Holidays in New York City

My new year's resolution is to tell my stories in real time. Luckily for me, this is holiday season, and I'm living in fabulous New York city and something is always happening here. Living very close to Time Square has its ups and downs, especially in New Year's eve. The neighbourhood gets very crowded during this time of year, and even a simple task of crossing the street can be a challenge. I was invited to a party to celebrate New Year, and was tasked with bringing the desert. Although the weather outside was 32 degrees Fahrenheit and some of the streets were closed by the police as part of preparations for the ball drop celebration, I decided to go out to buy pastries from Magnolia Bakery. My main goal was of course the famous banana pudding.

Unfortunately, after standing in line for almost half an hour, I discovered that they ran out of their famous pudding. They suggested me to come back an hour later. This was a perfect opportunity to enjoy the festive atmosphere in the city, so I decided to make the most of it and went for a photo walk in the area. The Rockefeller Center is not to be missed any time, but during the holidays its definitely a must. The ice skate rink down under the huge Christmas tree is probably the most symbolic image of the winter season in the city.

Just across the street from there, the Saxs Fifth Avenue store is another must see location. The store has unique holiday display window decorations on the outside, but the inside offers a winning combination of warmth and photo opportunities. I defrosted, made a few photos and went back to the bakery.

I could not ignore all the people on the streets, queuing up for the ball drop, so I looked for a good viewpoint to capture the crowds. I found a great spot on the second floor of the M&M store on Broadway.

Last, but not least, as I'm already late for the New Year's eve party, for which I finally was able to get the banana pudding, I want to share this last photo. One of New York's most colorful streets is in the Dyker Heights neighborhood in Brooklyn, which is famous for its Christmas lights decorations, and becomes a major tourist attraction this time of the year. This place is definitely recommended for anyone who wants to get into the holidays spirit.

Happy New Year!