Easter is one of my favorite times of the year! When I was growing up, I especially loved it because it meant my birthday was right around the corner. I have the best memories of my whole family coming over to my parent’s house; it was a weekend filled with food, fun, lots of laughter and of course, the traditional Easter egg hunt. Now that I am all grown up and have a family of my own, we have started our own yearly traditions. Living in the city is a bit different than growing up in Farmington, Connecticut, so needless to say, our Easter Sunday is a little less traditional than what I experienced growing up. With that being said, we started our own traditions and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
The restaurant, Tavern on the Green, holds a special place in my heart! This is not only one of the most delicious and iconic restaurants in the city, but it’s also where Josh and I had our 10-year wedding anniversary party. Since before the kids were born, Josh and I began celebrating Easter Brunch at Tavern on the Green. Once our kids were born, we continued our yearly brunch tradition followed by our own little Easter egg hunt in Central Park…this is a very NYC thing to do…it’s all about making memories with your most loved ones. It’s also fun to take a spring themed “pedicab” throughout Central Park after you enjoy your brunch.
As New Yorkers, we tend to hibernate during the winter months, so at the first sign of spring, we venture out into the crisp sunlight, savoring every minute of sunshine. Rain or shine, on Easter Sunday, we are all dressed in our Sunday best celebrating the holiday and all of our traditions. If you’re looking for other places to dine in the city, I highly recommend the restaurants listed below:
The Loeb Boathouse is an iconic restaurant in NYC, most notable for its prime lakeside location in the middle of Central Park. This is one of my favorite restaurants to visit in the city, no matter the time of the year. During late spring into summer you can rent rowboats and cruise around the lake. It is such a quaint restaurant that reminds you about the simple pleasures you can find in the heart of NYC. It is also a very family oriented restaurant, making it an ideal place to enjoy brunch any given Sunday (especially on Easter Sunday).
The Rainbow Room is back and better than ever. This New York Landmark offers a special Easter Sunday filled with a decadent menu which includes caviar deviled eggs, carrot cake pancakes and Maine lobster (just to name a few). This Easter, they will also have a special guest appearance by Jazz singer Fleur Seule. Brunch reservations are available from 11am to 3:30pm so make sure to make a reservation ahead of time, as tables are limited. The menu costs $125 per person, which guarantees you a delicious brunch, great entertainment and a view of the city that can only be seen from the Rainbow Room. There is nothing like this view!
There are also so many exciting events going on throughout the city on Easter Sunday. One of my personal favorites is The Easter Parade and Bonnet Festival at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. It begins at 10am on Fifth Avenue starting at 49th street and ending on 57th. This Easter parade is completely dedicated to crazy hats; it is a sight to be seen. This is far from being your average parade, as you won’t be seeing any traditional floats or baton twirling. It is all about silly hats designed to look like NYC landmarks. It doesn’t get any wackier than that! People come from around the world to witness and take part in this parade. Whether the hats are silly, elegant or outrageous, it a fun tradition that has been going strong for over 130 years!
There are so many incredible activities and restaurants throughout New York City but the ones I listed above are true landmarks. For my family, these are restaurants we visit on special occasions because they are festive and exciting! It gives us all something to look forward to when we celebrate a milestone or holiday. If you’re in the city, take a look at all the fun events going on during Easter Sunday. These restaurants and the St. Patrick’s Cathedral parade are traditions that will forever by a part of our family. Now, it’s time to start making your own traditions in NYC! If you don’t know where to start, look into my recommendations, trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
