Own this City – 13 Things to do in New York City in the Winter
1. See the Grand Central Terminal Kaleidoscope Light Show
It’s rush hour, Grand Central is slammed, you’re irritated—then suddenly music chimes, the walls turn neon and you’re surrounded by giant swirling snowflakes, twinkling stars and carousels. This winter wonderland appears every half hour on the half hour, rendering viewers incapable of grumpiness for minutes thereafter. Grand Central Terminal, 42nd St and Lexington Ave.(grandcentralterminal.com). Daily 11am–9pm; free. Through Jan 15.
2. Skate at Rockefeller Center
Give yourself the gift of crowd avoidance: During the week, the rink is significantly less packed, so play hooky and get your glide on. If you can’t cut out of work, haul out of bed on a weekend morning and beeline to 30 Rock; the rink opens at 8am. 30 Rockefeller Plaza between 49th and 50th Sts (212-332-7654, therinkatrockcenter.com)
3. See “Tropical Butterflies Alive in Winter”
At the American Museum of Natural History’s butterfly exhibit, more than 500 live, winged beauties flit through a 1,200-square-foot vivarium. The space is kept at 80 degrees, so you can forgo the long johns. Afterward, check out the AMNH’s Origami Holiday Tree, which is decorated with 26 intricately folded paper creatures. American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St (212-769-5200, amnh.org). 10:15am–5pm, $24, including suggested admission.
4. Sip your way through City Bakery’s Hot Chocolate Festival
At the 17th annual cocoa fest, a different flavor will be offered every day: beer hot chocolate, love potion hot chocolate, happy hot chocolate and beyond. They all taste great with a big, moist, melted-chocolate-chip cookie. 3 W 18th St between 5th and 6th Aves (212-366-1414, thecitybakery.com); Jan 31-Mar 15.
5. Remember when you wore clothes for fashion instead of warmth at “Dress Codes”
The International Center of Photography’s third photography and video Triennial takes its cues ICP’s Year of Fashion in 2009, with rising stars and established artists exploring fashion as a means of social communication. Somewhere between your current cloth’s message—“I’m cold”—and the comically desperate fashionistas in Cindy Sherman’s work, you’ll find inspiration for when spring buds. 1133 Sixth Ave at 43rd St (212-857-9700, icp.org) Through Jan 17.
6. Escape to the tropics at the New York Botanical Gardens
Ensconce yourself in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory and you may forget the bone-chilling temperatures outside. In the Victorian-style hothouse, visitors shed their outerwear and bask in an indoor rain forest. Afterward, check out the Holiday Train Show. Bronx River Pkwy at Fordham Rd (718-817-8700, nybg.org)
7. Visit the Cloisters
The Met’s medieval art and architecture outpost—set in a lovely park overlooking the Hudson River—is beautiful in the snow. A path winds through the peaceful grounds to a castle that seems to have survived the Middle Ages. (It was built a mere 70 years ago, using pieces of five medieval French cloisters.) Check out the famous Unicorn Tapestries, the 12th-century Fuentidueña Chapel and the Annunciation Triptych by Robert Campin, all of which will have you singing Gregorians in no time. 99 Margaret Corbin Dr, Fort Tryon Park, Washington Heights (212-923-3700; metmuseum.org)
8. Treat yourself to Winter Restaurant Week
Winter Restaurant Week begins January 25th. Make your reservations ASAP to score wallet-friendly deals at many of the city’s best restaurants. Suddenly, Eleven Madison Park is in your price range. See nycgo.com/restaurantweek for a full listing of restaurants. Jan 25-Feb 7.
9. Explore the Morgan Library & Museum
This Madison Avenue institution began as the private library of savvy financier J. Pierpont Morgan, and is his artistic gift to the city. Building on the collection Morgan amassed in his lifetime, the museum houses first-rate works on paper, including drawings by Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Picasso; three Gutenberg Bibles; a copy of Frankenstein annotated by Mary Shelley; manuscripts by Dickens, Poe, Twain, Steinbeck and Wilde; sheet music handwritten by Beethoven and Mozart; and an original edition of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol that’s displayed every yuletide. Even on a gray day the main entrance hall is flooded with natural light, making the museum’s café a nice spot for lunch or an afternoon snack. 225 Madison Ave at 36th St (212-685-0008, themorgan.org)
10. Go to the New York Aquarium
After you’ve thrilled to eerie moon jellyfish, fierce sharks and adorable black-footed penguins, be sure to say hi to Squirt, the aquarium’s giant Pacific octopus. Then pop on some glasses for “Planet Earth: Shallow Seas,” a 4-D show that takes viewers into the ocean, complete with crashing waves and salty spray. The ongoing sea lion show, featuring four-year-old Duke, delights kids and adults alike (daily 11:45am, 4pm). Surf Ave at 8th St, Coney Island, Brooklyn (718-265-3474, nyaquarium.com)
11. Visit the Brooklyn Brewery
The name of the game at one of New York’s most successful breweries is beer. The name of the game in the Tasting Room is cheap beer. For four bucks, you get one token, redeemable for the onsite brew of your choice. Settle at one of the picnic tables and sip a smooth Brooklyn Pilsner or seasonal Black Stout Chocolate. Don’t hold back. The more you drink, the more you support a clean environment: The brewery is now 100 percent wind-powered, so getting wasted is now a whole lot greener. 79 North 11th St between Berry St and Wythe Ave, Williamsburg, Brooklyn (718-486-7422, brooklynbrewery.com).
12. Go to the Guggenheim for free
The Guggenheim is as famous for its landmark building—designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and restored for its 50th birthday in 2009—as it is for its impressive collection and daring temporary shows. The museum owns Peggy Guggenheim’s trove of Cubist, Surrealist and Abstract Expressionist works, along with the Panza di Biumo Collection of American Minimalist and Conceptual art from the 1960s and ’70s. Lesser-known fact: Admission is free from 5:45pm-7:45pm on Saturdays. 1071 Fifth Ave at 89th St (212-423-3500, guggenheim.org)
13. Go to the Rose Center for Earth & Space
At this spectacular silver globe—dazzling to encounter on a winter night—you can discover the universe via 3-D shows in the Hayden Planetarium and light shows in the Big Bang Theater. Current offerings include Journey to the Stars,” a space show narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, and “SonicVision,” a collaboration between MTV2 and pop maestro Moby (he mixed the soundtrack featuring Radiohead, Goldfrapp, Coldplay and U2) that’s a computer-animated dreamscape, beamed onto the interior of the planetarium’s dome ($15). American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th St (212-769-5100, amnh.org)
Read more: http://newyork.timeout.com/articles/own-this-city/81134/101-things-to-do-in-new-york-city-in-the-winter
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