Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

**I originally published this post in 2014, but I've updated some of the information since**

I refuse to make a Sophie's Choice and choose which of the Home Alone movies I like more (I only acknowledge the existence of the first two), but as far as sequels go, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York, is pretty much perfect.

A few of the scenes were filmed in Chicago—the McCallister house, obviously, plus the interiors of the Plaza as well as the exteriors of Duncan's Toy Chest—and Rob McCallister's Upper West Side brownstone was actually a Hollywood set. But a majority of the movie was filmed on location in New York and a surprising amount of locations are still nearly the same today as they were 25 years ago—if you're willing to forgive the movie a bit on its geographical leaps, you too can spend a day Lost in New York.

LaGuardia Airport / Queens:

Kevin arrives in New York via LaGuardia, which is technically in Queens, so the view looking west toward Manhattan sort of makes sense, until you realize that it's actually the view from Long Island City. I wish the real view from LaGuardia was even half this nice.

Queensboro Bridge / Spans the East River btwn Queens and Manhattan at E 59th Street:

Kevin takes a taxi across the Queensboro Bridge, which again isn't terribly accurate. All of the cabs I've ever taken from LaGuardia take the Triborough Bridge, but the Queensboro is much more photogenic. I walked over it once, but I wish I could still ride over it hanging out of the window of an iconic Checkered Cab.

Radio City Music Hall / 6th Avenue btwn W 51st and 50th Streets:

Thankfully the classic Radio City neon signs haven't changed in the 22 years since Home Alone 2 was filmed. The huge Christmas tree is a nice addition, and it's the home of the Rockettes Christmas Spectacular. Have you ever wondered what Kevin takes a photo of across from Radio City? I wonder what happened to the rest of the Polaroids he takes during the course of the movie?

Empire Diner / 10th Avenue btwn W 23rd and 22nd Streets:

The Empire Diner has closed and reopened several times since 1992, but thankfully it is open today. Unfortunately the large Empire State Building replica is no longer on top of the diner, and I've never seen a Santa walk by on stilts, but they do make a delicious french onion soup.

Battery Park / Southern tip of Manhattan:

I went all the way down to Battery Park, only to discover that they no longer have the viewers (binoculars? what are these thing called?) that Kevin looks through to see the Statue of Liberty. Of course you can still see the famous Lady, you just have to bring your own binoculars (or ride the Staten Island Ferry, or go to Liberty Island) to get a closer look.

World Trade Center / West Street btwn Vesey and Fulton Streets:

I couldn't visit the Twin Towers for obvious reasons, and every time I watch Kevin on the observation deck (eerily alone) it makes me sad and a little uncomfortable. The observation deck of 1WTC is open now, but it's pricey so I still haven't been. You can, however, still see the sculpture that once sat outside of the Twin Towers—it survived the collapse, but is quite damaged. The unrestored sculpture had a temporary home in Battery Park, but it was re-dedicated in August of 2017 and now sits at a permanent location in Liberty Park, near the 9/11 memorial.

West 57th Street and 6th Ave:

The Sticky Bandits exit the subway at W. 57th Street, which apparently served the B and Q lines back in '92, but is now only for the F. I don't know if this was changed for the movie, since the Q is a yellow line (not orange), but it's interesting to note that the sides of the station have since been painted green, while the handrails are no longer painted at all.

Gapstow Bridge / Southeast Central Park, at the Pond near E 62nd Street:

When Kevin first meets the Pigeon Lady, aka the most terrifying of all New York personalities, he very correctly exclaims "SICK!" He spots her near one of my favorite parts in the park, the Gapstow Bridge, which is also the spot that always makes me think of Holden Caulfield asking "where do the ducks go in the winter?" (answer: they stay right here).

The Plaza Hotel / 5th Avenue btwn W 59th and 58th Streets:

Although it is no longer just a hotel, the Plaza still might be "New York's most exciting hotel experience." I am dying to stay there, but until I happen upon a pile of money (or become a guest of the New Celebrity Ding-Dang-Dong), I'll have to settle for ogling its beautiful exterior, which recently underwent a restoration and is as gorgeous as ever.

Wollman Rink / Southeast Central Park, near the Pond:

I refuse to acknowledge that the worst President in history (who actually has a tiny cameo in the movie—an excellent time for a short bathroom/snack break) renamed the Wollman Rink in Central Park after himself, or that he slapped that name on everything from the edges of the rink to the Zamboni machines, but if you go today, that's what you'll get. This is where Marv and Harry hatch their plan to rob Duncan's, and where Marv inexplicably steals gloves, hats and mittens from multiple skaters without anyone noticing.

Bethesda Terrace + Fountain / Central Central Park near 72nd Street and Terrace Drive:

Bethesda Fountain is my favorite fountain in the entire city, especially in the snow. While it's not very plausible that Kevin was chased all the way here from the Plaza, it's a beautiful filming location. I also think it's odd that there are horse carriages on the terrace—I don't think this was ever allowed, but I'd take horses over hordes of clueless tourists any day. Speaking of horses, there was some talk of them being banned, but as of now you can still catch one on Central Park South.

51 West 95th Street / Btwn Central Park West and Columbus Avenue:

Although I knew that Rob McCallister's under-construction brownstone was actually a set, I still wanted to see what was at that address. To my delight, I found a real brownstone, albeit one that doesn't look anything like the one in the movie. How fun would it be to have that as your real address?

West 96th Street and Central Park West:

When Kevin runs into the park and catches the scariest cab ever, he does so at 96th Street. One of the most interesting things about watching Home Alone 2 now, is that you almost forget that New York was a completely different place 25 years ago. I've frequented this part of the park and it's nowhere near as terrifying today (at least during the day).

Carnegie Hall / 7th Avenue at W 57th Street:

I've been inside of Carnegie Hall once, but I'll always wish that I could listen to a concert like Kevin and the Pigeon Lady, from high up in the attic. Some people write that the P.L. actually lives at Carnegie Hall, but I just got the impression that she breaks in from time to time to listen to some of the greatest music in the world, because why not?

St. Anne's Hospital for Children / Broadway at W 120th Street:

Columbia University's Teacher's College (at Broadway and West 120th Street) stands in for St. Anne's, and is an incredibly beautiful building. I got there after the sun had already gone down, but so did Kevin so I guess I timed my tour perfectly (I could have used some of that nice movie lighting though). Even though I know it's not really a children's hospital, I do wish they still put a star at the top of the massive entrance, or at least had trees flanking the doorway.

Inscope Arch / Southeast Central Park near E 62nd Street:

The second time Kevin sees the Pigeon Lady, she is by another Central Park arch, which in reality is right next to the Gapstow Bridge. It's unlikely that he would have ran all the way here after fleeing the cab on 96th street or that he would have led Harry and Marv here in the end, but it is a lovely spot—in the daylight at least. The city may have become a lot safer in recent years, but when Marv says "kids are a-scared of the dark," and "kids are a-scared of the park," I can't help but thinking that maybe so am I.

Rockefeller Center / Btwn 5th and 6th Avenues and W 51st and 49th Streets:

No Christmas movie set in New York would be complete without a trip to see the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. Of course the first thing I always notice about this scene is that Kevin and his mom are completely alone. Yes, I'm sure the city was slightly less crowded back then, but I still find this hard to believe (and I'm totally envious). I do appreciate that the trumpeting angels do not appear to have changed at all, although I do like the lighting of the tree better in the movie than what it is today. I definitely understand Kevin's affinity for Christmas trees—and desire to spend Christmas in a non-tropical climate.

This city is completely magical during the holidays and my only wish would be for the ability to experience all of it without the soul-crushing crowds. I would take a milky-eyed cab driver or Central Park West hooker any day over a slow-moving crowd of peace-sign-throwing, selfie-taking tourists.

Dyker Heights Lights 2016

This was the fourth year in a row that I've trekked to Dyker Heights to see the Christmas lights and displays for which the neighborhood is known. This year we went on the first weekend in December, which was great for the lack of crowds, but not-so-great when we noticed a few of our favorite houses weren't quite finished decking their porches.

Dyker Heights is located in between Bay Ridge and Bensonhurst in southwest Brooklyn. The majority of the Christmas displays are located equidistant from the D and R train stops, from 11th to 13th Avenues and 83rd to 86th Streets. I definitely recommend walking, if you can—the traffic always seems to be a bit of a nightmare as people slowly gawk at the lights.

The displays haven't changed much over the last four years, but that's part of the charm. We've come to look forward to specific houses—the good ones and the bad—even if we can't quite remember where any of them are actually located. Wandering around using the lights as a guide is a great method, and we've discovered new and wonderful things every year. It's also fun to look back on previous years and see how things change with time—plastic choir boys lose or gain an eyeball, baby Jesus's appear or disappear and every year inflatables (the laziest decorations, in my opinion) gain in popularity.

I will always appreciate how over-the-top the displays in Dyker Heights get, even if a lot of houses pay companies to decorate for them (how do I get this job?). I've never regretted moving to New York, but I do miss my Ohio (and Texas) family and our traditions most around the holidays—but it's comforting to know that new traditions can be just as wonderful.

Dyker Heights Lights2014 | 2015

Holiday Windows 2016: Bergdorf Goodman + Bloomingdale's

Every year Bergdorf Goodman hits it out of the park with their holiday windows. This year they are a bit underwhelming, but still leaps and bounds above any of the others. The theme this year is "Destination Extraordinary" with windows inspired by the dioramas at the American Museum of Natural History.

The windows use mostly the same greenish color palette (how on-trend) and each depicts a different imaginary destination (has 2016 gotten to me, or does the primate window seem Harambe-inspired??). The details in the Bergdorf windows are always next-level, and this year is no different. It's a shame that the sidewalks on Fifth Avenue are so crowded—especially with "White House North" nearby—it's difficult to linger long enough to really appreciate all of the special touches.

Bloomingdale's always has a few good windows and a few head-scratchers. This year's theme is "Light," but despite a unifying topic, the windows are mostly very different from one another. Crystal-studded windows have been done better by Bergdorf's, but I appreciate any display that includes multiple mannequin heads, beautiful tile work and a huge octopus chandelier.

Holiday Windows 2016: Saks Delights

Despite the insane crowds that infiltrate Midtown at this time of year, I do like the holiday season in New York for the same reason it attracts crowds—it's impossibly charming. The Rockefeller tree is always smaller and more raggedy than I imagine, and five minutes of navigating the Fifth Avenue sidewalks is enough to commit anyone to Bellevue for observation.

But then you pass an intricate holiday window, or it begins to snow and it feels like you're living inside of a real life city snow globe. While we've yet to have our first real snow, the holiday windows have been revealed, and I went to check out my favorites this past weekend.

 By now it's tradition to gawk at the window displays (Bergdorfs, Saks and Bloomingdale's) and compare them to years past—I still maintain that 2013 is the year to beat, but maybe I'm just nostalgic for my first holiday season in the city. Saks Fifth Avenue always splits their windows, with a main theme featuring animatronic scenes (two years ago they did Fairy Tales, and the year before that featured the Yeti), with the side windows featuring Saks fashion. This year there was a candy theme to all of their decorations, although I think last year's icy theme was better overall.

The best part about the Saks windows is that they reflect the Deco beauty of neighboring Rockefeller Center, adding to that city-in-a-snow-globe feeling. The candy theme was a good idea, but the execution felt a little cheap—not something you expect from Saks—with large, shiny plastic lollipops and candy canes and... not much else. I do, however, very much appreciate that they set up barriers so you're forced to form an orderly line if you'd like to view the windows up close. They even have a bouncer to maintain order, which is something that other stores with holiday displays (especially Bergdorfs) should think about adopting.

Saks Fashion Windows: 2014 | 2015

Dyker Heights Lights 2015

When I moved to New York in 2013, my first boss mentioned that I might like the insane Christmas lights displays put on by the residents of Dyker Heights in Brooklyn. I took her advice, and it has since become one of my favorite holiday outings.

This was the third year in a row that I went, and although the displays don't seem to change much from year to year, I think this is one tradition I'll hold onto for a while. The houses of Dyker Heights are insane enough on their own, but when you drape them in garland, snowmen, pine cones, nativity scenes, inflatable snow globes and every color of light imaginable, well then you get something truly magical.

As with most things, I look for, and appreciate the creepy things the most. I especially love when beloved figures such as Santa or Jesus manage to take on a sinister vibe, whether on purpose or by accident,  it's always a delight. This year I revisited my favorite no-eyed choir boy (he had one eye last year)—and one-eyed choir girl—and was terrified by a teeth-baring Santa. But it was definitely the awkward animatronic Santa-and-child tableau that took the prize for strangest decoration of the night.

Of course I loved any statue that looked as if it came from the Magic Forest—a little old, a little busted, a little off—and the Jesus-holding-Christmas-lights was a personal favorite. I definitely recommend going to see the lights on a weeknight—the crowds can get quite overwhelming on a weekend—and definitely go by foot. I appreciate anything that's completely over-the-top on a very personal level (I'm pretty much Clark Griswold) and if you could declare a neighborhood as your spirit animal, I'd have a hard time finding a better match for me than Dyker Heights at Christmas.

Dyker Heights 2014

NYBG: Holiday Train Show 2014

Before my membership ran out at the end of the year, I made one last visit to the New York Botanical Garden for the Holiday Train Show. I went to the train show twice last year but they add buildings every year, so I wanted to see what was new.

My complaint from last year was the same this year: there are too many children and pushy parents, but that is to be expected. I wasn't able to go during a weekday this year, so I braved the crowds on a Saturday morning. It's all pretty organized, so you can still see everything and they do offer child-free bar car nights for evil child-hating hags such as myself. I renewed my membership, so maybe this will be the year I finally do the nighttime visit.

A lot of the buildings and bridges were repeats from last year, but there was enough new material and different arrangements to make it interesting. I've also seen a lot of the real-life versions of things since last year, so it's always a thrill to recognize a replica and compare it to my impression of the original.

This year I recognized Lyndhurst, Sunnyside, Kykuit, the Little Red Lighthouse, the Bartow-Pell mansion, the Jewish Museum, the Apollo Theater, the Old Stone House, Gracie Mansion, the Morris-Jumel mansion, and the TWA flight center specifically from my travels. There was also a special exhibit on World Fair structures, including the Unisphere and the New York State Pavilion and a display featuring famous mansions in the Hudson Valley area—both of which I've visited recently.

It was sad to see a particularly beautiful mansion only to read that it had been demolished years ago, and seeing the old Penn Station—even one made from twigs and leaves—is always bittersweet. I love the innovation and interesting use of natural materials, and anything in miniature never ceases to fascinate me.

The models are really extensive, with staircases and interior lighting and patterned roof tiles—all made from sticks, leaves, nuts and flowers. Although it's called a train show, and there are plenty of trains running around the displays, it's really more about the wonderful architecture and neighborhoods of New York. Like one of my other favorite places to visit—the New York Panorama—the Holiday Train Show is a little extravagant, a little kitschy and a whole lot of just-for-fancy.

Holiday Windows 2014: Saks Fairy Tales

This weekend I met up with Jim and we walked down Fifth Avenue, taking in the holiday window displays. I had already seen Bergdorf's, but I wanted to see how the others compared. While it's nearly impossible to beat Bergdorf's insanely intricate scenes, the windows at Saks are a worthy runner-up. I appreciate that they keep things orderly by installing a railing and even security guards, so you have a chance to properly take in each window without a million people bumping into you or lingering for hours.

Their main window displays this year had a fairy tale theme which aligned nicely with my recent Into the Woods soundtrack obsession (the movie version, but of course). We met up in the afternoon, which isn't the best time to see the windows but I did end up getting some pretty interesting photos.

I was getting frustrated with all of the reflections, but when I got home and looked through the photos I liked them so much more than I thought I would. You could do worse than to have Rockefeller Center as a backdrop, and most of the photos ended up looking like funky double-exposures.

I would love to see these all lit up at night, but after Sunday's Home Alone 2 and window tour, I think I'm all holiday-crowded out. I've definitely petted Christmas to death as I tend to do, and I'm right on schedule this year. Merry Christmas Eve!

Dyker Heights Lights 2014

Last year was my first year experiencing the tacky, extravagant joy that is Dyker Heights at Christmastime. The Brooklyn neighborhood is famous for its over-the-top lights and decorations, most of which are set against already ridiculous houses—waterfalls, stone lions, nude statues, elaborate columns, monogrammed stained glass windows and golden gates are not uncommon in Dyker Heights.

That being said, the Ohio girl in me knows that suburban light displays can get insane, and when you compare the lights in DH to ones across the country, they aren't majorly impressive. They are, however, somewhat of an anomaly in New York—it's strange to even be walking around a neighborhood that has actual yards.

I like that Dyker Heights is accessible by subway and you see so much more of the lights by being able to walk around, instead of driving through like you might do in the suburbs. This time around I spotted a lot of the vintage plastic light-up figures that I love so much—tons of Santas, Frostys, toy soldiers, nativity scenes, angels, a few reindeer and a Mrs. Claus or two.

I have very specific tastes when it comes to Christmas decorations, but generally the more simple and classic, the better. Simple and classic aren't really the words I would use to describe most of the decorations to be found in Dyker Heights, but I will always appreciate a certain level of tackiness and the willingness to go overboard no matter the season.

I really, really despise the recent influx of inflatables, although there is something so ridiculous about an inflatable nativity scene that I can't help but love them. The more worn and weird the decoration is, the more I love it as well, and it will be hard to beat the one-eyed choir boy for creepiest Christmas decoration of the season.

Most of the houses we remembered from last year, and it makes sense that they wouldn't change much from year to year. There is the "Vegas" house, which is covered in rope lights and has a twinkling Eiffel Tower in the front yard (?), the one that is positively lousy with inflatables and the one that looks like it has a face—but the one that has been the most memorable two years running is the candy house. There is something so whimsical, delicious and tiny bit dark (Hansel and Gretel, anyone?) about a real life house made up to look edible, with gumdrops and fruit slices and ice cream cones lining the porch and stuck to the brick walls.

I highly recommend that you take a trip out to Dyker Heights, if you've never been. It's a bit of a journey, but it's definitely worth it for the creepy Santas, pipe-smoking snowmen and sketchy choir boys—if you're really lucky you might even see an inflatable baby Jesus or two.

Christmas in Newport

Jim and I spent last weekend in Newport, Rhode Island, touring some of the mansions that we couldn't fit in on our trip back in September, strolling through the historic district and reveling in the Christmas delights. During our previous trip, we discovered that a few of the mansions are decorated for the holidays, so we immediately started planning our return.

The Breakers, the Elms and Marble House are all decorated, and coincidentally we had skipped the Elms and Marble House on our first tour. I had been to both once before on my first trip to Newport, but I had never been in the off-season. Photography is usually off-limits inside of the mansions, but exceptions were made in each house for some of the more elaborately decorated sections.

All three houses were beautifully decorated, with trees in almost every room, garland-covered banisters and elaborate mantlepiece scenes. The Breakers even had a display of gingerbread Newport Mansions—I loved the renditions of the Chinese Tea House from Marble House and Kingscote, which we toured back in September.

Of course all of the decorations are really just for show—most of the mansions were strictly summer homes and sat empty in the winter months. Historically accurate or not, the mansions are perfect backdrops for the opulent reds and golds of Christmas and every grand staircase looks even more grand wrapped in evergreen.

Of course I also enjoyed the more humble wreaths and candy-cane-striped porch columns that we spotted on our walk around town. I've always thought that New England is a quintessential fall destination, but it turns out that the colonial, federal and shingle-style houses with their dark green siding and bright red doors are pretty perfect for the Christmas season as well.

Holiday Windows 2014: Bergdorf Goodman

Last year I blogged about the holiday window displays and declared Bergdorf Goodman the clear winner. Without having seen any of the other big displays this year except Bergdorf's, I can say with certainty that they will remain undefeated for another year. That being said, I do think that last year's theme "Holiday's On Ice" was more interesting than this years "Arts" theme, but some of the windows this year are just unbelievable.

My two favorites were the Architecture and Literature windows, followed closely by Theater and Music. Even the mini window Cartography display was kind of mind-blowing with its intricate paper cutouts and vintage map graphics.

Speaking of paper cutouts, the Architecture window was full of them, from the 3-D buildings to the fur and mane of the lion, to the feathers of the bird—some poor Bergdorf's intern must have bloody claws for hands after all of the insane handwork it must have taken to create this year's windows. The Literature window is full of embroidery—embroidered portraits, huge fabric books and typewriter, busts of famous authors, and an owl and a dog made entirely from yarn.

The men's windows are much more subdued and I don't know how I feel about them getting the "science" theme (the feminist in me wants you to know that women can be smart and science-y too!), but some of the details were pretty charming. It's hard not to love a squirrel in a space helmet or a chemistry window that revolves around crafting the perfect fragrance, but its the ladies that really steal the show.

Grand Central Holiday Light Show

Last week I had some time to kill while waiting to get dinner with Trent, so I stopped into Grand Central Terminal to see the Holiday Light Show. It takes place on the west side of the Terminal, so for optimal views I recommend standing in the Apple Store, as close to the center staircase as possible. There were a few people taking photographs with nicer cameras, but be warned that the Apple store associates will ask you to put away your tripod if you bring one.

I read that the show runs "for 30 minutes from 5 - 10pm," but I couldn't really discern any reliable time table. The lights were on the whole time I was there, but actual scrolling details began about 5:20 and lasted for about 10 minutes. It's nothing super extravagant, but at such a large scale and in such a beautiful space, I couldn't help but be wowed a little bit.

Scrolling text wishes you a "Happy Holidays from Metro North," spells out "GCT" and the numbers "100," since this is Grand Central's 100th anniversary year. The red and blue trains were cute and obviously appropriate, and the huge flag design was nice. Mostly it was just a lot of color changing and raining colors, and it was really fun to watch how the lighting dramatically changed, not just in the windows but in the entire space.

The light show is free (obviously) and is running now through December 26th. After Thanksgiving the show will become more Christmas themed, but right now there's a lot of reds, oranges and yellows which I assume is their interpretation of "Thanksgiving themed." I'm interested to see how it changes for Christmas, and I'm hoping for at least a few seconds of giant, falling snowflakes.