Things to Do in New York in Winter

Winter is when New York is most itself: skaters under the towers, model trains in a Victorian glasshouse, harbor seals off the islands, and on New Year's Day a beach full of people who have decided to run into the Atlantic.

The first list is made for the cold months; the second gathers the best indoor escapes for the days when the wind off the rivers wins. Seasonal dates change every year, so each page notes what we could confirm.