It’s January, that time of year when it seems like spring’s first blossom may never arrive. Yes, you’re tired of putting on cumbersome foul weather gear to navigate slushy streets. It’s been a long and frigid season and it’s not over yet. What’s a New Yorker to do?
Take our advice, look winter straight in the eye and get out and enjoy yourself. Here are five easy ways to beat the winter blues.
Ice Skate at Rockefeller Center
New York City is flush with fine ice skating rinks, but the quintessential Big Apple glide is on The Rink at Rock Center. It’s been a New York City tradition for 80 years and is still going strong. It’s open every day from 8:30 am – midnight, through mid-April.
If you’re down for a splurge with a view, book a post-skate table at the popular Sea Grill overlooking the rink. Watch the icy action while you dine on Chef Andy Bennett’s delectable cuisine.
How to get to Rockefeller Center:
- Take the B, D, F and M to the 47th-50th Streets Rockefeller Center stop.
Shuffleboard in Brooklyn
If you thought shuffleboard was the exclusive domain of senior citizens at your nana’s condo in Boca, Royal Palms is a game changer. Perhaps you’re not familiar with this cruise ship and retirement home favorite game? Players use cue sticks to push colored disks down a shiny wooden floor. The goal is to place the disks in a marked scoring area at the far end of the court. You’ll get a quick lesson from a pro, so newbies are welcome.
Ten indoor shuffleboard courts and two full bars, plus DJs and food trucks, make this place a bona fide hipster heaven.
Get here: Take the R train to Union Street.
Smell the Roses
Winter is particularly peaceful at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, with plenty of room to roam. If you’ve been coughing and sneezing all winter, Wild Medicine In The Tropics explores the medicinal plants used for health and wellness.
Get here: B, D or 4 train to Bedford Park Blvd. Station. Walk eight blocks down the hill on Bedford Park Blvd. to the Mosholu Gate entrance. An alternative is Metro-North to Botanical Garden Station.
Climb a Rock Wall
Brooklyn Boulders is playground for the rock climbing community. It is the place to try your hand at climbing. Intro to Climbing is the class for first timers while Learn the Ropes is best suited to first time visitors with some climbing experience. Classes include gear rental and expert instruction. Plus, you can even hang out with your laptop.
Get here: Take the R train to Union Street for their Gowanus location or the F, E, N, and 7 to Long Island City for their Queensbridge location.
Blow it out
A haircut is a dramatic a change but a temporary new hairstyle might be just the mood-booster winter requires. Head to one of Drybar’s scores of locations and luxuriate as one of their talented stylists blow-dries your luscious locks. You’ll be pampered all the way, starting with a glass of bubbly down to a scalp massage. With locations all around town, you’re never far from perfect hair.
If after exploring all these fun places, you find yourself drawn to the vibrant energy and endless opportunities of New York City, it may be worth considering long-term residency. Living in NYC offers unparalleled access to world-class cultural events, diverse culinary experiences, and a dynamic professional landscape. However, it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons carefully before making such a significant decision.
Consider factors such as the cost of living, housing affordability (check out Nestfully for more details), and quality of life amenities. While NYC offers unparalleled excitement and career prospects, it also comes with a higher cost of living compared to other cities. Additionally, the fast-paced lifestyle and crowded streets may not suit everyone’s preferences. Ultimately, whether you choose to make NYC your long-term home or continue exploring other destinations, trust your instincts and prioritize your happiness and fulfillment above all else.
Featured image courtesy of NYBG
Additional images: Patina Restaurant Group, Royal Palms, NYBG photo, Brooklyn Boulders and Drybar
Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributes travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She is fluent in Italian and Spanish and laughably adequate in French. Her background as an Early Childhood Educator gives her an added understanding of what it takes to travel with kids in tow. She firmly believes that the most important part of education takes place outside of the classroom, on the road, around the world. She never misses a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. Follow Allison at @gourmetrav.
Sarah Knapp is a Brooklyn based entrepreneur whose love for the outdoors and community building led her to the October 2013 creation of OutdoorFest. She has a BA in History, is a Wilderness First Responder and a NY state hiking, camp and boating guide. Her proudest achievement to date is reading the Aeneid in Latin. 
Allison was one of our first top writers and Chief Editor but is no longer working with offMetro. Allison is a native New Yorker, who has lived in Rome, Tuscany, Melbourne, Toronto and Los Angeles. She frequently contributed travel pieces to Family Travel Forum, using her own children as guinea pigs as they travel the globe. She never missed a chance to sample local delicacies, as her love for travel goes hand-in-hand with her love for food and wine. 
Josh Laskin is a freelance travel writer and photographer based in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. When he is not at work or on the road, you can find him in the mountains snowboarding, climbing, hiking, fly fishing, mountain biking, and eating bagel bites.
Annie is a travel writer, environmentalist, and surfer based in Venice, CA. She heads up our West Coast team, keeps our grammatical errors in check, and makes sure our California writers always have a plan for their next adventure. Follow Annie’s travels @annelisemcb.
Carly Pifer is a freelance writer who has been known to follow whims inspired by romantic movie scenes or colorful street style shots to India, Japan, Tunisia and Argentina. After stints living in Seoul, Boston, Paris and Los Angeles, writing and searching for something intangible, she landed somewhat steadily in Brooklyn and has begun to find inspiration in her more immediate surroundings. 
Kate E. O’Hara is a New York based freelance writer and photographer who loves all things food—especially the people who make it and market it. Her writing aims to capture the essence of the food experience; the stories that go well beyond a plate of ingredients. In addition to her love of food, Kate is also known to have a hankering for red wine and craft beer. You can also find Kate on Instagram