<em>Jay Lloyd's Getaway: </em> Christmastime in NYC
With Christmas fast approaching, New York City becomes a magnet for sightseers and holiday shoppers. The focus is normally on Rockefeller Center, but Jay Lloyd suggests you also pay a visit to Union Square.
by KYW's Jay Lloyd
At least once a year, when my mom wanted to save some money, we'd shop at the stores near Union Square.
Mom wouldn't recognize the historic square today. This green oasis in an urban setting is a bustling open-air market, with vendors spread over two acres -- from 14th to 17th Streets, at Broadway.
It's a place for the common and the rare. How about a gift of ostrich eggs? And why would an ostrich farmer set up shop at the now-famous Union Square Greenmarket? We asked Lou, who did just that.
"I think the average pass-through here is something around 175,000 people. On Saturday that jumps to 250,000," he replied.
And when you are finished shopping, take a seven-block walk to the oldest continuously operating saloon in a town full of saloons. McSorley's (right) -- at 7th Street and 3rd Avenue -- is a "must stop."
Sawdust covers the wooden floor and a potbelly stove provides the heat. New York memorabilia clutters the walls, and only two beers flow from the taps: light and dark.
