On my flight to Newark, I enjoyed a rare upgrade to first class, which is actually in Continental's (or United) international business-first seats (the plane used for my flight normally flies overseas flights and I noticed the plane would continue to Munich, Germany after flying to Newark). These international seats are nicer with much more space than coach and even domestic first class seats. In addition to the much better service. I normally do not spring for first class but in this case my flight was on an international plane plus the upgrade was cheap.
We stayed at the W Hotel on Lexington Avenue and 49th street. Check out the hotel's uniquely shaped Christmas tree. It is a good location in midtown and there is Ess-a-Bagel one block away which has amazing bagels.
Activities
Rockefeller Center
Went up to the top of Rockefeller Center and of course saw the Christmas Tree. We then saw a Christmas show at the Saks 5th Avenue.
Downtown/Financial district
Took the subway to downtown, where we:
* Walked across Brooklyn Bridge
* Visited the ground zero area (though we couldn't see the memorial because we didn't have tickets - advanced tickets are required for the memorial)
* Visited Trinity church which had a nativity set
* Walked down Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange
* Got a glimpse of Occupy Wall Street
Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall
It's as good as advertised and dives into Christmas with a musical filled with dancing, Christmas scenes, and an orchestra. The rockettes' and musicians' hard work paid off in a big way.
Mall decorations
Admired the window decorations at Saks 5th Avenue, Lord and Taylor (lots of Christmas dioramas), Macys (lots of action as well as scenes from Miracle on 34th Street), Bloomingdales (shopping bags that open up to show Christmas scenes), and Bergdorf Goodman (animals acting as models). As well as the smaller stores. My favorite displays were at Lord and Taylor and Bergdorf Goodman.
Guggenheim Museum
We went here mainly to see Maurizio Cattelan's works. Instead of being placed along the walls, they are hung from the top of the rotunda.
Serendipity
We went to Serendipity for desserts and frozen hot chocolate. It is basically hot chocolate that is cooled and filled with chopped ice. Very tasty and the whipped cream is amazing - good texture and not too sweet. Wait times at Serendipity can be 2-3 hours, so I highly suggest making reservations if you want to eat here.
