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How to use public transportation to see NYC’s best holiday lights without the hassle
By
Phil Corso
Published Dec 2, 2024
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Alexi Rosenfeld/ Getty Images
By
Phil Corso
Published Dec 2, 2024
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Holiday season in New York City can be magical — but dealing with December gridlock isn’t.
The city designates 15 of the days between Nov. 20 and Dec. 19 "gridlock alert days." The MTA wants you to skip the stress and take mass transit to some of the area’s most festive celebrations. The agency is rolling out a trip guide called MTA Away for tips on routes, travel discounts and holiday event details.
That includes taking the B-D-F-M line to the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree lighting in Midtown on Wednesday. Take the B, D, F, M to 47-50 Streets-Rockefeller Center, the 1 to 50 St., or the N, Q, R, W to 49 St.
If you're catching the N-R trains to the menorah lightings at Grand Army Plaza on Dec. 25, hop on the 2, 3 to Grand Army Plaza or the Q to 7 Ave.
For Dyker Heights’ famous holiday home lights, take the D to 79 St. or the B1 bus to 86 St. and 11 Ave.
The “Lightscape” at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden will be accessible via the 2, 3 to Eastern Parkway-Brooklyn Museum, the B, Q to Prospect Park or the Long Island Rail Road to Atlantic Terminal, where you can connect to multiple subway lines.
Other options include the Bronx Zoo’s Holiday Lights Festival, running through Jan. 5, which you can reach by taking the 2 train to Pelham Parkway or Metro-North’s Harlem Line to Fordham, followed by the Bx9 bus. In Westchester, the Village of Tuckahoe’s Winterfest Tree Lighting is walking distance from the Tuckahoe Metro-North station on the Harlem Line.
Check the MTA website for full routes and schedules and discounts on attractions and shows.
Tagged
new york city
transportation
Phil Corso
Phil Corso is the evening news editor at WNYC/Gothamist. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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