Christmas in NYC

There is something so distinctly exciting about Christmas in New York.
It's not just Rockefeller Center and the enormous tree, nor the gorgeous department store windows, though those certainly contribute to the magic. It's just something in the air. Everywhere you go there are lights, decorations, holiday music, and an underlying buzz that only comes with Christmas in a city such as New York.
It's the little treasures that I happen upon that make me smile and bring joy to my heart...
The Shops at Bryant Park- a collection of tiny outdoor shops with hand-crafted gifts from around the world...
Or the absolutely strikingly large snowflake that is suspended mid-air at an intersection in Midtown East. Lit up at night, maybe 35 feet off the ground, and easily several stories tall, it just is magnificent.
How about Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn, with the blue-lighted Christmas tree under the arch, which also is lit beautifully.
Even random decorations in small stores, gingerbread lattes at Starbucks, and friends spending ridiculous amounts of money just to have a small Christmas tree in their even smaller apartments. It is just lovely.

Tonight I saw the Radio City Christmas Spectacular which got me even more in the Christmas spirit. My neighbor and best friend growing up, Drew Yost (who is now Drew Kenneth Franklin, btdubs), is in the show, and I could not be more proud of him. Seeing him on stage tonight brought together so much of my childhood and all of our great fantasies about him making it big in New York and me being there to see him perform. Who would've thought we would both be living here and his dream would become a reality? The Rockettes, ice skaters, Santa, Nutcracker, and a beautiful Nativity Scene all made for a fun and light-spirited event. Which, incidentally hasn't changed much since when I saw it as a kid. It was incredible to realize that so many distinct images I have had in my mind about Christmas actually come straight from the scenes in the show. My parents used to bring us in nearly every year to see it, and it's interesting to see it now as an adult, and a "New Yorker."

Christmas is a wonderful time of year, and I'm enjoying it all the more living in New York. It almost feels like I'm experiencing it for the first time, as a small child with big eyes open wide. It makes this city seem just a little bit more like home.