I did my final project on the holiday spirit in New York City. I tried to portray it not from a tourist’s view, but from an attentive New Yorker’s view. New Yorkers typically go about their day not really paying attention to their surroundings. They are the complete opposite of tourists, rushing to work or school while tourists get in their way by stopping in their tracks to look up at everything. New Yorkers, for the most part, will not stop by the Macy’s display windows to stare in awe. In fact, some New Yorkers won’t even be caught shopping in Macy’s around the holiday season. Tourists will stop to watch the street performers such as the break-dancers, the singers, and the carolers while New Yorkers will make their way around these large crowds.
As a native New Yorker, I decided to walk around the city and this time, I payed more attention to everything around me. I started in Herald Square where I came across a group of carolers, mostly adults, who were singing, “Joy to the World” and watched them where any other day I would have passed them. I noticed all of the stores around 34th Street that were having holiday sales, with huge window displays advertising the sales. One store in particular, Desigual, caught my eye because of all the colorful balloons tied outside the store to promote their sales. I thought it was interesting that they chose balloons instead of having elaborate displays in their windows.
Another interesting promotional tool I saw was the huge snow globe right in the middle of 34th Street and 6th Avenue. It had a MINI Countryman inside along with a snowman standing right next to it and was bound to make anyone stop and admire. I then went to Macy’s on 34th street, stopping to look at Wintuk characters on the way. It wasn’t the actual window displays of Macy’s that caught my eye, but the large crowds gathered in front of them. I wondered how many of them were native New Yorkers and how many were tourists.
Once I went into Macys, it was as if I had stepped into a whole new world. The amount of work that went into decorating everything was amazing. I’ve been to Macy’s around the holiday season too many times to count but never really took the time to appreciate the decorations. Everything from the ceilings to the walls were covered in holiday décor and I noticed a Smurfs theme. The Smurfs were splattered across all of the Macy’s shopping bags and there were huge cake-like tiers filled with Smurfs piled on top of each other. The congestion of people became overwhelming and I was reminded why many New Yorkers stay away from this Macy’s in particular.
Once I left Macy’s, I wandered over to Bryant Park where it was mayhem. Many skaters looked like they were having trouble skating because of how crowded it was. Their blue, rented skates looked pretty against the huge blue-lit Christmas tree in the background. As I walked to the tree I stopped to admire the two-story restaurant Celsius, where diners can watch the skaters over lunch, dinner, and drinks. I had never seen the Bryant Park Christmas tree and it was beautiful.
Walking back to 34th Street I promised myself I would start paying more attention to my surroundings. I believe that all New Yorkers should take some time out of their day, even if it is a few minutes, to really soak in this city that they call home. It definitely is not the most perfect city, but a greater appreciation will emerge.
