Thanksgiving in New York

Fifth Avenue — Upper East Side

I always go to New York City for Thanksgiving, but not for Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (which I've never watched in person). Though I've lived in California for twenty years, I'm a transplanted east coast native with the rest of my family back east. My mother lives on the Jersey Shore, my sister and daughter live in Manhattan, and my son and his wife live in Washington, DC ... so Thanksgiving in New York has become an annual tradition.

What to do in New York? Well, basically anything and everything you can imagine. Here are some of the things I've done in past years:

1. Shopping — Need I say more? 5th Avenue has all the brand names, Madison Avenue the boutiques, and downtown the cheap electronics stores. And don't forget the Apple Store (open 24/7) and FAO Schwartz.
2. Museums — the Metropolitan Museum, the MoMA (buy tickets online in advance to avoid long lines), and the Museum of the City of New York.
3. Walking — Central Park (see Strawberry Fields), the High Line.
4. Visit the 9/11 Memorial.
5. See Times Square (it's a mob scene after the Parade).
6. See Grand Central Terminal (which has its own Apple Store).
7. Entertainment — see a movie, go to theater, or see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular.
8. Explore Chinatown or get pizza in Little Italy.
9. Rooftop bars at the Gansevoort and the Peninsula (ideas suggested by Sarah)
10. Hotel Site Inspections — I don't expect this to be high on most readers' lists!

Where to stay? New York is blessed with lots of great luxury hotels. Here are some recommended hotels in which I've personally stayed: 

• The Lowell
• Plaza Athenee
• Four Seasons New York
• Ritz-Carlton Central Park
• Ritz-Carlton Battery Park
• The Plaza 

Book any of these through your Virtuoso travel consultant for the best prices along with free breakfasts and other valuable amenities you can't get online.

Thanksgiving in New York (search here on Google)

copyright (c) 2012 by David Ourisman LLC. All rights reserved. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.