Six Things To Do On New Year’s Day In New York City
New York City is an exhilarating place to spend New Year’s Eve (especially if you’re high above Times Square at The Knick’s epic New Year’s Eve party!). But it’s also an inspiring place to kick off the new year. Whether you choose to surround yourself with art, immerse yourself in nature, or treat yourself to indulgences, just being in NYC on January 1st offers endless —and, in many cases, less crowded than normal — possibilities for auspicious new beginnings.
Here are a few of the tried-and-true ways our guests are planning to ring in 2024.
Get an Invigorating Start
New York’s beautiful parks have a wealth of winter activities if you’re looking for some fresh air and good, clean fun after the whirlwind of holiday festivities. It’s the perfect day for a long, leisurely ramble through Central Park, or a stroll along The High Line… just be sure to bundle up! If you’re an early riser, we recommend you start the year by grabbing a coffee or cocoa to go from Jake’s @ The Knick, and heading over to Bryant Park for ice skating. The rink opens at 8 a.m. on New Year’s Day… perhaps the one time that New York isn’t the city that never sleeps.
Brunch Like It’s 2024
If breakfast is the most important meal of the day, then New Year’s Day brunch at Charlie Palmer is certainly among the most important meals of the year. Join us in the dining room for a sumptuous buffet and delicious à la carte dishes — or linger a little longer in bed and enjoy our in-room dining.
Photo by TAALAI DJUMABAEV on Unsplash
Cross Over
Embody the meaningful transition from one year to the next by traversing the East River between Lower Manhattan and Brooklyn. Unless it’s an unseasonably warm day, there shouldn’t be too much pedestrian (or vehicular) traffic, allowing you some quiet to contemplate the passage of time and glorious river and skyline views of both boroughs.
Photo by Afif Ramdhasuma on Unsplash
Set Sky High Goals From the Top of a Skyscraper
Many of New York’s iconic rooftop observation decks, including Rockefeller Center, The Empire State Building and The Edge at Hudson Yards are open 365 days a year, including on New Year’s Day. Schedule your timed ticket early to avoid the crowds and bring a journal — or your Notes app — to launch ‘24 with lofty ambitions and sky’s-the-limit views.
Sallim;Haegue Yang;2009;8′ 2 1/2″ x 13′ 9 3/8″ x 10′ 2″ (250 x 420 x 310 cm);Steel frame, perforated metal plate, caster, aluminum venetian blinds, knitting yarn, acrylic mirror, IV stand, light bulbs, cable, electric fan, timer, garlic, dishes, hot pad, and scent emitter;Fund for the Twenty-First Century and gift of Agnes Gund, Glenn Fuhrman, and Jerry I. Speyer;© 2023 Haegue Yang
Visit a Museum
Since January 1st is on a Monday this year, even some of the museums that are usually open on New Year’s Day, like the New York Historical Society, will be closed. Others, like The Met, are never open on the first of the year. Don’t let that stop you from starting your year with art, though. Museums that will be open include The Whitney Museum of American Art, MoMA (Manhattan location only), The American Museum of Natural History, and The Jewish Museum.
Make a Pilgrimage to an Animal Kingdom
With the exception of The Bronx Zoo (and potentially Prospect Park Zoo, which has been temporarily closed recently for storm-related repairs), most NYC zoos are open on New Year’s Day, including the Central Park Zoo, the Queens Zoo, and the New York Aquarium. Whether or not you’ve been surrounded by holiday party animals, this is the perfect opportunity to commune with New York’s vast population of fauna in human care.