Winter Wonderland at Bryant Park
One of my favorite things to do around the holidays is to go ice skating, and what better place to ice skate than in the heart of the Big Apple. The ice skating rink in Bryant Park, located between 5th and 6th Ave and 42nd street, is open around the holidays and is entirely free. A lot of people talk about the skating rink in Rockefeller Center being the best, but nothing beats a free deal like this one. The only thing one pays for is the skates rental. The park is also conveniently accessible by subway using the 7, B, D, F, and M lines. Ice skating can be a fun activity for any occasion, whether it’s spending time with family or spending date night with that special someone.
Levain’s Bakery
After an evening well spent trying to maintain ones balance on the ice and not look completely foolish, I recommend a short trip over to Levain’s Bakery in the Upper West Side for arguably the best cookies in all of NYC. Only a short trip on the M train, five stops to 86th street, the bakery is a few blocks away from the station waiting to serve the most delicious cookies around. And a bonus is that they’re prepared by a family owned business so you’d also be supporting small businesses.
The Comedy Cellar
Finally, a great way to end the night is with one of my favorite forms of entertainment and that’s watching a live comedy show. The Comedy Cellar in SoHo is known as one of the best comedy clubs in all of NYC and is easily accessible from the bakery by taking the M train once again, this time going south for nine stops until West 4th Street. The comedy club is relatively inexpensive at about $14 for a late night show during the weekend. But it is well worth it when the entertainment is so good. The best part is that one never knows which comics will stop by, and you’ll be treated to a celebrity standup every now and then from Jerry Seinfeld to Chris Rock.