LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY: Ultimate Winter Travel Guide

No matter how many times you have been to New York, the city can always overwhelm you with the crazy amount of things to experience. But what is there to do in New York City during the winter? My name is Eric Conover and in this video I'm going to share with you my comprehensive expert list of the top things to do when living or visiting in New York City during those long cold winter months. Number one on my list is visit the Rockefeller Tree. The Rockefeller Tree is a holiday beacon for New Yorkers and the 750,000 daily visitors expected. The first tree was put up in the 1930s during the Depression-era construction of Rockefeller Center when workers decorated a small 20-foot-tall fir tree. This year's tree is a towering 72-foot-tall Norway spruce from the town of Wallkill, New York. The tree is lit either during the first week of December or the last week of November and stays up until January 7th. And when the tree is taken down, the lumber is donated to Habitat for Humanity. Now the best times to visit the tree are super early in the morning or very, very late at night as it's the most visited spot in New York during the holiday season. The Rockefeller Tree is definitely something that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. Next on my list, right across from Rockefeller Center, is the Saks Fifth Ave Light Show. The tradition started in 2004 and has continued now for over two decades. The theme this year is the Theater of Dreams and it was worked on for about 10 months leading The light show made my list mainly because it's right across from the tree. Although it's not a personal favorite of mine, it's for sure a must-see if it's your first time in New York City during the holiday season. Number three on my list is ice skating. Now there are three main rinks to skate on during the winter season. The most iconic is the Wollman Rink in Central Park. The rink was opened in 1949 and it's been a fixture in New York City culture ever since. Yeah, hands down the best thing to do in New York City in the winter. Go to Central Park, go ice skating, there's nothing better than this. Pricing and operating hours vary, so make sure to pause right now and screenshot this next clip. The second is the rink at Rockefeller Center. Skating here is on a first-come, first-served basis, which means that some days you might have to wait a very long time. And during peak holiday hours, it costs $33 to enter and $8 to rent skates. And my personal favorite rink is the Winter Village at Bryant Park. This is the only free ice skating rink in the entire city, but it's not technically free. Skate rentals will cost you $20, large bag check $15, and $10 for a locker. The Winter Village is open 8 a.m. through 10 p.m. daily through March 30. It's just about 8 o'clock in the morning, and my number one tip for Bryant Park, get here early. If you come here around 4, 5 o'clock in the evening, this place is packed. You won't even be able to see the ice. But right now, you've got the place to yourself, lots of people enjoying the beautiful New York weather. If you can't make it there that early, and you don't mind the crowds, there is nothing like going for a skate surrounded by the towering buildings of Midtown Manhattan. After a few hours of ice skating out in the cold, warm up with some world-famous hot chocolate at the next spot on my list, the City Bakery. Hey, can I have a hot chocolate, please, and a marshmallow? To stay or to go home? To stay, please. With a combined 141 years of baking experience, City Bakery is my go-to spot during the winter. The hot chocolate is an exquisitely rich treat crafted from an assortment of dark chocolate bars and dairy from farms mostly located in upstate New York, topped off with a gigantic homemade marshmallow. Here we have the world-famous hot chocolate from the City Bakery. You can't even really call this hot chocolate. It's more like a chocolate soup. You dip in the pretzel croissant into the hot chocolate and enjoy. You get the salt from the pretzel croissant. You get the notes of the cocoa. Of course, the homemade marshmallow, which is kind of hard to break apart. You need like a fork to really get into this thing. The best way to warm up in the city on a cold day. Now if you're really trying to go all out with the holiday spirit, head to the next spot on my list, Rolf's Christmas Bar. It's a snug German restaurant and bar with an old-world vibe, and it's known around the world for its elaborate holiday decorations. But don't be surprised to see a line down the block. Busy is an understatement. Just to show you how packed this place actually gets, I'm going to try to walk back through the bar. So making my way back to the decorations, excuse me. Rolf's was so packed that we headed down the street to Patty McGuire's Ale House. The drinks at Rolf's for a beer, $18. Here $9, half off. You still get that good New York City Christmas vibe without the crazy amounts of tourists. My pro tip, go to Rolf's, check it out, look at all the decorations, then leave, go to Patty McGuire's Ale House, and actually kick back, relax, have a few drinks with friends, and truly enjoy that New York City holiday feeling. Another alternative to keeping warm during the long, cold winter months is with some of the best ramen that New York City has to offer. We are now at Jun Min Ramen, right in the heart of Chelsea. And the reason why I love this place, especially during the winter, is the fact that it's so cozy. It's basically a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that just happens to have world-class ramen. It is the perfect bar to get all nice and cozy and watch the snowfall outside on the streets. Or if you're feeling adventurous, the best way to enjoy New York City during the cold winter months is to fully embrace it and explore the city during a snowstorm. On average, New York City gets around three feet of snowfall per winter season. There's really nothing quite like that first snowfall in the city. The snow itself sort of acts to absorb most of the sound, and the city can become completely silent. Hold your breath. Make a wish. This is the magic hour in New York City during a snowstorm. City's pretty much shut down. Once it starts getting dark, people come out, people start drinking, they go out in the snow, everyone's happy, they become kids again. It just transforms the city, and it makes for a very, very unique experience. If you found this video valuable, consider subscribing to my YouTube channel for more high-quality New York City content. And with that, I will see you in the next video.