We always try to take advantage of local attractions. Because we don't know how long we will be living in New Jersey we made a decision to experience NYC during the holidays. My husband's mom flew in from Indiana to spend the holiday with us and she joined us in the city. We had purchased tickets to the Rockettes' Christmas Spectacular and it was SPECTACULAR! After 75+ years, they sure know what they are doing, not to mention that Radio City Music Hall is spectacularly decorated.
We parked at Hamilton Station in NJ and took the transit to Penn Station near 32nd street. I had done a bit of research on restaurants and found the perfect family style Italian restaurant in the area and called for reservations to only find out they were closed on Christmas Eve. Yes, we were going into the city on Christmas Eve! I used Trip Advisor and Yelp to help search for another eatery that was close to Radio City Music Hall with comfort food at comfort prices. (Thankfully, Trip Advisor has a map to help you search through the 7,139+ restaurants.) So, we had an Irish dinner at The Perfect Pint. We had a lovely Irish waitress, and I loved her accent. The food was excellent! It was the perfect New York experience for us. I even loved the mashed peas and I hate peas! Or maybe she said smashed peas?? Either way, it was a good start to our day. Off to Radio City Music Hall. We sat close to the top but in the middle section. I truly feel that any seat would be great in that Hall. The show was classic, yet, it weaved in the 3D high tech scenes in a way that enhanced the performance without taking away from the timelessness of the show itself. Did you know that when the Rockettes tap dance they have microphones in their shoes and they recharge the shoes after the performance? From beginning to end, the show was spectacular and will be a memory etched into our minds for years to come. After the show we wanted to see the tree at Rockefeller Center. This is where things got interesting. We walked in a single file line trying to get through the crowds without getting lost. I was stopped a couple times to take someone's picture by the tree and ice skating rink. No problem. I am good at that. I take the time to get good background shots, I count: 1..2...3, and I ask if it turned out okay. I only wish other people would do the same when we ask for pictures. Oh well. We actually had one of the guys that prints on the spot to take our picture. It was 20 dollars and the picture has New York City and Rockefeller written on it with the tree in the background. With the crowds it was worth it because we can scan the picture and everyone can use it. After that crowd, we wondered toward Penn Station and considered stopping to shop but the only shopping we did was window shopping. The window displays at Lord &Taylor and Macy's were fantastic. The crowds were not fantastic and they continued to keep us walking in single file fashion to Penn Station. At this point, we all pretty much wanted out of the city so we could breath again.
Penn Station can be hard to find at night. If you are new to finding it, remember 7th and 32nd near Madison Square Garden. There is an entrance off 7th. Those tunnels can be complicated to out of towners!
All in all, we had a memorable day and we loved the Rockettes! Even though there were crowds, I would go again next year; even on Christmas Eve. A Christmas show on Christmas Eve? How perfect is that!!!
