When you are a native New Yorker as opposed to a tourist, there are a lot of things you never try to experience because it seems so trite and “touristy”. The stuff you don’t usually indulge in unless family comes to visit. Well, I figured out a while back that you miss out on knowing more about where you live, having new adventures, finding new places to hang out, and that could never be a bad thing. Right? Anyway, that was my thought process when I was invited to see the famous holiday windows in NYC, starting at Macy’s Herald Square and up Fifth Avenue to Central Park.

I was definitely excited, first off because it was something I had always wanted to enjoy since I’m usually rushing to get somewhere instead of just enjoying the process of the walk and the creativity involved in making those windows is amazing. The intricate themes and back-story is a massive feat since all the windows have to flow together.

We started off at Macy’s, where the 34th street-facing holiday windows were, in the theme of, “Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!” after the newspaper article. And around the corner, on Herald Square proper the windows were another theme, titled “Santa’s Journey to the Stars,”  about a boy named Alex with his Bella accompanying Santa as he travels through the Universe delivering presents. First visiting Venus, then Mars and Jupiter.

I couldn’t photograph all the Macy’s holiday windows because the crowds were so thick, but these were my favorite ones that came out clearly. One awesome thing about the windows was the narration that happened to explain the scene in each window. It made it easy for the children and me to follow along. Before we left Macy’s I wanted to go inside and see the in-store decorations which were equally beautiful.

The detail on the hanging ornaments was crazy. There were ice dancers moving, moving cars and planes. With the crowds swirling around me I just had to stop and look.

Another hanging rotating ornament “Believe” in Macy’s Herald Square store’s main hallway

After we were done there we walked over to Fifth Avenue and peeked at the Lord and Taylor holiday windows. Those didn’t have narration and the size of the window panes wasn’t as large but they fit in a lot of intricacy in a little space. There were no people pictured either fairies birds, or mice were the vehicles moving the action. And they were so miniature with lots of detail.

Lord and Taylor holiday window, “Hall of Knowledge”

Lord and Taylor window, Home Tweet Home

Lord and Taylor Window, the Fairytale Garden

Further up Fifth, beyond the diamond district, we got to Rockefeller Center and Saks Fifth Avenue. Of course, I had to try to get the obligatory picture of the Rockefeller Christmas Tree. The Center was packed beyond belief and so hard to get an uninterrupted view even in the bitter cold.

At Sak’s Fifth Avenue the holiday windows were spectacular, the theme was a New York City play on classic fairy tales. The colors were so vibrant and the descriptions were hilarious.

Once upon a time in New York, Cinderella tried on a shoe

Rapunzel , where did you get your hair done?

Once upon a time in New York, Sleeping Beauty suffered from insomnia in the city that never sleeps.

Once upon a time in New York, Red Riding Hood said to the Big Bad Wolf, “My, my, my, what a big studio you have !!

We kept walking and passing the super chic boutiques and getting distracted window shopping. Then we got to Tiffany’s and the whole building was completely lit up like a pair of expensive diamond earrings.

The last stop was at Bergdorf Goodman, we were lucky to catch these holiday windows because stores were closing for the evening, so I couldn’t take pictures of them all. But the theme was the arts and the different ways to pursue it. My favorite was the most colorful, the pursuit of the stage. I am so happy that I finally did this. I enjoyed it so much that I think I may have to make this trek a yearly thing.

The pursuit of sculpture

The pursuit of music

The pursuit of the stage, holiday window in NYC , 2014

Did you enjoy the holiday windows as much as I did? Are the windows in your town as creative? Tell me about them in the comments below.

Until our rendezvous…

XOXO

Trudy