The Holiday Shops at Bryant Park (CLOSED)

This annual outdoor marketplace provides a place for New Yorkers (as well as their visiting families) to buy gifts in a beautifully lit, festive location. Sip hot chocolate from Max Brenner ($4) and peruse the wares from more than 50 artists and brands (among our favorites are Paintings by Yvoni, Sabon beauty goods, Friction Jewelry, United Leather accessories, BrooklynMade men’s and women’s threads, and Vegetarian Oasis's healthy grub). Expect to find Wrecords by Monkey silk-screened cuffs made from recycled records ($20), Potterylady rice bowls with matching chopsticks ($25) and New West Knifeworks all-purpose kitchen knives ($175). Though it can get crowded, shopping in the park beats squishing into an indoor mall any day.