Christmas in New York

Enjoying warm weather and doing OK

New York, New York, it's a wonderful town!
There is nothing, and I mean nothing, like New York at Christmas time.  It is MAGIC. Last Wednesday, accompanied by my 10 year old granddaughter, I went on a bus trip (2 1/2 hours) to the Big Apple to see the show at Radio City Music Hall and enjoy some of the sights. There was so much I wanted to share with her, but time was limited, so I decided to curtail our activities to the Rockefeller Center area.  We started off with a visit to the Lego store, then a walk-about to see the Christmas tree that was to be lighted that evening in an celebrity-filled ceremony.  There was hubbub all about and it was fun to watch all the preparations as lighting and props were assembled. We dined in the cafe looking out on to the stage (which is usually a skating rink), and my granddaughter and I delighted in all the activities. 












Next stop was the Top of the Rock, otherwise known as 30 Rock. After a brief movie about the skyscraper, up we went in an elevator to 850 ft above street level. From the observatory, we could look over the whole city and take in all its magnificence.   I have to admit though, I had few butterflies in my stomach looking out at that height.  But it was cool!



 When we got to street level, we were off to look at some of New York's holiday decorated windows. We stopped at Saks and passed by American Girl Store. Well, we did more than pass by the latter, we went inside just to see what it was like. As we entered, we were greeted by a lady with her three children who remarked that my granddaughter, with her long, waist length blond hair and blue eyes was the real American Girl Doll. She looked at her daughters and said that they should have invited their grandmother along so"Bubbe" could buy them AG stuff, which she assumed, I was there to do. I shook my head because I knew that my gd had no interest in dolls and therefore my life savings was not in jeopardy. The store has 4 floors, but by the time we got through half of the first, she was in love. However, that little girl who is not so little any more, told me she just liked the look of them but really did not want one, "Really, really, no Mamama, I don't need one". I will take her at her word.

We had one last stop before the show and it was the famous bakery, Magnolia's.  We bought a dozen of their famous cupcakes to bring home and share with the family.  I never ate one, but I did lick the icing off my fingers when I passed them out when we got home, and the word "heaven" comes to mind.  That lick was probably 2000 calories, and worth every one of them.

I have to say that when we arrived at Radio City Music Hall, I was disappointed.  I grew up in New York, albeit the Bronx and not Manhattan, but I have memories of that great theater and of the wonderful times we had when my parents took us there.  It looked a little shabby to me now and certainly not as elegant as I had remembered.  The lobby was beautiful with it's crystal tree hanging from the ceiling, but if you look at the picture closely, you will notice "Chase" written across the wreath in the background. How sad that today we are bombarded with advertising everyplace we look.  When we got inside, there were no chandeliers like I thought I remembered, but rather a modern, dull, rather ugly stage and facade.  Lights gave the look of snowflakes on the walls, but there also was the word  "Chase" scrawled on both sides.  The day may come soon when "Coke" or "Honda" may be superimposed on Lady Liberty's derriere. 



At four o'clock it was time to head home.  There was already a large crowd gathering at Rockefeller Center for the nights festivities.  By 7 pm, a quarter of a million people would be there.  Leaving early made it very easy to get out of the city, as there was little traffic going that way.  The traffic coming in though was a different story. As much as I would have loved to have stayed in town for a little longer, I was delighted to miss the mob.

Going to the Big Apple in December, awesome; having great weather (in the 60's), outstanding;  spending a day with my granddaughter and showing her the sights I remember, PRICELESS.  My heart overflowed with emotion.

The New York my grandparents, parents and I grew up in years ago.

Oh wait, is that my dad in his Fedora, standing in the park, or waiting for the light to change, yes, yes, I see him.  Oh, he is so handsome!