Hudson Yards: Embracing the Local this Holiday Season

The deadline to guarantee delivery of online purchases by Christmas has passed. Last minute Christmas shopping and reveling will not be what it has been in previous years. Hudson Yards, in New York City, is a great option for shoppers in the tri-state.
“Most New Yorkers are not lucky enough to have a backyard,” states Stacey Feder, Hudson Yard Chief Marketing Officer of Hudson Yards. During the pandemic, this reality is painful for residents seeking a pleasant environment close to home. The paradox is apparent: people have time on their hands and few quality options for gatherings and merriment.

The concept of Hudson Yard’s Backyard, situated on Manhattan’s dynamic West Side (the most popular entrance is along West 33rd Street, between 10th and 11th), allows people in the New York metropolitan area to have fun in a normal way. “That means maximum safety, two million lights, world class music and a joyous atmosphere,” added Feder, who launched the program September 2nd. The results have been exhilarating. Gatherings are occurring, people are shopping, and, most important, they are having fun.

Primary gatherings take place at Hudson Yard’s Public Square and Gardens, designed by Heatherwick Studios of London. Visitors in 2020 have taken to the expansive parks, gardens and outdoor seating. Those prone to exhilaration find time to walk and gawk at nearby vistas on Vessel, an award-winning interactive design meant to be climbed and explored. Whether browsing indoors, eating take out or exploring outside, the space sustains curiosity for hours at a time.

For last-minute shoppers Hudson Yards also provides is a winter wonderland indoors with free parking. Visitors seeking a warm environment in a cold climate can buy cashmere socks and toys, facetime with Santa and end their stay with wine on the square. with activities and snacks out on the Square. “People who live in urban centers still want to be together,” added Feder. “Shopping and gathering locally is the best way to support this community-oriented space and those of us who have fostered this experience in 2020 believe we will reap the benefits in 2021.” By that time, many New Yorker’s may answer the time-honored question, do you have a backyard? simply, by handing out directions to the safest, most dynamic free playground in New York City: Hudson Yards.