It’s lightly snowing outside. Though this is an unremarkable event for most people who live in New York City, I find it exciting. I’m not accustomed to these tiny crystals falling from the sky.

Though I generally avoid crowds, I asked The Beau to come with me to walk up 5th Avenue this evening so I could witness with my own West Coast eyes the garish decor of New York City in anticipation of Christmas. He advised that we walk on the West side of 5th Avenue so we could easily see the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center.

The crowds were milling about tonight, most in gloves, scarves, puffy jackets, and ear muffs. Ahead of us for at least ten blocks was a young man in a motorized wheelchair; a young woman stood on some part of the chair behind him such that it looked like she was riding a shopping cart. They tried to zip through the crowd ambling along 5th Avenue, though the density would not permit them to travel fast. We had no difficulty keeping up with them as we approached the Rockefeller tree.

The mob of people began to swirl in eddies around Rockefeller Center and we soon found ourselves pushing and getting pulled into the crowd. Many of the people were drifting towards the line for ice skating (it’s a small rink, skate rental is $9 and adult admission is $19, and the surface could have used the attention of a zamboni*), though a fair number of people were meandering along the raised perimeter of the rink towards the gigantic Christmas tree.

The tree is close to seven stories tall and is adorned with hundreds of colored lights. At the top of the tree is a glittering, floral-shaped star that is nearly the size of a large office window. Ropes emanate away from the tree and are anchored to different buildings in the plaza. Periodically, another set of lights decorating the tree bursts into activity and the tree resembles an ecologically-inspired disco ball.

It is an impressive tree. I’ve never seen a tree like it and imagine that this is what some trees aspire to be. The facade of the building across the street is adorned with gigantic, illuminated snowflakes that one can see from several blocks away. They do not blink or flicker; they persistently glow blue-white.

We slipped away from Rockefeller Center and walked along a street before ultimately returning to 5th Avenue a few blocks north. Gaggles of young women cooed in front of Tiffany & Co. and fervently requested that someone take a photograph of them in front of the store’s nameplate. The crowds swirled past them as the flashes of the digital cameras captured their smiling faces next to the label of the finest in jewelry.

A gigantic, glowing snowflake is suspended above the intersection at 5th Avenue and 57th Street. It certainly captures the eye, though the ostentatious store front of the Louis Vuitton facade competes with this illuminated, three-dimensional snowflake. Google tells me that this is the Unicef snowflake as “a beacon of hope, peace and compassion for vulnerable children around the world”.

A couple blocks up is the Apple store and one could easily overlook the snowflake and notice the floating white apple instead.

The police presence was high all along 5th Avenue, though the crowds were not unruly or particularly annoyed. Those who know better clearly avoid 5th Avenue if at all possible. And for all the wealth that is advertised on 5th Avenue, all the glittering storefronts, holiday-themed window settings, Christmas trees and wreaths, and collection of lights added warm ambiance to what was otherwise a chilly night.

* I just wanted to use the word “zamboni” in my post. I mean, the rink really could have used a zamboni.