There’s nothing like Christmas in New York City. The streets come alive with twinkling lights, tall Christmas trees appear and buildings go all out with holiday decorations. It’s my favorite time to photograph the city! But, you have to know the right places to go. This Instagram Guide to Christmas in NYC outlines the best holiday photo locations and tips to get a great shot.
You probably know the iconic NYC holiday sights, like the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree, but there are many other lesser known spots. From festive restaurants to gigantic ornaments, read on for my Instagram Guide to Christmas in NYC!
Rolf’s is a small German restaurant in the Gramercy Park neighborhood of Manhattan that’s known for its insane decorations. Packed into the tiny restaurant are 15,000 ornaments and 100,000 lights! It’s truly a sight to be seen and an incredibly popular spot during the holiday season.
If you’d like to eat in the restaurant reservations are needed, but you can grab a drink in the small bar area as a walk in. Keep in mind that Rolf’s gets busy and there’s often a long line.
An insider tip- Rolf’s holiday display is up from September through May. If your schedule is flexible I recommend grabbing your photo here outside of peak season (my photos are from late October!). If you can only visit in December I recommend arriving before opening to be first in line. That way you can snap a quick photo before it gets crowded.
Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
This is the most iconic Christmas tree in the world and a classic NYC holiday shot! The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree sits on the plaza outside of Rockefeller Center in midtown Manhattan, perched above the famous ice skating rink. As you can imagine, this is a tourist hot spot during holiday season. It gets packed and is hard to take a good photo.
The tree stays lit day and night, so you’ll see the lights whenever you visit. If you prefer to get a traditional shot with the tree close up I recommend going early (think sunrise) to avoid crowds.
I love experimenting with different angles at this tree, like shooting from below. Another great angle is across the ice skating rink, so you’re further away from the tree and can capture it, the rink and the iconic 30 Rock building in the background.
Bonus: While you’re at Rockefeller Center take a spin on the ice rink!
The Lotte New York Palace Christmas Tree
The Lotte New York Palace is a luxury hotel in midtown Manhattan. It’s a block away from Rockefeller Center and directly across the street from St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It’s a gorgeous and elegant hotel in a former 19th-century mansion.
The hotel’s front entrance is a grand courtyard that’s home to a huge Christmas tree during the holiday season. It’s my favorite Christmas tree in the city! It’s decorated elegantly and you can get close to it; it’s much more approachable than the Rockefeller Tree.
The courtyard at The Lotte New York Palace tends to get crowded during the afternoon, but with some patience you can get a good photo here any time.
Fun fact: If you’re a Gossip Girl fan, this is the hotel that Chuck Bass owns in the series!
Ornaments on Avenue of The Americas
Along the sidewalks on Avenue of The Americas (6th Avenue) and 48th/49th streets (right by Rockefeller Center) are displays of giant ornaments! You can angle yourself to capture Rockefeller Center in the background, talk about iconic NYC! This spot doesn’t get that busy and you can get a good photo at any time.
Lillie’s Victorian is a restaurant and bar near Union Square on 17th and 5th. During the holiday season this restaurant goes all out with a beautiful Christmas display! The sidewalk here isn’t that busy, so it’s an easy shot to get.
Birreria is Eataly’s rooftop that changes themes with the season. Each winter Birreria puts on a beautiful winter wonderland display. A major plus with shooting at this location is that you can relax with a glass of wine or a seasonal cocktail after your photo shoot!
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