Lights, Camera... Christmas!
New York. Christmas time. A match made in heaven.
Not only is this city home to some of the most extravagant and impressive light shows and decorations (the Rockefeller Christmas tree, anyone?) in the world but it's also the setting for some of the most iconic Christmas movies of the past century. I bloody love Christmas, so I knew I wanted to get in the festive spirit and make the most of this city at the most wonderful time of the year. Problem was, I'm new to New York. I had no idea where to start.
That's why we decided to head out on a guided tour with
. They provide themed bus tours which take you to some of the sites of the most famous movies filmed here in New York City. We chose "Holiday Lights and Movie Sites" which promised to take us to some of the city's celebrated light shows and window displays, while talking us through the locations where films like Miracle on 34th Street and Home Alone 2 were filmed.
We met at the shops at Colombus Circle at 2pm, before being met by our tour guide, Elise. A good tour often depends on the tour guide - and Elise was so fun, effervescent and knowledgeable about the city she obviously loved that she made the tour fun for everyone. As we drove through the heart of the city, she pointed out the locations for tonnes of famous Christmas films, from Scrooged to Mr Popper's Penguins. New York is the most filmed city in the world, with a huge 15-30 projects being shot here each and every month, so there was plenty to see. Each scene was also played to us on the bus, anchoring each of our favourite scenes in the urban landscape before us. There's something a little bit magical about setting foot in the very place you spent your childhood watching. For me, seeing the part of Central Park where Kevin meets the pigeon lady was a highlight. Just me? Ok.
We took three stops on our tour, to get up close to the iconic window displays at New York's famous department stores. I think it's legit to say that they were less window displays, more works of art - each one interpreting the idea of Christmas and the holidays in a different, but equally luxurious way. My personal favourite was Bergdof Goodman, whose displays were constructed entirely from glittering Swarovski crystals. Dazzling, in every sense of the word. Others boasted selfie-taking penguins, live ice shows and an animated advent calendar. Only in New York, right?
Back on the bus, Elise gave out some of the most delicious gingerbread cookies I've ever tasted. The hot, spicy cinnamon was the festive icing on the cake. She also tested our movie knowledge with mini quizzes to keep us entertained, awarding more cookies as prizes. To be honest with you, t
hings couldn't have felt more Christmassy.
As night fell and the lights of New York became even more dazzling, we disembarked the bus with the kind of warm fuzzies you can only get from... well, a good old Christmas movie.
This tour is perfect if you're not too mobile, or if you've already done loads of walking and want to be shown around while resting your feet. Happy holidays indeed!
The
"Holiday Lights and Movie Sites"
tour costs $36 and lasts for 2.5 hours. I was kindly granted a free tour in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
