It’s the first of December here in New York City, and there’s no better month to enjoy all that the city has to offer. While the weather is cold – an average high of 44°F and love of 32°F – you can still bundle up in a warm winter jacket and walk the streets of the city. One of the most celebrated elements of Manhattan during December are the Holiday Window Displays. In an annual tradition, famous department stores, including Macy’s, Lord & Taylor, Bloomingdales, and Barneys, create breathtaking scenes in their shop windows for all to see and enjoy. Our recommendations are:

Macy’s: Located on 34th Street, Macy’s puts up scenes from Miracle on 34th Street, as well a second set of windows with a theme that varies each year.

Lord & Taylor: Moving up to 40th and 5th Avenue, the Lord & Taylor windows depict classic holiday themes, including fairytale and wondrous winter scenes.

Saks Fifth Avenue: These are a particularly good choice for children, as the windows usually use animated depictions of a season children’s book. Saks is also located right across from Rockefeller Center, another good December site.

Barneys New York: Head on over to Madison Avenue to check the hip and humorous windows set up at Barneys.

Bergdorf Goodman: As befits this sophisticated seller of high couture, the windows of Bergorf Goodman feature genuine antiques and elegant design.

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.