Christmastime in the City (NYC)

There isn't anyplace more magical at the holidays than New York City. Living two hours away from New York, it is a tradition to visit to see The Tree, The Windows, and The Crowds. In 2020 we saw two out of three.

Unable to coordinate with Ashley, Don and I got tickets to see "How to Dance in Ohio" -- a new musical based on the documentary about seven autistic young adults navigating life, starring seven autistic performers. The show had the added draw that one my friends from high school is one of the co-producers, and I like to support my friends at all levels, even if we haven't been in touch much.

The show deserves a separate post.

Due to a doctor's appointment, we did not get as early of a start as hoped. We decided to drive to Secaucus and take the train into New York -- a method my sister Melissa and her husband Chris swear by, but the one time we tried it they were working on the lines and it was pure torture. By arriving after 5, parking was only $14, and the train tickets were $8.50 each, making it cheaper and easier than taking the train from Princeton Junction, even factoring in the tolls for taking the NJ Turnpike and the extra gas.

We made it to New York with barely enough time to shop at the Broadway Up Close kiosk in Times Square and buy a gift for Ashley. As a bonus, we saw the owner, Tim, and his mother, who was visiting from Michigan. As Tim said, "timing is everything." Five minutes earlier he wasn't at the shop. Five minutes later and he would have been closed until 2024.

Unfortunately our tight timeline did not allow us a chance to eat dinner before the 7 pm curtain. We only had 45 minutes left until curtain. I thought through my Christmastime in the City goals: The Tree. The Windows. The Crowds. This time accomplishing one and a half of those goals: The Crowds and a crowded view of The Tree.

We fought the crowds once more to reach the Belasco Theatre on 46th between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, fortunately we were on 49th and Sixth (and a half) Avenue, and 49th was closed to cars. We made it with plenty of time to spare, even factoring in we had to climb to the last row and wanted to eat the granola bars we packed before the show started.

Safely ensconced in our seats, we enjoyed the show. The audience was excited because someone was making his Broadway debut. Every time he came on stage, it seemed a third of the audience cheered extra loudly for him. You couldn't help but smile and get caught up in their enthusiasm.

After the show I looked at Don and said if we leave now, we should be able to catch dinner at The Counter, if we hang out at the stage door for autographs, I can't make any promises. It was already 9:30 pm, and even though New York is considered "the city that never sleeps," we've also noticed places close earlier than they did before the pandemic.

As we dashed into the restaurant we were greeted by Mike, our favorite server. He took one look at us and said he was just about to tell the kitchen to shut down for the night, but we can order first. It was the perfect bookend to our evening in New York. 

Located at the corner of 41st and 7th, in Times Square, The Counter is a burger place a friend turned us onto at least a dozen years ago. They hand you a piece of paper and you mark off exactly what you want your burger to be like -- what kind of meat (or "meat, in Ashley's case), which toppings, what kind of bread, cheese, and sauce. You can add fries, cole slaw, or upgrade to toppings like avocados. They are consistently good. It is one of the few places where I order my burger cooked Medium, and it comes out Medium. Most other places will ask how you want your burger cooked, but their cook makes them all the same way. I've given up trying and save my red meat orders for The Counter. Our order is often a giant salad with a burger in the middle. Reasonably priced. We are in and out within an hour -- important when we are there to see a show.

The weather was seasonally brisk, so we went back up to 50th and 5th to see the windows at Saks Fifth Avenue, and visit The Tree again. Saks often has the most elegant windows, and this year did not disappoint. It is clear Christian Dior was their corporate sponsor, something I don't recall from past years.

Below are a few windows:

We walked across the street to see The Tree. As we waited to get closer, I overheard an engagement taking place, reminding me it was the 32nd anniversary of Don proposing to me at the top of the Empire State Building. Unlike this new bride, though, I did not have a fresh manicure nor was I dressed for a photo shoot. They traveled from England to become engaged. We only crossed the Hudson River. Still, it brought back the feelings from that December day in 1991.

We paused in front of the Belasco Theatre for a picture without the crowds before ending our evening studying the windows at Macy's. Whereas Saks' windows have always been elegant, Macy's have always been high tech. I miss the windows at Lord & Taylors as they were my favorites. HERE is a link to the other displays we did not study. Shame on me for not realizing FAO Schwartz's windows are something we were supposed to study. We passed them a couple of times that night. I always think of the time we bumped into Ashley's friend Maia when we all just happened to be in NYC at the same time.

Hard to see, but we appear in each opening

LEGO

Barbie -- very 2023

From there it was a quick walk to Penn Station. By parking at Secaucus we had our choice of trains. My feet were hurting, so I opted for the one closest to where we were standing vs. the one leaving the soonest. There was only a two-minute difference between times. Worth it to sit sooner.