My City Celebrates: Sarah’s New York City

This year, inspired by our ever-popular “I Heart My City”

series on Intelligent Travel, we’re reveling in the holiday season by asking our readers to share their favorite ways to celebrate in their cities. Today’s city-lover is travel writer Sarah Pruitt, who gives us a glimpse of New York City.

What to share the things that make your city special?

We’ve put together a festively-themed fill-in-the-blank questionnaire, and we’d love to hear your responses. So cut and paste the list, fill in your answers, and e-mail us your picks at intelligenttravel@ngs.org.

(Please include links and photos if possible). We’ll be featuring your “My City Celebrates” posts through the New Year, click here for a list of cities we’ve featured so far. Happy Holidays!

My City Celebrates: New York City

When I need a dose of holiday cheer, I always head to Union Square.

During the holidays they set up a wonderful market featuring all kinds of artwork, crafts, jewelry and other unique gifts, and it’s adjacent to the Greenmarket (where you can pick up a steaming cup of hot apple cider) on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

The best place to grab a cup of cocoa is City Bakery; their cocoa is thick and rich, pudding-y, almost Spanish-style. Instead of churros, enjoy it with one of their famous pretzel croissants.

If you want to find great sledding you have to head to Riverside Park. Less crowded than Central Park, with fabulous views of the Hudson River.

Strap on your skates at the ice-skating rink at The Pond at Bryant Park, and enjoy the views of the New York Public Library (from the back) and the holiday market set up in the park.

For a classic holiday photo op, be sure to check out underneath the Staten Island Ferry and some of the best skyline views of the city.

A great place to take the kids during the season is the giant Origami Holiday Tree at the American Museum of Natural History, where they can get lessons in the Japanese art of paper-folding.

For all of your gift-giving needs in one place, check out Mxyplyzyk, a boutique packed with nutty and original wares for the home, office, bath, kids, pets and more.

Brooklyn Flea

(Saturdays in Fort Greene and Sundays on the waterfront in DUMBO) is the best market, be sure to pick up some cool Brooklyn-inspired baby clothes for the littlest ones on your Christmas list.

No holiday meal in my city is complete without a festive cocktail, preferably something with champagne or Prosecco in it.

My favorite holiday tradition in my city is brunching with a friend at Little Owl or (in Brooklyn) Stone Park Cafe, and going Christmas shopping.

Locals know to avoid the throngs at Rockefeller Center and find the real magic in the West Village, where you can wander out-of-the-way streets, browse shops like Three Lives and Company bookshop and have chipotle-spiced hot chocolate at Jacques Torres Chocolate Haven or a glass of red wine at Turks & Frogs.

The best part about my city during the holiday season is seeing even the busiest New Yorkers slow down for a second (blink and you’ll miss it)

to spend time celebrating with family and friends.

Photo: by Flickr user Grufink