NYC Holiday Lights Adventure by Robin Gorman Newman

Even though I’m a New York native, we don’t live in NYC, so I love taking tours with my son to experience Manhattan and beyond in a way we might not otherwise.

This year, I discovered NY See Tours, and we had an opportunity to take the CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TOUR, and we had a truly memorable experience.

Unparalleled and unmatched by any other city in the world, the Christmas holidays in New York City are a magical time. From the Tree in Rockefeller Center to the Christmas windows of Macy’s, Bergdorf’s and Saks 5th Avenue, the city is alive with Christmas spirit and energy.

This year, for the first time ever, NYSee Tours offered their unique version of a New York holiday tour: The NYSee Christmas Lights Tour, running til New Years day every day from 7-11pm.

A visit at Christmas Time to NYC would not be complete without a stop at the Macy’s Holiday windows on 34th Street. The tour began in Herald Square next to Macy’s where we strolled over to and enjoy these yuletide displays.

After enjoying the windows, we boarded the comfortable tour bus on 34th Street and headed through the glittering streets of Manhattan to Dyker Heights in Brooklyn – that’s right – Brooklyn!

For years, the houses and mansions of this Italian enclave in Brooklyn have been adorned with the largest and brightest displays of Christmas lights anywhere in New York City outside of Rockefeller Center.  Who knew?!  It was a truly spectacular winter wonderland, and if you’ve never been, and enjoy holiday lights, I totally recommend you check it out.

Dyker Heights House — photo by my son Seth

We walked through the streets of Dyker Heights enjoying the lights and decorations, taking photographs, and getting into the holiday spirit.  I’ve never walked through this part of Brooklyn, so this was a tour highlight for me….and my son!  After our walk, we reboarded the bus, made a pitstop bathroom, snack break at a local Nathan’s,  and drove to our last stop in Brooklyn at Fulton Ferry Landing. There, we had the opportunity to view the spectacular panorama of the Lower Manhattan skyline.

The tour continued as the bus crossed the Manhattan Bridge to head to Greenwich Village, where you could disembark if your choose to stroll around on your own.  We opted to stay on the bus. The bus then went uptown, with a drop-off at our pickup location, and then a final stop at Bryant Park, where you could disembark to see the ice-skaters and beautiful blue lights of the Christmas tree.  The tour then walked six blocks uptown to the spectacular tree in Rockefeller Center.  It’s always a thrill to see this tree, and to soak in the energy of the season and witness the excitement of the hoards of tourists and New Yorkers alike. 

Christmas time in the city is always special and energizing, and this was a unique and convenient way to to seize the holiday moment.  Fred, the engaging native New Yorker owner of the company, was our tour guide, and he was terrific!  Full of fun, informative facts about the city that I never knew, such as insider info. on the founders of Macy’s and the Titanic.

If you don’t get a chance to experience this tour this year, they have other offerings worth exploring….or you can keep the CHRISTMAS LIGHTS TOUR in mind for next year.  This NY See Tours is a treat!  We’d love to make it an annual outing for my son and I!

To book, email  [email protected] or call (212)-957-5009.  Visit http://www.nyseetours.com.

Note: Thanks to NYSee Tours for arranging our tour.