NEW YORK—The Rockefeller Center and Bryant Park are some of the first spots for festivities as the holiday season approaches, but this year another iconic New York location took the lead in kicking off celebrations.
On Thursday a giant holiday pop-up card was unveiled in front of the Flatiron Building to mark the beginning of the holiday shopping season. The neighborhood also launched “23 Days of Flatiron Cheer”—three weeks full of holiday-themed family programming, giveaways, and contests that all take place in Flatiron’s public plazas.
“We'll be showcasing the best of the district, hoping visitors from around the corner and across the globe will discover Flatiron,” said Jennifer Brown, executive director of Flatiron Partnership.
Events include the annual Ugliest Sweater Competition; a giant prize wheel with prizes from Flatiron shops, restaurants, and hotels. There will be theatric and musical performances by the People’s Improv Theater, the New York Ballet Theatre, and Matt Wilson’s Tree-O. There will also be free gift wrapping and a weekly food drive.
Many Flatiron businesses are participating, including Eataly and Marimekko.
“Next week we'll be opening our doors early, Tuesday and Wednesday morning at 8 a.m., to cater to those customers who like to get an early jump on shopping,” said Dan Amatuzzi, general manager of Eataly New York.
While most of the events don’t begin until Dec. 1, holiday shopping has already begun for many people as Black Friday is coming up next week. In anticipation of the surge of people hitting the shops on the streets and online, the city’s Department of Consumer Affairs issued a list of 10 savvy shopping tips for New Yorkers and tourists.
The Flatiron district has 550 retail businesses including 185 eateries.
“The annual spending power of this area is nearly 9 billion dollars and most certainly we'll see a lot of that spent over the next few weeks,” said Brown.
Yi Yang is a special correspondent in New York.
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Holiday shopping tips:
1 make a budget and a list to avoid debt
2 compare prices to get the best deal and find sales and discounts
3 know the rules about gift cards
4 know your rights about layaway
5 protect your identity by never giving personal information over the phone, by email, text, or on social media sites
6 don’t buy counterfeit goods
7 get a specific delivery date from stores
8 check for recalls in case a gift or toy is recalled
9 file a complaint if you meet a problem the business won’t resolve
10 get the DCA’s new 10 Things Every Consumer Should Know which includes more tips to help consumers understand their rights and responsibilities
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