Christmas

The city may have created additional pedestrian space around Rockefeller Center this year, but the throngs of tourists are still filling the streets around the Christmas tree and holiday windows. If you'd rather not deal with the crowds, photographers James and Karla Murray have captured the best of this year's windows, from the magical "Frozen" themed light show at Saks Fifth Avenue to the artistic displays at Bergdorf Goodman. Ahead, see what's on view this year and learn a bit more about what goes into creating these whimsical scenes.
It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Events & Things To Do

A vendor in Soho is selling Christmas trees for as much as $6,500 each

Good luck finding a Christmas tree in NYC for under $75 this year; Photo by Billy Williams on Unsplash

December 9, 2019

A vendor in Soho is selling Christmas trees for as much as $6,500 each

A Christmas tree vendor in Manhattan is selling 20-foot Fraser firs for $6,500 each, most likely the most expensive evergreen in the city, the New York Post reported Sunday. Scott Lechner, the manager of Soho Trees, located near Canal Street, told the newspaper that the exorbitant prices aren't slowing sales. "We're sold out," he said. The steep price tag includes delivery and installation.
More here

Events & Things To Do

The best holiday decorations for modern apartment living

Photo via Pexels

December 6, 2019

The best holiday decorations for modern apartment living

So maybe you don't have room for a Norway spruce big enough to rival Rockefeller Center's. Maybe you don't even have a chimney from which to hang stockings with care. Or maybe holiday decorating seems a little old fashioned–which might be just what you're looking for. The good thing about the season is that adding sparkle doesn't take up a lot of space. The choices are nearly endless; what you choose should reflect nothing so much as your own personal style. From classic to retro to contemporary to some more out-of-the-box picks, here are some ideas for small-space holiday decorating.
What's your holiday decorating style?

December 4, 2019

NYC’s 11 most festive bars and restaurants

By Rebecca Fishbein

With its lit-up streets and sidewalk tree-sellers, New York is at its best during the holidays, especially if you can avoid tourist-clogged areas like Rockefeller Center and Times Square. There are lots of lovely festive spots to celebrate seasonal cheer, including local bars and restaurants that transform their spaces into holiday wonderlands, complete with themed drinks, bites, and lots of Christmas lights. Here are some of our favorites.
11 spots to get festive

Image by Gerhard Gellinger via Pixabay

December 2, 2019

The 13 best Advent calendars of 2019

Advent calendars–those countdown calendars with little doors or tabs that can be opened each day of the month–are a visual, hands-on way to deal with counting the days 'til Christmas. The idea falls somewhere between a card and a gift, with the added excitement of having each day be a chance to reveal a new bauble, bonbon, potion or prize. Both the ritual of finding out what’s behind the door–and getting to enjoy it–can be almost as fun for grown-ups as kids. Below are 12 cool countdown calendars stocked with treats from chocolates and tea to Marvel figurines and "Game of Thrones" socks (yes, really.)–and one DIY version you can fill with whatever you like.
cool advent calendars, this way

Vintage photos document the origins of Black Friday shopping in NYC

Christmas shoppers on 6th Avenue (1910) via Library of Congress

November 27, 2019

Vintage photos document the origins of Black Friday shopping in NYC

Black Friday marks the start of frantic holiday shopping, the day when retailers offer their best deals of the season to lure in eager shoppers. While some gift-givers now choose to digitally add items to shopping carts from the comfort of bed instead, many still line up outside of stores at the crack of dawn in search of major discounts. This is not a modern phenomenon, as these photographs from the Library of Congress of 20th century New York City reveal. Like today, New Yorkers of the early 1900s were drawn to the magical window shops and displays. Ahead, explore vintage photos of shoppers browsing New York City stores looking for the perfect presents, postcards and more.
See the photos here

The top NYC holiday markets and pop-up shops of 2019

Photo courtesy of Grand Bazaar

November 18, 2019

The top NYC holiday markets and pop-up shops of 2019

New York is a city of shoppers, and though the retail landscape may be undergoing a sea change, there’s still a lot to be said for perusing yards of beautiful baubles and quirky crafts you won't find online in the company of other shoppers and plenty of good cheer. There’s no shortage of holiday markets this season, with one in practically every corner of town; and each one is unique in its own way. The big Manhattan markets–at Union Square, Bryant Park, Grand Central Station, and Columbus Circle–get points for sheer volume, but some of the best finds can be had at smaller, more intimate neighborhood affairs. And they all sparkle with winter wonderland delights from ice skating and music to drinks, food, workshops, tarot readings, nail art, and family fun to keep shoppers' spirits bright.
Find out where to get the goods

Events & Things To Do

‘Remake the Holidays’ by turning your used wrapping paper into garland and other crafts

We've all been there--the gifts have been opened and what's left is a heaping pile of wrapping paper, boxes, ribbons, and tissue paper. Instead of throwing it all into a garbage bag, the New York Hall of Science has a fun series of events running from December 27th-30th that will let you "Remake the Holidays." Workshop topics include turning wrapping paper and catalogs into garland; helping to build a Winter Wonderland using paper, textiles, and cardboard; and "tinkering" with toys and everyday materials to make new creations.
More on the events

Events & Things To Do

December 21, 2018

Chimneys and reindeer food: These maps optimize Santa’s Christmas Eve efficiency

Santa may not have an engineering background, but he certainly knows his location intelligence, considering he's long been able to deliver billions of gifts around the world in just one night. But with population growing and delivery becoming faster and faster (ahem, Amazon), the team at Datastory decided to help him out and optimize his Christmas Eve travel. Using the metrics of population, fly times, fireplaces, cookies, milk, and reindeer food (aka grassy areas), they've suggested "distribution points that maximize access to everyone on the nice list," so that, in theory, "his elves could stage the gifts in just the right places, helping Santa complete the job in time."
Learn more about Santa's travels

Events & Things To Do

December 11, 2018

See this year’s completely outrageous Dyker Heights Christmas lights

Where else can you see 25-foot toy soldiers, a two-story Santa, or a house decked out with 30,000 lights other than Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. The suburban neighborhood, historically a quiet, Italian-American enclave, has been putting on its legendary holiday spectacle since 1986, when Lucy Spata moved to the area. Her over-the-top Christmas displays started as a way to honor her mother's memory (she also loved holiday decorations) and quickly her neighbors followed suit. Today, Lucy is known around town as "Mrs. Claus" and the Dyker Heights lights attract up to 150,000 visitors each season. 6sqft's resident photographers, James and Karla Murray, recently visited Dyker Heights and captured the outrageous lights and decorations in all their glory. And they were even lucky enough to meet Lucy herself!
See this year's insane Christmas light extravaganza

GIVEWAY: Join a 6sqft editor for a special ‘Christmas History in Gramercy’ tour

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress

December 7, 2018

GIVEWAY: Join a 6sqft editor for a special ‘Christmas History in Gramercy’ tour

Did you know the nation's first public Christmas tree went up in NYC? Or how about the fact that Santa Claus was born here in both literature and drawing? And have you seen the famous restaurant decorated with 15,000 Christmas ornaments, 10,000 lights? Join 6sqft's managing editor Dana Schulz for her Christmas in Gramercy tour with the Municipal Art Society to see and learn about all this and more. Taking place, Saturday, December 15th, the two-hour event will reveal the surprising origins of our most beloved holiday traditions.
Enter to win tickets here!

Events & Things To Do

Photographer Betsy Pinover Schiff takes us on an illuminated tour of NYC during Christmastime

6sqft’s series The Urban Lens invites photographers to share work exploring a theme or a place within New York City. In this installment, NYC-based photographer Betsy Pinover Schiff shares photos from her new book, “‘Tis the Season New York.” Are you a photographer who’d like to see your work featured on The Urban Lens? Get in touch with us at [email protected].

December 7, 2018

Photographer Betsy Pinover Schiff takes us on an illuminated tour of NYC during Christmastime

Two years ago while attending for the first time the Winter’s Eve Festival, billed as the largest holiday festival in New York City, photographer Betsy Pinover Schiff had an ah-ha Christmas moment. If she, a native New Yorker, just recently learned about this huge annual celebration that draws thousands to Lincoln Square, what other Christmas celebrations was she missing? In a quest to find out, Betsy ended up taking hundreds of photos and attending hundreds of events across the city, all within a six-week period. Her curiosity grew to become the basis of her latest book, “‘Tis the Season New York," which was released this fall. Her book takes us on a tour of NYC during its most festive time of the year, from photos of the holiday windows at Saks Fifth Avenue to the elaborately decorated homes of Dyker Heights. Plus, 15 different New Yorkers, ranging from philanthropist Agnes Gund to Betsy's postman, provided their own NYC experiences for the book. Ahead, Betsy shares with 6sqft some of her sparkling photos and tells us how New York during Christmastime becomes a place for "fun, fantasy, and endless heartwarming moments."
See the spirited photos

Support refugees, immigrants, and local public schools at these NYC holiday markets

Via Choose Love

December 3, 2018

Support refugees, immigrants, and local public schools at these NYC holiday markets

This holiday season, instead of buying more stuff you don't need, gift items that make a true difference in someone's life. In Soho, Choose Love sells gifts that go directly to refugees, like tents and diapers. The "Give Back" holiday market in Gowanus is back this year, offering a percentage of all proceeds to the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES). And Upper West Side standby and the biggest of its kind in NYC, the Grand Bazaar Holiday Market will donate 100 percent of its profits to four local public schools.
Learn ways to give here

Events & Things To Do

November 27, 2018

On Long Island, Santa’s Christmas Tree Farm is for sale for $2.5M (lights included)

No, really. Santa's Christmas Tree Farm spans 28 acres in Long Island's North Fork, and this cool Cutchogue property [h/t Curbed] is the perfect gift for that special someone on your list who has everything, provided you have the $2.5 million required to close the deal, which incudes 23 planted acres, an 1,800-square-foot farmhouse, an 8,000-square-foot commercial Morton building (lights and trimming, of course) and four irrigation wells.
20,000 Christmas trees, this way

November 26, 2018

The best offbeat holiday events, exhibits, and outings in NYC this year

The winter holiday season is as much about tradition as it is about twinkling lights and shopping, from the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree and the Rockettes to The Nutcracker and as many versions of Handel's Messiah as there are ways to count 'em–plus a full menu of classics on TV and at the movies. If you're craving a break from the old chestnuts, these less-traditional alternatives to the holiday hit parade might be just the kind of merry you're looking to make.
No SantaCon, we promise

November 19, 2018

NYC’s best alternative holiday markets and coolest pop-up shops of 2018

No matter how hard we try to resist the urge to do last-minute shopping, that unexpected invitation, secret Santa or gift that needs reciprocation sends us scrambling for the perfect present. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of holiday markets and pop-up shops offering a bounty of just-right goodies and crafty gifts. The big NYC markets at Union Square, Bryant Park, Grand Central Station, and Columbus Circle are the front-runners for sheer volume, but some of the best finds are waiting to be discovered at smaller, cooler neighborhood affairs. In addition to locally-made jewelry, crafts, vintage items, artfully curated fashions, home items, gourmet goodies and other things we didn't know we needed, these hip retail outposts sparkle with drinks, food, workshops, tarot readings, nail art, music, and family fun to keep shoppers' spirits bright.
Find out where to get the goods

Events & Things To Do

Daniel Libeskind’s 900-pound star brings the bling to this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

Image: Diane Bondareff/AP Images for Tishman Speyer via TimeOut

November 15, 2018

Daniel Libeskind’s 900-pound star brings the bling to this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

The star that tops the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree each year never fails to dazzle; this year is no exception. The 12-ton Norway Spruce has been crowned by architect Daniel Libeskind's creation consisting of 3 million Swarovski crystals and weighing in at 900 pounds. The World Trade Center master site planner, known for his geometric, angular designs, called the star “a symbol that represents our greatest ambitions for hope, unity and peace.” And we can all use plenty of that.
106,400 lumens of white light, this way

New York City was home to America’s first-ever electrically lit Christmas tree

The first electrically-illuminated Christmas tree in 1882, courtesy of the Thomas Edison Museum

December 4, 2017

New York City was home to America’s first-ever electrically lit Christmas tree

At a townhouse on East 36th Street in 1882, the first Christmas tree to ever be adorned with electrical lights was lit, paving the way for the frenzy surrounding tree lightings around the world today. As an engineer and vice president of the Edison Electric Light Company, as well as Thomas Edison’s business partner, Edward Hibberd Johnson, was quite familiar with light bulbs. While festively decorating his apartment ahead of the holiday that year, Johnson had a very bright idea: wiring 80 red, white and blue light bulbs together around the tree and placing it in his parlor window.
More history this way

December 4, 2017

15 alternative Christmas trees that fit your decorating style (and your apartment)

For traditionalists who relish the ritual of bringing home the perfect evergreen, the idea of any man-made alternative has little appeal. But just as many tree-seekers are happy to anchor their December decor with a Christmas tree that doesn't shed and doesn't need to be sent to the curb when the season's over. The options are as varied as the reasons we love them: Some literally take up no space, perfect for tiny apartments. Others are perfectly modern, rustic, retro or Nordic to reflect the style of their owners. Below are 15 fun, festive, sustainable and re-usable alternatives to pine and fir.
deck the halls, this way

November 29, 2017

The 10 best holiday events and activities for NYC history buffs

The holidays turn New York City into a bright, illuminated wonderland that even the biggest Scrooge among us can enjoy. While there are plenty of events to choose from, like alternative holiday markets and glittering art installations, many of these activities can be jampacked with tourists. For those looking to learn more about their own holiday traditions, or understand others, there are lots of low-key, educational events perfect for history buffs looking for a quieter holiday experience. Ahead, check out 6sqft’s guide to the best holiday events in New York City that come with a historical twist, from Christmas to Hanukkah to Kwanzaa.
This way for our top-10 picks

Events & Things To Do

December 9, 2016

Google’s Window Wonderland lets you tour Fifth Avenue holiday window displays from your home

Google Maps introduced a street-view look at NYC's holiday windows a couple years ago, but their Shopping app has now completely revamped the feature, launching this year as Window Wonderland. The interactive tool lets users take a high-resolution digital tour of 18 stores, including audio tours from their creative directors and real-life background street noise. See the 34 hand-sculpted animals in Lord & Taylor's "Enchanted Forest," explore the candy and couture at Saks Fifth Avenue's "Land of 1000 Delights," or see the gang from South Park at Barney's.
READ MORE

December 6, 2016

New documentary ‘Tree Man’ explores the lives of NYC’s Christmas tree sellers