There are many reasons to love
the holidays in New York City, not the least of which involves a jolly old man
in a bright red suit who is supposed to grant us all of our wishes. We’re sure
you can find one to snap a photo with on just about every corner, but for the
ultimate classic experience, here are some of our favorite Santas from around
the city. —
Snap & Save With Santa
Just when you think meeting Santa
can’t get any better, he decides to offer you a special photo package at Shutterfly
just for the holidays. Flash the camera your best and brightest smile, then
order personalized cards, photo books and other gives to savor the memory. Through
December 24 at South Street Seaport Mall, 3rd Floor, 212-732-7678, southstreetseaport.com.
Breakfast With Santa
What better reason to wake up
bright an early than a scrumptious family-style breakfast with a visit from
Santa and his elves at Rockefeller Center? Enjoy a gingerbread basket, eggs on brioche French toast,
breakfast pork sausage and other goodies with a side of stocking stuffer
trinkets. After you’ve filled up, enjoy a day out on the ice with your VIP
skating passes. Through December 24 at 20 West 50th Street, 212-332-7620, patinagroup.com.
The ABCs Of Christmas
Walk down a red carpet to see the
man in red! ABC Carpet and Home’s beloved
Santa Claus (heralded by the New York Post to be “the most authentically
snuggly Santa of all”) is back in town to pose for photos with your tots.
He’s been known to hand out ornaments and little polar bears, so see what he
has up his sleeve this year. Through December 18 at 888 Broadway at East 19th
Street, 212-473-3000,
abchome.com.
Opposite Day With Santa
Back by popular demand, Ripley’s
Believe It Or Not! flips the classic photo with Santa on its head. For a quirky
family portrait, have Santa sit on your lap instead of the other way
round–perfect for a unique holiday card or just for laughs. Available
Saturdays till December 24 and December 26 through 29 at 234 West 42nd St, 212-398-3133, ripleysnewyork.com.
Santaland At Macy’s
Long lines are a small price to
pay to step foot inside Macy’s infamous Santaland. Feast your eyes on the enchanted
forest, miniature train set and the entire magical North Pole village of
elves. For an additional $5, you can even catch Nick Coppola’s “Miracle on 34th
Street” puppet show. Open daily through December 24
and from December 25 through December 29 at 151 West 34th Street, 212-494-4495, macys.com.
Santa In A Box
Tired of the same old red suit?
Head over to Dekalb Market to see this year’s SANT-A-BOX,
where you’ll find Santa in an ultra fab shipping container instead of the
typical winter wonderland. Glitter and cut-out snowflakes still
abound, so don’t forget to bring your own camera. Through December 24 at 138
Willoughby Street, 212-529-9262 dekalbmarket.com.
A Multilingual Santa Cause
There’s no funner way to practice your foreign language skills than telling
the Rosetta Stone Santa what you want for Christmas in Spanish, German, French,
Italian, Dutch or, of course, English. And in the spirit of the season, every
time someone climbs into Santa’s lap, tests their language skills and smiles
for the camera, Rosetta Stone will donate language-learning software to an
eligible school. December 21 (3:00-7:00pm) and December 22-23 (1:00pm-5:00pm)
at Time Warner Center, 10 Columbus Circle, 212-823-9871, shopsatcolumbuscircle.com.
Santa In Bloom
See Bloomingdale’s Kris Kringle at their very own Santaland this season–at bKids on the 8th floor. So don your holiday best and get ready to say “cheese”! Through December 23 at 1000 Third Avenue, 212-705-2000, bloomingdales.com.
Santa Visits Queens
Don’t miss the guy in red as he mans his post at the Queens Center Mall. Level 3 of the JCPenney wing promises photo opps with the man of the hour. Through December 24, 90-15 Queens Blvd,
Queens, 718-592-3901, shopqueenscenter.com.
Santa In A Flash
The fat man also resides for weeks at the Kings Plaza Shopping Center in Brooklyn, on Level 2. Luckily for Brooklynites, there’s rarely a line to see this jolly fellow! Through December 24, 5117 Avenue U, Brooklyn, 718-253-6842, kingsplazaonline.com.
