By Leslie Albrecht
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
UPPER WEST SIDE — Lincoln Square got a special delivery from up north early Tuesday morning, and Santa can't be far behind.
The Lincoln Square Business Improvement District welcomed a 27-foot balsam fir Christmas tree to Dante Park on West 63rd Street and Broadway, officially kicking off the yuletide season.
Lincoln Square BID first erected a Christmas tree in Dante Park three years ago after Lincoln Center, which is just across the street, canceled its annual tree, said Lincoln Square BID executive director Monica Blum.
"We felt the community needed a tree celebration," Blum said. "Our tree is much smaller (than Lincoln Center's), but it's become a tradition now, so it's nice."
It took city workers about three hours to get the pine-scented tree out of its delivery truck and hoisted into place.
The tree was the first of about 20 Christmas trees the city will put up this holiday season, said Bill Steyer, director of forestry for Manhattan. (Rockefeller Center's tree isn't erected by city workers.)
McNulty Outdoors, Inc., the landscaping company that maintains the Broadway malls from West 60th Street to West 70th Street, donated the tree. It's worth about $3,000, said Bob McNulty.
The tree, which came from a farm in Quebec that specializes in tall trees, will be decorated and then lit up at Winter's Eve, a neighborhood holiday celebration Lincoln Square BID will host on Nov. 29.
The BID's annual winter festival features street performers, ice sculptures, marching bands, singers, dancers and food from more than 30 Lincoln Square restaurants.
