Thanksgiving may now be a distant memory in one’s turkey soaked mind, but that only marks the start of the holiday season. New York City’s Upper West Side is a classic neighborhood that just screams winter warmth and holiday spirit. Last night, Manhattan’s largest holiday festival returned to the elegant neighborhood with the twelfth annual Winter’s Eve at Lincoln Square event.

The Time Warner Center provides one of the best backdrops in the city for events of this nature. The futuristic shopping venue boasts some of the best modern architecture in the city. Much of this is due to the over-sized windows that flood the street outside with a welcoming glow. Speaking of lights, customers and onlookers alike are given a grand taste of holiday style and charm with Time Warner’s decorations. You may have seen Christmas lights that change colors in front of someone’s house or apartment, but these lights literally dwarf them in comparison. With each standing at over five feet tall, these twinkling lights shine brilliant shades of blues, reds, and whites atop the many gawking onlookers.

Food and the holidays go together like, well, food and the holidays. This year’s Winter’s Eve event featured a grand tasting of some of New York’s great dining establishments. The Columbus Circle sidewalk featured selections from Bouchon Bakery, Landmarc, Porter House New York, and Rosa Mexicano just to name a few. But like with any eating event our eyes were on certain eats. Even with temperatures exceeding the sixty degree mark outside, that didn’t prevent us from grabbing a creamy hot cup of pumpkin bisque from Gabriel’s Bar & Restaurant. It was hearty without being too sweet.

International fare was in high demand as “Sapphire Indian Cuisine” had a line which snaked around the sidewalk. The Upper West Side local joint was doling out heaping servings of chicken tikka masala & basmati rice. As a huge fan of Indian food, I had my critical pants on, but after the first taste the twenty minute wait was proven to be well worth it. Each of the food samplings ranged in price from one to five dollars, which was a true bargain. And if that wasn’t enough, a portion of the Winter’s Eve food tasting proceeds was donated to the New York Cares Coat Drive.

Holiday cheer literally lined the streets. From the Time Warner Center all the way to 68th Street, New Yorkers and visitors alike could take in a seemingly endless amount of seasonal activities featuring hot shopping deals and musical performances. If you didn’t make it out last night don’t fret- you have a whole month to head up town and bask in the Christmas spirit, in one of New York’s greatest neighborhoods. Oh, and did we forget to mention Central Park is a stone’s throw away.

- Jay Rubin