You’ve already missed the Polar Bear Club New Year’s Day Swim in Coney Island, but do not fear, there is still plenty left to do this month, and some of it indoors.

Concerts

globalFEST- This truly international music festival celebrates the music of Indian hip-hop, Iranian folk music, Mexican mariachi, and Brazilian Tropicália. BB King Blues Club & Grill, Midtown West January 14, 2018.

OSHUN- Combing new-soul with hip-hop and pop music, this Brooklyn-based group presents two superb vocalists debuting their first album at this performance. Rough Trade NYC, Williamsburg, Friday January 12, 2018.

Carnivals

The City Pond skating rink in Bryant Park, Manhattan, New York City. Photo courtesy of Beyond My Ken.

Bryant Park- Try a bit of curling; drink some sweet hot chocolate and of course ice skating at this amazing midtown Manhattan winter wonderland carnival. Entrance is free. The Winter Village is already up and running, and most of the fun will continue until March 4, 2018.

WinterFest on Long Island- It might be a bit of a drive, but it is well worth it to see the beauty in the winter of the east end of Long Island. This is the 11th annual festival, beginning on February 23 and ending a month later, on March 18. All schedules and venues will be announced on January 15, so stay tuned.

Spas

Aire Ancient Baths- this Spanish import envisions an experience resembling the large and extravagant bathhouses of ancient Rome and Greece. This luxury bathhouse minichain, features three stories of open room baths, with hot, cold, saltwater, and multijet pools. There are also steam and hot-stone rooms for lounging for as long as two hours. The facility offers a lot more and is worth checking out. It is in Tribeca at 88 Franklin Street.

Great Jones Spa- This spa believes that water is the secret to good health. It offers a water lounge with underground pools, saunas, steam rooms and a 40-foot waterfall. You can get a haircut here, as well as a manicure. North of Houston at 29 Great Jones Street at Lafayette.

Its summer, yea!! Summer means the beach, the pool, air-conditioned museums, but best of all, fantastic festivals. Here is a short list of some of the city’s most exciting outdoor parties.

* In the “free department” is the Madison Square Park Kids Concerts. Beginning already in June, these high-quality, high entertainment value shows will continue throughout July every Tuesday and Thursday until August 5th. Well worth the effort, and not to mention the price.

Adventures NYC

* In Central Park, at the band-shell, kids and their families can experience the fun of the great outdoors without leaving town. Kayaking, fishing lessons and a rock climbing zone will enthrall kids of all ages. There will also be an opportunity to meet the NY Liberty basketball team. Live music free bike rentals and bike helmet giveaways make Adventures NYC an amazing activity for families. Even more amazing, it’s all absolutely free.

* Bryant Park Summer Film Festival is another free activity which presents movies on a weekly basis every Monday all summer long. See flicks like the 1940 “The Mark of Zorro,” “Karate Kid,” and “Lover Come Back.” The lawn opens up at 5pm and the film begins as the sun sets.

Whether it’s going to see the skaters at Rockefeller Center, or  relishing the rinks at two of the city’s main parks Ice skating has long been a New York City tradition. There is a Wollman Rink both in Manhattan’s illustrious Central Park and in the less-known but also-enjoyable Prospect Park in Brooklyn. Both are a wonderful part of winter in New York.

Another rink at Bryant Park has had a different story. Despite having already been around for five years, the skating rink in midtown Manhattan’s Bryant Park, between 40^th and 42^nd streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues — right near the famous Library Lions of the New York Public Library’s main branch – remains less known than its older counterparts.

The rink, which is free (there are charges for skate rentals), is 17,000 square feet. That makes it about half of the size of Central Park’s Wollman Rink and twice as big as the one in Rockefeller Center. The winter season began on the 29^th of October and will continue until February 27, 2011. Hours are Sunday to Thursday from 8:00 am to 10:00 pm, and on Friday and Saturday from 8:00 am until midnight. Skate rentals are $13, lock purchase $9, small bag check $7, large bag check $10, skate sharpening $20. Use of storage lockers is available at no cost.