Angelica's World

Last year while wandering around Union Square, I learned about the annual Holiday Market that they have beginning the weekend before Thanksgiving and running up through Christmas Eve. I must have gone to the market a half dozen times last year to just look around and eventually to make some purchases. Of course, I had to share the great news with my mom who then decided she needed to see what it was all about it and she came in to visit me (or maybe it was to visit the market and I was just a tag-along haha).

This year my mom decided that she wanted to go to the market early in the shopping season, before purchasing a whole bunch of other gifts. This plan soon evolved into the great idea of my parents bringing me back to the city today, the last day of Thanksgiving break, to go to the market. Well, despite the fact that it was raining non-stop from the time we woke up this morning, we chose to stick with our plan and attempt to take on the Union Square Holiday Market in the rain...what a wet decision that turned out to be (by the way, walking around NYC in the rain is by far one of my least favorite things to do)! We walked around the entire market getting drenched and becoming hungry. At this point, we opted to continue our walk around the city in search of an Italian restaurant that was open (not for brunch) at 3pm...who would've thought this would be such a difficult task?! We ended up at one of our favorites, Focacceria on MacDougal Street--a small restaurant that never fails to serve a delicious meal.

And...in case you couldn't get enough shopping after you've finished taking on the Union Square Holiday Market, there are also some other hotspots in NYC:

The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park
Bryant Park, Sixth Ave. at 42nd St.; 866-221-5157.
Nov. 22–Dec. 28; Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–9 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–6 p.m.

Grand Central Holiday Fair
Lexington Ave. at 42nd St.; 212-340-2583.
Nov. 15–Dec. 29; Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; extended hours from Dec. 22 to Dec. 24

Holiday Crafts Park Avenue
Seventh Regiment Armory, Park Ave. nr. 66th St.; 800-649-0279.
Dec. 12–14; Fri. 4 p.m.–9 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

The Holiday Gift Shops at St. Bartholomew's
109 E. 50th St., at Park Ave.; 212-378-0200.
Nov. 19–Dec. 24; 8 a.m.–8 p.m.

Holiday Market at Columbus Circle
Central Park S. at Central Park W.; 212-529-9262.
Dec. 3–Dec. 24; Mon.–Sat. 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; market closes at 4 p.m. on Dec. 24

Holiday Market at Union Square
14th St. at Broadway; 212-529-9262.
Nov. 22–Dec. 24; Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–8 p.m., Sat. 10 a.m.–8 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.–7 p.m.; Dec. 24; 11 a.m.–4 p.m.

Winter's Eve
Broadway from Columbus Circle to 68th St.
Dec. 1, 5:30 p.m.–9 p.m.

Courtesy of: http://nymag.com/guides/holidays/holidayshopping/