" We really don't have a budget "
Well, you need a budget. Whatever it might be.

It's a very expensive time of the year so if you're prepared to spend $400-$800 per night for a room, people can give appropriate suggestions but why frustrate you if that's not what you're looking for, There are cheaper hotels of course, but that's a pretty typical price range. It also depends if you mean right before Christmas, right after, a few days before and after. All are expensive times, but some much more so than others.


"beautiful sites we would just have to see?"
I guess you're new to Fodors. Welcome, but help us out here.

Who are you? Are you and your fiance 25 or 50? Are you from the U.S? What do YOU want to see? There are dozens of posts and articles on Fodors and elsewhere talking about the major sites. Why not look at those first to get an idea and then narrow it down to some you have questions about. No two people have the same interests so give some guidelines so that any suggestions will be meaningful

Christmas is a magical time of year in NYC - but very crowded and very expensive. There are lines for everything and many things sell out in advance (esp hit B'way shows) - so you need to get reservations as soon as possible.

My must sees:

Rock Center tree decorations and skating rink (dinner at Sea Grill if your budget will take it)

Jump across Fifth and tour St Pat's - glorious

Stroll up and down Fifth Ave to see the incredibly decorated windows (best done after 10 at night or very early in the AM to avoid the worst of the crowds)

See the Nutcracker at Lincoln Center (many people go for the Radio City Christmas Show - but to a local those have become tedious)

There are wonderful trees at the Met (antique neapolitan tree and creche) and Mus Nat'l History (origami tree) - and all over the city

To give more info you really need to provide:

Budget for hotel and meals
Cuisines you like and dislike
Your main interests - there are dozens of great museums and even outdoor activities (including skating at several different rinks) if you get decent weather

you really need to do some basic research. The internet is your friend. Start by using your favorite search engine and type in phrases like "What to see and Do in New York City" and "New York City Hotels". That will give you some idea of the many different points of interest, attractions, restaurants and hotels there are. After reading some general material you'll have a better feel for what interests you and how best you can plan for your trip. It will also help you formulate your budget.

Once you have that you can return here and tell us more about you and your fiancé, what your likes and dislikes are, what you might want to do during your visit and what your budget for food and accommodations is as well as how much you have left for activities.

New york is a fabulous city and Christmas is an exciting time to visit but like others have said it can be very pricey. There's no sense making recommendations for a hotel or restaurant if they don't fit into your budget. By the way when giving us your budget try to be specific. Don't use terms like "affordable", "not too pricey" or "won't break the bank" as they are meaningless without a dollar point of reference. You see, some people can afford a $2,000 a night room while others would be stretching it at $250/night. Likewise dinner can run you anywhere from $50 at a coffee shop to several hundred per person at a high end restaurant. You have to tell us what you can afford.

Lastly, please don't ask us for a 5-star luxury hotel for 3-star prices, they simply don't exist in New York City.

Help us help you.

Thank you very much for all your help and yes this is my first time on these websites. I am 32 and my fiance is 41. We are really active and like to be moving all the time. We are both really open to doing anything and all up for doing different and new things. If I had to put a cap on our budget it would be $10,000 for everything excluding the plane tickets & a rental car. We would like to be there for 3 days before Christmas and 3 days after. We are just up for a new experience. We don't travel very often and we are just think about going on vacation. Thank you again for any help you can give.

Ok, a $10,000 budget for 6 days around Christmas is fairly generous so you should have a really good time, especially since your budget doesn't include airfare.

If you are staying in New York City you really won't need a rental car unless you are planning to take "driving trips" outside the city as it will cost you almost as much to park the car every day as it would for the rental. You are better off just using taxis and the NYC Subway system to get around - it's will be quicker and easier on you.

So, with a $10,000 budget (about $1666/day) you could stay in very nice hotel and dine at some of the city's finer restaurants and still have plenty left over for "activities".

Check out hotels in mid-town Manhattan - they will be close to "everything" and within walking distance of Rockefeller Center, Central Park, Fifth Avenue (for great shopping), several museums, theaters, shows, concerts, etc.

You do not rent a car in NYC. It's absolutely useless. There is no place to park it and esp at that time of year traffic jams are massive. (We have cars - but most people that live in Manhattan don't - and we use them only to leave the city - to visit people or go to the country or the beach.)

Walking is often faster than taking the city bus. For shorter distances (IMHO less than a mile) - one walks - for longer, one takes the subway.

You budget isn't much help - since we don;t know how much will be airfare - at that time of year might be as much as $1500 to $2000. For 7 nights at a hotel at $500 per night - that's another $3500. (That will get you a choice of 4* hotels - but true luxury hotels are more in the $800 to $1000 per night range.)

If it were me I would look at hotels near Central Park South or the upper 50's near Fifth Avenue. This will be very busy - but not as frantic as Times Square.

You can also have a number of nice meals - there are many excellent places that you can get dinner for about $150 per person with a drink or modest wine. (If you want top of the line dinner is $700 or $800 per person - IF you can get reservations.)

On the other hand you can get a pleasant dinner in a nice neighborhood restaurant for about $100 for a couple. There are also a lot of inexpensive places with good food that are great for a casuale lunch or dinner - esp along 9th Ave.

Provide more info (what cuisines do you like) and people can make specific recos.

Her budget does not include airfare, so it's a pretty generous (actually very generous) amount.

Sorry - read it as did include airfare.

In that case you can probably do a 5* hotel if you want - it's up to you how much you want to pay for the hotel.

I would look at the Mandarin Oriental - which I love - but either it is already full or they're not taking reservations for that date yet. The Ritz Carlton is another good option in that area (not the one in Battery Park City).

Caroling in Washington Square and Gramercy Park will more than likely happen on Christmas Eve next year same times same places.

http://thestarryeye.typepad.com/explorenyc/2012/12/dec-24-2012-caroling-in-washington-square.html

Thank you everyone for you awesome ideas it is very greatly appreciated!