If you have a free hour…

5TH AVENUE

There’s no better way to get into the holiday spirit than with a stroll along Fifth Avenue. Start off at Rockefeller Plaza ( just off Fifth between 47th and 50th Streets) and marvel at the gigantic, lavishly decorated Christmas tree. It’s lit from 5:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. until January 6. From there, pass by the imaginative windows at Saks Fifth Avenue, Henri Bendel, Tiffany & Co. and Bergdorf Goodman. At 60th Street, turn right and head east to 660 Madison, where you’ll find the city’s shopping jewel, Barneys New York. The store’s holiday windows sparkle with wit, and this year’s is sure to both delight and inform you with its “Have a Green Holiday” theme.

If you have a free day…

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS

The trick to truly enjoying a day in New York is picking a neighborhood or setting off on a specific sightseeing mission, then exploring it to the fullest. For example, take a side trip to Brooklyn Heights. This city borough is easily accessible by subway or a short taxi ride. Go back in time and learn how the subway system connects the city at the New York Transit Museum (mta.info/mta/museum). The museum is located at the corner of Boerum Place and Schermerhorn Street in a 1936 subway station. Next, enjoy the varied European architecture of Montague Street, where you’ll find all kinds of shops in both local and chain varieties. Stop for lunch at the Heights Café (84 Montague Street, heightscafeny.com) for a hearty salad or tasty sandwich while on your way to the Brooklyn Heights Promenade, which runs a half mile from Orange Street down to Remsen Street. Plan to arrive here around sunset to experience silver screen–worthy views of Manhattan. Then go warm up at Pete’s Waterfront Ale House (155 Atlantic Avenue, waterfrontalehouse.com) between Clinton and Henry Streets. Dig in to a bowl of venison chili and a seasonal beer before you head back across the water to Manhattan.

If you have a free weekend…

THE MEATPACKING DISTRICT

Get acquainted with downtown New York with a visit to the über-hip Meatpacking District. For fine Italian goods, peruse Massimo Bizzocchi’s boutique (433 West 14th Street), for everything for a man’s wardrobe, from handmade shoes to made-to-measure suits. A few doors west, you’ll find Jeffrey (449 West 14th Street), a shopper’s paradise of designer goods, with an acclaimed selection of women’s shoes and accessories. If you just want a glimpse of the star-struck scene, stop in for a drink at one of the neighborhood bars. Or, for a glitzy Pan-Asian dinner, head over to Buddakan (75 Ninth Avenue, buddakannyc.com). In the mood for a quieter, meatier meal? Try Craftsteak (85 10th Avenue, craftrestaurant.com). For some foodie adventures and a more casual bite, wander the halls of Chelsea Market on Ninth Avenue between 15th and 16th Streets (chelseamarket.com). Formerly home to the National Biscuit Company factory (where those Oreos and Mallomars from your childhood were once made), this huge building now holds shops that will tempt your tastebuds with everything from rich brownies at Fat Witch Bakery and fluffy cupcakes at Eleni’s to delicious takeout seafood at the Lobster Place or a caffeine fix at Ninth Street Espresso. Keep your eyes open for the celeb chefs of the Food Network, as many of them film their shows in the studios on the upper floors.