Hear from an author and map designer who has been creating maps of the NYC subway, officially and unofficially, for over forty years!
A new street art hotspot has some unconventional holiday decorations!
From giant menorah lightings to New Year's Day hikes, check out our picks for how to spend the holidays in NYC!
This year’s holiday season is sure to be different than any that have come before, but that doesn’t mean New York City will be any less festive. While some beloved Thanksgiving traditions, such as the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon inflation, have been canceled, but many continue with adjustments for social distancing and smaller crowds. You can still watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on television, the window displays along Fifth Avenue will still be decorated, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree will still stand, we will still eat lots of turkey and sides on Thanksgiving. Plus, there are new traditions to be made. Check out our picks for the best ways to celebrate Thanksgiving this year in New York City!
Looking for a great fall photo op? Head to Manhattan’s Seaport District along the East River. At the Heineken Riverdeck at Pier 17 passersby will find a giant arch made out of 500 gourds. Standing under the arch, you will be surrounded by pumpkins of all shapes, sizes, and colors.
There are tiny yellow pumpkins, large orange ones, and white pumpkins, decorated with intertwining leaves and branches. The arch is situated to give you an amazing view of the Brooklyn Bridge and at night, it lights up with an orange glow. You can take pictures at the pumpkin arch now until Thanksgiving day.
Image Courtesy of Macy’s Inc.
We are VERY grateful for all of our Insiders here at Untapped New York, especially this year, and the Untapped Team would like to show you just how much by having a virtual Thanksgiving Day Parade of our own. First, Chief Experience Officer, Justin Rivers, will do a brief talk about the origins of New York’s iconic Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, tracing its humble beginnings as a Christmas parade up through its evolution into the world’s most famous parade. Due to COVID-19, the 2020 parade will be confined to Herald Square, balloons will be moved by machines instead of people, and there will be no crowds allowed on the streets.
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After Justin’s talk we will invite Insiders to share their memories or pictures of the Thanksgiving Day parade. Each Insider is invited to present them to the group. And you can bet that we’ll be asking what you’re thankful for this year in the chat. So on Tuesday, November 24th, bring a heaping plate to your computer and join us! Global Insiders, don’t be shy, now’s your chance to experience an American Thanksgiving without the family dysfunction (kidding).
Photograph by Ben Hider/The New York Botanical Garden
Due to enhanced safety protocols and reduced ticket capacity, this year’s Holiday Train Show at the New York Botanical Garden will be open only to NYBG Members, Patrons, and Bronx Community Partners. For members of the general public, the NYBG is putting on an all-new outdoor experience illuminating called NYBG GLOW. Starting on November 27th, guests can walk around the gardens that surround the historic Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and be immersed ina glowing world of color and light.
Washes of brilliant colors, thousands of dazzling lights, and picture-perfect installations will fill the Reflecting Pool and enliven surrounding gardens and collections. There will also be artistic ice carving displays, roving dancers and musicians, and more! Book your tickets here. NYBG Glow will run between Friday, November 27, 2020, and Saturday, January 9, 2021.
The spectacular mansions of Flatbush, Brooklyn make for pleasant viewing on a fall stroll through the historic neighborhood. You can join Untapped New York’s expert tour guide, Jeremy Wilcox, on Sunday, November 29th for a small group walking tour where you will get to see some of the biggest and best of Flatbush.
Guests on this tour will learn about the town’s 17th-century Dutch colonial history through its 19th-century residential growth and the population boom of working-class immigrant communities in the 20th century. Several small historic districts, mansions, and church grounds dating back to 1654 are some of the highlights you will see on this unique tour.
Photograph by Amir Muhammad Figueroa Courtesy of Harlem Turkey Trot
Running clubs all over New York City take to streets on Thanksgiving and the day after to run off those holiday calories, and often raise money for a good cause. This year, many of the annual Thanksgiving Turkey Trots are taking place virtually. Instead of meeting in person at the same time on the same route, runners are given multiple days to complete the race on their own time and own individual route.
You can sign up for the Harlem Turkey Trot and complete one mile or a 5k by November 29th. The NYC Turkey Trot at Roosevelt Island is also going virtual. Download a run tracking app and get going!
The holidays are usually the busiest time for travel at New York’s major transportation hubs, though they may be less crowded this year as more people choose to stay home for the holidays. Instead of traveling out of town, take time to get to know the secrets of one of New York City’s most famous landmarks, Grand Central Terminal.
While many New Yorkers may pass through Grand Central Terminal every day, Untapped New York’s Secrets of Grand Central terminal walking tour is sure to reveal something you never knew. From hidden tennis courts, secret bars, and the true value of that iconic Main Concourse clock, discover all of the terminal’s secrets!
Photograph courtesy of Classic Harbor Line
Hop aboard one of Classic Harbor Line’s historically inspired vessels for a holiday cruise on the Hudson River. Starting November 21st and sailing through New Years Eve, you can choose from five different festive holiday tours. Sip champagne aboard a 1920s inspired yacht, sail around the island of Manhattan and pass by to the Statue of Liberty, or cozy up to a warm cup of cocoa as you watch the sunset.
All of the boats on Classic Harbor Line’s fleet have been upgraded to accommodate COVID-19 restrictions and safety measures. Tours are running with reduced capacity to ensure safe social distancing and parties are separated by barriers. Check out all of the holiday cruises here!
On Monday, November 23rd, The Museum of Food and Drink in Brooklyn will celebrate Native food culture in a special virtual event. In partnership with The Greene Space, MOFAD will present Food for Thought: Reclamation Feast, a virtual cooking demo hosted by Indigenous chefs and community leaders. With the help and guidance of Chef Crystal Wahpepah, Ethnobotanist Linda Black Elk, and Sovereign EarthWorks founders David Rico and Reignbeaux Cuahuitl, participants will craft a three-course meal.
The delicious meal will consist of cornbread, wild rice with turkey, and blue corn squash upside-down cake for dessert. The demonstration will celebrate Indigenous people who are reawakening traditions, preserving their heritage, and creating new rituals through food and community.
This year, more than ever, those in need could use help from their fellow New Yorkers. While in-person volunteer opportunities are limited due to COVID-19, local charities and soup kitchens around the city are still doing all they can to make sure no one goes hungry this Thanksgiving. If you want to help, there are many ways you can donate.
On Thanksgiving morning, Gobble Gobble NYC will collect then distribute donations of canned and packaged foods, toiletries, baby items, new clothing, blankets, toys or pandemic supplies. You can drop off donations at the historic Apollo Theater in Harlem. You must pre-register pre-register to make a donation drop-off. Another way to help is by donating a turkey to help the West Side Campaign Against Hunger meet their goal in the Thousand Turkey Challenge. Check out your own local charities to find more ways to give back during this season of gratitude.
Courtesy of the American Museum of Natural History
For more than forty years, the American Museum of Natural History has erected a giant Origami Holiday Tree, and this year the tradition will continue. On Wednesday, November 25th, the day before Thanksgiving, a 13-foot tree festooned with one thousand brilliantly colored origami cranes will be unveiled. The theme of this year’s tree is Cranes and Colors.
Cranes are symbols of peace and good wishes as New York continues to endure the many challenges posed by COVID-19. The decorations also draw inspiration from The Nature of Color special exhibition that explores the role and power of color in the natural world and in ourselves. In addition to the paper cranes, the tree will also bear hundreds of other models relating to the Museum’s exhibitions, collections and icons. It will be on display until January 10, 2021.
Next, check out The Top 10 Secrets of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in NYC and NYC Vintage Photos: The Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade Through the Years
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