January · New York City
January is when New York exhales. The tourists from Thanksgiving and Christmas have gone home. The streets feel 30% emptier. The hotels drop their prices by half. The restaurants that required reservations three weeks in advance have tables tonight. If you want to see the city the way New Yorkers see it — without the crowds — January is the month.
**The weather:** Cold. Average highs around 39°F, lows around 27°F. It will snow at least once. Dress in layers — a warm coat, hat, gloves, scarf, and shoes that can handle slush. New Yorkers wear all black in winter; you don't need to, but you'll blend in if you do.
**What locals do:** - **Restaurant Week (mid-January through early February)** — 600+ of the city's best restaurants offer three-course prix-fixe menus for a fraction of the normal price. This is the single best deal in NYC dining all year. Reserve ahead at nycgo.com. - **Central Park in the snow** — if you're lucky enough to be here the day after a snowfall, Bow Bridge and the Bethesda Terrace look like a Thomas Kinkade painting. Walk it at 8am before the footprints. - **Ice skating** — Wollman Rink in Central Park is open through mid-March. Bryant Park's rink is free (bring your own skates or rent on-site). - **Museums** — the Met, MoMA, and the Whitney are pleasantly uncrowded. Spend half a day at the Met's medieval galleries or the Cloisters for winter contemplation. - **Broadway** — tickets are cheapest in January. Use TodayTix or the TKTS booth in Times Square for 20-50% off same-day seats.
**What to eat in January:** - **Hot pot in Flushing** — Spicy Village or Haidilao on Main Street - **Ramen in the East Village** — Ippudo, Ivan Ramen, Momosan - **Pastrami sandwich at Katz's** — hot pastrami is a winter food - **French onion soup at Keens Steakhouse** — literally warms the soul
**Best for:** Budget travelers, crowd-averse travelers, museum enthusiasts, theater lovers, anyone who wants to see NYC like a local.
**Local tip:** If you're here for January 1st, skip the Times Square ball drop (it's a miserable 9-hour wait in freezing temperatures with no bathrooms) and instead watch the fireworks over Central Park at midnight from Bethesda Terrace.