NYC in winter is colder than the rest of the country thinks but warmer than the rest of the country fears. Most of the best NYC experiences are at their sharpest in winter — empty parks, clear skylines, holiday windows, indoor museums you'd skip in summer. Fifteen options.
The holiday-season classics
1. The Rockefeller Center tree
Cliché but real. Go at 7 AM on a weekday to actually see it without the crowds. Late November through early January.
2. The Bryant Park Winter Village (mid-October to early March)
Free skating, holiday shops, hot drinks, fire pits. The skating is genuinely fun — pack a thin pair of gloves.
3. Holiday windows
Bergdorf Goodman, Saks, Macy's. Walk the Fifth Avenue stretch from 49th to 39th in the evening. Free.
4. The Christmas market at Union Square (late November to December)
Smaller than the Bryant Park one but with better food vendors. Hot mulled wine, German waffles, weird gifts.
The clear-air winter advantages
5. A sightseeing flight (winter skies are the clearest)
Winter air is dry and cold, which means visibility is at its peak. The Manhattan skyline from 1,500 feet in January or February is sharper than any summer day. Azzurra City Tours runs Day and Night Tours from Linden Airport (KLDJ) year-round. Piper Cherokee PA-28, certified flight instructor in the right seat, about 45 minutes of air time. Cabin is heated. Book a winter Day Tour or call (347) 727-0050.
6. The Empire State Building observation deck
Winter visibility is the best of the year. The same view costs the same but looks better between December and February.
7. A walk in Central Park after a snowstorm
The day after a snow, the park is at its best. Walk from the Pond up to the Reservoir. Bring a thermos of coffee.
Indoor classics that are better in winter
8. The Met
Two million pieces, all indoor, warm. Winter weekday mornings have the lowest crowd density. Pick three departments.
9. The American Museum of Natural History
The dinosaur halls and the Hayden Planetarium. The Hayden's Space Show is a real attraction.
10. MoMA
Best 20th-century collection anywhere. Free Friday evenings (5-9 PM). Winter Fridays are less crowded than summer.
11. The Frick (currently at the Frick Madison)
Smaller, focused collection of European masterpieces. Quieter than the bigger museums.
The food + warmth combos
12. A long lunch at a hot pot restaurant
Lao Sze Chuan, Haidilao (Times Square), or any Sichuan place with a personal hot pot. Specific to cold weather. Bring an appetite.
13. Brunch and a museum
Russ & Daughters Café brunch followed by the Tenement Museum or the Whitney. The sequence is the experience.
14. A speakeasy at midnight
The Back Room, Please Don't Tell, Attaboy. Warm interiors, dim light. Best in winter when you actually want to be inside.
The unexpected winter spot
15. The Cloisters on a cold afternoon
Fort Tryon Park, the Met's medieval branch, the Hudson view, the medieval gardens (yes, in winter — they still have structure). Take the A train to 190th. Quietest museum in NYC in winter.
What to skip in winter
Coney Island. The High Line (cold and exposed). Outdoor dining (with rare exceptions for places with heated patios). The Staten Island Ferry deck (the inside deck is fine but the outside is brutal).