Hi everyone! As many of you already know, my husband and I are going to NYC for the first time next week to see the Macy's parade as well as the rest of the city (we're staying at the Casablanca). We have an invitation to watch the parade from Planet Hollywood's second floor, which is all windows and overlooks the parade. They will also serve a full breakfast. I am torn between taking this invitation vs. seeing the parade outside, from the street (which might be cold and with worse sightlines but more traditional). Any suggestions would be appreciated!!

I'd go for the indoor arrangement. Traditional is fine when the weather obliges. Lucky you!

Indoors, indoors, indoors.

Even if I were in NYC for the parade unless it was 65 degrees out and sunny, I would watch from my hotel room.

I'd do both Go to the indoor thing. At some opportune point, excuse yourself and go outside and have a look. You'll want to go back inside

Definitely indoors. Once you see the crowds outside at curbside, you'll be glad you were able to SEE the parade. Which is something many of the people down at street level won't be doing.

Inside...down to the street for a few minutes...and then back inside.

One cold, windy Thanksgiving, I went down to the street for a few chilly minutes (the balloons were on short ropes because of the wind) and when I was back up at the apartment on 52nd calling "home" the same floats I saw had just reached Herald Square and were on TV while I was talking on the phone. Felt like deja vu all over again!

Consider heading up to see them blow up the balloons the night before.

I would watch it from inside. Sounds like you have a good invite. You won't see as much from outside. You'll just be standing in a crowd of people.

My advice, if you want to get some of the "outside" feeling, is to watch the balloons being blown up the night before (about 10pm on Central Park West near the Museum of Natural History). You'll get the festive outdoor atmosphere there (it's a popular thing to do. There'll be lots of other people with thermoses of hot cocoa, etc.) and then the day of the parade you can watch it in comfort from inside.

Outdoors for the beginning of the parade (uptown) then inside to see the end on TV. But I'm a purist - and love the cold - which it usually isn;t on thanksgiving anyway - looks like this year will be high in the upper 40's.

I've done the parade three times outside. I've never minded the weather, it's the crowds that are a pain. If you are absolutely a purist, I agree with the others that say spend a bit of time outside, and a bit inside.