Posts Tagged ‘winter’

A Unique Christmas In Manhattan

I was living in New York City in the Village with my very young daughter, newly divorced, alone, and quite broke. Christmas was going to be meager, or so I thought at the time, which was around 1970.

I barely had any friends in the city but around December, I met John and we quickly became friends. John was from England, kind of an offbeat free spirit and reminded me of the Beatles, who, at the time, were very popular, having recently visited New York. I would take walks and have long talks with John, who like me, seemed somewhat of a loner.

My most recent graphic design job had ended with a layoff, as had many advertising jobs around that time. Freelance graphics jobs were fewer and farther between. My financial situation required frugality, to say the least.

So Christmas Eve found me alone with my daughter, just glad to be with her. At some point there was a buzz at the door, and after buzzing back, and a bit of wait to see who it was (I lived in a 2nd floor walk up), John appeared, and with him a magnificent Scotch Pine, having dragged it through the streets of Manhattan, when some tree seller threw it out. We put it up and I had a tree, a friend and a Christmas filled with warmth and cheer, as well as spirit. I’ll never forget that Christmas, or John—who since then has enjoyed many Christmas’ with my daughter and I.

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Winter in Coney Island

I was on a first date in New York City and we decided to go to a restaurant in Brooklyn so we got on the subway in Manhattan to head down to Brooklyn. We knew what stop that we needed to get off at but not how far the stop was. We sat on the subway and waited for our stop to arrive but it turns out that the stop we needed wasn’t operating that night so we decided to just ride the subway all the way to Coney Island. It was late and cold out and when we arrived at Coney Island there was nobody around. We walked around on the board walk for a while and decided to go down and walk on the sand. We stopped at a bench to take our shoes off and then ran down onto the sand to go stand by the water. The city lights across the water and the lights of the rides were beautiful reflected in the water and the sky was so pretty too. We dipped our feet in the freezing water and ran back out laughing and screaming about how cold it was. To warm up we stood there by the water and then hugged then he kissed me. It was the best first date I ever had.

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New York, New York

New York City is an amazing place to visit any time of year, however during the winter it is extra special. Once all of the excitement of the holiday season is over, there are still a million things to do. When I first got engaged , I wanted to bring my fiancee there so she could see the city where I grew up. Our first stop was Central Park. Central Park is home to Wollman Rink, an ice skating rink. You can skate for very little and enjoy hot cocoa or coffee . They sell hot pretzels as well. You forget that you are in New York City. After skating for hours, we were tired and needed food. We hailed a cab and decided to have lunch in Times Square. I took her to a place called Virgil’s. Virgil’s is  a great barbecue place that has something for everyone on the menu. It has several specially made sauces and all of them are delicious. After stuffing our faces we decided to take in some culture.My fiancee is a huge history buff so I assumed she would enjoy a trip to The Natural History Museum. I was right. She loved taking pictures near the dinosaurs and at the time there was an exhibit on fashion through the ages. She was elated and it was the perfect way to finish a day in New York. Winter in the city can be very cold . It is best to balance the day with indoor and outdoor activities, this way you are not overwhelmed by the cold. Even choosing to take a tour of the city on a tour bus will provide you with a ton of fun and interesting things to do.

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A Day In The City

Wintertime in New York City provides a sense of holiday spirit that sometimes can be lost or missing amongst the everyday grind of life.  Every year my family and I take a train ride from the shore up to the city.  The first trip while in the city is from Penn Station to Radio City Music Hall;  if it is a nice day we take a leisurely walk amongst the hustle and bustle of the city but if it’s raining we take a cab.  After the annual viewing of the Rockettes and the Christmas Show we are off to see the sights.  Walking down the streets we window shop our way through the city, looking in to see what s new at Saks, Dior, Chanel and all of the other stores I will never really shop at.  Then it is off to FAO Schwartz to see what kind of crazy new toys they have, also to watch the  Big  Piano Show because that never really gets old.  After some more window shopping we head to get some pizza, what we call real pizza, that would beat the New Jersey pizza any day of the week.  Once we’ve had our fill of pizza we walk back down towards Radio City to take pictures in front of the tree.  This annual outing in the city provides us with the holiday spirit we need.

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American Girl in Manhattan

My daughter and I had a magical day in New York last winter.  We started with a trip to Santa at Macy’s, saw the Christmas windows and had a coffee (for me) and a cupcake (for my eight year old) across the street from Rockefeller Plaza.  It was your stereotypical day in New York and I was glad that we hit all the points.  But, the highlight of the day was an unexpected find.  I did not realize (or, frankly care) about there being an American Girl Store in midtown.  But, right after the cupcake store, we ran across it on the walk back to our dinner date with Jane’s Dad. The day turned out fantastic.  I recommend doing this store as part of a day with other events.  But, it almost worked as a destination in and of itself.  They do have a restaurant there, but we never made it that far in.  And, next time, we will bring Jane’s doll and get her hair done at the hair salon.  We weren’t really prepared for this trip to American Girl Central.  But, Jane was able to see all of the parts that we had only seen in catalogs all of the furniture and accessories and really was excited to see the dolls and the high quality accessories that these dolls are really known for.  And, she had a fantastic time being the expert and filling her mom in on all of the stories for all of the dolls. It was the Mom and Daughter day that I had been wanting.  We will definitely do it again.  But we’ll do some research before hand to plan out our experience.  As much as I loved the American Girl store, I will mix in other activities as well.  It can be overwhelming having all the branding present throughout.  I think I will put the American Girl visit at the beginning and end with tea at someplace else.

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Winter Time Fun In NYC

New York City is an amazing place to visit at any time of the year, but especially in the winter.  It’s too chilly to see most of the outdoor sites in the city, but there is plenty to do even if you aren’t outside. There’s always plenty to see and do in Time Square.  You may even want to check to see if “the cowboy” is out singing in the winter.  I don’t understand how he can sing in his underwear in the cold in NYC, but he can apparently. If you have children, it’s always great to check out the Toys R Us store in Time Square.  Riding the indoor ferris wheel is such fun for the kids!  The toy displays change all the time, so it’s a great place to visit frequently in the winter. Venturing outside Time Square, you can stop to window shop at Saks, and check out the window displays at Macy’s.  There are many 24 hour book stores open in NYC.  Chances are that you’ll find a gem to read in one of those stores. Trump Tower is another fun place to visit in the winter time.  You can eat at the restaurant in the building and watch the indoor waterfall!  Stop to window shop at some of the shops in the second floor of the building! A trip to NYC in the winter wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Rockefeller Center to watch the ice skaters. If you are brave enough, you may even want to lace up and skate yourself!

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Winter Wonderland

In many cities there are few activities to partake in during the winter. However New York is a city that never sleeps and activities are numerous. One of my favorite things to do is ice skating. My favorite place to skate is Bryant Park. This is because it is free to skate at Bryant Park if you have your own ice skates. Also it is located on 42nd street a few blocks from Times Square so after I have finished skating  I refill the tank with food and check other activities. Another activity that I love to partake in during the winter time is to watch the tree lighting ceremony at Rockefeller Center. This tree is nothing short of amazing. There is a search for large trees that takes place. The past trees that have been found have been large. It is breathtaking to see the size of these trees. The tree at the New York Stock Exchange is quite impressive also. I also view the New York Stock Exchange after, which is the most important financial market in the world. Then I visit Trinity Church; one of the oldest churches in the country. It also has the graves of some of the famous Americans from the 17th century. I then walk down to the ferry and take a trip to Staten Island and back. On the ferry I pass by the Statue of Liberty which is the symbol of American liberty.

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The Basement

On a cold snowed in New York City winter day my brother and I would sit and watch the snow from the window for a little while. That wouldn’t last very long so we’d have to get creative indoors. Normally we’d go down to the basement and play board games like Candy Land, Monopoly or even Life. We’d usually play for a while since we had nowhere to go and time wasn’t an issue. Something else we liked to do was go through our comic book collection. We’d trade some editions or just sit and read them and talk about who the coolest or best super hero was. We had a huge collection, every one of them in protective sleeves. We’d get so lost in them you’d think you were in the stories as opposed to in New York. Once we had our first video game system that was it; we’d sit and play for hours nonstop. We’d try to beat the other’s high score or even our own personal high score, we’d play so long that it would be into the late hours of the night and we wouldn’t even realize what time it was. Our basement was set up nicely too, with a comfortable couch and a nice big TV for us to enjoy. There was also a small refrigerator so we could keep some beverages and snacks nearby.

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Bryant Park

My favorite activity to do in the winter time in New York City is to visit Bryant Park. For the past three years this has become a kind of tradition for my boyfriend and me. The reason why this is such an enjoyable activity is because there is so much to do. While many people feel that Rockefeller Center is the place to be in NYC during the winter months, I think that the tourist foot traffic here detracts from its wintertime wonder. In Bryant Park during the holiday season the park is turned into an outdoor market. It is a great place to do your holiday shopping because with so many varied handmade shops to choose from, it’s almost guaranteed that you can find something for everyone. There are shops selling handmade chocolates, purses made of recycled material, jewelry, hats, leather goods and even personalized ornaments. With at least a hundred shops to choose from you can make a day out of window shopping. Even if you do not feel like buying anything they have delicious food stands selling everything from artisan cupcakes to hot mulled apple cider, complete with a cinnamon stick! You can then take your snacks and head over to the ice skating rink within the park. While you enjoy your snacks you can watch the skaters of various levels try their hand at the rink. You can watch as a parent teaches their child to skate or as couples skate by hand in hand. After you finish your snacks you can even head on over to the ice skating line and try your own luck on the rink.

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Ice Skating in the Park

My favorite New York winter memory is ice skating in Wollman’s Rink in Central Park when it was an affordable place for families to take their children.  In the 1960’s, if you were able to be there before 8 AM on Sunday, admission was free and after 8 AM admission was ten cents.  Almost every Sunday during the winter when the skating rink was open my mother and I rode the bus to Fifth Avenue and walked through the park to the rink.  It was always so quiet – this was a time when all of the stores were closed on Sundays so the streets were deserted – the only people that you saw were also going to the park. Many times my mother didn’t want to spend the extra ten cents because she didn’t skate so she’d sit outside and watch me.  Many of my classmates lived very close to the park so there were always some people there that I knew but it was never crowded.  There was also a small cafeteria inside and they had the best cocoa! There was also a pond in Central Park alongside the path to get to the skating rink.  When it froze over there was a sign that skating was permitted but for most of us city kids it was too dangerous to consider.
These days Wollman’s Rink is much higher priced but now there is a free rink at Bryant Park behind the Public Library which lets everyone experience ice skating in New York City – but that wonderful feeling of quiet and solitude isn’t there the way that it was.

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