Christmas in New York City is a magical time, even for a New Yorker like me.But the reality of visiting New York's holiday tourist attractions is often that they're super crowded and too chaotic to navigate in a timely fashion.So I consulted with some ofmy fellow New Yorker coworkers to figure out the best tips to go about braving the New York holiday chaos.I then visited five of the most popular holiday tourist destinations and put the strategies to the test.My plan was to start at Macy's in Herald Square to visit Santaland, then make my way uptown to Bryant Park, onward to the Rockefeller Christmas Tree, stop to watch the Saks Fifth Avenue light show, and then end the day looking at holiday window displays along Fifth Avenue.Considering all of these spots are in close proximity, it's possible to see all of them within a few short hours, grab a few pictures, and take in the sights, all while mostly avoiding crowds.I decided to begin my NYC holiday tour at 2 p.m. on a Thursday to avoid lunchtime and nighttime crowds. If you can take the afternoon off or you're on vacation, I highly recommend visiting the popular attractions while many New Yorkers are at work.I left the Financial District and took the uptown 1 train to Macy's in Herald Square to visit the festive village of Macy's Santaland first.I wanted to avoid crowds as much as possible, and the nearly empty train was my first indication that I had missed the lunchtime rush at 2 p.m.Once I was off the train and approaching Macy's, a big Santaland decal on the window welcomed me ' I was definitely in the right place.I posed for a quick selfie with Santa on the window before making my way inside.To avoid crowded elevators, my advice is to take the escalators to the sixth floor and then take the elevator up to the eighth floor, where you'll see the entrance to your left.Beyond the Santaland entrance there were ropes set up to accommodate long lines, which we've heard could wrap around for hours.But when I visited at 2 p.m., the line was short. According to the Santaland website, lines tend to be shortest during the week.Source: Macy's SantalandBefore arriving at the Herald Square location, you have to make a reservation online for when you can check in at Santaland, and these time slots can fill up quickly. The reservation is for the time that you can line up ' not when you meet Santa ' and you may still have to wait to get into Santaland if there are a lot of people ahead of you.Check in time only lets you get in line at that time. You still have to wait to get into Santaland.But the line was so short on the day I visited, groups were able to enter the Santaland village pretty much right after they checked in at their allotted check-in time.Once you step inside Santaland, you'll find a 13,000-square-foot festive Christmas village display that you can walk through.Source: Time OutEach year different attractions like Santa's sleigh and his workshop are set up in the village.Source: Macy'sWithin Santa's village, visitors will be able to see Santa and pose for a few pictures with him.Source: Macy'sIf you're planning on spending a few hours around Santaland, plan to wear layers that you can easily take off so you don't overheat like I did.After exiting Macy's, turning onto sixth avenue and walking up to 40th street seemed to be the most direct and easy route for me.Out of all the times I've visited Bryant Park, this was the emptiest I've ever seen it.By 3 p.m., the lunch crowd was gone and the night crowd hadn't made their way to the park just yet.This time of the day made for the perfect opportunity to shop in the enclosed, tight booths at the holiday market that usually get very crowded with people.At the park, I grabbed a small cappuccino from one of the food vendors and sat down at one of the many empty tables.The $5 cappuccino was lousy and incredibly small. If you're going to get a simple coffee or espresso drink, I'd suggest going to a Starbucks outside the park.But if you're in the mood for hot chocolate, Max Brenner is one of the booths that does its own take on European hot chocolate that's very decadent.After a few sips of coffee, I made my way to the ice skating rink at Bryant Park, which was the most crowded area of the park, even at 3 p.m.One of my coworkers suggested booking ice skating on Bryant Park's Winter Village website in advance so you don't have to wait hours to skate.Source: Bryant Park Winter VillageIf you aren't able to visit during a workday, another suggestion is to go to Bryant Park towards the end of operating hours around 10 p.m. ......because it'll also be less crowded.If the park's bathroom has a long line, another coworker suggested going into the beautiful New York Public Library, which is nearby, to use its bathroom.Next on the agenda was the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree. To get there, I walked along sixth avenue and made a right down 49th street.I found this to be a straightforward route, and luckily part of 49th street was closed, so walking to the tree was a breeze.The average number of people who visit the Rockefeller Christmas tree each day during the holiday season is 750,000.Source: NYC GoBut considering the number of daily visitors to the tree, the late afternoon seemed to attract a small crowd that was manageable to maneuver around.At around 3:30 p.m., I was able to get really close to the tree to grab a few selfies myself.When it comes to the tree, my best tip is to avoid the nighttime crowd and see the tree during daylight, as it was still a spectacular sight during the day.The Rockefeller ice skating rink wasn't super crowded either, confirming that mid-afternoon is a good time to be in the area.A short walk down the street will bring you to the famous Saks Fifth Avenue light show. By now it was after 4 p.m., just in time for the nighttime show to start.My best tip for seeing the light show is that you don't have to wedge yourself into the crowd to get a good view, as really any spot across the street is good.There were several rows of people between the light show and I, but I still had a great view.I also suggest when watching the light show to be in the moment. Put down your phone and just enjoy the sight, as it's truly beautiful.Once the light show ends, I suggest staying on fifth avenue and walking uptown to see various stores' holiday window displays.On that route you'll pass Cartier, Tiffany & Co., and Bergdorf Goodman.While Cartier and Tiffany & Co. are decorated with festive lights and decor, I suggest not wasting too much time taking pictures outside these stores.The Tiffany & Co. windows also didn't photograph well for me, so it's probably not worth the selfie.Keep walking a few more blocks uptown and spend some time gazing at Bergdorf's windows. Since the window displays are spread out, you will easily avoid some of the big crowds.The windows look best at night, and there is so much to take in at each window.The other good thing about Bergdorf's is that there are several windows to look at, not just one or two like some of the other stores.By the time I was done seeing all five of the holiday sites, it was close to 5:30 p.m. I headed down the street and made my way home.I felt accomplished that within about three hours I was able to seamlessly visit, photograph, and enjoy five of the most popular holiday spots in New York City.
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