Our Favorite NYC Window Displays
Bloomingdale’s
Third Avenue at 59th Street
The holiday window displays at Bloomingdale’s New York are always a big hit. The chic department store upped the ante last year by rolling out a red carpet on the sidewalk and covering their Xmas windows with matching red curtains! A recent popular Bloomingdale’s display, “Dynamic Duos”, featured intricately-crafted famous twosomes including Michelle and Barack Obama, Batman and Robin, and, of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Barneys
Madison Avenue at 61st Street
Barneys gets our vote for most creative Christmas window displays in New York City! Each year, the high-end department store picks a new theme for their window exhibits that are sure to get some serious laughs from passersby. Past Barneys NYC themes include: “35 Years of Saturday Night Live”, with window displays depicting past and present stars and characters from the seminal NYC show; “Peace and Love”, a sixties-themed Christmas display complete with miniature Volkswagens and bell-bottoms galore; and 2010’s “Have a Foodie holiday”, a beautifully crafted and gut-busting diorama of a Christmas dinner turned food fight between renowned chefs Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, Jean-George Vongerichten, and Mark Strausman.
Bergdorf Goodman
Fifth Avenue at 58th Street
This haute shopping destination creates Xmas window displays as stylish and cutting-edge as the clothing on their racks. You’ll be entranced by the whimsical worlds Bergdorfs creates within their Fifth Avenue windows. From authentic antique ships to two tons of quartz crystals, from a beautifully crafted girl (who bears a striking resemblance to Lady Gaga) riding atop a flying horse to a dazzling depiction of a lunar eclipse, Bergdorf Goodman’s Christmas window displays are not to be missed!
Macy’s Herald Square
Broadway between 34th and 35th Streets
Macys’ elaborate Xmas window displays draw thousands of wide-eyed visitors every holiday season eager to see the department store’s classic Miracle on 34th Street theme, as well as their additional series of window exhibits. Always a favorite, Macys’ holiday window displays often feature interactive details, such as 2009’s “Letters to Santa”, where visitors sent their own letters to Old Saint Nick right from the window display! Last year’s incredible display featured technology that allowed visitors to activate a machine by touching the window that made Christmas tree ornaments behind the glass.
Saks Fifth Avenue
Fifth Avenue at 49th Street
Conveniently located across the street from Rockefeller Center, this NYC shopping staple creates fun and fantastical Christmas window displays that are a favorite among children. Saks’ three-dimensional, musical, animated exhibits draw huge holiday crowds who can’t help but become captivated! Some of our Saks favorites include their recent Sleeping Beauty theme featuring mechanical dolls dancing to the famous Tchaikovsky ballet, and last year’s interactive display based on a children’s book where visitors made the story’s characters move by touching controls on the window.
Lord & Taylor
39th Street at 5th Avenue
Lord & Taylor displays one of the most popular window exhibitions each year. Thousands of tourists and locals line up every Christmas season to take a peek at this department store’s extravagant holiday scenes. Unlike the other department stores, Lord & Taylor uses hydraulic lifts to carry their already assembled holiday scenes up into the windows! Glimpse one of the detailed displays at Lord & Taylor NYC and you’ll feel like you’re looking at your favorite fairy tale come to life.
