New York City is a crowded city, with almost 9 million residents and countless tourists. A noisy city, with the roar of jet engines overhead (especially if you live in Queens, home to both LaGuardia and JFK airports), the revving motors and honking horns in constant traffic jams, the clanking and disembodied announcements of the subway trains. A smelly city, particularly on trash collection day – especially in the hot summer months. A gritty city, not always clean despite constant efforts, trash blowing if there’s a strong wind. A busy city, with everyone seeking to get to their destinations, little time to spare to enjoy the unexpected or connect with a stranger on the way.
It’s stimulating, but exhausting as well. That’s why a snow day in the city is so wonderful. The snow blankets the city, softening its harsh edges and creating a new world. And there’s nowhere better to go when the snow is falling than Central Park. The park is magical in the snow, and the cares of the day melt away as I walk for hours along the winding paths.
New York City had this kind of snow last week, resulting in my classes being canceled. We seized the opportunity to explore Central Park in the snow, meandering until we became too cold and wet to continue (and then stopping at a pub for a while to warm up). Here’s a few of my photos from my walk – I hope that you enjoy!
It’s been a while since I’ve joined Jo’s Monday Walk – and, as always, I never do it on a Monday. If you haven’t checked out Jo’s blog, Restless Jo, I recommend it!
Finding NYC 
New York City looks enchanting blanketed in snow. I’m so pleased you had an opportunity to enjoy the city whilst your classes were cancelled.
It was certainly a treat! It was the perfect kind of snow to go walking in, light and fluffy without too much wind.
Thanks so much, Susan. 🙂 🙂 I’m not the biggest fan of snow but there’s no doubting its magical quality when it’s fresh and new. Especially in the setting of Central Park. I’d even be tempted to join you. Hot chocolate afterwards? 🙂 I love the contrast you’ve made of the noisy city and serenity in snow.
The snow was not so pretty the next day, but it melted quickly so I was able to keep the magical memories of Central Park. Hot chocolate would have been delicious, but I went for an Irish coffee instead this time.
The university is on holiday this week, and I’m catching up on some blog posts – there’s more to come! I hope you are doing well, Jo.
I did wonder if it had all gone yet. 🙂 And I’m more than fine with Irish coffee. I’d have been tempted to put a wee dram of brandy in my chocolate. Yes, all good, thanks! Enjoy your holiday and Happy Easter 🙂
Love you snow pics inCentral Park.
Thank you!
Oh my, do you hear the roar from both airports?
Nice pics, they are beautiful. I love bad weather in NY. It’s the best time to go out if you are wearing the right clothes. When the crowds are thinner I feel like I own the street. I really miss living in Manhattan. This summer marks 13 years in Bay Ridge and I’m still homesick. You think I never step foot in Manhattan, I’m there at least 2-3 times a week. I miss rolling out of bed and having everything I wanted in walking distance. Now I have to hop on the train. I especially miss walking home after seeing a show at Public theater.
Thankfully, I only get the roar from the LaGuardia jets, but that is bad enough! I love the bad weather too – it’s about the only time I enjoy going to Times Square, as the lights look beautiful in the snow.
We’d love to live in Manhattan, but I teach at St. John’s, and it’s nice to not be a long commute to work every day. We love the diversity of Queens though, so I imagine we will always remain here. We also have to hop the train for many things, and I wish it was all walking distance.
I was so spoiled before. I went from a very blue to a very red area, this always bugged me (even more so now). We couldn’t afford the rent on the Lower East Side when we moved in together so we moved to Bay Ridge. We’ve seen 2 guys wearing Not My President hoodies which felt good. We’ve also been seeing more blue signs but we think people are being more vocal so it’s been a bit bluer than we thought but still very red. When I realized some of our local Brooklyn papers could be anti-semitic it made me more homesick. Hopefully we can vote it blue one day.
Also being farther from my food cravings is bad. Now I stock up and eat them in a 2 days. Before I would go out everyday and eat my favorite stuff. So that means marathon eating whatever I stocked up on and we live in a place where the food is really good. Bad, very bad for the waist line. Good thing we walk a lot.
I know this sounds silly but in Aruba we like watching the places take off. We stay at Renaissance which is near the airport so we watch planes come and go all day while we play at the beach.
Central Park looked very serene in the snow. I’m closer to JFK and when I hear the roar from the planes, I know the airport is open. I also live near the Long Island Railroad , and it wasn’t running for a while with the snow as we got it worse than the city did . I love the diversity of Queens too and whenever I go into the city, can’t wait to get back to Queens.
Just when I’d decided never to winter in Warsaw again you remind me of all the beauties of snow. Your opening paragraph is a wonderful evocation of the noisy smelly city, and then you take us beautifully into its snowy softening. I especially love the figures peopling this special landscape.
This winter has felt like it’s lasted forever, and I started off feeling pretty grumpy about the snow – but walking in the park is truly magical in these conditions, almost like meditating. I felt the cares of life just roll off of me. (And it didn’t hurt that everything pretty much melted the next day, so no lingering dirty snow afterwards to trudge my way through.)
Beautiful pics.
Central Park indeed looks dreamy and pretty covered in snow. I was fortunate to experience it two years back.
Fresh snow falling always brings out the child in the adult! Central Park looks at its most magical, just for a few hours.
You’re right about the snow bringing out the child! We saw quite a number of people making snowmen and sledding, and I actually think there were more adults than children doing it!
Some lovely pictures. I think we are done with our snow in Bristol for the next decade or so. An unusually snowy year this time.
Lovely look at Central Park in the snow. Thanks.
Lovely snowy shots! But still, I’d rather experience these snowy scenes vicariously than for real. 😉
Beutiful! New York is really a magic city!
Everything looks so magical covered in snow. I’m doing the blogging a to z challenge again this April and my theme is Winter in Maine. I love winter and things always look so amazing during and right after a snow storm when they are covered in white. Beautiful pictures of Central Park during the storm.
I love your Maine winter pics on Instagram! Looking forward to seeing your April posts!
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Wow…Central Park in the snow is beautiful!