As the winter chill sets in, New York City transforms into a cozy haven, with plenty of ways to warm up and relax besides your couch.
From rooftop saunas to sipping soup, check out these hidden wonders of winter as this city offers a perfect blend of comfort and charm.
Whether you’re looking for something to eat or something to do to escape the cold, these are the best cozy options in NYC to make the most of the weather this winter.
warm up with fitness
Governors Island’s expansive Italian day spa QC NY is expanding with a new, multi-floor 15,000-square-foot expansion. building 111 It will feature several relaxation rooms, including waterfalls and an ice room, which will make the sauna and pool feel even warmer.
Just a quick ferry, car or train ride from Manhattan, The Rockaway Hotel Have transformed your outdoor pool area into a cozy winter pool house, complete with outdoor cedar barrel sauna, plush robes and cute blankets to wrap yourself in while lounging. The outdoor pool provides the perfect refreshing experience between sauna sessions and highdose, express spa services. Hotel guests have full access to the Winter Pool House, which includes day passes and special pricing for spa guests.
For those who want something hidden away but don’t want to leave Manhattan, head to Soho LibitumWellness Speakeasy. Starting November 18, guests can enter the space for a 60-minute vibroacoustic meditation. Lie on the Opus Soundbed with beats, guided breathwork and a custom scent blend designed to calm the senses, enhance focus and reconnect with your inner peace.
QC NY: 112 Andy’s Road, Governors Island, qcny.com
The Rockaway Hotel: 108-10 Rockaway Beach Dr., Rockaway Park, therockawayhotel.com
Libitum:424 Broadway, Soho, libitm.com
Be ready for things to be done
happy medium — an art café in Chinatown — has announced three new classes to beat the winter blues this month: Picture Day (a self-portraiture workshop), Build-a-Lamp, and a lesson on one of the team’s favorite Fauvist painters A new painting class inspired by.
Bryant Park Winter Village Curling Café Offering its first ice-free curling experience. The lanes opened on Nov. 13 and will remain open through the holiday season. Reservations at the Curling Café include 90 minutes with one lane and a heated bubble igloo tent where you can cheer on your team with food and drinks.
sail around Statue and Skyline Holidays Coco Cruise Flights begin from Chelsea Piers from 16 November. The festive, climate-controlled boat cruise along the Hudson River and New York Harbor is replete with holiday decorations and comfortable seating, where you can enjoy hot chocolate and the world’s most famous skyline.
happy medium:49 Market Street, Chinatown, happy-medium.co
Bryant Park Winter Village Curling Café: 42nd Street and 6th Avenue, bryantpark.org
Statue and Skyline Holidays Coco Cruise: Chelsea Piers, Pier 62 at West 22nd Street, cell-nyc.com
hug and sip
dead rabbit — previously named one of the World’s Best Bars — will take over Pier 17 in the harbor from November 21 through mid-January to serve custom cocktails like the Gingerbread Man: Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Teeling Small Batch Irish Whiskey, Gingerbread Spice , Lyles Golden Syrup. Drinks will be served at The Cottage next to the ice-skating rink, which offers panoramic views of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan skyline.
Ophelia opened its iconic snow globe in the sky for the holiday season on November 11th. The rooftop bar has been transformed into a dazzling ice globe 26 floors above NYC, dripping with crystals and glittering ice cubes, giving revelers a cool cocktail experience. Guests can turn up the heat when they order the “Champagne Experience” or the Amaretti Crostata: Lustau Gran Reserve Brandy, Amontillado Sherry, Caffo Amaretto, Worth Park 109 Rum, Brucato Orchards Amaro, Macadamia Orgeat, lemon, apricot, Tonka and Egg white.
Want the luxury of Eleven Madison Park without the hassle of difficult reservations? come in and sit at the banquet Clemente BarIntimate wooden cocktail bar on the second floor of the Michelin-starred vegetarian restaurant. Sip on the Whipped Doctor’s Order: Ten to One Dark Rum, peated Scotch, fermented carrots and osmanthus or the Cozy Café: Havana Club Aged Rum, raspberry eau de vie, coffee and cozy cream as you take in the art story from Francesco. Clemente.
dead rabbit: 30 Water St, thedeadrabbit.com
Ophelia: 3 Mitchell Place, 26th Floor, opheliany.com
Clemente Bar: 11 Madison Avenue, clementebar.com
Get your craving for comfort
The heat of chef Russell Marcus’s Hot Soup pop-up soup counters has boiled over into a two-month takeover of the old Scar’s Pizza location in the Lower East Side, which began with a long line wrapping around the block on November 2. Marcus Pizza partnered with Reed Webster of pop-up Bad Larry’s, who has switched to sandwiches. The pair is now offering the perfect $20 soup and sandwich combo with weekly menu changes Hot Soup and Bad Larry’s Sandwiches,
wildair has launched a Donut Farewell Tour to allow customers to enjoy every last delicious and unique bite of its fan-favorite donuts – like the Concord Grape Cheesecake Glazed Donuts, pictured above. The restaurant will serve a new flavor every Saturday until December 14 and each weekend will be hosted by a former colleague or popular fanatic.
Taste the best new ramen in America outside NYC Utah Ramen In the Long Island village of Mineola. The spot opened last summer and quickly gained a loyal following, many of whom particularly enjoy the house-made pork broth that’s braised for up to 16 hours.
Hot Soup and Bad Larry’s Sandwiches:22 Orchard Street, soupandsandwich.nyc
WildAir Donut Farewell Tour: 142 Orchard St., wildair.nyc
Utah Ramen:58 Old Country Road, Mineola, youtramen.com
