You might hardly notice the moment winter lands in Brooklyn. One day, you look up and the world feels a little softer, a little brighter, with a little more sparkle each day.
This is Brooklyn during the holidays: charming, cheerful, and wonderfully cozy. Garlands hang from iron railings, the bodega cat naps beneath string lights, and steam from a halal cart curls into the night alongside laughter and vinyl crackle.
It’s a season best spent weaving between the city’s warmth and wonder, with a hot drink in hand, a camera in your coat pocket, and a stay that doesn’t just place you in Brooklyn, but invites you into it.
At NU Hotel Brooklyn, you’re not just checking in. You’re stepping into the story.
Holiday Mornings in Boerum Hill: Bookstores, Pastries & Local Gifting
If Manhattan does holiday extravagance like a Broadway show, Brooklyn does it like an acoustic set: intimate, offbeat, and full of surprises.
Start your visit in Boerum Hill, just outside our doors, and stroll along Smith Street, one of Brooklyn’s most beloved stretches for local shopping and dining. Stop into Books Are Magic, a cottage-like bookstore with tucked-away reading nooks and staff picks that whisper like insider secrets. A few doors down, Exit9 Gift Emporium has you covered for stocking stuffers both hilarious and handmade. And just when your fingers start to go numb, Bien Cuit beckons with hot chocolate and butter-soaked pastries that taste like the holidays should.
Lights & Nature Escapes: Christmas Displays, Immersive Trails & Brooklyn After Dark
Brooklyn’s holiday lights bring the season into full color, from suburban showstoppers to surreal nighttime strolls through glowing gardens.
Venture out to see the Dyker Heights Christmas lights, where everyday homes become neon dreams: motorized sleighs, glowing nativity scenes, rooftops wrapped in synchronized LED displays. It’s suburban maximalism at its finest, and absolutely worth the trip.
Prefer your lights with a little more atmosphere? Lightscape at Brooklyn Botanic Garden returns each year with a nearly all-new lineup of installations designed by artists from around the world. Part enchanted forest, part immersive art show, this luminous trail winds through firefly-lit groves, arches of color, and music-laced exhibitions that turn the landscape into something dreamlike.
Afterward, lean into the coziness with a table at Sunday in Brooklyn for their annual holiday pop-up, Snowday in Brooklyn. With kitschy décor, warm lighting, and comfort food, it feels like being snowed in, even if the forecast says otherwise.
Festive Finds & Brooklyn Holiday Events
Brooklyn doesn’t hibernate for the holidays; it layers up. From indie markets and remixed takes on holiday classics, to ice skating under open skies, our corner of the city fills the season with its own kind of magic.
For something timeless with a Brooklyn twist, make your way to the Brooklyn Nutcracker. The reimagined performance blends ballet with hip hop, contemporary dance, and global influences, all set to Tchaikovsky’s familiar score. It’s tradition, but not as you know it.
If your idea of holiday spirit leans more toward curated browsing, keep an eye out for the FAD Market, a roving seasonal market with gifts and goodies made by Brooklyn artisans. Shop throughout December in Dumbo, Boerum Hill, and Cobble Hill, and wander through tents of hand-poured candles, upcycled jewelry, small-batch skincare, and design-forward gifts you won’t find in any big-box window.
For one festive weekend, the Brooklyn Navy Yard’s Wallabout Wonderland brings together over 150 local vendors offering everything from rare fashion to handmade home goods and seasonal treats. Expect floral blooms from bouquet bars, puppet shows for kids, book giveaways for young readers, and a DIY ugly sweater station—a perfect conversation-starter for that holiday party just around the corner.
And when you’re ready for a little open air, lace up your skates and hit Roebling Rink, a waterfront ice skating spot beneath the Brooklyn Bridge. Looking for more room to glide? Prospect Park’s LeFrak Center offers a dreamy winter arena nestled in the heart of the park. Come early to wander through the crisp stillness of the trees, then warm up with a few laps as daylight fades. And if you’re in town for New Year’s Eve, stick around. The park’s Grand Army Plaza lights up at midnight with one of the city’s most beloved traditions: fireworks bursting over the treetops, live music, and a crowd that feels like a neighborhood block party.
Evenings at NU Hotel: Your Home for the Holidays
After a day of local finds and city sparkle, come home to something a little quieter, a little more serene. Your own Brooklyn retreat.
This season, NU Hotel’s Winter Wonderland and NU Year’s Celebration packages come stocked with the essentials for a festive night in town, including local treats, a holiday guide to the city, and something to sip: a bottle of wine for cozy December evenings, or sparkling bubbles for toasting the year ahead.
And all throughout December, a Cranberry Spritz made with Empress 1908 Gin will be waiting upon arrival. It’s our take on a cheerful welcome drink, complete with a holiday garnish bar to mix, match, and sip your way into the season.
In Brooklyn, the holiday spirit isn’t found in the lights or the cocoa, but in the way the borough welcomes you in. Book your holiday stay at NU Hotel and feel it for yourself.