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The holiday season is one of the best times of the year to visit New York City, which explains why corners are teeming with pedestrians, the streets are flooded with taxis, and it’s impossible for residents to get reservations at their favorite dining spots. If you are traveling to New York City during the holidays, have no fear, NewsOne is here with a must-do list of things for you to do.

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1. See the Rockefeller Christmas tree until Mon. Jan. 7, 2013. While you’ll have to fight the crowds to see the spectacular tree, which is decorated in 30,000 LED bulbs stretched across miles of wire, the sight is definitely worth it!

2. Check out the various holiday window displays at stores, including Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s, and Bloomingdale’s to get in to the spirit of the season. The good news is that looking is free!

3. Visit Grand Central Terminal for last minute gift ideas until Dec. 24th at the annual holiday market at Vanderbilt  Hall.

4. Check out the Kwanzaa Celebration at the Apollo Theater. For the sixth year, the Harlem theater will celebrate the week-long festival with song and dance.

5. Enjoy the American Museum of Natural History’s 34th annual Kwanzaa celebration, which will honor the holiday’s seven guiding principles. The festival, hosted by storyteller Linda Humes, will include a special interview about Karamu (African Feast) with pioneering restaurateur B. Smith, family-friendly hands-on activities, and an international marketplace.

 6. Visit the Studio Museum in Harlem, which opened in 1968 as the first Black fine-arts museum in the nation.

 7. Stop by Sylvia’s Restaurant in Harlem for some down home cooking, including fried chicken, collards, mac and cheese, and sweet potato pie. Although Sylvia Woods, known as the “Queen of Soulfood,” passed away this summer, the restaurant remains a fixture in the community.

 8. Dine at Red Rooster Harlem, one of the newest dining hot spots from celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson that, among other things, serves up smoked salmon and blackened catfish.

9. Check out the Radio City Christmas Spectacular if you have extra change in your pockets. Tickets can run from $90 to $126, but it’s a fun show that lifts the holiday spirit.

10. And finally, ring in the New Year in Times Square! For decades, millions have descended on Times Square to watch the famous televised ball drop from the flagpole at One Times Square beneath a dazzling display of lights, confetti, balloons and star-studded musical performances. Enjoy!

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