Hello Panda Festival at Citifield. Photo: Nitin Mukul / Epicenter NYC

New York City is all dolled up for the holidays, bringing out tourists and locals alike to admire the sites. Epicenter-NYC reporter Andrea Pineda-Salgado spoke with locals to find out what their favorite thing about the city is this time of year. 

Cathay Lu. Photo: Andrea Pineda-Salgado / Epicenter NYC

Two years ago, we went to Citifield and they had panda lights. That’s very good. Perfect! In the winter [when it gets] too cold, we visit some museums, like the Hall of Science, the [Queens] Art Museum and bring the kids there.”

Cathay Lu, Queens, New York
 

“I love the Rockefeller Christmas tree. I feel like that is my tradition, to always go visit the Rockefeller Christmas tree. I go on Christmas day or the day after Christmas, early in the morning. I would recommend people to go to Rockefeller Center and to go look at the window displays at Saks Fifth Avenue, Bryant Park and the One Vanderbilt.”

~Asha Samaroo, Manhattan, New York



My favorite part of New York City are the markets at Bryant Park’s Winter Village. It’s beautiful because you see all the tourists, different types of people from Europe, from South America, from everywhere, from Asia. You get to see a lot of different people from different countries here. It’s beautiful, you know, to see people from all over the world and right here. I love this city.”

~ Tenzin Chodar, Manhattan, New York


Roberto Ciriato. Photo: Andrea Pineda-Salgado / Epicenter NYC

“[My favorite part of New York City during the holidays is being a Salvation Army Bell Ringer.] We do the most good. We help people. We help the kids, we give them toys. [It’s] very fun. The best part is to play music, to dance, to enjoy the people.”

~ Roberto Ciriato, Manhattan, New York


Warren. Photo: Andrea Pineda-Salgado / Epicenter NYC

“When [people] come on the trains. So some people come and say ‘Merry Christmas,’ I’ve got people come to me, they say, ‘Happy Holidays.’ Christmas brings out the goodness in people. I like when there is joy and everybody’s happy. That’s the best part of Christmas. Most of the people right now coming out of the pandemic still have that sadness. I’m hoping and I’m praying this Christmas, we get a nice, good snow and everybody starts feeling a little blessed that we are alive and start coming together like we used to be.”

~ Warren, Manhattan, New York



Loco Coco the Clown. Photo: Andrea Pineda-Salgado / Epicenter NYC

“What I like most about New York City during the holidays is the snow, how festive people are. Sometimes people are in a good mood. And yeah, it’s nice. SantaCon is pretty funny to see drunk people and stuff. I like the holidays in New York. [I don’t really like] how cold it can get. You know, sometimes it gets too cold, it hurts your face, when it’s 15 degrees. But when it’s 40, 30 degrees it’s all good. I’m out and about, you know, doing clown stuff.”

~“Loco Coco the Clown,” Queens, New York


Well as a person coming from the island, my [Christmas] is about family gatherings. But, [I like] going to the Statue of Liberty, I go to Liberty Island, I like to go to places like that, it’s like you are in a different world.”

~Sharron Borris, Manhattan, New York


Chris Lennon. Photo: Andrea Pineda-Salgado / Epicenter NYC

“My favorite part of New York is the people. How we just come together, no matter what the situation, no matter what it can be, as long as we got us, we are all right. The holidays just make it better. We get to eat. We get to come out here and see these festive lights and it’s all free. That’s the best about the holidays.”

~ Chris Lennon, Manhattan, New York

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