With tall skyscrapers, historic landmarks, busy streets, an astounding nightlife, and a million and one things to do, New York City deserves its title of the city that never sleeps. The electricity is seen and felt. The city’s energy is simply undeniable, especially during the holiday season.

Now I’ve been to New York City before, but never during Christmastime. This year my mom and I were looking forward to the elaborate window displays, the legendary Radio City Rockettes, and of course the grand, brilliantly decorated tree in Rockefeller Center. Although our trip lasted a day, we definitely got the full NYC Christmas experience, complete with large, fluffy snowflakes.

As soon as we arrived, my mom and I rushed off to catch the Radio City Christmas Spectacular. Neither of us had ever seen the Rockettes before, but since it’s an annual tradition in New York and has been performed for 23 years, it was not a show to be missed.  

Walking into Radio City Hall guaranteed that the show would be excellent. A huge chandelier in the shape of a tree greeted everyone in the main entrance. There were multiple Christmas wreaths hanging throughout the building, as well. Even without the holiday decorations the room itself was gorgeous in red and gold.

The theatre was also elaborately decorated for Christmas, and the performance was absolutely amazing. The Christmas Spectacular was indeed spectacular with perfectly coordinated performances by the Rockettes, greetings from Santa Claus, and a living nativity scene. There were even 3D glasses given with each program to view the backdrop of the show, which included one of the world’s largest indoor LED screens. The entire show was definitely worth seeing, and the Rockettes’ performance was beyond my expectations.

Our next stop was Fifth Avenue, where we did a lot of walking and not a lot of spending. We stopped in at the eminent Saks and Tiffany’s where highly crafted window displays lured customers in.  

In Saks we were immediately greeted by men in tuxes and women dressed in their best. In Tiffany’s, the staff were equally well dressed, and everything in both stores sparkled and shined. This was my first visit to both places and I was definitely awestruck by the service, the amount of perfume and diamonds, and the prices.

Also on Fifth Avenue, we visited to F.A.O Schwartz, The NBA Store, The Trump Tower, American Girl Place, and the Disney store.

Inside every store we found Christmas decorations like we’ve never seen before. The window displays were all beautiful and extremely unique. No two were alike and it was hard to pick a favorite. Half the fun of being on Fifth Avenue was just being able to be a part of the Christmas experience and viewing the decorations on the boulevard of fashion in New York City. 

When it became darker outside and the snow began falling more heavily, it made our experience even more wonderful. Of course, when the sun goes down in NYC the lights come on. All the lights and ads in Times Square illuminated the snowflakes outside.

Out of all the holiday decorations in New York City, none can be more astonishing than the great, beautifully decorated tree in Rockefeller Center. Although we had seen the tree earlier in the day, it was so much more striking at night when all the lights were lit and the star twinkled bright on top of the tree.

I couldn’t believe how tall the tree was. All I could think about was that moment on Home Alone 2 when Kevin is finally reunited with his mother right in front of the Rockefeller tree. What made it even more beautiful were all the ice skaters laughing, skating and having a blast beneath the tree. With all the smaller decorative trees and lighted angels, the whole scene was like nothing I’ve ever seen before.  

New York City has so many opportunities and endless things to do. It really is a city full of energy and electricity. During the Christmas season that energy and electricity is amplified to its greatest amount with all the wonderful decorations, events, and the magical Rockefeller tree.

The trip was a remarkable and wonderful experience. The best thing about it is that Erie offers bus trips to this incredible city all year round, not just in December. The experience is all the more breathtaking when you visit New York City during Christmastime.