(click on any image to enlarge)
It's that magical time of year when New York and other cities all around the world are in full decoration for the upcoming holidays. From wreaths on doors to lights adorning trees, everything has a way of shining a little brighter as the sun goes down a little sooner every day. The only thing missing to top this beautiful time is the oddly absent snow... and while I worry for the state of the planet... I'm not going to complain that I get to walk around in 50-60 degree weather this December!
This past weekend I met up with a friend to walk around and see some of the gorgeous window displays at the big NYC department stores before exploring downtown a bit. I'll be honest, Bloomingdale's had one or two really good ones but the rest weren't very impressive. Bergdorf Goodman however, now they put on a real show. This year marks the 125th anniversary of their 5th Avenue location, and with that in mind they decided to really go all out to make everything shine (with the help of millions of Swarovski crystals). I went during the day, so instead of trying to capture entire windows with lots of glare, I went for a few special details. To see some pictures of the full windows and to get more information, you can visit the Bergdorf Goodman blog.
After admiring the magnificent embroidery on a positively exquisite dress, and being awed by the craftsmanship of the pearl detailing on Poseidon and his fish, my friend and I both agreed that the outfit in the "Hidden Gem" window (the purple one at the beginning of the post) was meant for Prince... and should definitely only be worn by him. Ever. Can you say statement outfit? I loved all of the references to 1920s glamour in a few of the smaller windows, but the entire set is a work of art so definitely take a stroll by if you have the time this season.
Once we had seen the windows it was time for a quick hot chocolate from Starbucks before walking down to Rockefeller Center to see the tree. It was midday, the plaza was ridiculously crowded, and there aren't any ornaments on the tree, just lights. Sadly, that means that a very big tree in the middle of a plaza looks a little odd. For the full effect, I highly recommend going at night, otherwise the tree at the ice rink in Bryant Park is a nice photo-op spot instead since it is covered in sparkly decorations. A bonus of Bryant Park is the Winter Market, which has everything from ornaments to fun gift ideas. Definitely worth a look if you are having a hard time finding that special something for someone on your list.
The windows, the tree, and the winter market were enough to fulfill my need for Christmas spirit for the day, so with the lovely sunshine on our faces, we struck out to take a nice walk from Union Square down through the village.
As I always do while walking downtown, I enjoyed a chance to capture the beautiful architecture and detailing in the area. Our walk managed to give us an appetite, so we made our way down to Nolita to meet up with some more friends for brunch at Balzem on Mott Street. The "Open Face" sandwich was a popular choice among our party, but I definitely had my eye on my friend's plate of steak and eggs. The service was great and the food delicious so I would highly recommend stopping in for the brunch menu.
After a long morning, brunch had revived us a bit, so we decided to take another walk around the Washington Square Park because we just couldn't give up being outside in the amazing weather! We were lucky enough to catch the park at sunset when the lights were coming on to light up the arch.
It was nice to see the spirit of the season extended to sharing positive thoughts in a simple memorial to Paris near the arch in the park.
As the sun was finally setting my friend and I decided it was time to call it a day, but before going home to relax for the evening we stopped into Faccio's and Pasticceria Rocco to grab a sandwich and a cannoli to have for dinner!
Thank you for coming with me to visit some of the christmas sights in New York. I hope this inspires you to go out and take them in for yourself!
~ V
Date & Locations: Saturday, 5 Dec 2015 - Bergdorf Goodman windows (754 5th Ave, NYC), Tree at Rockefeller Center (45 Rockefeller Plaza, NYC), Brunch at Balzem (202 Mott St, NYC), Washington Square Park
Photos taken with: Nikon D5300, Nikon 18-140mm f3.5-5.6 DX Lens, & Nikon 35mm f1.8 DX Lens
Photo credits: Myself
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