Places to Visit   Christmas in Manhattan By Melissa Minners               When someone suggested that we go to Manhattan to see the tree at Rockefeller Center this week, I thought about it.  It had been a while since I had last ventured into Manhattan at all, let alone at Christmas time.  Not having worked there in years and having no desire to drive around the area, the last time I made an appearance was short and stressful, heading down to 14th Street to take a test for my job.  But I remembered what it was like in Manhattan around Christmas time – the lights, the music…all of the festivities to be found on every street corner.  I believe it came as somewhat of a surprise to all when I agreed to heading to Manhattan on my day off to check out the Christmas festivities, but, hey, I wasn’t going to have to drive and I could leave any time I wanted to so, why not?             The journey started on a train – happily, not a subway train as I have had quite enough of traveling on the subway after all these years.  What a comfortable and relatively quick way to venture into the city that never sleeps!  We got off at Penn Station and ventured out into the cold, wind tunnel that is the borough of Manhattan.  I was immediately struck by how little the city had changed in my absence.  It had been over a decade since I worked in the area and mostly everything had remained the same.  We exited the station right in front of Madison Square Garden and the wind hit me at once.  There’s no denying the power of a windy day in Manhattan – something about all of those skyscrapers bunched together brings out a wind tunnel effect that can bowl a person over if they’re not ready for it.             Walking to the corner, I immediately spotted the hotdog and pretzel vendors and was instantly overcome by a desire to obtain a dirty-water dog.  There’s nothing quite like hotdogs from street vendors in New York City.  I’ve read articles and seen news reports about the unsanitary conditions of the food from these vendors and yet, to me, these are the best hotdogs to be found anywhere!  So, of course, that was the first place we headed – two hotdogs and a hot pretzel the size of my head, please!              Our search for the recently lit Rockefeller Center tree led us past many store fronts, all beautifully decorated for the season.  I hadn’t exactly forgotten the hustling, bustling crowds of the city when I worked there years ago, but for some reason, the crowds seemed to be much larger this year.  Fighting through this sea of strangers was a daunting task, but the beauty of a city dressed in holiday fashion awaited, so I pushed, prodded and slipped between the numerous obstacles in my way and eventually ended up at Rockefeller Center.              Going early has its advantages – this is the first time I was ever able to get so close to the tree.  Towering above me, beautifully decorated with thousands of LED lights and topped with a star created with thousands of Swarovski crystals, was a 72-foot Norwegian spruce.  I was actually able to see almost every angle of the tree this time around.  I even got to see the happy skaters as they made their way around the skating rink seated just below the tree.  The last time I had visited the tree, the crowd of nighttime visitors had been so thick, I had been forced to stand at least a block away from the tree and admire it from there.  I was happy to discover that the beauty of the tree wasn’t lessened by seeing it during the daytime.  The lights shone just as brightly and the ambiance was just as enchanting.  I walked around staring at the enchanting beauty of it all – the huge, beautifully lit tree, the people skating below, the huge toy soldier statues surrounding the area, the angels lining the walkway leading up to the tree.  I was like a little kid again, taking it all in with joy and wonderment.             As we began leaving the area, I noticed a line of people waiting with ticket in hand for their chance to venture up to the 70th floor observation deck of 30 Rockefeller Plaza, known as the Top of the Rock, which offers a 360º unobstructed view of the city from 8am to Midnight.  Adults pay $20.00 and kids get in for $13.00.  A rather inexpensive and interesting way to get a bird’s eye view of one of the most amazing cities in the world.  Maybe we’ll check that out next time.             Now that we had visited the tree, there was one other spot we didn’t want to miss – St. Patrick’s Cathedral, arguably one of the largest and most beautiful churches in Manhattan.  Walking inside, peering in wonderment at the amazing architecture, the experience was made even more spiritual by the caroling choir assembled in the center of the church.             Then it was back to the hustle and bustle of the Manhattan streets, only this time, we took things slowly…as slowly as you can walking down those busy avenues.  We took time to stop and check out the window dressing – quite literally.  The most enjoyable displays we saw just happened to be the most famous displays in all of New York City.  Macy’s had a display on every side of the building.  My favorite, of course, was the Miracle on 34th Street window display that featured animated dolls acting out the various scenes from my favorite Christmas movie.  Saks 5th Avenue was inspired by the new children’s book, A Flake Like Mike, and featured animated smiling snowflakes among other animated sow-based characters.  All of the area’s buildings got into the Christmas spirit – there were even huge Christmas tree balls featured prominently before the Time/Life Building.             Who could visit Manhattan without checking out Times Square and the Empire State Building?  After taking numerous pictures around the area, it was time to check out the stores.  First stop, Barnes and Noble, of course – a multi-floor extravaganza for book lovers!  After a nice cup of Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Latte, we headed back out into the streets and my friend, the ultimate Yankee fan, spotted The Yankee Store.  I was forced to enter and stand watch as my friend checked out all of the merchandise for sale and actually purchased an item or two.  I’d have rather gone to The Mets Shop myself, but I couldn’t find one.  I know there used to be one in the area, but, just as I knew there was an FAO Schwarz in the area, I simply couldn’t find it.             After a great deal of walking and sightseeing, it was time to head back home, but not before stopping at a vendor in front of the train station for one last hot pretzel.  Happily, the ride home on the train was just as enjoyable as the ride into the city.  I completely enjoyed the journey.  If you can make time in your busy schedule to find your way into the city before the holidays are over, I strongly recommend it.  No matter how hectic your holiday has become, visiting the Rockefeller Center tree, checking out St. Patrick’s Cathedral, taking in all of the colorful sights and listening to the holiday music that surrounds it all will be enough to put a huge smile on your face.  What a fun and relatively inexpensive way to enjoy the city during the holidays!   For feedback, visit our message board or e-mail the author at talonkarrde@g-pop.net.