Christmas in New York – Insta vs Reality….

Christmas in New York had been on my wish list for as long as I can remember. The year before last, I finally went with Miss Frugal and honestly… it was one of the best trips we’ve ever had.

But as magical as it sometimes looked in the photos, the reality was definitely a bit different a lot of the time, so I thought I’d share the reality behind some of the pictures I posted at the time. 😊

From the moment I booked the trip, everyone I told was instantly jealous and full of “Oh my gosh, New York at Christmas is magical!” And I believed every word. I researched, I planned, I watched videos, I pinned itineraries… I was basically a little girl again waiting for Santa.

I knew it was going to be cold — really, really cold — but in my head, the Christmas magic would cancel out any frozen fingers. Turns out, thermals and fur-lined boots would have been very useful. 😂

We stayed in the same hotel as we stayed in last time we went because it’s reasonably priced and we know the area so well that it feels easy to get around and as it was our third trip, I felt like we hit the ground running when we got there which really helped us. 

We crammed more into those six days than we’d done in any of our previous trips and by the time we came home we were absolutely shattered.

Even two days later we still felt like we were recovering. But despite the tiredness and the moments that were definitely not magical, the memories we made were amazing and I wouldn’t change a thing.

Looking through my photos from the time we spent there, it definitely looks like the dream and for the most part, it was. I wanted to share a few of the photos I shared at the time with a bit of reality thrown in…

The Rockefeller Christmas Tree

The tree is, without a doubt, beautiful. Huge, iconic, sparkly — and impossible to capture properly in a square Instagram photo. The only real downside was the crowds, but honestly, you expect that. I loved it but we didn’t get too close and we literally looked at it, took a photo and left as there were so many people milling about. 😂

The Christmas window displays

The Saks windows and Frozen-themed light show were stunning and totally worth seeing. But the crowds… wow. People packed in front of the windows, tourists panicking about staying together, parents trying to keep kids from disappearing into the sea of elbows, and shoppers battling through like their lives depended on reaching the next doorway.

Magical? Yes. Stress-inducing? Also yes. I left traumatised but impressed. 😂  

Ice Skating under the Christmas Tree at Bryant Park

The photo looks like peak Christmas magic — twinkly lights, Christmas carols, giant tree, and even snow which made it another level Christmas memory moment. But the reality? We only went because the girls changed their minds on the walk to the Empire State Building. The queue to book skate slots was long, the wait for skates was even longer, and it was so cold I genuinely couldn’t feel my feet. I was counting down the minutes while trying not to freeze solid. But… the girls had the best time ever, laughing and skating for almost an hour, and that made every shivery second worth it. I’d do it again — even though I still haven’t made it to the Empire State Building at night.

The Christmas Shopping

The girls shopped until they nearly needed extra suitcases. They’d saved for months and absolutely made the most of it — Bath & Body Works candles, Tiffany bags, new Uggs, makeup, clothes… the full New York haul experience.

Me? I had big plans to get loads of Christmas shopping done but the reality was a faff. You go in a shop, take off fifteen layers, try not to overheat, fight the crowds, then queue for ages to pay. Repeat five times an hour. I gave up pretty quickly!

The best view in New York – Top of the Rock

Top of the Rock is still my favourite viewpoint in the city because you can walk around all the platforms and get a proper 360 view — including the Empire State Building in your photos. But the reality? The lift up terrifies me. Every time I’m convinced we’re going to shoot out of the roof like something from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. 

Then there’s the fact that it’s usually colder when you’re 70 floors up and it’s so windy that you can only hope that your hat doesn’t blow off! And don’t forget that if you’re travelling with two teenagers then you’re going to have to take at least a hundred photos of each one individually and about a thousand of them together doing the obligatory pose inside sitting on the windowsills – none of which I’m allowed to share on here according to the two stars of the photo shoot.  

The Statue of Liberty

We’ve seen her a few times before but this was definitely our best view — thanks to a Circle Line river cruise.

Except… we only got on the boat because it was raining and we were freezing and just wanted shelter. We didn’t realise the cruise was two and a half hours long, or that all the windows would steam up so badly you couldn’t see anything most of the time. The photo we did get was taken standing on the deck in the pouring rain and winds bordering on hurricane levels. But you know what? We can say we’ve seen it and we got shelter from the rain few hours that we had one afternoon. 

Side note:  I’d just like to point out to the people who look after Lady Liberty that they’ve missed an amazing opportunity to add a bit of tinsel and some fairy lights to her crown.  Where I live there’s a statue (albeit of a seal) on a roundabout near the beach and someone decorates the seal according to the time of year – no idea who though.  So right now it has a scarf made of tinsel and in the past, it’s had bunny ears for Easter and a witches hat for Halloween.  

So, would I recommend Christmas in New York?

Absolutely — but go prepared. Expect crowds. Expect queues. Expect to feel colder than you ever have in your life. Don’t expect every moment to be magical, but do expect some magical ones sprinkled in among the chaos. It’s amazing, exhausting, hilarious and unforgettable… and I’d go back in a heartbeat.

If you think you’ve seen this post before, you absolutely might have. This week’s posts are a little bit special because my very lovely daughter, Miss Frugal, has stepped in to help while I’m feeling a bit under the weather. She’s chosen some of her favourite old posts to share with you again – the ones that bring back happy memories of things we’ve made, done or visited together, and I honestly can’t wait to see what she’s picked.  One of the conditions of her takeover was that she was allowed to do it all herself, so I’ve written this little intro for her to add to each post she chooses. I’ll be finding out what she’s re-sharing at the same time as you do. The control freak in me is very uncomfortable with this. 🫢

I’d love you follow me on Twitter and it would be amazing to see you over on my Facebook page and on Instagram. If you’re interested, you can find out more about me here and while I’ve got your attention, if you’re wondering why some of my posts lately are a little bit less frugal then have a read of this post. 😉