The holiday season has arrived and there’s nothing like an electrifying display of lights to charge you up for the season and zap US with that jolly-good Christmas cheer. Luckily for us, there’s no place in the world that does holiday lights quite like US.
From the east side to the west side, dazzling displays to brilliant bulbs, sparkling city skylines to mesmerizing megawatt-lined drives, when these destinations for holiday lights flip their switches, they mark an even more spectacular holiday season, guaranteeing spectators a sparkling dose of over-the-top seasons greetings.
NYC is known for doing things bigger, better, and brighter, and the holidays are no exception, what with the city’s wondrous window displays, holiday concerts and events, bustling holiday markets, ice-skating rinks, chestnut-roasting street vendors, and seemingly endless street-to-street stream of shining holiday lights.
City Island Images has gathered the following list to share with all our readers:
South Street Seaport lit November 25; www.southstreetseaport.com
Lincoln Center lit November 28, www.winterseve.org
Bryant Park (lit November 29; www.bryantpark.org
Metropolitan Museum of Art lit November 29; www.metmuseum.org
Winter Garden, where 45-foot-tall palm trees are offset by 100,000 white lights lit November 29–January 8; free; www.artsworldfinancialcenter.com
Rockefeller Center’s iconic Christmas tree, set aglow with some 30,000 bulbs that glisten down upon the ice-skating rink, bugling lit-up angels, and wide-eyed tourists through early January on November 30; the spectacular is also free and live on TV. www.rockefellercenter.com
Watch the lighting of the world’s largest Chanukah menorah – at 32-feet high and 4,000 pounds – on the southeastern corner of Central Park on December 20.
The dangling dozen of illuminated 14-foot stars at the Time Warner Center Begins at 5pm -Now–January 3; free; www.shopsatcolumbuscircle.com
Look to the city’s outer boroughs, too, for unique takes on holiday lights: We especially like the ostentatiously decorated homes expect larger-than-life motorized displays, inflatable decorations, and a gargantuan gaggle of glaring lights.