One of the most recognized kick offs to the Holiday Season is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.   Started by Macy employees in 1924, it is one of the oldest Thanksgiving parade events, tied with the Parade held in Detroit for second place.  It has grown from just over a six mile parade that ended at Macy’s store to a 3 hour spectacular star studded event that includes Santa’s arrival, some of the most incredible balloons imaginable along with all those wonderful floats.

If you are thinking about making a trip this holiday season, what could be more fun than being right there to watch the parade we all grew up watching on tv as it unfolds in all its glory right there in Manhattan.  And once the parade is done, the fun isn’t over.  Home to such neighborhoods as SoHo, Greenwich Village, the Lower East Side, Little Italy and Tribeca, Manhattan holds a wealth of places to visit and things to do.  No matter what your interest is, history, sports or just plain old sightseeing, you can find it in Manhattan.

Some of the earliest Skyscrapers call Manhattan home and its highly distinctive skyline is the one most closely associated with New York City.   This includes the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building.  Central Park is located in Manhattan as well as the World Trade Center Memorial.    Broadway is here as is the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.  Chinatown, Little Italy are fabulous places to visit and explore.

And let’s not forget the American Museum of Natural History, Times Square, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and The Guggenheim Museum and last but certainly not least, Madison Square Garden where the Knicks, Rangers and Liberty all play their home games.  I’ll bet you didn’t know that the first ever national college-level basketball championship was held here in 1938.  It is called the National Invitational Tournament and it’s still held in Manhattan today.  All in all, Manhattan is definitely a must do on anybody’s travel list!

 

Did you know that the only parade older than Macy’s for Thanksgiving is the parade held in Philadelphia?  What’s your favorite Holiday Event?

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