BLACK FRIDAY is a term that both terrifies and excites. We have found a way to make your holiday shopping more enjoyable than fighting the crowds in over-heated department stores. Most of the city’s specialty holiday markets have opened and the merchandise is unique, plentiful and sure to please even the pickiest person on your list. We have listed the holiday shops that are now open, as well as some specialty holiday shops that are open year round, but that we only take notice of once a year. To relax after the insanity of your Friday shopping spree, try something quiet on Saturday and Sunday like a museum, food tour or movie. Enjoy.
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 27
Union Square Holiday Market
‘Tis the beginning of the holiday season, and that means the return of the Holiday Market at Union Square. Unique gifts await shoppers at every turn as they peruse the more than 100 gift boutiques at the popular Holiday Market at Union Square, now in its 14th year. The Market’s wares include imported and handmade holiday ornaments and decorations, antique prints, fine art, toys for kids of all ages, gourmet foods, drinks, baked goods, handcrafted jewelry and leather, golf accessories, candles, bath oils, cashmere, French linens, pet accessories, clothing and apparel for all ages. The Market will be open from November 25 to Wednesday, December 24. Monday – Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Saturdays 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sundays 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Union Square is between Broadway and Fourth Street and East 14th and 17th Streets.
The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park
The holiday shopping season comes alive with The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park. Entering its eighth season, this European inspired open-air market offers access to a specially selected collection of unique artisans from around the world. Hours are M-F 11am-8pm; Sat 10am-9pm; Sun 10am-6pm. The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park are conveniently located in midtown Manhattan, between 40th and 42nd Streets and 5th and 6th Avenues.
Grand Central Holiday Fair
Lexington Avenue and 43rd Street
For the 11th year, the most exquisite collection of handpicked vendors, artisans, and craftspeople will be open for business at The Grand Central Holiday Fair. Known for its exceptional product mix, the Holiday Fair consistently impresses customers from all walks of life. Conveniently located in the heart of midtown Manhattan, Grand Central’s Vanderbilt Hall is the perfect destination for an elegant shopping experience. And, unlike other Manhattan holiday gift fairs, it’s indoors! Beginning Monday, when you have finished shopping, visit the Grand Central Terminal and enjoy the Holiday Light Show (see below). The Holiday Fair hours are: Monday – Saturday 10:00 AM to 8:00 PM; Sunday 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM.
2009 Holiday Light Show
Begins November 30th at Grand Central Terminal
Nowhere on Earth is the holiday spirit as spectacular as in New York City. Visitors to Grand Central will delight in the high-tech winter wonderland images on the famed Astrological Ceiling in the Main Concourse 125 feet above their heads. Last seen in 2005, the Grand Central Holiday Laser Light Show is back by ‘popular demand’ and officially kicks off the holiday season on Monday, November 30th. A series of six (6) individual six-minute shows will be presented on what is perhaps the busiest room in the world, the Constellation Sky Ceiling of the Terminal’s Main Concourse. One show is presented every half hour, between 11:00 AM and 9:00 PM, over the course of six weeks.
Kurt S Adler Santa’s World
7 W 34th St, New York, NY, (212) 924-0900
World famous Kurt Adler prides itself on providing high-quality ornaments (opening photo), dolls and nutcrackers from around the globe. Their beautiful glass selection includes everyday and specialty ornaments from collections such as Polonaise (Poland), Noble Gems (Asia) and Luxor (Egypt). Call for hours.
The Christmas Cottage
871 Seventh Avenue (Between 55th and 56th Streets)
The Christmas Cottage is a place of rich discoveries, a magical experience. The Christmas Cottage has been part of New York City since 1985. We are the oldest Christmas shop in New York City. The Christmas Cottage specializes in designer-themed trees along with a unique line of New York ornaments. Everything you need to make your holiday special can be purchased in our store including lights, ribbons, garlands, stockings, water globes, nutcrackers with Santas and snowmen galore. There is something for everyone. Call 212-333-7380 for more information.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 28
Origami Tree
American Museum of Natural History, ?Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Hall, first floor
An annual Museum tradition, the delightfully decorated Origami Holiday Tree and two merrily lit 19-foot Holiday Barosaurs welcome visitors to the Museum throughout the holiday season.
The Origami Holiday Tree has marked the start of the holiday season at the Museum for more than 30 years. The theme of this year’s tree is Origami, A to Z, featuring a colorful paper-shaped alphabet soup. The 13-foot tree will be covered with letters and a corresponding object: an A and an Apatosaurus, a B and a butterfly, a C and a chimpanzee, an F and a frog, an M and a mastodon, an S and a saber tooth tiger, and a T and a Tyrannosaurus rex. Volunteers began folding in July to complete the 500 creations displayed on the tree. During the holiday season, volunteers will be on hand to teach visitors of all ages the art of origami folding.
The two Holiday Barosaurs, which greet visitors to the Museum on the front steps throughout the holiday season, are made of openwork stainless steel and festooned with pine boughs and lights. Illuminated at night, the whimsical dinosaurs flank the John Russell Pope Central Park West staircase and echo the Barosaurus mount in the Roosevelt Rotunda.
Holiday Train Show at The New York Botanical Garden
The holiday season is full of family traditions, and the Holiday Train Show is one of the most eagerly anticipated. The amazing display of New York landmark replicas created out of plant materials and enlivened by model trains returns to The New York Botanical Garden on Saturday, November 21, 2009, with familiar favorites from seasons past and spectacular additions to enchant audiences anew. Beloved by people of all ages, the popular exhibition will be on display in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory through January 10, 2010. The New York Botanical Garden is located at Bronx River Parkway (Exit 7W) and Fordham Road. An all-garden pass is $20. Open 10-5. Call 718-817-8700 or visit www.nybg.org for more information.
Museum of American Finance
Long before female stockbrokers and fund managers were common—and even long before women could vote, a few trailblazing ladies made great names in the financial world. This exhibition honors influential women on Wall Street from both then and now. Learn about historical notables such as Abigail Adams (a canny bond speculator) and Muriel Siebert (the first woman to purchase a seat on the New York Stock Exchange). Also hear recorded testimony from contemporary financial bigwigs like Goldman Sachs investment analyst Abby Joseph Cohen. The Museum of American Finance is located at 48 Wall Street at William Street. Visit www.moaf.org for more information.
Tim Burton at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) 11 W. 53rd St. (bet. Fifth and Sixth Aves.)
Taking inspiration from popular culture, Tim Burton has reinvented Hollywood genre filmmaking as an expression of personal vision, garnering for himself an international audience of fans and influencing a generation of young artists working in film, video, and graphics. This exhibition explores the full range of his creative work, tracing the current of his visual imagination from early childhood drawings through his mature work in film. It brings together over seven hundred examples of rarely or never-before-seen drawings, paintings, photographs, moving image works, concept art, storyboards, puppets, maquettes, costumes, and cinematic ephemera from such films as Edward Scissorhands, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Batman, Mars Attacks! Ed Wood, and Beetlejuice, and from unrealized and little-known personal projects that reveal his talent as an artist, illustrator, photographer, and writer working in the spirit of Pop Surrealism. The gallery exhibition is accompanied by a complete retrospective of Burton’s theatrical features and shorts, as well as a lavishly illustrated publication.
Timed tickets are available online only for this exhibition at no extra cost. Simply select a specific date and time when you purchase your admission ticket online. Timed-ticket holders are guaranteed entry at the selected time. Please note that tickets purchased at the Museum are not timed. Untimed tickets do grant entry to the exhibition, but there may be a significant wait. For timed tickets visit www.moma.org.
Photo: Tim Burton. Untitled (The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and Other Stories). 1982–84. Pen and ink, marker, and colored pencil on paper, 10 x 9″ (25.4 x 22.9 cm). Private collection. © 2009 Tim Burton
ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
Clearview Chelsea Cinemas, 260 W 23rd St between Seventh and Eighth Aves.
It’s all about audience participation at the weekend midnight screenings of this 1975 cult classic that continues to draw fans of its transvestite hero, Dr. Frank N. Furter (Tim Curry). There’s plenty of dress-up, call-and-response and prop wielding throughout, accompanied by a live cast of campy performers. The Rocky Horror Picture Show also stars Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick and Meat Loaf. Every Friday and Saturday nights at midnight.
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 29
A Taste of Harlem Food Tour
Harlem is a destination for foodies, and there’s little wonder why: As this tour demonstrates on its 13-mile trip, the neighborhood features soul food, as well as Caribbean, African and Italian cuisines. Taste your way through 13 miles of Harlem enjoying Soul Food and the cuisines of the Caribbean, Africa and Italy that make Harlem the Gumbo of Soul.
Along the way, drop by a rehearsal, view an art gallery, examine a bed & breakfast, and see the varied and mighty architecture that defines Harlem’s renaissance. You’ll visit landmark churches and the tour is proud to support Harlem-based independent businesses, where you can shop at a discount. Please call 212-866-7427 or visit www.tasteharlem.com.
Sunday Screenings at the Tribeca Grand Hotel
Two Avenue of the Americas
The stylish Tribeca Grand Hotel hosts this series of Sunday film screenings with a different theme each month. Tonight’s movie is the James Bond adventure, Casino Royale, 6:30 PM. Visit www.tribecagrand.com for more information.
