Winter Recommendations in NYC

Winter has approached NYC as we round out 2024, and with it comes not only harsh winds and dropping temperatures, but also a lot of fun activities that we as New Yorkers can’t experience year round and should definitely take advantage of. Let’s go through some joyful opportunities to experience with your friends and family this winter!

First up is ice skating in Bryant Park. I go at least 4-5 times every winter and always have a blast. I can’t think of a better feeling than skating around on the ice rink, all bundled up in  gloves and scarf, the wind whipping against my face, and snowflakes falling on my hat. Skating here is free as long as you make a reservation online, but renting skates can cost anywhere between $15-50 depending on the time of day and how crowded it is. A reservation is 30 minutes long, so ideally arrive at Bryant Park about 15 minutes before your reservation starts to have time to get your skates on, find your friends, and enter the rink. Thirty minutes might not seem like a long time, but I can promise that you’ll be pretty tired by the time you’re done. Even if you're not much of an ice skater, Bryant Park provides you with a lot of fun activities with lots of stores and food stands where you can grab a bite to eat and watch skaters go around the rink. There are also souvenir shops where you can get keychains, and nice sweaters or shirts (at a bit of a hefty price — you have been warned). For food options there are burgers, chicken wings, fries, hotdogs and so much more. The thing that Bryant Park is really known for are its dessert options. There are all kinds of ice cream, cake, and coffee shops if you have a sweet tooth, and it should be a crime not to get some hot chocolate. Most people say it’s the best hot chocolate in NYC. 

Another way to get into the holiday spirit is to visit Rockefeller Center and see its iconic Christmas tree. This tree is placed in Midtown and lit in a public ceremony on the Wednesday evening following Thanksgiving, which this year is Dec. 4. The ceremony begins at 8 p.m. and the lights are turned on at 10 p.m. Before the lighting there are two hours of festive performances by top singers and bands, as well as the Radio City Rockettes. Last year superstars like Cher, Barry Manilow, and Keke Palmer performed during the ceremony. This tree is up until January and a great time to go is after school on a Friday night. You can meet up with your friends, go grab a bite to eat, talk for a while then when it starts to get dark, head over to the train, and take it to Rockefeller Center and see the tree. Seeing the tree at night with all the lights turned on makes you appreciate all of the beauty and hardwork that the city puts into this every year. 

Another winter opportunity to enjoy is a visit to the Artechouse. Advanced technology invented in the past few decades has led people to be very interested in the future of mankind. One piece of new technology is experiential art. The Artechouse takes a deep dive into this concept. Founded in 2015, the exhibit combines art, science, and technology through visual images. Located in an underground bunker over 100 years old in Chelsea Market, it’s one of the most unique art destinations in NYC. The company's latest exhibition, “World of AI-magination,” developed original visual elements with generative AI systems. Your experience here will consist of six different AI generated images, all of which are intended to create “an enduring sense of wonder and a thirst for uncharted possibilities,” according to a press release for the exhibit. These visuals, seen over the course of twenty minutes, center on illusions and discovering an evolving collaboration between human ingenuity and AI. The exhibits always get fantastic reviews and leave people awe-struck. Tickets are on sale for $21 through March 17th. Such advanced imagery makes you wonder if there are any limits to what technology can do. This is a unique activity that definitely makes a cold winter day fun!

We are in for a great winter here as we wrap up 2024. I hope that reading this has put some ideas in your mind of what you can do in the city with your friends and family over the next couple of months.