We love our trips to the Big Apple regardless of what time of year it is — summers tend to be very humid, sticky and hot and winters, well can be windy and cold but there are so many cultural activities to do inside (and cozy cafes) that I wouldn’t let time of year stop you from planning a trip.
When we were back for the New York Times Travel Show in January (an annual trip we make every year), we had a couple of below zero days and then it warmed up to a balmy 50 before we left. I love walking the city — yes, even in icy cold January. The skies are almost always clear blue, which is a great contrast against the barren trees of winter.
There’s nothing like neighborhood strolls. Over the years, I have stayed in nearly every borough — this year, we stayed with friends in the Upper West Side which has tons of cafes, cute bistros, restaurants, and specialty shops. From design, furniture, art and fashion to coffee houses, chocolate and creperies, you’ll be covered.
The architecture is epic — from churches and townhouses to museums and galleries.
Fast food dizziness
Tons of food truck choices
Walking through SoHo
Above and below, the Upper West Side
Gina La Fornarina, a fun spot to go.
Design stores are a great way to get out of the cold on a winter afternoon
We love Sabon, which is committed to sourcing high quality natural ingredients such as salt, mud, and algae from the Dead Sea. The formulas are enriched with botanicals carefully selected from the Mediterranean and beyond, such as Olive oil, Shea butter and essential oils from various fruits and plants. The store not only smells so good but their products are gorgeous!
Above and below, Sabon’s soaps look so good, you’re tempted to want to eat one! Vibrant, colorful and sweet smelling.
Fit & Healthy may not be something you think of when you think of New York City. Between the donut shops, pizza eateries on every corner, pretzels, hot dogs and fast food trucks, you might just think that people don’t pay attention to their health. I have seen this shift change, from posters in main areas like Times Square and Chelsea to of course the Upper East and West Sides. There are more health bars, juice bars and vegan options than ever before.
If you still want to indulge, there is no shortage of options. 
Nature & Sunsets
If you don’t think the Big Apple and the surrounding area can deliver sunsets worthy of a photo in the dead of winter, think again!
Above and below, the sunset that greeted us when we were about to land at JFK
Getting Around
Sure, we always either taxi it when we go to New York (late nights especially) or we take the Metro — it’s so reliable most of the time and faster than taking a taxi during rush hour. Note: the 6 train can be an exception — don’t get me started.
And of course, sometimes you find lively entertainment in a subway, so while you’re waiting for your train, you can be entertained.
What about a car? You’re probably thinking a car in Manhattan, reallllly? I know, I know. We typically avoid one however when Buick graciously gave us a car for a week, we couldn’t resist, especially since we were making a side trip to the Catskills and to Connecticut. So, if you’re combining a Manhattan trip with some side trips, it may be worth getting one. Truthfully in the past, I hated spending money on the expensive garages in the city, but when we found a couple of reasonable deals in SoHo, we ended up leaving it there for a couple of days.
Then, I was wrought with stress when we were heading to Queens and the Upper West Side for a few nights to stay with friends. It turns out that parking on the street is not that hard, especially if you time it right. Certainly there are streets where you can’t park (and check for street cleaning signs) but we found a few easy spots (on 3 occasions) where we could park from Friday through the weekend. It was surprisingly easier than we thought.
And, Buick gave us a Regal GS — to say “sweet” is an understatement. The robust power and torque of its 3.6L 310-HP V6 engine, and a 9-speed automatic transmission was incredible, especially when we took our road trips up north. It comes with luxury high performance seats and guess what? They’re both heated and ventilated. While everyone else was freezing their tails off on the streets of New York, we were cosy inside watching smoke come from their breath. Yeah, it was that cold!
The luxurious Buick Regal GS
The entertainment and GPS system worked like a charm and we had Wifi in the car throughout our trip — everything worked flawlessly including those heated seats. Anthony also loved that the steering wheel heated up as well. Two thumbs up! We’d love to give this incredibly powerful and sleek looking luxury car a try during the summer months as well when we can really give it some “road time” on those Adirondack and Catskill roads since we didn’t have as much time in the country as we did the Big Apple.
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
