December. My favorite month to be a New York native. Often times I think to myself, how would I spend 24 hours in NYC if I didn’t live a forty-minute train ride away? The holidays bring many exciting, fun-filled ventures to New York, there's always so much to do in so little time. Here’s a helpful guide on how to spend your holiday season in NYC.

1. Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree

Since 1933, the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree has been put in Rockefeller Center, and is bigger and brighter each year. There has not been a year when my family and I don’t go to NYC to see the eye-catching tree. On your way to the tree, make sure to stop by NBC studios (maybe see Jimmy Fallon or a scene of SNL, if you’re lucky), Radio City Music Hall, and the many shops surrounding the area.

2. Bryant Park

Over one hundred vendors congregate to sell anything ranging from a piece of homemade jewelry to t-shirts to Max Brenner’s delicious hot chocolate, all one of a kind gifts. If you can’t make it to ice skate at Rockefeller Center, Bryant Park is a great alternative in front of their very own Christmas tree as well. Bryant Park gives you a sense of small-town charm in the middle of Manhattan's "concrete jungle."

3. Department Store Windows

Take a stroll through NYC to check out all the displays each department store has come up with for the holiday season. There is Saks Fifth Avenue’s “Disney’s Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”, Macy’s “The Perfect Gift Brings People Together,” Bloomingdales with “The Greatest Showman” film, and many more that will be sure to grab your attention and cause traffic in the streets of New York.

4. Shows

On and off of Broadway, there are many shows that are perfect for the holiday season. The Radio City Christmas Spectacular starring the Rockettes may be one of the most popular during this season, but there is also Elf the musical, Home for the Holidays, the Nutcracker, and A Christmas Carol.

5. SoHo Shopping

Holidays=Sales. SoHo has every store you could possibly need to go to to get your holiday shopping done. Keep your eye out for celebrities doing their holiday shopping as well, you never know who you may see.

6. Madison Square Garden Events

Are you a sports fan? Do you want to see New York sport spirit? If you answered yes to both of these questions, I highly suggest attending a sporting event at MSG. Whether it be a New York Knicks basketball game, or a New York Rangers hockey game, you will be sure to get a sense of the love NY fans have for their teams.

7. Times Square

If you’re lucky enough to be in NYC on New Year’s Eve, and if you want to watch the ball drop in person, make sure you get there days in advance. No joke. The iconic ball drop in NYC is a sight to see, surrounding the brightest lights and advertisements in the entire city. And even if you will not be here NYE, make sure to check out Times Square as it is one of NYC's main focal points.

8. Empire State Building

Do you really want to see the ENTIRE city? You can go to the 86^th and 102^nd floors of the Empire State Building for the best 360 degree views of New York. FYI, I do not suggest this if you are afraid of heights.

9. The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The MET gets a special "do" for Christmas time. First off, it has humanities greatest accomplishments, and any trip to NYC would be incomplete without a visit to this incredible museum. (P.S. if you are a fan of Gossip Girl, these are the exact steps where Blair and Serena sat everyday before school, just another reason to visit the MET).

Come to New York to find out why we’re named “the city that never sleeps.” How do you get so much done in so little time? No matter what time of day it is, there is always something going on in New York.

I can promise you that there will not be a dull moment in your day. "Welcome to New York. It's been waitin' for you."