CityPASS New York articles

When my kids were growing up, a favorite holiday tradition on Thanksgiving Eve was a nighttime stroll along Central Park West around the American Museum of Natural History to watch the Thanksgiving Day parade balloons come to life. Laid out flat along the closed streets on either side of the museum in the afternoon, the deflated balloons would slowly grow as crews worked into the night, pumping them with helium and covering them with sandbagged nets to keep them from floating away.

The Rainbow Room is shining brightly once again, high above New York City on the 65th floor of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The legendary restaurant and dance hall is back with the same spirit, style and sophistication. The dazzling crystal chandelier and revolving dance floor are still the centerpieces of the room, just as they were in the 1930s and beyond.

How does a nation come to grips with one of the most horrific events in its history? Since the 9/11 Museum opened on May 21, more than 430,000 people have visited the expansive underground site to witness the stories and artifacts from the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Attendance has exceeded expectations of museum officials, even with the $24 adult entry fee.

Whether you’re traveling near or far for your holiday dinner, there is certainly something to be said for spending a day amidst the madness at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade—or watching it from your couch at home as your turkey dinner is roasting in the oven. You may watch the parade every year with friends and loved ones, but do you know the immense history behind one of the most exciting traditions in our country?

In a part of the world best known for tall buildings and bright lights, New Jersey’s Liberty State Park provides a lush oasis for those who want to escape the hustle and bustle of the big city. But that doesn’t mean this park, located next to the Jersey City shoreline, isn’t a bright, shiny star all on its very own.

Williamsburg, a popular eastern Brooklyn neighborhood of about 125,000 inhabitants, used to be a place visitors would avoid. Now it’s an icon of hipster culture, with lots of fun shops, bars, music venues and terrific people watching. It’s almost along the lines of when tour buses would drive through San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury to gape at the hippies when I was a kid. Instead, here you sit at a sidewalk cafe, sip an espresso and enjoy the show. Definitely bring your camera.