So you’re traveling for business and you've got two hours or one afternoon to spend in New York City. If you’re lucky enough to be in New York from mi-November to Christmas Eve, one of our best suggestions for how to spend an afternoon in New York City is to do some holiday shopping at the Union Square Holiday Market.
For Travelers Who Like: Holiday shopping and a bit of History
Where to Go: The Union Square Holiday Market is located in Manhattan's Union Square Park. Take a taxi or an Uber to Union Square. Or you can take the 4, 5, 6 , N, Q, R or W train to the 14th Street-Union Square stop. See the website for the Union Square Holiday Market’s daily hours.
What Makes It Special: Union Square Park lies at the place where Broadway intersects with several other major thoroughfares. The park is bordered by four famous New York neighborhoods: Chelsea, Flatiron, East Village, and Gramercy Park.
History buffs should note the equestrian statue of US President George Washington, depicting the day in 1783 that the British evacuated the city and General Washington led his troops back into New York. Other important statues include those of Abraham Lincoln and Mahatma Gandhi.
Union Square Park is full of the gritty urban color that New York is known for, like ongoing chess games between random opponents.
But if you're there to shop, you'll have plenty to do. There are over 175 product and food vendors to browse and sample.
Must Try: Here are a few of our favorite vendors.
If you're in London on business and happen to find yourself with a spare afternoon, we recommend taking a stroll through Notting Hill. If you love beautiful architecture and Instagram-worthy moments, you'll enjoy the famous colorful doors and seeing the site of the romantic film that bears the same name.