Cafes, movie screenings and an ice rink: how to spend Christmas in New York if you don't celebrate this holiday

Christmas is the favorite time of the year for many Americans. But since the United States is a country of immigrants, New York can also be called the capital of immigrants, so you can find plenty of options for celebrating - unusual treats, film screenings and much more. Even if you do not celebrate this holiday, there is still a place for you to relax on this day. Grace Young told the publication The Washington Posthow to spend Christmas day if you don't celebrate it.

Next - in the first person:

I grew up in the Chinese-American community of San Francisco, California, where almost every Sunday—and traditionally Christmas—was a special treat to go out with the family for dim sum. As a child, I was fascinated by waiters and their rattling carts filled to the brim with bamboo steamers filled with Cantonese delicacies. There were hearty dumplings, buns, sweets - and always tea.

Meals can be steamed, baked or fried, offering eaters dozens of intriguing flavors, textures, shapes and colors that delight both the eye and taste buds. It was a lot of fun to dive into the chaos of the restaurant with other Chinese families and friends. Now in New York, my German-born husband and I continue this tradition by often heading to Chinatown at Christmas for social celebrations with friends.

We often combine our Christmas meal in Chinatown with a stroll through Lower Manhattan's Battery Park for sightseeing and even a movie.

Restaurants that are open in Chinatown at Christmas

Jing fong

In Manhattan, where I live, Chinatown dim sum restaurants usually open from 11:00 am to lunchtime, although historically the food was reserved exclusively for breakfast.

I like to go to Jing fongwhere traditional dishes are served in old-fashioned style on carts pushed by waitresses in brightly colored Chinese tops. Jing Fong is known for classic dishes such as siu mai (pork dumplings), har gou (shrimp dumplings), and char siu bao (barbecue pork buns).

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Dim sum go go

В Dim sum go go, a more modern establishment, I love their signature fried duck dumplings and shrimp mango rolls served with delicious homemade XO sauce and other condiments. I also love Go Go Vegetarian Dumplings filled with chopped jicama, kale and lotus root, wrapped in a tender dough lightly colored with beetroot juice.

Vegetarian Dim Sum House

For vegetarians Vegetarian Dim Sum House is the first all-vegetarian dim sum establishment in Chinatown. Working day and night, their skilled chefs skillfully recreate classic dim sums such as shrimp dumplings, puffs and pork buns using imitation meat.

Mee Sum Cafe

If you've ever wondered where the people of Chinatown really hang out, check out Mee Sum Café, a vintage coffee shop with Formica countertops and vinyl stools that's been in business since 1967. It is open from 06:00 to 17:30. Mee Sum caters to old-timers who can come for a cup of ginger tea with lemon, pork dumplings or tender sausage, Chinese bacon and spring onion rice roll, owner Don Moi's invention.

Where to watch movies in New York at Christmas

Cinema at Regal Battery Park

For Christmas 2022 in Regal Battery Park among other proposals, the film "Puss in Boots: The Last Wish" will be screened.

Film Forum

Film Forum, which attracts movie lovers, presents the film "The Rules of the Game" by Jean Renoir.

IFC Center

If you walk 5 minutes from the Film Forum, you can go to IFC Center and watch the historical costume drama Corsage.

Angelika Film Center & Cafe

Angelika Film Center & Cafe in Soho offers a "diverse mix of arthouse, independent and international films" for Christmas.

Where to go on a tour in New York for Christmas

Ting's Gift Shop

If you are traveling from Chinatown, be sure to check out Ting's, a tiny mall founded in 1957. Ting's, one of the city's most interesting souvenir shops, is open from 11:00 am to 16:00 pm. Here you will find slippers with paper dragons and hand-painted snuff boxes.

Renew Day Spa

Ting's is just a short walk to 10 Bowery where you can drop in for a 10 minute or more affordable foot massage at Renew Day Spa.

11/XNUMX Memorial

My husband and I often walk after Chinatown to Battery Park in Lower Manhattan to watch the sunset behind the Statue of Liberty, a dramatic and inspiring sight at any time of the year.

At Ground Zero, we often stop for a minute at 11/XNUMX Memorial – swimming pools located on the site of two World Trade towers. Nearby is the phenomenal Oculus, a monumental retractable roof designed by Santiago Calatrava as a tribute to 11/XNUMX.

In addition, Battery has a selfie-worthy SeaGlass Carousel aquarium carousel - an exciting fantasy with sound and image.

Skating rink in Brookfield Place

And for those who know how to waltz on ice, skating rink in Brookfield Place offers holiday ice skating overlooking the Hudson River - the perfect way to end the day.