Come explore 5 magical NYC activities to try this winter! So many unique spots to enjoy, so let us help you out!

There’s no shortage of exciting things to do in New York City. But, in this season of wind tunnels and freezing rain, locals and tourists alike have to get creative! So, come check out 5 magical NYC activities to try this winter!

Ice skating and holiday markets are all well and good, but what about some more original activities to try in NYC during the winter months?

To help keep up your spirits until the city starts to thaw, here are five magical NYC activities to try this winter.

#1 Go crazy golfing in a botanical palace

If you’ve never heard of crazy golf before, get ready to have your world rocked.

This new-to-NYC phenomenon combines all the best of mini golf, bougie bar hopping and delicious street food, with a setting fit for royalty – in this case, the underground palace of Swingers Crazy Golf in NoMad.

Here, you and friends can putt your way through three amazing crazy golf courses, challenging each other to get past their many riveting obstacles!

To help you keep warm, you’ll obviously get plenty of physical activity at Swingers, and you can have drinks delivered to you right there on the course. (The Chailand Iced Tea – an energizing combination of chai-infused vodka, lemonade and cinnamon syrup – is sure to leave you feeling toasty.)

With cocktails and golf clubs in hand, you’ll also have great props for posing with Swingers’ gorgeous botanical decorations! And once you’ve worked up an appetite, don’t forget to stop by the gourmet street food vendors for pescado tacos and pepperoni pinwheels.

If you’re after a deluxe NYC destination for food, drink and entertainment, Swingers does it all.

Location: 35 West 29th Street

#2 Curate tunes at a classic vinyl record bar

Karaoke is always a hoot, but for those who’ve heard a few too many off-key renditions of “Bohemian Rhapsody”, consider a much trendier option: an old-school vinyl record bar.

Our favourite in NYC would have to be Tokyo Record Bar, just a few minutes’ walk from Washington Square Park – and the ideal spot for a memorable night with friends (or to impress a date).

At TRB, you’ll be seated in an intimate, warmly lit space to choose from exciting drinks such as honeydew sake and buttermilk nigori. You can then proceed to the main menus, both culinary and musical.

On the former, you’ll find elegant dishes like hiramasa sashimi with burgundy truffle and caviar; for the latter, you and your guest(s) can select vinyl jukebox songs to be played as part of your dining experience.

Needless to say, a few hours at TRB can really reinvigorate a dreary winter evening… but make reservations now if you’re interested, because this 12-seat space fills up fast!

Location: 127 MacDougal Street

#3 Visit an enchanting French bookstore

Bookstores aren’t such a rare sight in NYC, but bookstores like Albertine – located on the third floor of the Payne Whitney mansion on Fifth Avenue – contain a sliver of cultural magic.

This enchanting space has the largest collection of French language books in the country, with classic titles from 30 French-speaking countries, as well as plenty of English books and translations for those who don’t parlent français.

Visitors can enjoy this abundant, cross-cultural literature under a deep blue, astrology-inspired ceiling and golden hanging lamps. Without a doubt, Albertine is just the place to immerse yourself in another world on a cold winter’s afternoon (and maybe take a dreamy doze in one of their leather loveseats).

Alternatively, for those who don’t want to be tempted into buying any beautiful, expensive books, we’d recommend the Morgan Library and Museum: a glorious Beauty and the Beast-style collection situated two miles down the road, close to the Empire State Building.

Location: 972 5th Avenue

#4 Get your game on at an eccentric Brooklyn arcade

Got some laundry to do? Looking to play a bit of pinball? Or just craving a beer after a long day? For any or all of the above, take a trip down to Sunshine Laundromat in Greenpoint.

This retro laundromat/arcade/bar feels very New York City: a quirky space that’s nonetheless quite functional and minimalist in design.

Indeed, some of the flashier arcade spaces in the city can feel a bit artificial. Sunshine Laundromat, on the other hand, is a truly authentic Brooklyn spot frequented by locals.

Pull up a stool and order a pint of locally brewed Greenpoint beer, or take a turn at one of the nostalgically themed pinball machines – Star Wars, Ghostbusters and Jurassic Park are just three iconic themes you’ll find here.

And if you happen to spill a drink on your jacket, simply pop it in the washing machine and pick it up on your way out! (Seriously, this is one amenity that every Brooklyn bar should offer.)

Location: 860 Manhattan Avenue

#5 Sip warming drinks at a secret speakeasy

Speaking of highly authentic and slightly hidden NYC spots, our last suggestion is a speakeasy in the East Village – a place so covert, it has a hidden entrance and is quite literally called “Please Don’t Tell.” (We’re only defying their request because it’s a genuinely cool spot that many more people should know about!)

Step through the phone booth in Crif’s Dogs (a local hot dog joint) to a low-lit, highbrow space of brick walls and polished surfaces. Here, you can order signature PDT cocktails and classic drinks alike – perhaps a regionally appropriate Cosmo or Manhattan.

And if you want to go all out to beat the winter blues, consider hiring out the entire venue for up to 30 people!

Take note, however, that of all these magical things to do in NYC, an evening at PDT is one of the hardest to come by; they’re often booked up until well after midnight.

So, if this one sounds like a wintertime winner to you, we’d suggest making reservations well in advance.

Location: 113 St. Marks Place

Photo Credit: Swingers, Please Don’t Tell, Sunshine Laundromat, Albertine Bookshop, Tokyo Record Bar,