Let it snow! I want to have fun in NYC before it all turns brown and melts.
December 20, 2008 8:45 AM Subscribe
What are some great things to see or do in NYC when it snows?
Which things or places in the city are elevated to a new level of awesomeness, funness, beautifulness, or unusualness when covered with a blanket of snow?
Which things or places in the city are elevated to a new level of awesomeness, funness, beautifulness, or unusualness when covered with a blanket of snow?
The lights festooning Tavern on the Green in Central Park.
posted by Joe Beese at 9:00 AM on December 20, 2008
posted by Joe Beese at 9:00 AM on December 20, 2008
I liked the literary walk in Central Park. Actually, just walking through Central Park in the snow was amazing. I love snow and do not mind getting a bit cold, so YMMV.
posted by schyler523 at 9:01 AM on December 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by schyler523 at 9:01 AM on December 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks, TPS. The sledding in Riverside Park is 4 blocks from my home. I'm off like a prom dress!
posted by HotPatatta at 9:12 AM on December 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by HotPatatta at 9:12 AM on December 20, 2008 [1 favorite]
NYC snow story:
I grew up on East 10th Street and University Place, so... way downtown, NYC. The Christmas I was 16 and my sister was 5, I was a miserable, love-struck insomniac teenager who never slept, and spent most of my Christmas vacation playing Super Mario Brothers until 4 or 5 in the morning and crying a lot.
On Christmas Eve, it started to snow - that thick, blinding, fluffy snow you know is going to mean snow plows and banked in cars and frozen mountains over garbage bags the next day. I woke my sleepy, bewildered sister up at 4 am, bundled her into a snow suit, got her boots on the right feet and carried her out of our apartment as quietly as possible.
We walked down the street through the falling snow in a silent, beautiful, magical winter wonderland of a city. There wasn't a soul on the streets; ours were the only footprints and we might as well have been the only people in the city. At 7th Street, we turned into the gated pedestrian mews that runs to 5th Avenue, walked carefully down the edges, and in the middle of the street, I helped my sister lay down and taught her to make snow angels.
Twenty years later, she still remembers this night, and it is one of her favourite childhood memories. And twenty years later, although I live thousands of miles away now, it is one of my favourite NYC memories.
So: get up in the middle of the night. Go anywhere. Make snow angels.
posted by DarlingBri at 9:30 AM on December 20, 2008 [23 favorites]
I grew up on East 10th Street and University Place, so... way downtown, NYC. The Christmas I was 16 and my sister was 5, I was a miserable, love-struck insomniac teenager who never slept, and spent most of my Christmas vacation playing Super Mario Brothers until 4 or 5 in the morning and crying a lot.
On Christmas Eve, it started to snow - that thick, blinding, fluffy snow you know is going to mean snow plows and banked in cars and frozen mountains over garbage bags the next day. I woke my sleepy, bewildered sister up at 4 am, bundled her into a snow suit, got her boots on the right feet and carried her out of our apartment as quietly as possible.
We walked down the street through the falling snow in a silent, beautiful, magical winter wonderland of a city. There wasn't a soul on the streets; ours were the only footprints and we might as well have been the only people in the city. At 7th Street, we turned into the gated pedestrian mews that runs to 5th Avenue, walked carefully down the edges, and in the middle of the street, I helped my sister lay down and taught her to make snow angels.
Twenty years later, she still remembers this night, and it is one of her favourite childhood memories. And twenty years later, although I live thousands of miles away now, it is one of my favourite NYC memories.
So: get up in the middle of the night. Go anywhere. Make snow angels.
posted by DarlingBri at 9:30 AM on December 20, 2008 [23 favorites]
I haven't done this, but I always thought it would be fun to do, maybe with the Improv Everywhere guys or as a MeFi Meetup or something. Next time I'm in the city for a really big snow storm - I missed this one :(, I want to get a bunch of people together with snow shovels, and go clean up some high-traffic area right after a big dump of snow. Something like the steps at St. Patrick's, or maybe the Plaza in front of the Apple store, or the central promenade in CP. Just pick an area where nobody's going to give us any hassle, completely shovel it clean, and then use all the big snow piles to make hundreds of snowmen, like frozen people walking around the area, sitting on benches or steps, congregating around a subway map, browsing a newspaper stand, etc.. All I need to find is 50 or so people as crazy as I am...with that, I could take over the world.
posted by allkindsoftime at 9:51 AM on December 20, 2008 [4 favorites]
posted by allkindsoftime at 9:51 AM on December 20, 2008 [4 favorites]
Pretty much anywhere in NYC is awesome when it snows -- the whole city is transformed from stinky, grubby and noisy to magically white and hushed. The secret is you have to get outside immediately, while the snow is fresh, while it is still falling, before it turns stinky and grubby too.
That said, I especially love snowshoeing in Riverside Park!
posted by footnote at 10:35 AM on December 20, 2008
That said, I especially love snowshoeing in Riverside Park!
posted by footnote at 10:35 AM on December 20, 2008
I agree with the walking around idea. Take advantage of the weather while its still beautiful.
posted by cazoo at 11:16 AM on December 20, 2008
posted by cazoo at 11:16 AM on December 20, 2008
Response by poster: But walk around where? Is there an especially winter wonderlandy-looking part of the city?
posted by HotPatatta at 11:34 AM on December 20, 2008
posted by HotPatatta at 11:34 AM on December 20, 2008
The West Village looks like something out of Dickens cloaked in snow. (Some folks I know went carolling there the other night.) The park is great. Check out these flickr tags for some picturesque places.
More snow coming Sunday!
posted by CunningLinguist at 12:47 PM on December 20, 2008
More snow coming Sunday!
posted by CunningLinguist at 12:47 PM on December 20, 2008
fresh snow? still falling perhaps? you want to get high above the city and enjoy looking down on all that white goodness. outside being a giant preference. I'd suggest 30 rockefeller plaza.
posted by krautland at 1:24 PM on December 20, 2008
posted by krautland at 1:24 PM on December 20, 2008
In my last place, I lived with two guys that worked out of the apartment and rarely had to leave. Coming home from work, I was a fan of making a snowball right before I came in and hitting one of my roommates. it was never huge, it was never out of spite, it was never done when they were around electronics or papers that could be messed up by water. This was just to poke at them a little and say "Hey! Let's get out of the apartment, go outside and have a snow fight!" After, we'd have hot cocoa.
posted by piratebowling at 2:03 PM on December 20, 2008
posted by piratebowling at 2:03 PM on December 20, 2008
I love going to the greenhouses at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden in the snow, especially the steamy hot aquatic garden. Breathe in the warm humid air and planty smells and watch the flakes falling outside. I'm sure the greenhouses at the NY Botanical Garden and Wave Hill are nice in the snow too.
posted by moonmilk at 3:43 PM on December 20, 2008
posted by moonmilk at 3:43 PM on December 20, 2008
Anywhere you can view a park from somewhat above street level is great. I'm lucky—though my "office" is a hallway, it's a hallway with huge windows overlooking Madison Square Park, and the view was absolutely gorgeous and fascinating earlier this week.
posted by ocherdraco at 9:23 PM on December 20, 2008
posted by ocherdraco at 9:23 PM on December 20, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:55 AM on December 20, 2008 [3 favorites]