All photos courtesy of Walks
Official guided tours of Grand Central Terminal are returning for the first time since the start of the pandemic. MTA Metro-North announced this week City Experiences’s sightseeing company “Walks” will become the new operator of the official tour of Grand Central. Tours of the historic landmark are available daily, starting at 3 p.m. Tickets cost $35 for adults and $30 for children.
All photos courtesy of NYC Parks / Malcolm Pinckney
NYC Park’s annual Wreath Interpretations exhibition has returned to the Arsenal Gallery for its 40th year. Now through December 30, the public can visit the gallery, located in Central Park, and view nearly 40 unique, handcrafted wreaths that celebrate the holiday season.
Photo by Asael Peña on Unsplash
The cost of a subway or bus ride in New York City could increase to more than $3 per trip by 2025 under proposed fare hikes, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) announced this week. During the transit agency’s monthly board meeting on Wednesday, officials said a higher-than-projected fare increase, from a planned 4 percent hike to instead a 5.5 percent jump, is needed because of significant budget deficits due to low ridership.
All images courtesy of the Empire State Realty Trust
Santa Claus will be visiting the Empire State Building Observatory for the first time ever this holiday season. On two days in December, visitors can meet Santa and share their Christmas wishes on the iconic building’s 80th floor. The landmark skyscraper will be decked out with festive decor and offer musical performances.
Photo courtesy of Alison Day for New York Hotels Magazine on Flickr
The Brooklyn Museum this week launched a new digital guide on the Bloomberg Connects app that allows art lovers to learn more about the museum’s expansive collection that spans 5,500 years of human creativity. Aimed at enhancing in-person and virtual visits, the museum’s guide includes audio tours led by curators and creators that focus on artwork found across its five floors.
Image courtesy of Samir Hussein for Getty Images
Here’s a chance to visit Christmas Queen Mariah Carey’s New York City penthouse during the holidays. Hosted by Booking.com, “Mariah’s Ultimate Holiday Experience” consists of a three-night stay at The Plaza hotel, a cocktail hour and Christmas card photo shoot at the superstar’s penthouse apartment, tickets to Carey’s “Merry Christmas To All” concert at Madison Square Garden, and much more. Available to just two lucky fans, the exclusive experience opens for booking on a first-come-first-service basis on December 14 at 5 p.m.
Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim on Flickr
A historic church that has resided in Manhattan for more than 175 years is set to be demolished, as first reported by Crain’s New York. Located at 154 Lexington Avenue in Nomad, the First Moravian Church served as an important meeting space for patriotic societies and women’s groups and played a critical role in welcoming Armenian immigrants to New York City. An application was filed this month for an 11-story mixed-use building at the site, according to city records.
Photo of the 2021 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree courtesy of Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Tishman Speyer
New York City’s annual lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has been a favorite holiday tradition for New Yorkers and visitors alike since its inception in the early 1930s. This year marks the 90th anniversary of the festive tradition that draws hundreds of thousands of people daily to the area around Fifth Avenue. From the tree’s humble beginnings as a place to gather during the Great Depression to its 50,000 sparkling lights and 900-pound Swarovski crystal-covered star topper, here are 10 things you might not know about the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree.
Photo by Marc Hermann, Courtesy of the New York Transit Museum
Holiday Nostalgia Rides, the New York Transit Museum’s beloved tradition, has returned to the city for the first time in two years. Every Sunday between Thanksgiving and Christmas, New Yorkers will be able to ride vintage subway trains that will depart from Chambers Street and 137th Street-City College stations and make express stops on the local 1 line track. The Holiday Nostalgia Train will feature the Train of Many Colors, a selection of different vintage subway cars from the 1960s representing different eras of the subway system’s history.
Photo © 6sqft
The New York Public Library last week released its annual list of the best books of the year. The recommendations were selected by expert librarians and staff who reviewed nearly 3,000 books and ultimately selected 260 of the best titles for kids, teens, and adults in 2022. Whether you want to buy a book as a gift for the holidays or are just interested in reading one yourself, NYPL’s Best Books of 2022 list has something for every type of reader.
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