The Christmas Markets and More in New York City

At Christmas time New York City is adorned with festive lights and beautifully decorated Christmas trees. Then the Christmas markets open, enveloping visitors with the spirit of the season. While there are a number of smaller markets in Manhattan and the other boroughs, below I will list the three largest ones, which are located at Union Square, Bryant Park, and Columbus Circle.

While it’s possible to see all three in one day, I like to pick one to visit on a given day and then explore the neighborhood, maybe do some shopping or get a nice meal nearby. Here is some of what to see and do at each of these three markets.

Dates, times and vendors change slightly year to year, although I give a general idea of what to expect below. For details, visit the Urban Space website (the organization that runs the Christmas markets) and go to the locations tab at the top of the website to look up the particular market you’re interested in: Urban Space Markets

Union Square Christmas Market

Open all week approximately 10am – 9pm from mid November until December 24th when it closes at 4pm (it also closes on Thanksgiving Day). It is located at Union Square, which is roughly between 14th and 17th street, at Fifth Avenue.

I would say this market tends to have more shops than the others, but there will be some food and drinks as well.

It’s a good place to get gifts or something special for yourself.

There are over a hundred vendors selling items such as colorful Moroccan lanterns, decorative ornaments, hand made soaps, cashmere scarves, or fleece-lined caps hand-knit in Nepal (Nirvanna Designs).    

Snack on a gingerbread cookie…..

……or some empanadas, cheese curds, or a pretzel.

On a recent trip, it was below freezing temperatures and we opted to get lunch at the nearby Gramercy Tavern.

Founded by the famed restaurateur Danny Meyer, it serves upscale American cuisine. We enjoyed the ambiance tremendously, and afterwards we headed out to the Union Square Christmas market to get hot chocolates from United Chocolate Works….they were so yummy, with a thick layer of melty, gooey marshmallows topped with whipped cream and shaved chocolate!

Another great place to get some lunch or dinner nearby is Pete’s Tavern. Established in 1864, it is the oldest continuously operating bar in NYC.

It is also on the top ten list of best holiday decorated establishments in the city.

I thought their Gramercy Burger was top-notch, and I recommend the mulled wine as well!

After shopping at the market, you may want to head down a couple of blocks to the famous Strand Bookstore, an independent bookstore since 1927 that now sells over 2.5 million new, rare and used books. You could browse for hours through all the aisles, making it a good place to get out of the cold for a bit. A book purchased here would certainly make a very special gift for someone.

Bryant Park Winter Village

Located at Bryant Park which is roughly between West 40th and West 42nd streets next to Fifth Avenue, this market opens the earliest (before Thanksgiving). There is more to do here, and I feel it also has the most food of the three markets. There is an admission-free ice-skating rink, a Christmas tree with its own lighting ceremony, and free holiday music concerts throughout the season.

You can rent igloos to hang out in and have a cozy drink.

The Lodge is a bar and food hall where you can eat, drink and hang out for awhile. Try some craft beers from Stout NYC.

In the market you can purchase items like handmade olive wood trays, handmade soap and candles, small-batch spice blends, and locally made art.

My favorite foods to eat here are the cider donuts with a hot apple cider from Breezy Hill Orchard, and I never mind to stand in line at the Baked Cheese Haus for a raclette sandwich.

There’s always a long line at Cheesesteaks by the Truffliest! For a full list of all the market and food vendors as well as an organized floor plan so that you can find everything, see Holiday shops at Bryant Park.

For more details on everything there is to do, visit their website at The Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park.

When you have had your fill and are ready for more sightseeing, you are near The Empire State Building, Times Square, and Grand Central (where you can get some economical eats in the food hall below ground level). Grand Central also has its own Christmas market, The Grand Central Holiday Market, right across from a new French Bistro that opened inside, Grand Brasserie.

If you’re not wanting to go far, you have the The New York Public Library right next to you at Bryant park. The reading room at the library is a beautiful place to visit to get out of the cold, and there are always exhibitions going on or you can take a tour. For a nice sit-down meal without going far, you might want to check out the Bryant Park Grill.

Columbus Circle Christmas Market

The Christmas market at Columbus Circle is smaller than the two markets above, but it has the advantage of being right at the southwest entrance to Central Park!

You can indulge in the delicious German holiday market beverage Gluhwein (otherwise known as mulled wine)…

Open only in the month of December, all week roughly from 11am – 8pm, it’s a tight space to navigate but well worth a visit.

The food area has all kinds of treats like truffle fries, cheese wheel pasta, po’boys, waffles, pizza etc. There are also many stalls with hand-made jewelry, arts and crafts, and vintage Christmas gifts.

On a recent trip on a cold afternoon, I did some housewares shopping at Williams and Sonoma at the nearby Shops at Columbus Circle, ..

..then browsed the Christmas market and got a hot apple cider, which I drank while taking a short walk through the south side of Central Park, before exiting back out onto Fifth Avenue.

A nice excursion you might consider as part of your day is to continue on down Fifth Avenue until you reach Rockefeller Center. Walking down Fifth Avenue, there isn’t just a ton of great shopping, but some of the luxury stores will have decorated their storefronts majestically for the holidays.

Once at Rockefeller Center, carefully make your way through the crowds to view the world famous Rockefeller Christmas tree!

Behind you will be Saks Fifth Avenue, which in some years lit up with its own holiday lights show, but in any year will be wonderfully decked out for the holidays.

To top off the evening, if you have the energy, you can skate at the iconic Rockefeller skating rink, and have dinner and drinks at the Rainbow Room. For a full list of places to eat at Rockefeller Center, see here.

These are just some highlights of what there is to see and do. Visiting the Christmas markets is a chance for you to make your own special memories and traditions. There is nothing like the holiday magic of a Christmas in New York.

Date of article: December 2024