It (was) Christmastime in the city

What does a girl who can't run around the city do with two days left before she goes home to Virginia to Christmas?

Why, she walks!

Admittedly, I've been a bit of a slacker when it comes to taking in the Christmas things of the city in the past couple of years. The first year I was here, my friend Caity came to visit around Christmas so we visited Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park, taking in the sights and the shops and anything else that was Christmas-y in NYC (though I still haven't seen the Radio City Christmas Spectacular). I also worked in Midtown West and could visit the Time Warner Center's pretty stars just about every day.

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The next year, I was living in the East Village, so getting to the Union Square Christmas market was pretty easy. I went with my roommate, visiting the different stands, taking samples as they were offered, and drinking apple cider.

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That Christmas, I got lazy. I decided I didn't really want to fight the crowds. Did I really need to see the Rockefeller Center tree? I asked myself. And decided that no, no, I did not. I was perfectly happy to watch it on TV.

Last year? I didn't even visit a Christmas market. I don't exactly remember why, but living on the Upper East Side and working in Midtown East made the west side seem sooooo far and inconvenient. (It really isn't, but that was my excuse...)

I still haven't gone to the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular, and I've never gone ice skating at any of the rinks (hope to change that in 2012!), but this year I decided I would make my way to Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center. I was gonna get in the holiday spirit and I was gonna like it, dangit!

The green and red Empire State Building inspired me
to get my holiday on

I didn't plan my outing very well though. Last weekend I didn't do much of anything, and it was so cold outside that I just wanted to stay nestled on the couch at home, watching "Love Actually" and sipping mulled wine. I was busy on Monday and Tuesday nights, so Wednesday was really my last chance to make my way to Midtown West. So after work, I took the B train (a train I used to take to work every day my first year in New York!) to Bryant Park and wandered around the shops. I didn't buy anything, but I did see a gorgeous tree and lots of people ice skating!

Bryant Park Christmas tree!

Then I made my way up Sixth Avenue to Rockefeller Center to check out the tree there:

Nothing says Christmas like the Rockefeller Center tree!

Yes, there were about a gazillion people around the tree, but I offered to take pictures for a few people (holiday spirit, what?!), took a ton of pictures, and definitely felt much more Christmas-y.

Lots of lights

I checked the map app on my phone and saw that it was a mere two mile walk back to my apartment. It was cold, but I thought, What better way to see New York's Christmas than along Fifth Avenue? And so I walked!

Cartier ready for the holidays 

 A Trump building all lit up 

The Tiffany star, sparkling away 

A bizarrely awesome window at Bergdorf Goodman

Two-point-something miles later, I was high on holiday cheer and happy to have gotten in a workout for the day. I turned the corner to get home and was greeted with the most lovely lights that I think I've seen in the city:

I wish they left up these lights all year!

Two days later I was packed up and ready to go home for the holidays (my office is unofficially closed for the week between Christmas and New Year's). My parents had bought a tree, but were waiting for me to get home before they decorated it. So Christmas Eve, we pulled out the decorations and stockings, hanging the ornaments from my first Christmas, my brother's first Christmas, and those that were more recent. I have to say, despite the gorgeous trees that I saw in New York, this one is the best one there is:

Christmas at home!

I hope you all had a very happy holiday and got a chance to up your holiday cheer wherever you may be.

Off to use one of my Christmas presents...P90X! Today's just day 2, but so far, so good! Looking forward to taking advantage of it, especially while I'm injured (three weeks down, three weeks to go!).

Happy holidays all!