Notable New Yorkers tell us how to beat the cold-weather blues

“Party with the Polar Bears in Coney Island! My routine is to take a sunrise stroll along the snowy boardwalk, get brunch at Tom’s and then watch them swim. When the wind blows through the closed amusement park rides, it creates this magical wintertime symphony.”
—Lola Star creator, Lola Star Boutiques and Lola Star’s Dreamland Roller Disco

Ah, the Polar Bears. These brave creatures of habit have been taking wintry swims in the Atlantic since 1903, making them the oldest cold-weather bathing team in the U.S. Want to take the plunge? Every Sunday from November to April, they meet at 12:30pm for a 1 o’clock swim. And while membership is closed for the current season, they do allow guest swimmers. (Email buell@rcn.com to get on the list and be assigned a swimming buddy.) Dippers claim the experience is rejuvenating, fun and one hell of a hangover cure. But if you’re still too skittish, do like Star and cocoon in a blanket while watching others freeze their asses off. Meet at the New York Aquarium Education Hall, the Coney Island Beach Boardwalk at W 8th St, Brooklyn (polarbearclub.org). Sun at 12:30pm; free.

“I need good coffee in the winter because I’m a flamboyant asshole. I walk six goddamn blocks out of my way to Roots Cafe because its coffee is worth the gargantuan inconvenience.”
—Cole Escola comedian

Even if you’re nowhere near this South Slope, Brooklyn, café, it’s worth the trek. Sip ethically sourced coffee from the New York–based Forty Weight Coffee Roasters and snack on comfort food options like the Borderline melt ($8), which boasts gobs of black bean spread, bell peppers, cheddar cheese and avocado. Be warned: The comfy space has plenty of inviting charm—quirky instruments and paintings on the walls, strings of lights hanging from the ceiling—so it’s often completely full, especially when it hosts bands and poets.

“I love to get a hot pot at my favorite shabu-shabu place, Momokawa. The meat is well marbled, and it has the requisite ponzu and sesame dipping sauces. Plus, it’s on the second floor of a very discrete block, so only those in the know go there.”
—Dominique Ansel owner and chef, Dominique Ansel Bakery, Dominique Ansel Kitchen

We’re inclined to trust the inventor of the Cronut when it comes to craveworthy eats, and there’s no doubt that on a frigid night, the savory Japanese fondue-like beef dish shabu-shabu will hit the spot. Secreted away in Kips Bay, several blocks east of the more well-known East Asian restaurants in midtown, Momokawa serves sharable authentic Kyoto dishes—duck in onion soy-sauce broth ($50), all-natural Miyazaki beef ($120)—in its warmly lit, intimate digs.

“I love to go to Tartine when it’s cold outside, and I always bring a bottle of red wine with me. My first visit to New York was a decade ago in January, and my parents and I went there together, so it’s sentimental.”
—TORRES (Mackenzie Scott) singer-songwriter

Come the frosty season, New Yorkers are always searching for that cozy-as-hell spot that has a BYOB policy. And one that doesn’t have a corkage fee? Now we’re talking. Enter this small West Village corner French café, which has kept visitors returning, despite the long wait times and characteristically surly waiters, with its tasty, fair-priced Gallic offerings, like French onion soup, beef mignonette and
steak au poivre, for more than two decades. Tchin-tchin!

“Winter is the best time to stay inside and do projects, so I like to go to Michaels on 99th and Columbus to get art and baking supplies and then invite friends over to make stuff together.”
—Frankie Cosmos (Greta Kline) singer-songwriter

We all know that hiding in your pad can sometimes be the best medicine for shaking the wintertime blues—that is, only if your pals stop by. Follow Cosmos’s lead and have a DIY night after stocking up on crafts at megachain Michaels. If you really want to impress ’em, take a class on knitting, jewelry making, drawing or cake decorating at the shop and then show off your expertise during your shindig. Oh, and the Upper West Side location is conveniently located a couple doors down from the Whole Foods Market wine store, which is important information if you’re into CWI (crafting while intoxicated). Various locations (michaels.com)