77 www.womanthismonth.com December 2014 Plenty of first-rate NYC restaurants serve special dinner menus on both Christmas Eve and Day. At Balthazar, it always feels like a party, and Christmas dinner is no different at Keith McNally's iconic Soho Bistro. Head downtown to the great Mas (Farmhouse) where chef Galen Zamarra prepares a special feast for holiday diners, while another great option would be JeanGeorges’ Upper East Side hotel spot, The Mark. For an Italian treat, make reservations at Michael White’s haute eatery Ai Fiori and have a blast at Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles with several holiday specials on the menu. If it's comfort food you crave, head to The Smith at Lincoln Center. Rooftop cocktails at the Empire Hotel are great for some after dinner revelry where you’ll bask in the glow of the hotel’s iconic neon sign. Round up your day with Serendipity’s hot chocolate as you stroll the glistening streets of a Christmas New York. 5th Avenue Heaven A major part of holidaying in New York during Christmas is window-shopping along Fifth Avenue - all the way from 59th Street to Macy's at 34th. In between picking out sweaters and other gifts for your loved ones, stop outside these classic department stores to appreciate the art-like window displays. From interactive videos to 3D projections, the ideas get more ambitious each year. They are more than just department stores, they’re flamboyant art galleries that have reached stellar artistic sophistication. Keep your pockets nice and deep because you will get carried away. You are so spoilt for choice: Saks Fifth Avenue, Lord & Taylor, Barneys, Bloomingdale’s and Bergdorf Goodman. The Borough Bonhomie Take a cab across Brooklyn Bridge to ride on Jane’s Carousel, a restored merry-go-round from the 1920s. Housed in a glass structure in Brooklyn’s Dumbo neighbourhood, this is a great place to enjoy the views of the city’s snowy skyline as well. Be sure not miss the Christmas lights at Dyker Heights when in the neighbourhood. Do check out the Garabedian family's home on Pelham Parkway North in the Bronx, also known to many as the Christmas House. Amidst traditional decorations, animated figures can be found, all dressed in classic Hollywood-style gowns. Queens residents take their holiday lights very seriously; but if there's one place that truly shines through, it's the intersection of 166th Street and 23rd Avenue. Remember to put this spectacular sight on your borough itinerary.
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