Another NYC winter
Hat? Check. Gloves? Check. Scarf? Check! Are you ready for a big bad New York winter? I know I am!
Rumor has it, it’s gonna be a cold one, and since it’s been pretty mild the last two years, I thought I’d download some of my thoughts on New York City for when general winter breaks out the big guns.
First things first though: nostalgia. I remember the New York winters of my youth as being some of the coldest of my life. Seeing the Macy’s windows decked out for the holidays, visiting FAO Schwartz with no intention of buying anything, skating in rockefeller center… All good memories that pale in comparison to the vivid and visceral experience of feeling the bighting wind cut across my face and steal the warmth from my tightly bundled body. Needless to say, good times were had by all on those brisk visits to the city.
Today, winter in the city is a bit different for me. For one thing, I live here now, for better or worse, and there begins a whole world of difference from the jaunts we made from New Jersey in years past. Now there is no escape!
Probably the nastiest bit of work is the commuting situation. We may be relatively safe from the bad driving conditions (read: don’t own a car) but there’s plenty of other things to worry about. For most of us, walking is a mainstay, and that means exposure to the elements during a sizeable portion of our commute.
I just have one thing to say about this: BUNDLE UP!
Seriously, a 10 minute walk doesn’t seem so bad until you have to do it in a 0 windchill. Layering and covering extremities is of course a must. Also, when going to a place you haven’t been before, figure out your routes well ahead of time. It’ll save you that all too familiar pain of knowing you’re two blocks from your destination, without knowing which two blocks it is.