John Carmean's Definitive New York City Holiday Window Tour Map 2013

Disney's Electric Holiday at Barney's New York, 2012

I'm heading to the City for the Thanksgiving holidays. And by City I mean New York, NY. A much needed vacation after a very busy holiday marketing roll out at work.

One of my most anticipated activities is a walking tour of the holiday windows that retailers create for the season. Most windows make their debut around the Thanksgiving holiday. Walking from window to window is a wonderful way to experience New York.

I mapped out my walking tour. You can use my map link below. My map includes windows I consider "must see's."

Each store puts major creative effort into their windows. In the past Disney has partnered with Barney's New York for a sparkling series of windows, "Disney Electric Holiday." Oddly, this was very reminiscent of a New Year's Eve party I threw several years prior lit entirely with color changing LEDs and called (in lowercase) "electric new year." Hmm...

One of the most anticipated set of holiday windows are the spectacular installations at Bergdorf Goodman. I just watched a documentary on what it takes to bring Bergdorf's holiday windows to life. Great to watch before your tour. The title is morbid but I assure the movie is not. Watch Scatter My Ashes At Bergdorf's.

My top New York City holiday window walking tips...

• Dress warmly but in layers. Inevitably you're going into one or more of the stores which are warm. After all, New York City offers some of the best shopping in the world. And, NYC stores turn it up for the Christmas shopping season with sales and decorations inside and out.

• My tour starts at Macy's, take the metro there. Traffic can be congested on the streets above so the subway is a smart start.

• Stop for water, coffee or hot chocolate. Starbucks are everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Pop in for a tasty warm cocoa. Or, pop into some of the nicer hotels for something from the lobby bar. You aren't driving after all it's a walking tour.

• Set your mobile phone to "airplane mode." NYC can be a drain on batteries. I picked up a Mophie Juice Pack Plus battery case for additional power. I take lots of pictures so the extra power comes in handy. You can also find power outlets in Starbucks and hotel lobbies. So pop a charger in your pocket.

• Relax. It can feel hectic in New York. The city is busy. Don't buy in to the bustle. You're on vacation.

My Holiday Window Tour Map...

John Carmean's Definitive New York City Holiday Window Tour 2013 

Louis Vuitton Hot Air Ballons, 2013