It’s holiday time in New York City, and the festive fun makes this the best time of the year. The lights line the street and apartment windows, holiday music plays in every store and restaurant, store fronts rock decked out window displays, and the Christmas tree stands give off that perfect amount of pine on every corner you turn. There is so much to do this time of year, but one of my favorites is a visit to The Shops at Columbus Circle.
With Ryder’s new school on the Upper West, I practically live at The Shops. Maybe its a quick stop for coffee at Bouchon, an afternoon meeting with clients at one of the restaurants, or some grocery shopping at Whole Foods. I love the change from my typical downtown scenery, and when it comes to the holidays, The Shops go all out.
The main entrance atrium is adorned with massive stars hanging overhead that change color to the beat of holiday music, for a beautiful light show. It truly is a sight to see!
A few weeks ago, Jason & Ryder met the girls and I uptown for some pre holiday fun. Bouchon Bakery probably has my favorite hot cocoa in the city, so that was our first stop. Our main reason for the visit was to catch a performance of Broadway Under The Stars. The event takes place for five consecutive weeks, featuring abbreviated performances from the casts of Broadway shows currently running along the Great White Way. Each cast performs a song or two for an audience of shoppers totally free of charge. That evening’s performances included Charlie & The Chocolate Factory, School Of Rock, and Kinky Boots. Having recently seen School Of Rock on Broadway, the kids enjoyed seeing the cast again, and even sang along. We are definitely planning to make it back for the last few weeks of performances, as this was such a treat for the kiddies (and us).
Following our taste of Broadway the kids were ravenous so we headed upstairs to Landmarc. Landmarc is super family friendly, but still offers us grown ups a nice atmosphere with some tasty food and drinks. After a Mother’s Day nosh there with my mama friends, I was familiar with Chef Marc Murphy’s yummy desserts, so I decided to surprise the kids with ice cream cones and cotton candy after dinner. They hailed Jason and I the best parents ever!
After our dinner we browsed around The Shops, visiting a family favorite Amazon Books. The kids had a few favorites, so I took notes as some of those will end up under the tree. As we were about to leave, the atrium light show started. It was the perfect grande finale to kick us into the holiday spirit on this fun Monday night.
The Shops have extended hours during the holiday season, so there’s no rush while shopping or dining. And remember, the last two weeks of Broadway Under The Stars take place Monday December 4th at 5pm, featuring Waitress, Chicago, Anastasia; and again on December 11th with SpongeBob SquarePants, Once on This Island, and A Bronx Tale! Happy Holidays!
photo credit: Lauren Elle Photography
22 thoughts on “The Shops at Columbus Circle: Holiday Edition”
It looks like they have really made it a great place to shop. I love the hanging decorations! So pretty!
Oh how fun! I was just down there last week! I hope to get back to the shops soon!
That is so awesome! Columbus Circle is exactly the kind of place I love to shop. It’s so much fun to shop around so many stores and also get that great vibe. I love it!
I would love to visit Columbus Circle, especially during the holidays. It looks so fun and festive.
Columbus Circle definitely sounds like it’s worth a visit right now. Checking out the Broadway Under The Stars performances would be nice.
How cool that The Shops are featuring abbreviated versions of Broadway musicals! That would be such a fun family outing.
I love those huge hanging stars! I wish I had some for my house!
Looks like a great time, judging by your pictures! Lots of things to do and places to shop!
What an awesome place to shop! It looks so high-end but family friendly as well. Your kids sure looked like they had a great time.
This looks like such a great place to shop during the holidays! I love that they have shows too! My son would go crazy to see Sponge Bob. I will have to stop in to do some shopping! How fun!
I love this so much! I love the whole holiday vibe. Oh, and the shops! Can’t forget those!
New York shows its best face during the Holidays. I love all the shows (and have seen them) that Broadway Under the Stars covered, except for Charle and the Chocolate Factory, which I heard is terrific.
Wow, The Shops look so whimsical this time of year. I could spend days there!
I absolutely LOVE seeing stores during the holidays! Their displays are always so festive and beautiful. The ones at The Shops at Columbus Circle are amazing!
The holidays bring me so much joy. It looks like you guys had so much fun! Shopping and sampling treats is a perfect way to spend a December day.
The kids look like they really enjoyed the shops! It seems like a really fun place to hangout this time of year.
That is a really nice way to spend the evening with the family. this time of year is so special when it comes to this stuff.
I really love how they decorated the place. I bet it was a blast to just hang out with the family.
Looks like a really fun day! I will definitely visit here with my family!
Oh wow! They have so much in store for people this season! Especially the families who are planning to go out and just enjoy shopping and dining! This is definitely a place I’d take the kids to!
Oh wow – that is a pretty shopping center! I love the stars hanging from the ceiling! It looks like you and your family had a blast.
Such a pretty place to go to for the Holidays! They have so much in store and I like that there’s a light show at night as well.