Your friends have everything, the relatives are fussy and your spouse is expecting something so unique it says "I put a lot of thought into this gift." So where do you begin? Despite the endless array of gift possibilities in New York City, thinking of them or knowing where to find them is not always as easy as we'd like. If holiday preparations have your head in a spin, here are a few off the beaten path shops in New York that can help you get through it all. Many offer you the ability to shop on line.

Bombalulu's ­ Children's Boutique, 101 West 10th Street, telephone (212)
463-0897, web site, www.bombalulus.com

The Bathroom ­ Bath and body store, 94 Charles Street at Bleecker, telephone (212) 929-1449 ­ web site, www.inthebathroom.com

Boca Grande - Arts, crafts, furnishings and design items, 66 Greene Street,
telephone (212) 334-6120 www.bocagrandefurnishings.com.

Cath Kidston of London ­ Unique accessories for home and self, 201 Mulberry Street, telephone (212) 343-0466, web site, www.cathkidston.com

Clio - Home accessories, 92 Thompson Street, Telephone (212) 966-8991 ­ web site, www.clio-home.com

Estella ­ Children's boutique, 493 Sixth Avenue, telephone (212) 255-3 553,
web site, www.estella-nyc.com

Geneste Soho ­ Unique jewelry and gift items, 86 Thompson Street (between
Park and Spring,) telephone (212) 625-1023, web site, www.genestesoho.com

Great Wall City ­ Chinese clothing, pottery, house wares and gift items, 277
Canal Street, telephone (212) 625-8870, web site, www.gwcity.com

Hable - Fashion, home and office accessories, 230 Elizabeth Street, telephone
(212) 343-8555, web site, www.hableconstruction.com

Kellychristy ­ Hat shop, 235 Elizabeth Street, telephone (212) 965-0686, web
site, www.kellychristyhats.com

Ling Skin Care Spas ­ Spa and bath and body products, Prince Street at
Sullivan, telephone (212) 982-8833 ­ web site, www.lingskincare.com

Marchand De Legumes ­ Unique gifts from Japan, 252 Elizabeth Street,
telephone (212) 965-1954, web site, www.marchanddelegumes.com

Michael Anchin Glass Company ­ One of a kind glass items sold by the artist, 245 Elizabeth Street, telephone (212) 925-1470, web site, www.michaelanchin.com.


Mogu ­ Hip pillow gifts, 258 Elizabeth Street, telephone (212) 625-2444, web
site, www.mogu.com

MXYPLYZYK - 125 Greenwich Avenue at 13th Street, telephone (212) 989-4300, web site, www.mxyplyzyk.com

Nikia ­ Jewelry and fashion accessories, 468 West Broadway, telephone 
(212) 477-7710, web site, www.nikiajewelry.com

Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic ­ Bedding and bath accessories, 83 Wooster
Street, telephone (212) 274-9842, www.shabbychic.com

Sabon ­ Bath and Body products, 434 6th Avenue, telephone (212) 473-1009,
web site, www.sabonnyc.com

Santa Maria Novella ­ Italian bath, body and beauty products, 285 Lafayette
Street, telephone (212) 925-0001, web site, www.lafcony.com

Smith & Hawken ­ Garden shop, 394 West Broadway, telephone (212) 925-1190, web site, www.smithandhawken.com

Vintage ­ Wine Shop 482 Broome Street at Wooster, telephone (212) 226-9463 web site, www.vintagenewyork.com. Vintage carries a large selection of wines from New York State vineyards.

William Wayne & Company ­ Ecclectic gift ideas for home and office, 40 University Place, telephone (212) 533-4711, web site, www.william-wayne.com

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The UNICEF Snowflake: Start on Fifth Avenue and 57th St. and head south for a wonderland of lights and animation. New York's largest snowflake hangs high above the corner of Madison Avenue and 57th Street. Named the UNICEF snowflake in 2002, this giant snowflake is now an established New York City tradition and its ceremonious lighting each year marks the start of the holiday season. This year, a new snowflake designed by Aaron Basha adorns this world-famous intersection. Jewelry designer Aaron Basha, known for his 18K and enamel baby shoe charms, has created a three dimensional snowflake that sparkles at night. The snowflake has been replicated in the form of a pendent and lapel pin and will be sold at the Aaron Basha boutique at 680 Madison Avenue (between 61st & 62nd Sts) as well as other retail stores that carry his products. $20 from each item sold will be donated to UNICEF, an organization founded in 1946 to benefit needy children worldwide by providing medicine, nutrition, education and emergency relief.


Trump Tower Fifth Avenue at 57th street: This beautiful building is lit externally with tiers of illuminated trees that form a cascading cloak of lights along the building's south side. Inside you will find a three story tree decorated with large ornaments plus an array of shops.

Tiffany & Co., Fifth Avenue at 57th St.: The exterior windows have been transformed into miniature marvels. Inside, one of the world's best known names in jewels and trinkets is adorned in festive mode to help the glitter of their jewels create a sparkle that is sure to catch your eye.

Rockefeller Center (5th Avenue at 50th St.): The lighting of the world's largest Christmas tree took place on November 30. The illuminated tree completes the festive holiday scene created by the active skating rink and the trumpeting angels that line the Channel Gardens. The Rockefeller Center tree is selected as the result of an intense search for the perfect features; height, width & fullness are among the criteria. This year's 9-ton tree, a Norway Spruce measuring 71 ft. tall and 40 ft. wide was spotted in Suffern, a town in New York's Rockland County. It took a team of electricians days to affix the 30,000 lights before the tree was ready for unveiling.

For the first time in its 72-year history, the tree will be 
topped with a crystal star designed and created by a team 
of designers and engineers at the Swarovski plant in Austria. The 9 1/2 foot star contains 25,000 crystals that total one million facets. To honor the unveiling of this new star, Swarovski, in conjunction with the Make-a-Wish Foundation,
is granting the wishes of six children with life-threatening medical conditions allowing them to wish upon a star.'

Replicas of the crystal star have been created as holiday ornaments and jewelry, and can be purchased at the Swarovski stores. A temporary location has been added at 30 Rockefeller Center (concourse level). That's the building directly across from St. Patrick's with the statue of Atlas in front of it. Purchases can also be made on line at www.swarovski.com.

Saks Fifth Avenue (5th Ave. at 50th St.) Located on one of New York City's most highly trafficked corners, just across the street from Rockefeller Center, the windows at Saks Fifth Avenue are likely to receive the most amount of viewers. This year's holiday windows are taken right from the pages of a new children's story book, Santa's Kid. Written by James Patterson, in a great departure from his usual mystery-thriller style, the book tells the story of a mishap at the North Pole during which Santa's young daughter (santa's what?) has to rise to the occasion and save Christmas from evil villains who have decided to buy it and convert it into a strictly commercial event. Drawing strength from what her father has taught her - you've got to believe - she packs the sleigh with toys and saves the night.

American Girl Place, 5th Avenue at 49th St. - This multi-level store is dedicated to the beloved characters found in the American Girl series of children's books. Aimed at young girls, these books feature american girls from various ethnic backgrounds involved in story lines that promote self esteem and values. The dolls are available for purchase in a variety of faces, complexions and hair colors. An ever-expanding assortment of outfits fills the first two floors while upstairs is reserved for the doll hospital, doll salon and fully functioning American Girl Cafe where mothers and
daughters are invited to sip tea and enjoy lunch from a real menu. And, yes,
special seats are available to allow dolls to join in. Dolls dine free.

Grand Central Station - Detour for a moment to Grand Central Station (42nd St. & Lexington Ave.). The holiday events add a festive glow to this magnificent New York landmark.

- Holiday Market at Grand Central Station: A holiday market consisting of of 72 carefully selected craftsmen fill Vanderbilt 
Hall creating a unique gift buying venue that even the locals look
forward to each year. Mon-Fri from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. you 
will find such artistic items as one-of-a-kind jewelry, hand-painted
table linens, imported crafts, children's toys and more.

- Holiday Laser Light Show at Grand Central Station: Now through December 24th laser light shows held on the hour and 
half hour will illuminate the sky ceiling of the main hall, 
transforming the constellations into various figures and shapes
representative of the holiday season. This year, as a tribute to 
the 100th anniversary of the New York Subway System, a new 
laser show has been added.

Lord & Taylor Dept. Store (5th Ave. @38th St.) - These classic animated windows are guaranteed to bring warmth and cheer to your heart. Commemorating the history of the US postal service, these intricately detailed scenes depict the various modes of postal delivery that have evolved over the years. Hanging above the windows, illuminating the store's 90-year old facade are large replicas of the newly issued Christmas ornament postage stamps. Holiday themed postal merchandise such as greeting cards and glass ornaments are available at all Lord & Taylor trim-a-home shops.

Macy's Herald Square, 34th Street @ Herald Square - The world's largest department store contributes in grand proportion to New York City's holiday tradition. Large windows that line 34th Street from 7th Avenue to Herald Square pay homage to the newly released family movie, The Polar Express. Inside on the 8th floor 'Santaland' provides a magical tour past Macy'sland through an enchanted forest to Santa's cabin with an opportunity for youngsters to whisper last minute wishes into Santa's ear.

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"Mod Squad" Converges on East 53rd Street MoMA
11 West 53rd Street (between 5th & 6th Avenues)
(212) 708 9400



Ending a two year absence from the Manhattan culture scene, the long awaited and greatly expanded Museum of Modern Art made its debut on November 11. The rainy day was not enough to deter the more than 20,000 fans who made the pilgrimage to this mecca of modern art. The museum's additional space allows for the display of many works from its own collection heretofore held in storage.

Selected for inclusion in this debut display are such favorites as Van Gogh's Starry Night and Picasso's Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. Special exhibits now on view include: Michael Wesely: Open Shutter German born photographer Michael Wesely known for his long exposures (some lasting over a year) was commissioned by MoMA to photograph its construction project using his signature technique. In this exhibit we see his results.

Yoshio Taniguchi
Famed architect, Yoshio Taniguchi known for his design of Art spaces is the mastermind behind MoMA's expansion project. This exhibit introduces you to the museum's designed by him in Japan.

The novelty of the new design and its new size (nearly twice that of the former building) may cause you to spend several hours at a time here. To keep your energy level going The museum is providing three levels of dining. For just a quick lift, try the SRO espresso bar. Quick Bite on the second floor offers a family friendly setting serving pasta, pizza and sandwiches. Terrace 5 on the fifth floor offers dainty sandwiches, wine and deserts in a more up scaled setting and, best of all, provides a view of the sculpture garden.

In a city filled with high-end dining options, there is always room for a strong competitor. Due to open this January, Modern, the newest venture by successful restaurateur, Danny Meyers, (Union Square Cafe and Blue Water Grill) will be housed in the museum with access from within the museum or directly from the street. The restaurant will serve Alsatian cuisine and a long waiting list for reservations is expected.

The $20 admission fee may seem steep but there are ways around it. Currently, Friday evenings between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. are free and, for those who plan to visit often, the $75 annual membership fee is a worthwhile deal.

Jazz At Lincoln Center
Jazz at Lincoln, under the direction of famed musician Wynton Marsalis, celebrates the opening of their newly built Rose Center located within the Time Warner Complex at Columbus Circle.Their opening festival which runs through spring of 2005 assembles a diverse array of performances that include; Jazz dance, blues, swing, Brazilian rhythm plus, a series of performances that celebrate the life, music and accomplishments of Dizzy Gillespie. For a complete listing, visit their web site www.jalc.org.


The Metropolitan Opera 
The "Met"s' 2004-2005 season is now in full swing. As one of the world's most beloved companies, it continues to delight audiences with classic productions of Tosca, Turandot, Barber of Seville, Don Giovanni, Nabucco, La Boheme and other crowd pleasers. For a complete season schedule visit their web site www.metopera.org.

New On Broadway

"Another opening...another show!" As the new Broadway season begins to unfold, we look forward to classics, musicals, poignant and epic dramas and comedy.

Democracy - This British production of Michael Frayn's drama about politics and betrayal charts the fall of West German Chancellor Willy Brandt, whose personal assistant is discovered to be an East German spy. Frayn, whose previous works include "Copenhagen" is masterful at combining historic data and riveting dialogue in a way that is totally intriguing.

700 Sundays - Billy Crystal joins the ranks of comedians who display their
talent in the form of a one-man show on the Broadway stage. In this show
Crystal pays homage to his dad, a man whose multiple jobs kept him away from home most of the week. He recalls the great moments spent with his dad whose death at an early age left Crystal with exactly 700 Sundays worth of fond memories. 

Twelve Angry Men - This classic court drama provides a rare opportunity for a collection of talented character actors to come together and convey the intensity of emotions and self questioning that takes place within a jury's chamber following a criminal trial. The cast, which includes among others, Philip Bosco, Tom Aldredge and Boyd Gaines comes through shining. The sparse stage set serves to place focus on the evolving drama ignited by a well orchestrated unveiling of the twelve personalities and the life experiences that have molded them.

Night Mother - A revival of this Pulitzer Prize play takes a close look at a mother and daughter relationship that reaches dark and painful moments as the daughter, who feels her life has no meaning, questions her will to live. The play features Edie Falco in the role of the mother.

Brooklyn the Musical  - This new musical reminiscent, in style and staging, of the popular musicals of the 70's tells the story of a young french girl who arrives in Brooklyn in search of her American father. The talented voices of the cast are the highlight of this show.

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