The best things to do on New Year’s Day in NYC

New Yorkers unafraid of braving the freezing waters of Coney Island will return to the ocean for the Coney Island Polar Bear Plunge on New Year's Day from 11am-1pm.

Every New Years Day for 122 years, swimmers sporting their skivvies or wild costumes dive into the freezing Atlantic to symbolically wash away the year before. Organizers expect over 4,000 to take the dive this year, matching—if not surpassing—the 4,300+ who dove last year.

Those who would like to attend the New Year's Day Plunge can participate as an individual alongside other supporters, join a team or create their own teams to help raise funds. With the safety of plunge participants as a priority, those not wanting to brave the cold can also choose to donate virtually at polarbearclub.org. With a $50 or more donation, participants receive a polar plunge beanie. 

Since New Year's is a time of reflection, head to this really reflective experience. 

Summit One Vanderbilt sits atop the new 67-floor One Vanderbilt super-tall—a 1,401-foot-high—skyscraper. As the city's fourth-tallest building after One World Trade Center, Central Park Tower and 111 West 57th Street, it sits just west of Grand Central Terminal, where you first enter the experience underground.

After a trip through a mirrored hallway with its own immersive elements, visitors take an elevator up to the 91st floor, where they're 1,000 feet over the streets and sidewalks of NYC. Kenzo Digital has created a totally mirrored infinity room called "Air" that reflects the sky and city views over and over, making you feel like you're walking in the sky or on another plane of existence. Looking above you and below you in this two-story space, you see your reflection repeating forever.

Sure, the holidays may technically be "over," but the lights are still on to keep you in the holiday spirit. From museums to shopping centers to neighborhoods, New York really knows how to sparkle for the holidays.

Take your own NYC walking tour and stop by to see the lights at Saks, Radio City Music Hall, Central Park, the Plaza Hotel and more. Get ready to “ooh” and “ahh” at these landmarks and snap some photos of the most picturesque holiday light displays during the holiday season.

In this charming New York City village, Santa drives a taxi, a nutcracker runs a hot dog cart and snowmen hang out at the Snoball Fight Club. The local cafe sells North Pole Holiday Blend hot chocolate, polar bears run the neighborhood bagel shop and the I Want a Hippopotamus Gift Store does a bustling business. This is GingerBread Lane, a confectionary creation by Jon Lovitch who holds the record for the world’s largest gingerbread village.

You can step into Lovitch’s whimsical world inside The Shops at Columbus Circle. Find this four-tiered gingerbread village on the second floor of the mall. It’s free to visit and will be on view through January 5, 2025. If you want to learn to make your own gingerbread house, Lovitch is hosting classes for $35 per person; you can grab a ticket here.

Festooned with more than 1,000 meticulously hand-folded paper ornaments, this year’s 13-foot-tall tree at the American Museum of Natural History is inspired by the theme "Jumping for Joy" in honor of our 2024 Leap Year. The tree features specially crafted origami creations inspired by the museum's hopping, pouncing, and leaping creatures.

Some of the pieces decorating the greenery include rabbits, kangaroos, grasshoppers, frogs, squirrels, and cicadas, along with those depicting iconic museum exhibits like the Blue Whale and Tyrannosaurus rex.

Created in partnership with OrigamiUSA, the Origami Holiday Tree is delightfully decorated with hand-folded paper models created by local, national, and international origami artists.

You can see the tree with museum admission, including on New Year's Day! Find it in the Ellen V. Futter Gallery on the first floor. 

Sail into the holiday spirit aboard Circle Line’s Holiday Harbor Lights Cruise on New Year's Day. Decked out with twinkling holiday lights, green garland, Christmas trees and other jolly decor, the festive—and heated!—boats will tour you around the Hudson River. Take in the stunning New York skyline as an informative guide shares fun facts about the city’s most iconic landmarks. 

The cruise departs each day at 7pm and you can buy tickets here starting at $45.

You’ll get a kick out of this holiday stalwart, which still features Santa, wooden soldiers and the dazzling Rockettes. In recent years, new music, more eye-catching costumes and advanced technology have been introduced to bring audience members closer to the performance.

In the signature kick line that finds its way into most of the big dance numbers, the Rockettes’ 36 pairs of legs rise and fall like the batting of an eyelash, their perfect unison a testament to the disciplined human form. This is precision dancing on a massive scale—a Busby Berkeley number come to glorious life—and it takes your breath away.

There are three showtimes on January 1.

NYC is a film lover’s dream town. Whether you want something flashy and new or a classic from another era, there’s bound to be something you love—and that applies to choice of movie and venue. Presented in no particular order, here’s our list of favorite theaters to cozy up in during the winter.

Start the new year off in pure relaxation.

At LUSH Spa Lexington, you can book time in a fancy bathtub complete with soothing music and, of course, a bath bomb.The spa also offers massage treatments and facials, creating a calming oasis near hectic midtown. Find the newly opened spa on the Upper East Side at Lexington Avenue and East 61st Street.

Given the fact that LUSH invented the bath bomb, they’re pros when it comes to bathing. For the book-a-bath experience, head through the store and climb the stairs to the spa. Inside a petite pink-and-white bathroom, a clawfoot tub beckons. Before your bath, a staff member will prepare the water with a Snow Fairy bath bomb, which creates glittery pastel pink water. Plus, they’ll offer a fresh face mask tailored for your skin, a curated playlist and a cup of vegan hot chocolate. 

New York City is full of free outdoor art that you don't even have to go to a museum to see. Sculptures, murals and photographs can be found in its parks, sidewalks and on its buildings!

We've rounded up the best outdoor art right now, from a pigeon sculpture on the High Line to trippy moonGARDEN in the Seaport.

Best of all, it costs you nothing to pay a visit. Below, find the best outdoor art in NYC to brighten up any winter day.