2024 Guide To Finding The Best Christmas Lights In NYC
Last Updated on November 22, 2024 by Erin Donahue
There are so many great photo spots in the city all year round, but Christmas lights in NYC are an extra special experience! While the rest of the Western world is celebrating after Halloween, the season is in full swing right after the Thanksgiving Parade. Personally, I’m not the biggest fan of the holidays in NYC because the tourist crowds overwhelm me, but that being said, the blinking lights and decor give such a magical feeling this time of year.
This is not a comprehensive list, but there are some “must-visit” locations. These are the places I’ve been to over the years, but I’ve been making a greater effort to build my portfolio in even more locations around the city.
Map of Christmas Lights in NYC
Hudson Yards
Hudson Yards is one of the newest areas of Manhattan, and it’s already become one of the most popular spots to see Christmas lights in NYC. There are over two MILLION white lights lighting up the area. If you want to get pictures when it’s empty and have the whole floor to yourself, go early around 8 a.m.!
There are so many locations to snap a pretty pic, but these are my favorite spots to go.
- The Great Room (main entrance)
- 2nd & 3rd floor balconies (faces west)
- The shopping area by Athleta
The Shops at Columbus Circle
Another giant mall The Shops at Columbus Circle has the ‘Holiday Under The Stars’ 14-foot displays hanging from the ceiling of the Great Room. Watch the free light show performance that goes off every day from 5-11 p.m., every half hour with the stars blinking to holiday music.
The Plaza Hotel
If you’ve ever watched Home Alone, this Fairmont-managed hotel is where the famous movie took place. The lobby displays beautiful Christmas decorations, but be warned they have an annoying “no professional cameras” policy.
Lotte New York Palace
Located behind St. Patrick’s Cathedral, the Lotte New York Palace Christmas Tree is one of the most recognizable photo spots in NYC during the holiday season. If you’re a fan of the original Gossip Girl series, this luxury hotel has a beautiful Christmas decoration set up during the holidays. You know you love it. XOXO, GG
Tavern On The Green
The way I gasped when I first stepped foot into Tavern On The Green during the holidays was because it took my breath away. Their backyard patio has a large Christmas tree and nutcrackers throughout the area, but the real scene stealer is the front entrance. It immediately makes you feel the holiday spirit and inside the restaurant is cozy and ambient.
Chelsea Market
Chelsea Market is one of the coolest places to visit any time of year, but especially during the holidays. Whenever I go to Chelsea Market and walk the corridors, the first thing I think about is how the building used to be the old Port Authority building long before Google took over in 2010.
During the holidays, lights and Christmas trees decorate the whole place, but my favorite spot is the giant clock that’s framed with tons of string lights.
Rockefeller Center
If you want to see Christmas lights in NYC, Rockefeller Center is the most iconic spot to go. The tourist crowds are INSANE though! If you want to see the lights without the crazy crowds, you’ll have to sacrifice some sleep either late at night or early in the morning.
Workers light the Christmas tree daily from around 5 am to 12 am. It used to be 6 am. My first attempt at seeing the lights without crowds back in 2021 failed when workers turned on the lights at 5:50 am. I ended up waking up at 4 a.m. twice within a week because I was determined to get the video and pictures I needed. Happy to say mission accomplished!
5th Avenue Christmas lights in NYC
Whether you’re in the mood for shopping along 5th Avenue or just walking up and down. This popular midtown street has so many fun holiday displays everywhere. Definitely recommend just meandering between Central Park South to the Macy’s flagship store at Herald Square and checking out all the holiday displays. I noticed they’ll re-use the same displays year after year, but move them to different locations on the street.
- Saks 5th Ave: Right across the street from Rockefeller Center, Saks has its own famous light show that runs between 4:35 pm to 11:35 pm, every 10 minutes. It lasts about 5 minutes and is a traffic-stopping experience. Be prepared for crowds on both sides of the street looking up to watch the performance.
- Cartier Flagship Store
- Bergdorf Goodman
- Pulitzer Fountain
Avenue of the Americas (6th Ave) Christmas lights in NYC
Across the street from Radio City Music Hall, a bunch of the corporate offices have large decor adorning their main entrances. I spent most of my corporate life in this specific radius of Midtown. For many years this area felt like home.
- Giant Nutcrackers – UBS building (1285 6th Ave)
- Giant Red Ornaments – (1251 6th Ave)
- Giant String Lights
Winter Village at Bryant Park
Stop by the Winter Village at Bryant Park to enjoy some hot chocolate or even get on the ice with a pair of skates. The ginormous Christmas tree there makes for a fabulous backdrop while strolling through all the vendor shops.
Union Square Holiday Market
Another marketplace further downtown, the Union Square Holiday Market has a bunch of small business vendors to check out. They’re around for about a month and then pack it up right before Christmas.
Pro-tip: you can take a picture of the full market with the skyline behind it by going into one of the stores across the street like Burlington, Whole Foods, or DSW.
Brookfield Place Luminaries
I used to spend a lot of time in lower Manhattan, especially FiDi, but it’s such a journey to go there now. Brookfield Place is home to another NYC light installation called Luminaries, which are 650 glowing LED box lanterns. I’ve seen the Luminaries when passing through Brookfield Place, but this was long before I picked up a camera so I still need to make my way back down. The light show runs into January and plays daily between 8:00 am – 10:00 pm with holiday songs.
Zuccotti Park
Zuccotti Park, a public park not far from Brookfield Place, displays stacks of beautifully lit Christmas trees. I always like to associate places with current events, and every time I go to Zuccotti Park I think about how it was at one point the HQ of Occupy Wall St. Long past that point in time, it’s now just another place that makes for great Christmas lights in NYC during the winter. Can you say bokeh central?
Dyker Heights
Deep in Brooklyn (and I mean deeep) many families within the Dyker Heights neighborhood go all out and deck out their houses. Most of the homeowners in this Brooklyn neighborhood hang their Christmas lights and decorations after Thanksgiving. It’s pretty awesome to see how many homeowners get into the spirit! You can find lit-up homes between 11th-13th Avenues from 83rd to 86th St.
To get there it’s about an hour on the D train. Take it in the Brooklyn direction to the 79th St and New Utrecht Ave stop, and then walk 15 minutes to get to the area with all the decorated houses. If you have a car, you can consider driving instead, but parking may be difficult to find.
Be sure to go before 9 pm as many of the lights turn off after that.
Public Christmas Trees In New York City
Did you know the country’s first-ever public tree-lighting ceremony was actually in Madison Square Park? Since then, there have been tons of tree-lighting ceremonies throughout the city to bring their communities together for holiday cheer. There are so many public Christmas trees around the city, that I’ve compiled a comprehensive list of all their tree-lighting ceremonies.
Year-round Christmas lights in East Village
Last but not least, Panna II Garden is a popular Bangladeshi Indian restaurant in the East Village. It’s famous for its densely decked-out interior filled with Christmas lights. Even though the holidays are over, here, it’s never technically over. Right next door is Milon restaurant which is literally the same exact thing as Panna II Garden, but for some reason, people would rather wait for Panna. In my experience, Panna squeezes its tables closer together, and the food’s smell seems more pungent. I enjoyed the same food at Milon and did a photoshoot in peace because Milon was empty.
If you have the opportunity to eat at either restaurant be prepared for pushy hosts and waiters! It seems to be part of their “charm” but can be offputting when you’re making a decision whether to eat there or not.
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