Video LoadingVideo UnavailableClick to playTap to playThe video will auto-play soon8CancelPlay nowNew York is one of the most iconic cities in the world and arriving in Manhattan is like stepping onto a film set – quite literally. It has been the location of some of the greatest movies of all time, from Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Manhattan to Ghostbusters and When Harry Met Sally. There’s a famous scene around every corner, especially if you’re a sucker for festive films like Elf and Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. The Big Apple has everything you could want from a city break too – epic food, cool cocktails, the best shopping, museums and galleries, and – unsurprisingly, being known as the city that never sleeps – incredible nightlife. And at Christmas, the twinkling lights only made it more magical. Although a direct flight from the UK takes just under seven hours, it’s still a great spot to hit for some serious Christmas shopping.
Spot locations from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
Where can I go location spotting? As so many of the best Christmas films are set in the city, the Big Bus Christmas Film Tour helps you get into the spirit by seeing where scenes were filmed for Miracle On 34th Street, Home Alone 2, Elf and more. On Location Tours offer a general NYC TV & Movie Tour, along with more specific options like Sex and the City or Horror Movie Locations, while Top Dog Tours have a Superheroes walking tour. Or simply do a bit of prep and find your favourite locations under your own steam. Many of the main tourist spots have also starred on screen, like New York Public Library, Central Park, the Rockefeller Ice Rink and the Brooklyn Bridge.
The famous ice rink at the Rockefeller Center in Manhattan
Where to stay? In the Big Apple, you want to be staying in the heart of the action – and Moxy has hotels slap-bang in the middle of every key borough. Moxy Chelsea, rising 35 storeys in the flower district, is a playful urban jungle with bags of character. The cool bedrooms are flooded with light thanks to floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall windows, meaning you can literally photograph the skyline from bed, should you wish! Grab free proper coffee and a pastry every morning from the Café d’Avignon Popup at the hotel’s Feroce Caffè, which is decorated in an industrial chic style, or for a relaxing spot to debrief following your sight-seeing, the dimly lit, uber-trendy Bar Feroce and The Secret Garden serve unique cocktails and light Italian dishes.
The view across New York from the Moxy Chelsea
One of Moxy’s most popular spots is its Times Square hotel – and for good reason. Again, the rooms are modern and thoughtful, with huge walk-in showers, space to store bulky luggage under the bed, flatscreen TVs and retro fixtures and fittings. And families can get a four-bed room with bunk beds. A lot of key tours leave from close to its front door, so its perfect if you want to explore the city the best way – by foot. What else to do? There’s so much to see and do on every block of this buzzing metropolis that it can be overwhelming. We found the simplest way to navigate the endless to-do list was buying the New York Pass. Featuring 100 of the best attractions the city has to offer, order a 2, 3, 5, 7 or 10-day pass and simply scan the QR code on your phone to activate it.
Take a boat trip to see the Statue of Liberty
This includes everything from the Top of the Rock, cruises to Liberty Island, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and official bus tours. It also includes a host of lesser-known galleries and alternative walking tours, and you can use it as many times a day as you like, unlimited, until your days expire. All done on a handy app, it was so easy to plan an itinerary to make the most of every day. FAO Schwarz is a must even if you have no intention of buying any toys yourself, while shops such as Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue are tourist attractions in themselves. Brooklyn is another holiday season hotspot with Lightscape at the Botanic Garden – an illuminated art trail where food stalls serve s’mores and hot chocolate.
Joe’s Pizza is the best place to grab a slice
Where to eat? There’s some incredible food in New York. Joe’s Pizza is an institution thousands visit daily for a slice. Loved by celebs (spot photos of the owners with J-Lo, Brad Pitt, the Kardashians and loads more on the walls), the $3 slices are huge and around $3 – and to eat it like a local you fold it in half and gobble it down! One of the best spots is back at the Moxy Times Square. Here you find Magic Hour, NYC’s largest all-season (retractable!) rooftop bar and lounge, which has an “urban amusement park” with mini golf and a carousel you can dine on. We enjoyed the famous Pink AF Pancakes Stack – which is, you guessed it, pink pancakes with candyfloss on top.
Pink AF Pancakes Stack at Moxy Times Square in New York
In the evenings it turns into an up-tempo bar, letting you dance the night away a stone’s throw from the twinkling lights of the Empire State Building. The Moxy Chelsea costs from £138 a night and the Moxy Times Square from £120 a night. The New York Pass is priced from £124, visit attractiontickets.com. Virgin Atlantic flies direct from London Heathrow to New York JFK with return tickets from £401 per person including food, drinks, inflight entertainment and taxes. Details at virginatlantic.com or call 0344 8747 747. This fare is available for departure on 6 December 2022 and is for seven nights. READ NEXT: Best UK Christmas markets 2022 – from Manchester to Edinburgh Beckhams’ holiday favourite Croatia is ideal for restoration in the winter sun Five reasons Warsaw is the new Berlin from dumplings to dancing until sunrise ‘Yes Netflix Christmas films are trashy – but here’s why they beat the Christmas classics’ Sign up to our daily newsletter for the BIGGEST exclusive celeb interviews, TV news and more Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterMore OnChristmasTravel
