I am super excited to be part of this wonderful NYMetropolista family. To be given the opportunity to share with you any new, exciting, off the beaten path places,activities I come across on my many adventures with my family throughout New York City

I am a little late with this review with just three more dates left I strongly suggest it is a must see for the whole family.

A Charlie Brown Christmas (LIVE) Accompanied by a jazz trio who performs the soundtrack composed by Vince Guaraldi, who  is on this classic animated television show. Performed live at this pretty cool venue in Brooklyn called the Brooklyn Lyceum. This production is in its second year at this venue. Having spent my entire childhood in Trinidad and Tobago one of my fondest memories was watching with my cousins A Charlie Brown Christmas. When I read about this live performance of this great classic I knew I had to take my 4 year old son Jaden and husband Joe to see this show. We arrived at the Brooklyn Lyceum and out first impression of the venue was it looked very industrial and organic in nature. Once we were escorted upstairs to where the show was performed we were wowed by how they created the set in a magical sort of way. It is a bit cold so dress warmly and there are heating lamps set up strategically around the seating. To us it just lent to the whole experience of being outside with Charlie Brown and his crew. The set was re-created as perfect as possible to the cartoon and before the show started Jaden got to walk around and tour the stage.

“Pig Brooch Theatre Company, Inc. was founded in May 2004 when their original play Happy Mundanes was accepted into the New York International Fringe Festival 2004. After a successful run, the company teamed up with Dustin Helmer’s Kiek in de KökPlayers to create and produce Love Is in the Air, a lost 1920s silent film presented by a company of Estonian clowns. Love Is in the Air was produced at the 2005 Fringe Festival before touring to Hamilton College in the spring of 2006 as part of a fundraiser for a new multi-million dollar theatre facility. The immensely talented performers from this production come from all areas of the New York theatre scene, from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, to Broadway, to the Metropolitan Opera House, to every rock and roll music venue in the city.A Charlie Brown Christmas is a tradition at the Penn State Theatre program that has finally arrived in Brooklyn. The actors all share a deep love for this holiday favorite and have worked extremely hard to match the exact physicality of the cartoon characters from Charlie Brown Christmas Special”

Joe and I were amazed at how the actors performed the entire Charlie Brown Christmas verbatim, down to the characteristics of the cartoon characters. The live music by the jazz trio performing all the Vince Guaraldi classics made it so magical for us adults  and brought back such warm and “Christmasy” feelings inside. Jaden as well as all the other kids that were there laughed throughout the entire show which was a perfect 40 minutes from start to finish.

I loved this show so much I am contemplating going back again this weekend with some friends. A perfect holiday classic A Charlie Brown Christmas for the young and the young at heart.

SHOW DATES AND TIMES:
Fri Dec 18 – 7pm
Sat Dec 19 – 2pm and 7pm
Sun Dec 20 – 2pm and 7pm

All tickets are $10 and available at: BrooklynLyceum.com

A portion of the ticket sales will be donated to the Children’s Aid Society

Location: Brooklyn Lyceum   227 4th Avenue in Park Slope.   R train at Union Street. 718.857.4816.

Also playing at the Brooklyn Lyceum which I have not seen so unable to review:

“Just in time for the holidays!  Mainspring Collective and The Brooklyn Lyceum present the first installment of their new children’stheater series, Monster Literature, written and conceived by Daniel John Kelley. The first episode, ‘Twas the Night Before…MONSTERS!’ offers a new twist on an old classic when an evil wizard threatens to destroy the holiday spirit by changing the poem ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ by unleashing his army of silly monsters.  Young heroine Benjy Bleeglehorn (along with her dashing sidekick, Bravo Kirkwood) must battle this army of misguided monsters with their wit and compassion in order to restore the poem and rediscover the spirit of the holidays.  ‘Twas the Night Before…MONSTERS,  featuring original music and video elements, is original holiday fun for the whole family. Join us for some monstrous fun at the Brooklyn Lyceum as we kick off this new ongoing series! Official Monster Literature website: MonsterLiterature.com”

Showtimes and Specifics:
Sat Dec 19 – 12 and 3:30pm
Sun Dec 20 – 12 and 3:30pm

Running time: 30 minutes.  For ages:  Pre-K – 5yrs, and adults too!
All Tickets $5/each or $15/four.

The night before Thanksgiving, while y’all may have been on a plane, prepping for a feast, or in line for a pre-parade glimpse of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day balloons, I was getting re-acquainted with an old friend: the holiday windows at our fabulous NYC department stores. It’s the only time my hubby doesn’t cringe when I say I’m heading out to “just look” as this kind of looking doesn’t cost a dime.

We started our window-viewing at Barney’s (Madison Ave and 61st) celebrating 35 years of Saturday Night Live (Coneheads, Weekend Update, etc.). No movement, but great art. They even feature a window of artwork along 61st Street of tiles for sale by students at the East Harlem School. We then walked the two blocks over to Bloomingdales (Lexington and 60th Street) to check out their holiday window displays. We could easily spot the building from blocks away as it appeared to be draped in a blanket of white lights. With a theme of “Wonderfun,” the windows were colorful,  and several were interactive: taking video of you on the sidewalk and putting it into a frame (we had to drag my four-year-old away from this!), transposing your smile into a whimsical mouth, etc.  My son really liked the “Dynamic Duo” window with full-size Batman and Robin characters in line with President Obama and Michelle to visit Santa.

Next we trekked over to Bergdorf Goodman (Fifth Avenue and 58th), where we spent the longest time studying each window – they were stunning and incredibly complex. . .and reminded me of the CW’s Gossip Girl. Their windows were inspired by the works of Lewis Carroll ( “A Compendium of Curiosities”). The sideways chess window and window-sized wooden doll house windows were remarkable – after the clothes and acessories of course. We had several great photo opps of holiday decorations down 5th Ave from here, with the huge sparkly snowflake strung in the intersection of Fifth Ave and 57th Street, Trump Tower holiday lighting, and several others all the way down to Saks in the distance. It was easy to spot Saks next with giant blue lit snowflakes cascading down the storefront. Their windows featured “Twinky” a twinkling snowflake, and the theme carried over to inside Saks’ with the walls decorated with falling snowflakes.

Up to this point, we’d spent about an hour and fifteen minutes on our tour, and our four-year-old was growing tired of walking, so we cabbed it down to a drive-by of Lord & Taylor’s windows on Fifth Ave and 39th Street. They featured old-school traditional holiday scenes and celebrations, but weren’t as exciting as what we had just seen. We saved Macy’s for last and it was a fantastic finale!

If you’ll view the windows with kids and won’t have time to hit all of the stores, I recommend breaking this tour up into three “family-friendly” visits:

1) Visit Macy’s on 34th Street with enormous, colorful windows filled with a lot of movable parts and recognizable scenes for children to identify. (i.e. Santaland, Mircale on 34th Street) Along Broadway, one of their windows features an interactive opportunity to ”write a letter to Santa” – scroll through options to complete your letter. The kiddos will likely beg to go inside to see Santaland. Do it. If you have time and energy, walk up 5th Ave to see the Lord & Taylor windows.

2) Visit Saks – they have a smaller stretch of active windows, and you can then step inside to see the twinkly winter wonderland lights, with falling snowflakes lit on the walls of the first floor. From here, you can cross the street to American Girl Place, and another block down is the Build-a-Bear Workshop which has been made over as Santa’s Workshop for the holidays. Or, head across from Saks’ to Rockefeller Center to enjoy the festive decorations, ice rink, huge tree, and even watch the trains inside the Lionel Train Store at 30 Rock (it’s on the side across from Radio City Music Hall).

3) Visit Bergdorf’s, Bloomingdale’s and Barney’s.

Because the holidays are filled with so many family-friendly traditions, I’d have to recommend the most child-friendly windows along the route this year in order:

1. Macy’s
2. Bloomingdale’s
3. Saks
4. Lord & Taylor
5. Bergdorf-Goodman
6. Barney’s

Spot any other visit-worthy holiday shop displays about town? Let us know! Leave a comment below.

The Radio City Christmas show has long been a family tradition of mine, that my husband and I started passing on with our children over the past 3 years, and it’s become an experience we all look forward to every year to “kick” off our holiday season.

We first took our son when he was 2 1/2, which to some may seem really brave- but he sat through the entire performance mesmerized by the singing and dancing going on around him.  We were impressed.

Last year he enjoyed it so much  he took home some of the streamers that shot into the audience as a souvenir and played with them for weeks.

So, it was an absolute honor when we were invited to attend a party before the show this year to celebrate opening week.

Upon arriving, we were escorted to The Rockette’s small rehearsal studio, where Kate’s Papery had set up crafts, and Magnolia Bakery , who this year have a special limited time Red Velvet Rockette cupcake- had set up cupcake decorating tables for the children.

While my son was eyeing up the stamp pads and my husband’s stomach was growing hungry with the sweet smell of the cupcakes. I was in awe of where we were!

Mirrored walls complete with ballet bars in the front of the room, on the side a cork board with notes of formations and rehearsal schedules… and on the floor- a tapped-off stage with a star in the center and the word “PARADE” in the front. It gave me the chills.

What little girl hasn’t dreamt of being a Rockette at some point in their life? Watching them in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is something I’ve done every year since I can remember- and here I was getting a sneak peek into how it all comes together.

As the children, dressed as Rockettes and Toy Soldiers made cards, and drafted letters to Santa, we received a surprise visit from Santa and The Rockettes themselves!

My son, finally realizing where he was, was in awe. He stared at them for a while and then handed them the letters he had. They thanked him and said “Are you a Toy Soldier?” and he robotically uttered “My name is Ryan”, and thats all he said over and over each time they asked him a question. If I thought I was in awe, I can only imagine the magnitude of the event from a four year olds perspective. I mean come on, this is the real deal Santa!

After the meet and greet, we got to decorate our cupcakes and go into The Roxy Suite for pictures with Santa!

The Roxy Suite is the former office of Roxy Rockefeller and almost as breath taking as the lobby of Radio City itself.  Everything from the lighting to the decor was classic and timeless.

When we were done with all of the festivities, it was finally showtime! … and it was a good thing because I don’t think my son could take the anticipation any longer.

The show as usual was amazing. My son changed his favorite part from the Toy Land scene to the Toy Soldier scene. The soldier that pulled out the pillow for the falling soldiers, cracked him up this year.

That’s what I love about The Christmas Show, it leaves you feeling festive and you can come out every year with something new that you love about it.

If you are interested in attending the show, there are discount orchestra tickets available until December 2. (use the code SN22) and if you would like to take a peek behind the scenes, the Music Hall offers tours as well!

Start your tradition this year, I promise you will not be disappointed.

As the Holiday season slowly begins to fill the air with excitement and anticipation, little surprises, filled with traditions, start popping up here and there to help you prepare for the gift giving season. One of those surprises can be found in Rockefeller Center.  From now through January 5, Rockefeller Center will be host to the Lionel Electric Trains Flagship Store.

This pop-up store, a first for the iconic 109-year old brand, is filled with collectible favorites, from the traditional Santa Fe 2-10-10-2 300 Steam Locomotive to new favorites like The Polar Express. Whether you are looking to add to an already started tradition at home, or are looking to start a collection for generations to come, this store is conveniently located in the heart of where the Holidays are most felt in New York City.  Only steps away from the famous Rockefeller Christmas tree, the ice skating rink, the breathtaking Holiday windows of Saks Fifth Avenue, and more, you can make a visit to Lionel Trains a day full of adventure, fun, with new and old discoveries for your family.

Founded more than 109 years ago by Joshua Lionel Cowen, the first electric train was made for advertising display only. However, the demand by customers to bring these cars home lead to the first commercial products being produced.  The company was founded right here in New York City before moving to CT, NJ, and then settling in Michigan. The ornaments have been one of Hallmark’s top five product lines.

Lionel has since had much success and become a symbol of happy holiday traditions, often passed on from generation to generation.

What does fall in New York City  mean to you?

For me, there is no city like this one, I believe that it is perhaps the best time to be in New York City, the autumn chill lets me know that it is time to enjoy the beautiful scenery and events as we get ready for yet another holiday season.

As we began the month with Daylight Savings Time, NY Metropolista will continue the momentum by making sure everyone gets the most of the fall by providing an in-depth look at upcoming events for November as the 2009 holiday season kicks off..

The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park- November 6, 2009 – January 3, 2010 @ The Pond at Bryant Park, located at 42nd St & 6th Ave

Veteran’s Day Parade – Wednesday, November 11th, 2009 @ 11 a.m. The Parade begins on Fifth Avenue at 23rd Street, continues up Fifth Avenue to 59th St

Cirque Du Soleil Wintuk - performances are held November 11, 2009 through January 3, 2010 from Wednesdays through Sundays at Madison Square Garden which is located in Manhattan on 7th Ave between 31st and 33rd Sts

Radio City Christmas Spectacular – kicks off on Friday, November 13th, 2009 running through the end of the year

Grand Central Holiday Gift Fair – November 23rd & 24th, 2009, 87 E. 42nd St.(@ Park Ave)

Eighth Annual Grand Central Holiday train show -  November 25th- 2009-January 18, 2010 at the New York Transit Museum Gallery Annex, located @ Grand Central Terminal, 42nd St between Vanderbilt & Lexington Aves

Union Square Holiday Market -  November 25, 2009-December 24th, 2009, Union Square West & East 14th St., Hours: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.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – Thursday, November 26th, 2009 @9 a.m. The New Parade route for 2009 is as follows: It begins on 77th St & Central Park West, turning east onto Central Park South.  When the Parade reaches 7th Ave, the procession will turn south at the corner of Central Park South and march to 42nd St.  Traveling east along 42nd St from 7th to 6th Aves (Avenue of the Americas), the Parade will then head south and march to 34th St..  At 34th St., the procession will head west to Herald Square ending at 34th St. and 7th Ave. Don’t miss the inflating of the balloons the day before along Central Park West between 71st and 81st Streets approximately between 4:00 and 8:00pm!

Please note: The Parade will bypass Broadway from 58th to 34th Sts., including the Times Square area

South Street Seaport Tree Lighting - November 27th, 2009, 6pm, Pier 17, Fulton & South Sts

New York City’s Department Store Holiday Window Displays – the display windows begin unveiling towards the end of November, keep an eye out for them as you prepare for holiday shopping

Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony -  December 2nd, 2009, festivities begin around 6:45pm, and the lighting takes place at 8:55pm sharp! 600 5th Ave

Photo credit: Carol Cain