The best things to do on New Year’s Day in NYC

This winter, you can relax in a private red cedar sauna or soak in a hot tub while enjoying stunning views of the New York City skyline. 

Winter Spa at The William Vale hotel in Brooklyn is now open through March 2023 offering a cozy, Scandinavian-inspired wellness experience.

It's time to lace up your skates—the best ice skating rinks in NYC are waiting for you. As one of the most beloved cities to spend the holidays in, NYC has plenty of indoor and outdoor rinks where you can glide and practice your toe jumps.

To help narrow down your options, we’ve ranked the top places to go, from the iconic Rink at Rockefeller Center or lower-key rinks at NYC parks like Central Park. You can even make a full-day out of it when you shop at one of the city’s best holiday markets, followed by sipping hot chocolate and skating on The Rink at the Bank of America Winter Village at Bryant Park

Since New Year's is a time of reflection, head to this really reflective experience. 

Summit One Vanderbilt sits atop the new 67-floor One Vanderbilt super-tall—a 1,401-foot-high—skyscraper. As the city's fourth-tallest building after One World Trade Center, Central Park Tower and 111 West 57th Street, it sits just west of Grand Central Terminal, where you first enter the experience underground.

After a trip through a mirrored hallway with its own immersive elements, visitors take an elevator up to the 91st floor, where they're 1,000 feet over the streets and sidewalks of NYC. Kenzo Digital has created a totally mirrored infinity room called "Air" that reflects the sky and city views over and over, making you feel like you're walking in the sky or on another plane of existence. Looking above you and below you in this two-story space, you see your reflection repeating forever.

Have New Year's brunch inside a trippy yurt garden at The Standard hotel in the East Village. Giant mushroom decorations, psychedelic Christmas trees and twinkling lights have taken over for a fun festive dining experience. 

Sure, the holidays may technically be "over," but the lights are still on to keep you in the holiday spirit. From museums to shopping centers to neighborhoods, New York really knows how to sparkle for the holidays.

Take your own NYC walking tour and stop by to see the lights at Saks, Radio City Music Hall, Central Park, the Plaza Hotel and more. Get ready to “ooh” and “ahh” at these landmarks and snap some photos of the most picturesque holiday light displays during the holiday season.