Places to see and things to do in the Big Apple.

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New York City fun needs no introduction and even during the coldest months of the year, there are plenty to do and see in the Big Apple. From ice skating to winter sightseeing cruises, here are eight things not to miss this season. 
COVID restrictions vary per venue; be sure to check what’s presently in effect before visiting. 
<h3>See the city from the Circle Line</h3>

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This sightseeing tour company is currently cruising daily with three excursions until March 18. The boats also have temperature-controlled indoor areas, an onboard cafe and free WiFi. The quickest tour is the 90-minute "Landmarks," that focuses on Manhattan sites from both the East and Hudson rivers — as well as the Statue of Liberty. The two-hour "Harbor Lights" cruise leaves at dusk on an aquatic prowl to see the city lights. The 2.5-hour "Best of NYC" cruise circles the island of Manhattan, a voyage that travels along the East, Hudson and Harlem rivers and under 20 bridges. Prices vary by date; tickets are available in advance. 
INFO Cruises leave from Pier 83: W. 42nd St. and 12th Ave., Manhattan; 212-563-3200, <a href="https://www.circleline.com/">circleline.com</a>. 
<h3>Bumper Cars on Ice at Bank of America Winter Village</h3>

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Another way to enjoy the season is by jumping into a one-seater bumper car. You’ll need to be over the age of 7 and at least 42 inches tall. The rides are 10 minutes in duration and run daily at set times (2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays), but if you happen to be nearby between Feb. 18 through 26, the hours expand into the morning and late at night (8 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. daily) before closing for the season on Feb. 27. Tickets are $20; $25 Saturdays and Sundays; tickets can be purchased in advance at <a href="https://bryantpark.org/?/amenities/bank-of-america-winter-village-at-bryant-park">wintervillage.org</a>. 
INFO 40th- 42nd Sts., Fifth-Sixth Aves.; 212-768-4242, <a href="https://bryantpark.org/programs/frostfest-bumper-cars">bryantpark.org</a>. 
<h3>The Polar Lounge at Harriet's Rooftop</h3>

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Check out this lounge with seating areas carved out of ice, serving drinks in glasses made from ice and ice sculptures, located on the tenth floor of 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, a luxury hotel with views of the bridge and the Manhattan skyline. The standing area is open to the general public until the end of February (5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays). Those who make reservations can also enter the indoor Harriet’s Lounge if they need to warm up. General admission: $25, VIP tables a minimum of $200. Reservations for general admission and tables must be made in advance. 
INFO 60 Furman St., Brooklyn; 347-696-2500, <a href="https://www.1hotels.com/brooklyn-bridge/polar-lounge-harriets-rooftop">1hotels.com</a>. 
<h3>Visit a zoo</h3>

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New York City has four zoos to visit: the Central Park Zoo in Manhattan (64th St. and 5th Ave.; 212-439-6500), the Queens Zoo (53-51 111th St., Flushing; 718-271-1500), the Prospect Park Zoo in Brooklyn (450 Flatbush Ave.; 718-399-7339) and the Bronx Zoo (2300 Southern Blvd.; 718-220-5100). There are all sorts of animals to see this season like king penguins, snow leopards, snow monkeys and you may even spot a snowy owl at one of the zoos. Timed admission tickets are $9.95, $6.95 ages 3-12 at the Queens and Prospect Park zoos, $19.95/ $14.95 in Central Park and $30.95/ $22.95 in the Bronx. 
INFO <a href="" https: www.wcs.org parks"">wcs.org</a>. 
<h3>Ice skating at Central Park</h3>

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Lace up and glide around Wollman Rink (at 59th St. and Sixth Ave.), where visitors can also check out the new clubhouse. Open until early April at 10 a.m. daily (until 2:30 p.m. Mondays-Tuesdays, 10 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays, 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 9 p.m. Sundays). People can also skate on the Conservatory Water pond (between E. 72nd-E. 75th Sts.) within Central Park for free when the conditions are right (when the ice is reliably 6 inches thick). Tickets are $14 Mondays through Thursdays, $23 Fridays though Sundays and holidays; $6 ages 11 and under (and for non-skating spectators) daily. Skates are $11 to rent; people must bring their own skates to Conservatory Water. 
INFO <a href="" https: www.centralpark.com things-to-do sports ice-skating "">centralpark.com</a>. 
<h3>City Skate pop up concerts</h3>

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The ice at Bryant Park is also serving as a stage for the last shows in a series of short performances held by the Ice Theatre of New York this winter, which focuses on the art of ice dancing. Each lunchtime five-minute pop-up happens at 12:40 p.m., with remaining dates in February each Tuesday and Thursday though Feb. 17, and all are free and open to the public. Keep an eye out during the last week of the program as 2020 Youth Olympics bronze medalist Aleksa Rakic is slated to appear. 
INFO 40th- 42nd Sts., Fifth-Sixth Aves.; 212-768-4242, <a href="https://www.icetheatre.org/pop-up-winter-performances.html">icetheatre.org</a>. 
<h2>Sledding on Governor’s Island</h2>

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If you’ve ever dreamed of sledding down a snowy hill while sights like the Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline are in view, you can make that happen while sliding down mounds on Governor's Island known as The Hills. All are encouraged to bring their own sleds, but the Blazing Saddles bike rental shop on the Island (19 Hay Rd.; 917-440-9094, <a href="https://www.blazingsaddles.com/new-york/bikes-and-rates/governors-island">blazingsaddles.com</a>) also has some on-hand. Sledding is weather-dependent so check for snow before you go. 
INFO <a href="https://www.govisland.com/things-to-do/recreation/sledding">govisland.com</a>; ferries leave from 10 South St., Slip 7, Manhattan. 
<h3>‘Bird’ and ‘wander’ the Green-Wood Cemetery</h3>

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A national historic landmark dating nearly 200 years, its nearly 480 acres of space is the final resting place for several celebrated historical figures. Visitors can join "Winter Wanders," 90-minute walking tours that take place around the grounds Sunday afternoons at 1 p.m. through March 13. Participants can take in the views while learning the meaning behind some of the images and symbols around the cemetery and hear stories about some of the permanent residents. Birds frequent the cemetery and on Sunday mornings you can take a "Birding in Peace" session (through March 6, with a final session on March 20) that takes place at either 6:45 or 7 a.m. Partakers may spot birds such as nuthatches, woodpeckers, sparrows, finches and waterfowl. Tickets are $20 and must be purchased in advance; check-ins take place at the meadow by the main entrance at Fifth Ave. and 25th St. 
INFO 500 25th St., Brooklyn; 718-210-3080, <a href="https://www.green-wood.com/calendar/">green-wood.com</a>.

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The city that never sleeps is back and ready to be explored! Many of New York City's most celebrated events, shows, parades and festivals are scheduled to resume following the shutdowns of 2020. Here are 10 of the biggest annual must-see events returning this year. 
<h3>NYC Restaurant Week</h3>

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Patrons can enjoy deals on meals at hundreds of eateries around the city, as well as special pre-fixe menus this summer. The 2021 Summer NYC Restaurant Week runs July 19 through Aug. 22. 
INFO Book tables starting July 12 at <a href="https://www.nycgo.com/restaurant-week">nycgo.com</a> 
<h3>Celebrate Brooklyn!</h3>

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The big bash in Park Slope returns to the Prospect Park Bandshell this summer. A free concert series kicking off July 31 with a lineup that includes Ari Lennox plus musicians Kamauu and Nesta. Other performers slated for the series include The Roots (Aug. 12) and DJ D-Nice (Sept. 2) before the closing show with Trombone Shorty (Sept. 18). 
INFO 141 Prospect Park West; 718-683-5600, <a href="http://bricartsmedia.org">bricartsmedia.org</a> 
<h3>U.S. Open Tennis Championships</h3>

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The tournament is slated to run Aug. 30 through Sept. 12, and while proof of vaccination won’t be required, all unvaccinated attendees are encouraged to wear masks at all times—and unlike years before, the qualifying portion (Aug. 24-27) will not be open to the public. Starting July 15, the public can purchase reserved and ground pass tickets. 
INFO USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center: Flushing Meadow Corona Park, Flushing (Queens); 800-990-8782, <a href="http://usopen.org">usopen.org</a> 
<h3>New York Fashion Week</h3>

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New York Fashion Week is returning to an in-person multi-venue, multi-day event (Sept. 8-12) where buyers, models, media groups, famous faces and the public culturally collide to check out the latest trends. 
INFO <a href="http://nyfw.com">nyfw.com</a> 
<h3>The Feast of San Gennaro</h3>

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This iconic street festival is returning to Little Italy between Sept. 16-26 and held in honor of the patron saint of Naples. Attendees can expect live entertainment and tons of food from which to choose. Attendance is free; food and other items will be available for purchase. 
INFO Mulberry Street (Manhattan) between Canal and Houston St., Hester Street between Baxter Centre Sts., Grand Street between Baxter St. and Centre Market Pl.; 212-764-6330, <a href="http://sangennaro.nyc">sangennaro.nyc</a> 
<h3>The New York Philharmonic 2021-22 season</h3>

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The celebrated symphony orchestra will be opening this year’s season on Sept. 17—but as its usual base of operations David Geffen Hall (10 Lincoln Center Plaza) at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex is being renovated, many of the upcoming performances will instead take place in Alice Tully Hall (1941 Broadway, Midtown Manhattan) and Frederick P. Rose Hall (Broadway at 60th St.). In addition, four Philharmonic concerts will be held at Carnegie Hall (881 7th Ave., Manhattan) before the season closes. 
INFO 212-875-5656; <a href="http://nyphil.org">nyphil.org</a> 
<h3>Village Halloween Parade 2021</h3>

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The Village Halloween parade features decorated floats, music, attendees dressed in costumes and spooky art structures. This year’s free-to-attend parade is slated to feature entertainer Randy Rainbow as grand marshal. The theme is to be "Let’s Play," and the parade is being dedicated to people of all ages who couldn’t properly celebrate Halloween in 2020; the event starts at 7 p.m. 
INFO Sixth Ave. from Spring St. to 16th St., Greenwich Village; <a href="http://halloween-nyc.com">halloween-nyc.com</a> 
<h3>‘Christmas Spectacular’ featuring the Radio City Rockettes</h3>

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No need to wait for Christmastime—or even December—to check out this traditional NYC holiday standard show, as the program will be opening on Nov. 5, and running until Jan. 2, 2022. For those who haven’t attended in the past, these shows are based around holidays stories, and include sophisticated sets, colossal visuals, costume changes galore and performances by the legendary Radio City Rockettes. 
INFO Radio City Music Hall: 1260 Avenue of the Americas, Manhattan; 1-866-858-0007, <a href="http://rockettes.com">rockettes.com</a> 
<h3>New York Comedy Festival</h3>

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It’s a good bet that after all that the world has been through, a good laugh is in order—and the city’s yearly event is back and scheduled for Nov. 8-14. The planned performers have yet to be announced, but more than 100 shows are set to take place at venues including the Apollo Theater (253 W. 125th St., Harlem; 212-531-5300, <a href="http://apollotheaters.org">apollotheaters.org</a>), Brooklyn Academy of Music (30 Lafayette Ave.; 718-636-4100, <a href="http://bam.org">bam.org</a>), Beacon Theatre (2124 Broadway, Upper West Side; 212-465-6000, <a href="http://msg.com">msg.com</a>), Carnegie Hall (881 7th Ave., Midtown Manhattan; 212-247-7800, <a href="http://carnegiehall.org">carnegiehall.org</a>), Carolines on Broadway (1626 Broadway, Midtown Manhattan; 212-757-4100, <a href="http://carolines.com">carolines.com</a>), Madison Square Garden (4 Pennsylvania Plz., Manhattan; 212-465-6741, <a href="http://msg.com">msg.com</a>) and The Town Hall (123 W. 43rd St., Midtown Manhattan; 212-997-6661, <a href="http://thetownhall.org">thetownhall.org</a>). Presale for tickets starts Aug. 18-22; tickets will be on sale starting Aug. 23. 
INFO <a href="http://nycomedyfestival.com">nycomedyfestival.com</a>

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