As we talked about several weeks ago, one of the most important factors in finding holiday apartments in New York is to book early. One notable exception is around Thanksgiving when there is generally a wider selection of apartments available for three or less people. This makes for a great opportunity to come into New York and shop on Black Friday or take part in the Thanksgiving Day parade. It starts up in the Upper West Side and ends up down in Midtown West, at the border with Chelsea. On the other hand, apartments for four or more people for Thanksgiving are generally booked further in advance.

To spend thanksgiving close to the parade route, consider Upper West Side apartments and Midtown West vacation rentals:

Events over Thanksgiving Weekend:

  • The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is the largest and most extravagant parade on Thanksgiving Day. The parade begins at the Museum of Natural History on Central Park West and travels down to Broadway, where it continues all the way down to Herald Square (34th Street and Broadway, the site of Macy’s). The parade can be seen nationwide on TV, but experiencing it firsthand is truly something to behold. The parade features hundreds of floats, giant balloons and marching bands. There are plenty of places to watch the Parade along Broadway and Central Park West. For more info about the parade see: New York in Song – Thanksgiving Parade.
    New York in Song - Thanksgiving Parade
    New York in Song - Thanksgiving Parade
  • Dinner in New York on Thanksgiving allows you to enjoy turkey at some of New York’s best restaurants. For those looking for something fancy, Asiate in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel offers a deluxe dinner and a great location just off of Columbus Circle. On the other hand, if you are looking for something a bit more classic, try Virgil’s BBQ featuring smoked turkeys and all of the traditional fixings at a location just blocks from Times Square.
  • Black Friday shopping is the other major event of the weekend. Black Friday gained its name because in the past it was traditionally the busiest shopping day of the year and many stores reached profitability, which in accounting is often called “in the black.” Hence, Black Friday was born. Macy’s, the sponsor of the parade as well as other department stores throughout the city, offer big sales on Friday and throughout the weekend. So, come and get that holiday shopping done early.

Anyway, for those of you on the fence about whether to come, take a look at our New York accommodation options and, if you find the perfect place, take a trip to New York for the Thanksgiving festivities.