New York City in Winter – Its Lights Will Inspire

By Ramaa Reddy

New York City is a wonderland to visit in winter and can captivate visitors with its spellbinding attractions, sights, and sounds. Eternally an iconic city, it was born of grit, and its unique racial and cultural diversity has spawned a variety of restaurants, music talents, and distinctive establishments. Its fame and attractions have best been described in songs, like Frank Sinatra’s 1979 rendition of ‘New York New York’ where he crooned ‘It is a city that doesn’t sleep.’ Later, Alicia Keys sang in her ‘Empire State of Mind’ – ‘These streets will make you feel brand new, and the lights will inspire you.’ Keys song is regarded as an anthem to the city, and coincidentally, her life and music are currently being showcased on Broadway in the hit musical,  ‘Hell’s Kitchen.’

The city will inspire and is best enjoyed by walking and admiring its broad streets and architecturally diverse skyscrapers. Fortunately, it is blessed with many days of bright, glorious sunshine, so put on your walking shoes and explore some of the city’s best attractions.

Summit One Vanderbilt

NYC’s winter wonderland adventure begins by accessing a 73-story skyscraper in midtown Manhattan where one can touch the stars and enjoy a multi-sensory and immersive experience with a 360 view of New York City. At $43 a ticket, one can experience levitation by standing on two glass ledges suspended 1,100 feet above Madison Avenue and experiencing boundless space as you look upon 30,375 square feet of mirrors. Summit boasts of having the world’s largest external glass-bottomed elevator. After this joy ride, enjoy bespoke cocktails and bites at their Nordic café, Après.

Chelsea Market

Embrace winter at this beloved food market that hosts 40,500 square feet of food vendors in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District. Here, one can enjoy a variety of foods like artisanal cheeses, fresh produce, and imported Italian dry goods. The neighborhood has historically been food-centric, as demonstrated by the High Line, which intersects the market for, as history reports, in the 19^th century, trains from the High Line served wholesale butchers who lined the streets beneath the tracks. One of the best food merchants to experience is Los Tacos, where the Carne Asada, priced at $5.65, is a best seller. Another popular eatery is the Berlin Currywurst, where a choice of Brat, a style (classic or on a bun), and a side costs just $9. Entrance to the market is free, and customers are guaranteed a delightful gustatory experience.

Central Park

No visit to New York City can exclude Central Park – the crown jewel of New York City – and an 843-acre masterpiece of landscape architecture designed by Frederick Olmsted and Calvert Vaux in 1858. The park is breathtaking every season, especially in winter when snowflakes line branches and snowmen and children with toboggans are commonplace. Some favorite attractions include the Ramble for bird sightings, the Wollman Rink, Central Park Carousel, and the Central Park Zoo. Another not-to-miss attraction is the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Reservoir, which freezes up in winter and is popular with photographers.

Trinity Church

Experience Handel’s Messiah, a holiday music tradition at a centuries-old, neo-gothic masterpiece and national historic landmark – Trinity Church. The church is unique in that it has been around for 300 years, making it one of the city’s oldest and, interestingly, is the final resting place of Alexander Hamilton. The building is known for its incredible acoustics and remarkable stained-glass windows. Tickets for this popular holiday attraction need to be purchased in advance on their website.  The venue also showcases jazz icons at their free Sunday afternoon concert series, where greats like Ron Carter, Monty Alexander, and Gary Bartz have performed. After the concert, take a short walk for some libations and excellent bites at the Trinity Place Bar and Restaurant.

Enjoy Art Galleries In Chelsea, SoHo, and Tribeca

Get inspired and possibly buy some modern and eye-popping art while gallery-hopping downtown. The neighborhoods of art are constantly in flux, as more galleries move into Tribeca but many established galleries like the Gagosian, Pace, Gladstone, Paula Cooper, Matthew Marks, and David Zwirner still enjoy their exquisite spaces in Chelsea. The site GalleriesNow helps give one a preview of upcoming shows in Chelsea. If Chelsea is not your beat, you can do the walk in Tribeca, where you might see famous artists like Nick Cave, who was showcased this winter at Jack Shainman Gallery – a palazzo-style building that was refurbished into a gallery and is reminiscent of the gilded age with 30-foot ceilings and many marble Corinthian columns. Other notable galleries include 125 Newbury Gallery, the Drawing Center, Hauser and Wirth, and the Andrew Edlin Gallery.

Rooftop Bars And Restaurants

All the gallery visits will necessitate a happy hour experience of cocktails and sustenance from the cold. And where better to relax than at the Fleur Room, located on the 35^th floor of Moxy Chelsea, a fully enclosed rooftop with spectacular views of the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building? Enjoy $9 mini martinis on weekdays from 5 pm to 8 pm and bites like mini burgers and French fries.  Reservations are highly recommended. If your taste and budget are a bit more upscale, try Manhatta, an elegant dining experience located on the 60^th floor of 28 Liberty Street and offers a 360-view of New York City.

Jazz Warms The Night

A visit to the city should include music that originated within the African American and Latin diaspora and is an amalgamation of ragtime, blues, and African spiritual rhythmic beats mixed in with European harmony. Many jazz greats were born in Harlem and made their mark in the city. One notable Jazz club is the Django at the Roxy Hotel in Tribeca. This cozy subterranean club with exposed brick walls is open 7 days a week and features three performance sets every evening priced at $35 a ticket. If you don’t feel like splurging and want to enjoy jazz alongside conversation, head upstairs to the atrium of the Roxy Hotel, where free jazz can be enjoyed for the price of a cocktail. To enjoy jazz in its original habitat, head to the Shrine in Harlem, an eclectic venue that showcases jazz and world music.

Discover An 1894 Italian Pasticceria

Warm yourself from the biting cold at Venieros, a delightful and inexpensive pastry shop that has been around for centuries and is popular with college students. Located on 11^th Street in the East Village, Venieros offers brightly lit glass cases filled daily with assortments of popular Italian cakes, cookies, biscottis, sfogliatelles, and tarts. The choices can be daunting, but try a few with a cappuccino or even the popular corretto—a cup of expresso laced with Sambuca. The line upon entering is long, but there is a café with seating and service at the back.

New York City is a playground with so much to offer, and one is destined to return to soak in many of its other attractions, like its one-of-a-kind museums, walking tours, and to experience the beaches and ethnic foods from the boroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, and the Bronx.  The above suggestions will, as Keys sings, ‘excite and inspire’ many repeat visits.

 

Ramaa Reddy, a New York journalist who is a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism, works in a multimedia landscape that fuses print, audio, video and photography. Her previous stories for East-West News include a portrait of the ancient city of Petra and a profile of Mexico’s San Miguel de Allende.