Have you ever been to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade?
If you haven't, you've probably watched it. We mean, it's sort of a big deal. It's been going on in New York City for 89 years. Let us put that in perspective for you: women had only had the right to vote for six years when the parade started, before the Wall Street collapse in 1929, and before World War II.
Our point is that it's very, very old, but it's also very high profile.
More than 3.5 million people show up in person to watch every year, and more than 50 million watch the parade on TV.
That's a lot, right?
So here's the deal. Macy's has put out a Parade Route Map, and as in many years past, the parade begins at 77th Street and Central Park West at 9 a.m. on Thanksgiving, and will proceed down to 34th Street until it ends around noon.
There will be huge balloon floats, crazy performances by famous singers (cough, Jordin Sparks), and millions and millions of people. If you've never been, you should probably go just to take in the wild action. But only go for a minute because it's ridiculously crazy, packed, cold, and loud.
If you're like us though, and you're more into relaxed scenes, you should skip the crowds at the parade and chill with the crowds around the parade instead. Who wants to stand around for hours when you can sit on a comfy bar seat? Check out our suggestions for where to go below.
1. MObar at the Mandarin Oriental (80 Columbus Circle)
liviabommer Goodmorning #NYC ! •☀️• Spectacular view over #CentralPark #ColombusCircle @mo_newyork #MandarinOrientalNYC
This cute, hidden nook is the perfect place to escape the parade, while still feeling like you're part of the action.
How can you escape and be a part of the parade all at once?
Easy. MObar has panoramic views of the South entrance of Central Park, and the concrete landscape of the entire Upper East Side. In other words, you'll have stellar views of the entire parade, and the city gleaming pleasantly behind it, too.
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We can't really think of a better spot to throw back a couple of glasses of wine, while you watch the madness unfold all around you. All this while you're safely cocooned in a much more placid environment. Like, we're serious, the view is unbelievably beautiful.
This place will quickly steal a place in your heart; trust us. It's a great spot to hit on Thanksgiving, because those views will make you immensely thankful that you're not actually at the parade.
2. The Dakota Bar (53 West 72nd Street)
captain_catita Not much else needed to make me happy! #100happydays #toronto #thedakotabar #livemusic #livetoronto
Oh, you wanted to get a little twisted for Thanksgiving, did you? Honestly, sometimes that's the only way to deal with family.
What better way is there to enjoy a bumping, wild parade than after you've thrown back some drinks? They don't open until 4 p.m. here, so you'll have to make this a later in the day activity.
The Dakota Bar is a fun spot on the Upper West Side with a glamorous decor, a party vibe, and strong drinks, which are the perfect medicine to get you in that Thanksgiving headspace.
It's located at 72nd Street and Columbus Avenue and is, once again, a single block from the parade action.
Plus, it's probably the best wine bar on the Upper West Side. So if you believe that wine drunk is the best drunk, The Dakota Bar is where you should be for Thanksgiving.
3. P.J. Carney's Pub (906 7th Avenue)
michellelobsinger My old #neighborhoodbar. Many fond memories here. #pjcarneys #pjcarneyspub #newyorkcity
At 59th Street, the Parade veers left and travels along 59th Street until it reaches 6th Avenue, where it proceeds down to 34th Street.
Seeing as P.J. Carney's is located pleasantly on 7th Avenue between West 58th and West 57th Streets, it's a block from the parade in multiple directions. Really, you'll be able to rock with revelers parading on 59th Street and down 6th Avenue.
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Plus, they've got great food, drinks, and an excellent vibe in an area that's all but devoid of bars and reasonably priced places to eat.
If your goal is to throw back some buffalo wings, beers, and burger, perhaps maybe even some pork sliders or a shepherd's pie, P.J. Carney's is absolutely where you should be during the Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Plus, you could always get way buzzed here, too.
,4. Rum House (228 West 47th Street)
How could you not get twisted on Thanksgiving? How could you not do it at one of NYC's most excellent rum escapes?
Really, Rum House, with its eclectic vibes and and old fashioned ambiance, is the perfect haven for all the touristy insanity that hits the city like a tornado on parade day. Plus, they've got a list of whiskey bourbon that'd be any bar's envy.
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Come to Rum House, and watch it nearly instantly morph into one of your favorite bars in the city. It's on 47th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, so you've got a two-avenue distance between you and the parade.
Once you're completely buzzed though? Feel free to spill into the (hopefully) sunny city and revel in all the craziness of that Thanksgiving Day Parade everyone keeps talking about.
5. Magnolia Bakery (1240 Avenue of the Americas)
magnoliabakery #MagnoliaMondays! No better way to start your week than with a large banana pudding...🍌🍌🍌
All that parading get you in the mood for cupcakes? Save it. Trust us, the cupcakes at Magnolia Bakery are a thing of the past (okay, so they're still amazing, but we have a better idea for you).
Instead, get the banana pudding. That's really what you need to be treating yourself to for Thanksgiving. Trust us, it'll be some of the creamiest, lightest, most delicious dessert you've ever had. Like, the bread to banana ratio is perfect.
This Magnolia Bakery is located right at 6th Avenue and West 49th Street. So it's literally right next to the parade.
It's definitely guaranteed to be more crowded at this spot on the route than it is further uptown, but still, it won't be as mobbed as Midtown. So that's still a win.
6. The Irish Pub (837 7th Avenue)
Another spot to get schwifty on Thanksgiving? Yes, please!
The Irish Pub is located on 7th Avenue between West 54th Street and West 53rd Street. So it's far enough uptown so the area won't be insanely mobbed, and it's one avenue from the parade.
So you'll feel like you're in it, but hopefully you won't get trampled?
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They've got a great verity of drinks, buckets of cold beer, and delicious pub food. Really, it's a pretty good spot to hit if you want a corned beef sandwich, some wings, pizza sticks, or potato skins.
The best part? They're open at 9 a.m., so you can catch every minute of the parade without stepping foot in the mess. You can safely drink away the mobile tourist trap in a nice, warm bar.
Check out 7 Best Holiday Shows to Channel Your Inner Tourist in NYC.