I visited New York City in November and decided to do a what to do in New York city during Thanksgiving post.
Thanksgiving in New York City (late November) has to be one of the best times of the year to visit. Although the weather tends to be a bit chilly (it averages about 12 degrees Celsius during the day), it isn’t cold enough to ruin your trip. The best thing about visiting New York around Thanksgiving is that you get all the wonders of Christmas, such as ice skating in Central or Bryant Park, seeing the Christmas decorations that the city of New York does so well, and viewing all of the department store Christmas windows before the big chill sets in.
Traditionally, one of the most recognised New York Thanksgiving traditions has to be the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade starts at 9am on the corner of 77th St and Central Park West, and then travels down 6th Ave before finishing up at Macy’s in Herald Square. The crowds are ridiculous, so stake your spot out on the streets very early, or as we did, try and find a high rise building that will let you go on to their rooftop to view it.
For the shopping enthusiasts, Thanksgiving is one of the best times of the year for sales in America, and especially in New York City. Known as Black Friday (Australian’s, think Boxing Day Sales), the day after Thanksgiving, all stores put on huge sales which people line up for hours for. In New York, the majority of stores will open their doors at midnight on Thanksgiving. Just a warning for those who don’t like to shop: stay away from any of the shopping areas in New York on Black Friday as the crowds can be chaotic.
