The best things to do outside this winter in NYC

Now through mid-January 2022, you'll have ten additional reasons to visit the Meatpacking District as a series of new interesting light installations have taken over the neighborhood. From enormous, lit-up snowmen to colorful, abstract neon lights and planters filled with glowing dandelions, the "Lights on the Cobbles" installations are found all along Ninth Avenue between 14th Street and Gansevoort Street.  This is a first for the Meatpacking District and it is the work of Theresa Rivera Design, the same New York-based production and design studio that painted those famous murals in the area back at the start of the pandemic. Visitors will notice that the outdoor exhibits culminate at Gansevoort Plaza, where a colonnade is draped in freeform neon lights that bounce shapes off the reflective plexi tunnel surrounding a semicircle seating area. It's basically the ideal Instagram setup both in terms of location and lighting.

The Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park, open now through March 6, has a series of cozy igloos that are heated and overlook the park's iconic skating rink. Inside the clear and intimate structures, each one decorated with holiday cheer in mind, patrons can order delicious food and drinks to enjoy among friends or family (each igloo can accommodate up to eight guests). There's also a Curling Café with dedicated curling lanes where two teams of up to four people each can play some "street" (also known as iceless) curling for an hour-and-a-half. The lanes are accompanied by "a private, heated dome where teams can warm up and share seasonal drinks and bites between games."

What was once a wintertime novelty in New York has now become the new normal: Festive bubble tents, heated yurts, and cozy outdoor dining structures erected so that cold-braving locals can enjoy a warm-and-toasty, socially-distanced meal outside during the winter. And since it seems there's a new space bubble popping up every day in NYC, we've started a handy Google Doc that highlights all of the restaurants and bars that have private outdoor dining setups, from bungalows to greenhouses and everything in between

Governors Island, which recently announced that it will be open to the public year-round for the first time in its history, has opened its first-ever winter village with glittering lights, a 5,000-square-foot ice rink, sled rentals, warm drinks near fire pits and winter programming as well. The massive ice rink will be open Fridays, weekends and on New York City  public school holidays from noon to 5pm and Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 5pm, with extended hours available for youth, adult and nonprofit sports leagues and associations. There will be themed events as well as Free Admission Fridays! Sleds will be available to rent alongside bikes from Blazing Saddles NYC.

Wollman Rink, the renowned ice skating destination at the southern end of Central Park, is a totally different experience these days. There's now a side-rink cafe that serves, among other offerings, hot dogs (even vegan ones!), burgers, tacos, grilled cheese sandwiches and more. Now that it's no longer owned by Trump Organization, things have been updated and changed around, too!

With this in mind, it’s time to go ice-skating. NYC is chock-full of outdoor rinks where you can strap on the blades and hit the slick stuff. We’ve ranked the top places to go, so whether you want to skate at Rockefeller Center or NYC parks like Central Park, you certainly have a multitude of options.

Get cozy in one of Pier 17's 10x10 custom-built structures that can accommodate up to eight people with a virtual fireplace, banquette-style seating, heaters and, perhaps most excitingly, stunning views of the New York City skyline. It doesn't get much better than this. In terms of decor, the heated spaces remind of ski-related destinations. In fact, you'll notice a life-sized sculpture of a mountain range built on the stage space on premise alongside a whole lot of twinkling lights. Pier 17 has basically turned into the nearest mountain vacation to Manhattan.

The highs and lows of Gotham become so much more extreme—and fun—when it gets cold with the best sledding hills in NYC. You don’t need to go head upstate for hours of down-hill fun, just hit a few of the best NYC parks where the slopes are full of local snow-lovers. Just grab your toboggan, or make-shift sledding vessel, and find a spot across the five boroughs.

You can’t deny how inarguably beautiful NYC’s parks look once they’re covered in a blanket of pearly white snow. If you’re brave enough to brace the cold after the storm, we recommend taking a stroll through iconic attractions such as Central Park and Prospect Park, especially if you’re raring to go sledding.

The Orchid Show at The New York Botanical Garden will transport visitors into a dreamy kaleidoscope of colors with designs by floral designer Jeff Leatham this year. It runs starting February 26 and is mostly indoors, however, you will need to go between buildings to see the flowers.

Celebrate the year of the Ox by dining out and taking out from Chinatown’s best dim sum restaurants, checking off our gift list at the best shops in Chinatown, or donating directly to relief efforts, here’s how we’re showing love to Chinatown this season.