‘Tis the Season

I quickly drive over 30,000 miles annually as a pharmaceutical sales rep in Central Pennsylvania, so it’s no biggie to make a last-minute decision to drive to New York City to pick up my daughter for the Christmas Holiday. ‘Tis the season, another great time to visit Manhattan.

After nearly one year of driving to and from NYC, I now know there will be a “merge” wait as hundreds of cars try to enter the Holland or Lincoln Tunnels. Thank God for the EZ pass, which makes the entry and exit less hectic.

But once I’m in the city, there certainly is no shortage of things to see or do, especially in NYC around the holidays.  Everyone has unique childhood memories of Christmas. I am no different in that as a child, my Nana would take her only two granddaughters to NYC to eat, shop, and see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall.  So when my daughter mentioned coming to NYC to see the Holiday decorations/windows, I jumped at the chance to relive childhood memories with my Nana. Knowing that I would take advantage of seeing the magnificent Christmas Holiday windows at night when one could honestly recognize and appreciate the creativity without the crowds was part of that decision to drive to Manhattan.

 As mentioned here, my fantasy store, Bergdorf Goodman, featured selected holiday themes with a snowy backdrop to fashion-focused windows titled “High Fashion on Ice.”  The Bergdorf windows had a special unveiling held on Tuesday, November 19th  at 6 pm with Linda Fargo and Andy Cohen revealing the “window dresser” David Hoey had recreated a year’s worth of holidays in this particular series. Think Fourth of July, April Fool’s Day, Valentine’s Day, and New Year’s Eve.  

Here’s a little history on “window dressing” – In 1897, L. Frank Baum, author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, was the first to acknowledge window dressing as a fashion and art entity in and of itself.  Baum created the monthly trade journal The Show Window: A Journal of Window Trimming for the Merchant and the Professional, founded the National Association of Window Dressers, and published the first book dedicated to the subject in 1900, The Art of Decorating Dry Goods Windows and Interiors.  While Baum may have helped start the magic, David Hoey, Bergdorf Goodman’s resident window dresser, brings the holiday spectacle to life today.  Planning and executing the yearly BG Holiday Window fantasy takes nearly one year.

No less drama across 5th Avenue at the luxury jeweler Bvlgari building with the oversized, LED giant metallic snake across the facade of their 5th Avenue store.

The oh-so-blue Tiffany & Co. “Snowy New York Streets” Holiday window displays feature snow-covered homes and elegant townhomes on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. One can never see or have enough of the Tiffany Blue boxes.

For 40 years (from 1931 to 1970), the Empire State Building was the tallest in the world.  No longer competing to claim the tallest building in the world,  the 103-story skyscraper continues to outshine all other buildings in NYC.  The Empire State Building has an innovative lighting schedule that celebrates many cultures and causes in the community with iconic lighting, i.e., the blue lights. When confirmed, President Obama was elected for a second term in memory of Nelson Mandela’s death, blue/red/yellow/green for Christmas, red/green on the bottom, with red, white, and blue on the top.  Its tower lights recognize vital milestones, events, charitable organizations, countries, and holidays worldwide.

What a great way to end another short stay in NYC, learning and seeing more of the city. Best wishes to you and your family this Christmas!