Give Winter the Cold Shoulder This Year: A Brief Guide to Weathering Boredom in NYC
BY STANCY SAJI
Got a bout of cabin fever? Have no fear, Gothamites! Pandora’s Box has got you covered with a list of activities for a night out on the town or weekend trip of fun.
Lace up your ice-skates and venture out into our top picks for ice-skating rinks in your neighborhood!
The World Ice Area at Flushing Meadows Corona Park is the most popular rink in Queens during the winter. If you can’t manage to make it out to Flushing, check out the Lakeside LeFrak Center at Prospect Park or the Abe Stark Rink at Coney Island Beach and Boardwalk in Coney Island. Happen to be in the mood for a trek to the city? Don’t forget to check out the ice rinks there! The annual The Rink at Bryant Park offers free admission, but charges if you don’t BYOS (bring your own skates). Central Park is home to a couple of rinks, too: The Wollman Rink and Lasker Rink. Admission varies for both locations, so make sure to bring at least $12 dollars for admission and a few dollars to spare if you would rather rent skates.
Perhaps you would rather stay warm and toasty indoors and indulge in some cultural events. Then, make your way over to the Queens Museum in Flushing for its world-renowned panorama of New York City which was created in celebration of the greatest city in the world for the 1964 World’s Fair. Replete with miniature replicas of the 895,000 buildings that make up New York City’s skyline in 9,335 square footage, the spread can get a bit dizzying. Certainly the museum’s crowning achievement, it is not all the museum has to offer. Visit the museum’s website for more information on ongoing exhibits, and best of all, the museum is free to college students with a valid ID.
Looking to recover from a taxing semester of school? Well, look no further than the New York City Ballet. Opening November 27th, George Balanchine’s masterfully choreographed The Nutcracker will be a treat for anyone looking to unwind or inspiration. Prices fall into a wide range and the best bet would be either visiting nycballet.com or giving a call at 212-496-0600.
The yearly Winter Village at Bryant Park is always a hit, as well. Outfitted beautifully with twinkling lights, 125 holiday pop-up shops, a tree-lighting, and the previously mentioned ice-skating rink, the Winter Village is a seemingly magical place to bring your date or friends on a dime.
Watch the balloons of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade come to life on Thanksgiving Eve, in a special pre-parade balloon inflation event in the streets surrounding the Museum of Natural History. To beat the swell of people who will be there, anticipate arriving before 3pm and bring snacks if you plan on staying until 10pm.
Can’t make it to the pre-show? That’s okay. You can see the balloons, floats, cheerleaders, celebs, and marching bands in all their glory the day after! The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is one of the City’s greatest spectacles. If you happen to have visitors over, it would only be right to have them practice hallowed NYC tradition.
Cranksgiving, the City’s annual charity bike ride to feed the homeless will be entering its sixteenth year. Marketed as “Part bike ride, part food drive, and part scavenger hunt”, Cranksgiving is a way to give back to the community and have fun doing it. Visit cranksgiving.org for more details.
So, there you have it: a student’s compact manual to navigating the New York this winter! If you’d like to add to this list or have any comments, don’t hesitate to send an e-mail over to S.saji@yorkpbnews.net
