas displays, animatronic toys, glowing nativity scenes, and 30-foot-tall toy soldiers! To end your night right and warm up with a fantastic holiday spirit in tow, stop at Mona Lisa Pastry Shoppe and Cafe (1476 86th st.), one of Brooklyn’s best Italian bakeries, for a cannoli and cappuccino.

Ice Skating – Bryant Park at The Pond
Nov. 6, 2009-Jan. 24, 2010
West 40th-42nd Streets between Fifth and Sixth Avenues
Hours: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Sunday-Thursday), 8 a.m. to midnight (Friday & Saturday)
Cost: FREE skating, $12 skate rental, lockers are FREE, locks are $9, bag check is $7
Web site: www.ThePondatBryantPark.com
Phone: 212-661-6640

Warm up with family and friends by stepping out on the ice for a fun and enjoyable winter activity. Ice skating is the perfect spot for hanging out with your closest friends or for putting a twist on that special first date. The rink plays music and offers refreshments at “Ice Bite,” which serves hot dogs, soups, macaroni and cheese, grilled sandwiches, pretzels, nachos, popcorn, desserts, sodas, hot chocolate and tea, each for under $5, or you can get a sit-down meal if you stop by the classy but casual restaurant “Celsius,” which overlooks the ice rink and the park. After skating, shop for holiday gifts and unique trinkets at the boutiques, which boast over 125 shops. At these vendors, you can purchase items such as unique handcrafted jewelry, warm weather organic and specially made hats and scarves, fragrant perfumes and soaps, cookies and cider, chocolates, Christmas ornaments, toys and games, children’s clothes and much more. There’s something perfect for everyone on your holiday list, and you can even indulge in a great gift for yourself.

FREE Holiday Events at Central Park
Dec. 6, 2009-Jan. 8, 2010
Hours and locations throughout Central Park vary
Cost: FREE
Web site: http://www.centralparknyc.org/site/PageNavigator/events_winter

Enjoy absolutely free holiday events throughout Central Park this winter, which celebrate all holidays of the season, including Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanza! The events are open to people of all ages, so channel your inner child and enjoy the celebrations including a Winter Holiday Lighting, Menorah Making, a Solstice Celebration, Santa in Central Park, Solstice Stargazing and Kwanzaa Songs. Learn about other cultures or indulge in the childlike atmosphere as you remember the celebrations of your past! Check the park’s Web site for detailed information including dates, times and locations for all of these events.

The New York City Ballet Performance of “The Nutcracker”
Nov. 27, 2009-Jan. 3, 2010
The New York City Ballet at Lincoln Center: West 63rd Street and Columbus Avenue
Cost: Tickets range between $20-$215 depending on seating
Phone: 212-870-5570
Web site: http://www.nycballet.com/ticket_info/single/w10/nutcracker-tickets.html

From the moment the lights dim, you’re transported to a mysterious world of magic and wonder. A rousing snowstorm sends a blizzard of snowflakes dancing across the stage, while tantalizing delicacies prance about with international flair. You’ll meet marching toy soldiers, little Marie and the valiant Nutcracker who saves her from the nightmarish Mouse King, all in a show The New York Times calls “a glowing fantasy.”

Approx. length: Two hours and 15 minutes.

Window Shopping Along Fifth Avenue
November 2009-January 2010
Fifth Avenue Between 49th and 59th Streets

Walk along one of the most famous streets in the world while feeling like New York royalty, taking in all the sights and sounds of the holiday season. Start at 59th Street and see the gorgeous lights of the Plaza Hotel and fountain across the street as you hear the clicking of horseshoes along the cement. Feel the winter glow from the bright, giant snowflake dangling above 57th Street, and watch the holiday light show on the outer walls of Saks Fifth Avenue on 49th Street. Browse the shop windows of stores like Tiffany & Co., Bergdorf Goodman, Louis Vuitton, The Disney Store and Gucci to see some of the most elaborate holiday-oriented displays in the city! On your way back to Fordham, visit the biggest toy store in New York City, the famed FAO Schwartz on 58th Street, to buy toys and trinkets for the whole family, or just to push finals out of your mind with a little playtime.

Twelfth Annual Brooklyn Bridge Walk into the New Year—NYE Party on the Bridge!
Dec. 31, 2009-Jan. 1, 2010
Location: Meet at Dunkin Doughnuts, 132 Nassau Street, southeast corner of Nassau and Beekman Streets.
Hours: Registration begins at 9:45 p.m.; tours meet at 10:15 p.m. and 11:15 p.m.
Cost: $40 in advance if paid by credit card, $50 in person
Phone: (888) 377-4455

This is a great opportunity to learn a bit about New York history while partying your way into the New Year. Take an exciting tour of New York’s downtown area including City Hall and the Brooklyn Bridge, where some of the city’s best tour guides will teach you little-known facts about the 19th century’s greatest technical marvel. Adrienne Onofri, author of the book “Walking Brooklyn,” will be leading one of the tours. If you arrive early, you can enjoy free refreshments, including doughnuts, coffee and hot chocolate, so take time to warm up before your adventure begins! The event includes free prizes like T-shirts and postcards, as well as other fun gifts for the first 300 people that show up. Party and play on the Brooklyn Bridge with lots of other New Yorkers, and if you’re as lucky as folks were in years past, you’ll be able to see fireworks from Central Park, Brooklyn, Staten Island and New Jersey, as well as an entertaining light show from the Empire State Building. Indulge in this unique experience and start the year off right!