If you didn't hear, neither Punxsutawney Phil nor Staten Island Chuck saw their shadows on Groundhog Day.
What did that mean for us here in New York City? Well, in a word, it meant that winter would be ending early this year. It meant that winter would be ending on March 19th.
Which means we've all basically got a month to enjoy all the winter splendor NYC has to offer.
Yes, it's true. All the Christmas trees have been thrown away, all the lights have been wrapped up and put in storage for another year, and basically everyone already broke their New Year's resolutions.
Still, there are some really lovely things about winter that extend into February, and this is your pleasant reminder that you need to appreciate them, until we have to wait another year to experience the delights of winter.
No, we're not talking about seasonal depression. Seasonal depression is the worst. There are some good things about winter, though. Read on to find out what they are.
And then get moving. There isn't a lot of time left. (Thankfully, right?)
1. Ice Skating
lip.stick.jungle Enjoy the sunny and not very cold weather this afternoon at @centralpark. The ice skating rink is not as crowded as it was during the holidays. Definitely you are going to have a great time! It's located on south #CentralPark. ⛸⛸⛸ .................. Aproveite o ótimo tempo para patinar no gelo no Central Park! As filas estão bem menores do que na época do Natal. Será diversão garantida! ⛸⛸⛸ #iceskating #winter #wintersport #nyc #newyork #outdoors #placestovisit #tourist #f4f #followforfollow #lovewinter #wintertime #iceskatingnyc
Ice skating: it's a classic winter activity. You strap on a sharpened pair of skates, and you glide around some glistening ice, maybe hand-in-hand with a Tinder date, maybe trailing some of your good pals.
Your chances to get this done this winter are weaning. We mean, you could always ice skate indoors at Chelsea Piers or City Ice Pavilion, but your chances to skate outdoors are quickly winding down.
[anad]
The ice rink at the LeFrak Center at Prospect Park closes on March 27th, at which point it becomes a roller skating haven. Roller skating is definitely not a winter activity.
Skating at the rink at Bryant Park ends on March 6th, and skating at the rink at Rockefeller Center closes on April 10th. So, yeah, get on it before you miss out.
2. Sledding
Now, of course, this is weather dependent. If you missed the chance to flop yourself onto a piece of plastic and go hurtling down one of NYC's hills during infamous Storm Jonas, we really hope for your sake we see another snowstorm this season.
We think odds are pretty good it'll snow again, so if it does, you need to be poised to pounce on this chance.
Get yourself to one of NYC's best sledding hills. We're talking Inwood Hill Park, Morningside Park, Prospect Park, or Fort Greene Park. All those parks feature a classic example of an excellent sledding hill.
If you don't have your own personal sled and you don't feel like buying one, then make sure you get out to an NYC Parks Snow Day next time it snows.
They take place at these locations, and NYC provides sleds, snowman building contests, snow angel contests, snowball fights, music, and complimentary hot chocolate. They're pretty great.
3. Skiing day trip
emilyhopeturner it's my birthday week + I'm so excited I could jump!! that's right, I start a new decade this Thursday 👊🏻 my 20s were a time of self discovery - taking risks, facing my fears, trying new things, honing my skills, making mistakes + growing from them, nurturing old friendships + making new ones, setting goals + crushing them, seeing the world + exploring new places, becoming an aunt + growing as a daughter, learning to surf, snowboard, zip line, waterfall repel, skydive, ride an indoor bike, run 3 marathons, find my soulmate + so much more. can't wait to see what this new decade brings! come ride w me @soulcycle this wk to celebrate!!! we will kick it all off w the roosters on Thursday! 🚲💛🚲💛 #dirtythirty #SoulCycle #MondayAtATime #huntermountain @soulfounders #clickatnoon #thisweekatsoulcycle
Even if you haven't skied since middle school, you could still use a nice break from the city, right? It'd still make sense for you to hop on a bus and skip town and get yourself to some wonderful nature, fresh air, trees and snow covered mountains, wouldn't it?
Even better would be for you to do this with a few of your really close pals. The best case scenario of all?
[anad2]
How about getting complimentary transportation to and from Hunter Mountain? Luckily, Sourced Adventures are hosting these trips every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, from this weekend until March 20th.
So if you want to spend an entire day with an all-area ticket to ski lifts, a paid-for ski or snowboard rental, hot drinks and round-trip transportation to and from the city, check it out here. Do it before it's too late.
,4. Drink all of the hot chocolate you can
foodydiy Good morning loves! This cold Valentine's Day calls for some yummy hot chocolate with floating marshmallow hearts! ☕️💕 #happyvalentinesday 🔖Source: @marthastewart ❤️TAG someone who would love this!
Okay, yeah, you can definitely drink hot chocolate once it's not winter. Sure, we understand that.
However, when it's lovely outside, when it's spring and the birds are chirping and you're wearing a t-shirt and capris, do you really feel like pouring scalding hot chocolate down your throat?
[anad]
No, you don't. We know there are a lot of things about winter that are a bummer, but shivering while walking down the street and warming yourself up from the inside out with a nice, piping, steaming cup of hot chocolate is not one of them.
In fact, cheering yourself up in the winter with a hot cup of hot chocolate is a delight, and you need to do it before it's too late. Get a cup from La Maison Du Chocolat, Roni-Sue's Chocolates, and Bibble & Sip stat.
5. Eat all the winter comfort foods you could
Again; we know this is strictly speaking, possible during summer and spring. However, you don't need the comfort of winter comfort food during summer and spring.
Seasonal depression is a real thing, and the instant cheer you can derive from a hot, gooey grilled cheese sandwich from Beecher's or trip chili from The Brooklyn Star is something that can only happen when it's subzero degrees outside.
Plus, once the hot months swing around, you actually have to worry about how you'll look in bathing suits and revealing summer clothes.
6. Stay inside. All. Day. Long.
Staying inside all day long can be tough. You can start to feel anxious and bummed.
However, staying inside all day long, completely guilt free, is a solely winter phenomenon. In the summer and spring, there's incalculable pressure to get outside.
[anad2]
There are countless parks that are lovely to hang out in, there are countless free concerts, activities, street fairs, and friends hanging out at outdoor bars.
In the winter? Everyone's pretty much hibernating until April. Everyone's pretty much hiding under sweatpants and blankets until the chill passes.
So if you were planning to spend a whole weekend inside wearing pajamas and binge watching television, you've got about a month and a half left for it to be socially acceptable.
Check out 7 Fantastic Indoor Things to Cross Off Your NYC Bucket List.