Any ideas about what to do?

Eat Chinese and go to a movie?

Ha! I was going to post exactly what starrs posted. It's what all NYers do on Christmas Day.

Get up early, take your camera, and take pictures of an absolutely deserted New York City.

I realized the Jewish Museum is opened on 12/25 and has a great Chagall exhibit.

If the weather is decent Central Park is stil open and the (free) Staten Island ferry is running. You can also watch - or take part in - skating at variuos locatins aruond the city.

And Top of the Rock MAY be open - not sure.

A Chagall exhibit is a great idea.

It's also a good day for window shopping, seeing the tree at Rockefeller Center, the windows at Saks, etc.

The Chagall exhibit at the Jewish Museum may seem like a good idea, but keep in mind that spending Xmas day at the various Jewish museums in NYC is a very heavily promoted event (especially for kids) and the lines to get in can be very long.

Any suggestions about restaurants in/around Midtown or Theater district that might be open for dinner other than Chinese?

right now opentable has openings at 6pm on Christmas day at over 200 restaurants.

Go to www.opentable.com, put in your neigborhood and time and preferences and see what comes up.

I lived in New Jersey in the early '80s. One Christmas day we drove into Manhattan. Traffic was very light and we were able to park for free on the streets. We watched people skate at Rockefeller Center, attended a Christmas mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral (which we enjoyed even though we are not Catholic). and viewed the nearby Christmas display windows at Sacs.

After lunch at a nearby hotel, we saw the Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall.

It was one of my most memorable Christmases ever.

Keith

We really enjoyed Thankgiving dinner at the West Bank Cafe. Check to see if they are open. LOVED it!
www.westbankcafe.com

MP...thanks for the heads-up.
I made a reseration at STRADA 57.
Do you know anything about the restaurant?

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g6...ears.Etc..html
check this out!
Thanks nyer for your advice and for the Open Table reservation site.

I've never heard of Strada 57, it is not in zagat (not that that means so much) and the reviews on menupages (which should also be taken with a grain of salt) are mixed. It's not listed in NY magazine or the village voice.It sounds like a small, neighborhood place that has existed for 20 years, not bad, not great, a place for a competently prepared dinner where you don't have to think about the food. You can do better, but it may suit your needs.

ttt

http://www.newyorkology.com/archives..._open_chri.php

I posted this the other day:
Author: cherrybomb
Date: 12/17/2008, 05:22 pm

Since people always ask, I saw this linked off eater.com, it's a list of some open restaurants on xmas in NYC.

hope it helps someone...

http://www.zagat.com/Blog/Detail.asp...40&BLGID=16964


many, if not most bars will be open at least after 5pm. I like xmas/thanksgiving in NYC--everyone clears out and it's more pleasant.

THANKS!

In fact, there are three Jewish museums in Manhattan:

-The Jewish Museum (5th Ave. and 92nd St.)
-Yeshiva University Museum (on West 16th St.)
-Museum of Jewish Heritage (Battery Place)

and I'd bet all three will be open on Christmas Day.