It depends on each of us. I\u2019m a New Yorker who dives into the holiday crowd rather than avoid it. It\u2019s all in how we choose to experience the frenetic environment of New York during the season. Is it a madhouse rush that makes us exhausted and feeling all bah-humbug, or do we stop and savor it? My advice: Try some curiosity, ingenuity, and humor; pick your spots well; and breathe deeply and stop to really look and take in what\u2019s around you. You\u2019ll find serenity and joy.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a walk comprised of seven of the best ways and places to discover the seasonal joy along Holiday Central, from Rockefeller Center, south along Fifth Avenue, culminating at Lord & Taylor.<\/p>\n
The Giant Red Ornaments<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n The giant red ornaments<\/a>, in the fountain plaza at 1251 Avenue of the Americas (Sixth Avenue), have never ceased to fascinate me since the first winter I saw them. They are gigantic, bright, shiny, and cheery. One can always think of something that these ornaments remind you of on your home Christmas tree \u2013 the exacting rendering of ornament hooks, the shininess, or the shape.<\/p>\n Moreover, despite the noise of the hordes here, listen to the sound of the waterfall or watch the rippling flow of the water below the ornaments. People pay for the soothing effect of fountains, but this one is free and very well-placed. Definitely a calming, beautiful sight and sound in the midst of the masses!<\/p>\n The Mosaic, 1250 Avenue of the Americas The sidewalks along the Avenue of the Americas between West 48th<\/sup> and West 51st<\/sup> streets are where some of the worst pedestrian gridlock and bumping take place. That\u2019s one of the reasons why the huge mosaic within the loggia at 1250 Avenue of the Americas is such a gift. Take yourself and your fellow holiday pedestrians out of the crush of folks to closely look at this magnificent work of art, entitled \u201cIntelligence Awakening Mankind<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n This 79-foot-long mosaic of tiny glass tiles, or tesserae, conveys such detail and power in the figures. Look, too, at the amazing color variations of blue and gold. The mosaic is made up of more than one million glass tiles, each hand-cut and hand-set. Consider what it took to create this piece at Rockefeller Center for our enjoyment and inspiration.<\/p>\n Chocolate Treat, La Maison du Chocolat<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n If crankiness has set in at all from dealing with dozens of pedestrians at one corner \u2013 or even if not \u2013 go directly to La Maison du Chocolat<\/a> for one of the best cups of hot chocolate around. This shop of the Paris chocolatier, at 30 Rockefeller Center on West 49th<\/sup> Street, feels like a slice of Europe, with its ganaches and chocolates in fine wooden cases.<\/p>\n A small cup of hot chocolate is luxury-priced at $8.71 (with tax), but since I haven\u2019t spent thousands on a trip to the south of France or five-star restaurants this year I allow this splurge. And it\u2019s well worth it: The semi-sweet version is rich, smooth, and chocolaty. Sipping the hot chocolate, while standing at one of the marble counters and examining the truffles and chocolates, feels blissful as I watch the rush on the street outside.<\/p>\n Rockefeller Center Tree<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Visiting the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree becomes part of a cherished tradition for New Yorkers as well as many thousands of tourists. Does it ever become old? No.<\/p>\n Appreciating the tree tests the powers of mindfulness, to be able to concentrate on it while throngs are moving all around, shouting, or pointing their digital cameras. That means taking the time to see what is there: an actual Norway spruce tree averaging around 80 feet tall with bright, dazzling lights in green, red, blue, and gold. (The tree now has about 30,000 LED bulbs. To think that it began as a humble balsam fir which construction workers put up in 1931, decorated with garlands of paper and strings of cranberries, as they were building the center.) Look at it both close-up, from the promenade behind the Christmas tree, and then from a distance on the walkway toward Fifth Avenue.<\/p>\n Seeing it close-up, like the big red ornaments on the Avenue of the Americas, conjures up memories \u2013 sitting next to the Christmas tree as a child while watching TV, staring into its multicolored lights. Of such moments are holiday magic made.<\/p>\n Architectural Details, Fifth Avenue<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n Walking south on Fifth Avenue from Rockefeller Center to Bryant Park on a shopping trip, we could easily focus on the task at hand. Mostly, this area in the 40s has few eye-catching holiday windows or displays. Look up, however, to explore some great building sculpture or architectural details that speak of Old New York.<\/p>\n Check out the sculpture on the Rockefeller Center building at the corner of West 49th<\/sup> Street, known as \u201cThe Friendship of France and the United States,\u201d installed in 1934. High on the panel of the gilded bronze relief are figures symbolizing Paris on the left and New York on the right. New York is flanked by skyscrapers, while Paris holds a model of Notre Dame. <\/span><\/p>\n At 597 Fifth Ave. near East 48th<\/sup> Street, notice the Charles Scribner\u2019s Sons sign with angelic figures and the grand display windows trimmed by black ironwork. The limestone French-inspired building, built in 1912-1913, harkens to an earlier day of New York publishing, when Scribner\u2019s had both its headquarters and a bookstore here. As you keep walking, glance up to appreciate the ornamental terra cotta decoration across the top of 576 Fifth Ave.<\/p>\n Fred F. French Building Lobby<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n So many shoppers veer ahead as they walk the streets of Manhattan\u2019s Holiday Central. That\u2019s too bad. Building lobbies have some of the most gorgeous holiday displays, such as at the Fred F. French Building<\/a> at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 45th<\/sup> Street.<\/p>\n The building lobby is dazzling: It has many garlands of white lights, and trees and wreaths with large royal blue, turquoise, aquamarine, gold, and green bulbs. Combined with the bronze doors, vaulted ceilings, decorative gilded animal figures, and marble of the landmarked building, the lobby is bejeweled. (Note: If it\u2019s off-hours, you may have to ask a security guard for a peek at the lobby, but it is well worth it.)<\/p>\n Walk down Fifth Avenue and take a detour into the Bryant Park holiday market<\/a> to watch the ice skaters (or join them) and pick up some holiday gifts at the artisans\u2019 holiday shops. One of Augustin\u2019s Belgian waffle<\/a>s or a cup of hot cider provides a rejuvenating treat. This holiday market has one of the most irresistible cityscapes: a big, beautiful open square just behind the New York Public Library coupled with views of striking skyscrapers from Raymond Hood\u2019s American Radiator Building<\/a> and the Empire State Building<\/a> to the Bank of America Tower<\/a>. As I listen to Frank Sinatra croon a holiday song, it\u2019s no wonder that I\u2019m transported back to a New York Christmas of an earlier day.<\/p>\n![\"Red](\"http:\/\/farm5.static.flickr.com\/4033\/4206839108_d67a220c87.jpg\")
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