The temperatures are dropping, ugly Christmas sweaters are flying out of thrift stores, and lights are going up everywhere. This is my favorite season, mostly because it gives me a reason to watch Love Actually one hundred times, but also because it brings people together. There’s nothing better than temperatures in the 20’s and horizontal snow to make you want to get cozy with someone. So if you get tired of watching Christmas movies this winter (and let’s face it, they’re only socially appropriate in December), and you’d like to do something festive with your significant other, here are some winter date ideas that won’t break the bank:
1) Ice Skating in Bryant Park: Take the 1 to Times Square and walk one block West to Winter Wonderland. The rink is open from November 1st to March 2nd, so if you’re a terrible ice skater like me, at least you have plenty of time to practice before your big date, although if you’re both amateurs, you have an excellent excuse to hold his hand. It’s free to skate, but skate rentals are $15. The hours are: 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 12 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
2) Rockefeller Tree Lighting: When you say “Christmas in New York” to me, the first thing that comes to mind is the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. Not because I’ve ever been to the tree lighting, but because one Thanksgiving, I happened to be trying to enter the Lincoln Tunnel at the same time as the tree. The ceremony, however, is a must-see (or so I’m told), and I plan to go at least once before I graduate. The tree would also make the perfect backdrop for that couple pic you’ve been meaning to take. The lighting will take place at 9 p.m. on December 4th, but the festivities start at 7 p.m. (and if you want a good spot, get there early!).
3) Christmas Window Displays: A lot of the stores on 5th Avenue have already put up their Christmas displays, but come December every single store will have lined their windows with fake snow and every mannequin will have donned a Santa hat. The Christmas displays range from lavish and jewel-encrusted, like Yves Saint-Laurent’s windows last year, to, well, the snowmen in thongs of Ted Baker. Get a hot chocolate in the signature holiday cups from Starbucks and do a little window-shopping.
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4) The Union Square Holiday Market: The holiday market opens on November 21st and shuts down right before Christmas, so don’t miss out on the wares of over 150 local vendors. It’s the perfect choice for Christmas shopping because, unlike at the big department stores, no one’s going to be spraying you with perfume and there will be cider. Bonus: if you don’t know what to get him for Christmas, just see which stalls he hangs out at. The market is open Monday to Friday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
5) Sledding: When I was a kid snow only meant one thing: sledding. I didn’t ski and I didn’t snowboard. I did, however, like it when school was cancelled, but mostly because I could go sledding and sleep in. If, like me, you miss the days when you could put on your snowsuit, grab a plastic sled, and waste three hours going down and marching up the same hill over and over again, then head to Morningside or Riverside (or even Central Park if you want a walk). Tell him you like to go fast.