The magic of the holidays has come to an end and now here we are. Cold, gray, snowy NYC winter for at least three months. ‘Tis the season where it’s tempting to camp out in your over-heated apartment and avoid all the amazing things NYC has to offer (aside from great take-out options)… So what’s a New Yorker to do? Here are some ideas:

1. Complain about the cold.

Every single conversation I’ve had since coming back from California has included how cursedly cold it is. Winter has hit NYC with brutal lows in the single digits. You know it’s cold AF in NYC when the Bryant Park fountain becomes an ice sculpture.

2. Ice skate in Bryant Park.

Bundle up like a nun (see above) and hit the ice! The rink is open until (almost) spring – March 4th!

3. Use discarded Christmas decorations to perform skateboard tricks.

Don’t break a leg…

4. Visit Central Park in the snow.

So pretty when the sky matches the ground.

5. Visit Times Square in the snow.

It’s a completely different experience than normal! Almost peaceful!

6. Rush a popular Broadway show in the middle of a snow storm.

Many ticket holders get snowed out of the city, so it’s easier to score cheap tickets with Broadway rushes and lotteries. It’s extremely rare that snow causes Broadway to shut down- but it does happen!

7. Check out the Michelangelo exhibit at the Met (now that it’s less over-wrought with tourists).

The largest exhibit of his work ever (the Renaissance painter, not ninja turtle), consistently heralded the must-see show of the season.

8. Break your New Year’s Resolution diet to experience NYC Restaurant Week.

Some of the best restaurants in NYC offer 3 course meals at bargain prices from January 22nd – February 9th. More info: here.

9. Run away to the tropical paradise of the conservatory at the New York Botanical Garden.

Remember that there is green in the world by visiting the lush plants under the the glass in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. You can still catch their famed Holiday Train Show if you go before January 15th!

10. Stop for 30 seconds when rushing from one indoor place to another to oogle any street art.

It’s the only color we’ll see outside ’til spring!

11. Read an entire book in one sitting at the New York Public Library.

It’s a warm, picturesque place to camp out! 

12. Get a hot toddy in every NYC bar that has a fireplace.

I’ll update with a photo once I start working my way down the list AM New York published today: Restaurants and bars with fireplaces: NYC spots for keeping cozy all season

What are your favorite things to do when it’s freezing outside? Do you look for things that force you to leave the warmth of your apartment, or just give in to hibernation?