(Video) Who is that Dreamer in the New York City Window?

Because there are days when we lose sight of our dreams and forget who we are…

Here’s how a walking tour of New York City’s holiday windows reminded us that our dreams and identities are merely reflections of everything else around us.

With a holiday soundtrack playing in our heads as well as outside on the city street, we set out on a walking tour of Manhattan’s holiday window displays. We window-shop, reflect, and of course, we dream…

Check out the full video HERE!

There is something wonderful about New York City during the month of December. Perhaps it has something to do with the holidays. During this time, the stores throughout the city decorate in their seasonal best.

I often talk about how after auditions I like to treat myself to a little New York City wandering, which usually includes searching for remnants of nostalgia and a decent meal. On this particular day, I am leaving the audition on a high note and with big dreams of one day starring in a movie. I can’t help it, it’s easy to dream here in New York City.

During this time, if you put aside puffy-coat tourists with oversized pieces of luggage, crowded sidewalks, heavy traffic, and long lines for just about everything, the city is actually quite magical. There is something in the air. Perhaps its the feeling of thankfulness and the generous expression of compassion. Or maybe, collectively indulging in the consumerism that is on full colorful display throughout the city, unites people somehow, and makes them feel as though they are part of a movement, or as the actor in me would like to think — part of a movie.

There is Christmas music blasting out of every door and sometimes in the public squares and parks. Lights are strung from rooftops to lampposts, over doorways, around windows, and just about anywhere they can hang them. And it almost feels like you are walking around on the set of a holiday movie – and not just the Hallmark kind – the real deal classic holiday movie, complete with Scrooges, angels, and ghosts of past, present, and future. 

Some holiday windows showcase classic and traditional holiday displays, while others are edgier, more avant-garde, and have embraced modern technologies like LED lights and digital screens. Whether jewelers, fashion powerhouses, or the all encompassing department store, many have planned their exhibits well in advance and the big reveals, which usually occur in late November, are major events.

Since the 1800s, and the widespread availability of plate glass, New York City’s windows have been trying to grab our attention for well over a century. Hoping to turn window-shoppers into actual customers during this busy shopping season, stores used the newest technologies at the time, like electric light and steam power, and constantly developed new creative ways to display their merchandise in the festive settings within their window cases. Lord & Taylor and Macy’s were early players in this game. With Macy’s as one of the first to create window displays centered around a theme, and Lord & Taylor as the first to animate their windows with theatrical displays, it was inevitable that window decorating would last and continue to evolve.

Sadly, we cannot say the same about its players. This year, New York City is losing one of its historic flagship stores. Lord & Taylor is closing and its window display has been whittled down this year to a mere two windows presenting a digital “Thank You” and farewell to the city that has long since admired its brand and magical windows. 

Our walking tour begins at Bloomingdale’s, another long-time player, where we are transported to the set of The Grinch. The windows are a nod to the 2018 film in theaters now, but we would like to imagine they are still hanging on to their memories of the original 26 minute cartoon adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which debuted on December 18, 1966.

We leave Whoville and soon have visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads as we pass Bergdorf Goodman and their “Bergdorf Goodies” — a sweet rendition of holiday treats and the latest fashion trends.

Down the road, Louis Vuitton does not disappoint, with a Christmas tree dripping with an endless array of monogrammed ornaments for the fancy decorator and those with an eye for holiday flair.

Cartier dazzles us with all things sparkly.

Salvatore Ferragamo keeps it simple and elegant, while Gucci goes vintage.

Tiffany & Co. does their windows their way with their theme “The Holidays Made by Tiffany.” Featuring a retro robot made from their signature Tiffany blue boxes, the display whimsically honors Gene Moore, who served as vice president of their window display for almost 40 years.

On our way to our next stop, we spot St. Patrick’s Cathedral, which I have passed on many occasions, yet have have never actually entered because of its intimidating size and sacred reputation. Today, a choir sings “Hallelujah” outside on the front steps and it is almost a sign that we should rightly step inside. There aren’t large crowds and the side entrance seems inviting. We quietly slip in and stand in awe. The ceiling appears to reach as high as the heavens and a golden glow settles on our shoulders. It is peaceful here. We stand against the wall for a few moments as our hands and hearts warm, then rush back out into the city feeling a little more inspired and confident.

Fittingly so, our next stop plays off the dreams of this big city with an ode to the glitz and grandeur of the Broadway stage. This year, Saks Fifth Avenue has partnered with Broadway Cares / Equity Fights AIDS to razzle dazzle us with their “Theater of Dreams” which takes us backstage at a Broadway theater, shows off new digital storytelling on screens depicting luxurious dreams of shopping at Saks, and the grand finale: a theater-inspired 10-story light show complete with all the sights and sounds of a busy New York City street (like traffic and tall buses blocking our view during the show.)

When the show ends, we turn around and find ourselves in a scene from Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. Except we are not lost. We know exactly where we are when we look up (way up) at this familiar skyscraper.

The wire-sculpture angels toot their 6-foot-long brass trumpets, the statue of Prometheus watches over the skater’s as they glide (an occasionally fall) across the ice, the shimmering flags wave in the wind and draw our attention to the main attraction: a 72-foot-tall Norway Spruce and the crowning Swarovski star that inspires thousands of wishes throughout the night. 

We navigate through the crowd and head toward the site of another very popular holiday attraction: Radio City Music Hall and their Christmas Spectacular starring the Radio City Rockettes. 

Normally we would stop at Lord & Taylor next, but with the impending closure of the store, we decide to walk an extra few blocks down to Macy’s in order to leave Lord & Taylor for last. I hope you have your walking shoes on… Trust me, it is a dramatic gesture, that will pay off. 

Macy’s is decked out in its usual characters and some fairly new ones. For the classicists, the animated cast of Yes, Virginia depicts the old story of Miracle on 34th Street.

For the futurists, they have rolled out their theme of “Believe in the Wonder of Giving,” which features Sunny the Snowpal and her intergalactic journey to save Christmas.

We slowly make our way back to Lord & Taylor. We know they are closing and that their display is down to only two windows, but we are not prepared to turn the corner and find their windows covered in sterile “Final Sale” posters and large banners waving and frantically stating the obvious. The holiday windows they have put out this year are not what we expect. They are digital displays and, while the message is nice, the mood around the store is melancholy.

A video montage celebrates its 104-year run here in Manhattan and offers a “Thank You” to its customers. The video ends with an emotional farewell to the city, symbolized by a single gingerbread man waving and taking a final bow before a red curtain closes.

The curtain then reopens to a lively scene of the gingerbread man having fun in a winter wonderland, surrounded by candy canes and old friends. Perhaps it is an attempt to reassure us that the gingerbread man (and the brand of Lord & Taylor) will be okay — and to keep us from walking away in tears.

Next to this particular digital screen, was a window displaying a lone Canada goose with a wreath around its neck. Splashed across its face, is my own reflection.

With a wave of sadness and hope that can only be induced by nostalgia, I wonder, who is that dreamer in the window? The one who dreams of being in movies. The one pretending that the past, present, and future aren’t very different at all. The one saddened by covered windows, dimming neon lights, shuttered famed restaurants and shops, and the remodeling of architecturally historic structures in this nostalgia-rich city. The one wishing places like this never went away. I wonder, sadly, if New York City has lost its way, and whether this hapless dreamer will also soon have to sell out and give up on her own dreams.

Lost somewhere in our memory and our wistful thinking, we are suddenly interrupted by a passerby who knocks us on the rear with a large bag from the newly reopened FAO Schwarz toy store, which recently returned to New York City after suddenly shutting down 3 years ago. 

It is then that we are reminded that things come back around somehow, especially those we wish hard for. In this magical city, under these lights, we know who we are and anything is possible. 

The practical side of nostalgia:

If you are looking to do this tour on your own, consider the following:

1. It could take about two hours (maybe a bit longer if you want to get technical with photos & videos) to get through the crowds and see it all. Consider starting mid-afternoon about an hour before sunset. Everything is well lit and there are little to no reflections on the windows, but it is the best time to beat the heavy crowds and get a decent nose-to-the-glass look at the windows (or go really late at night).
2. Wear comfortable shoes! I cannot emphasize this enough. I wore the most inappropriate shoes for the level of walking I did that day, in addition to lugging around a heavy bag, and had to apply a heating pad to areas I never thought would need it that night. Oh, and bundle up! Bring a scarf, hat, gloves, and maybe an extra sweater. That winter wind in NYC blows fiercely as you zig zag through the streets and avenues. 
3. And most importantly, allow yourself moments to take in the magic and dream.