After a wonderful, relaxing Christmas day with the family, almost if on cue, (a day late) a winter storm started to roll into the East Coast. In typical New York fashion, the first snowfall of the year was not going to be a small affair and the winter storm watch quickly turned into a full blown blizzard warning. There was much excitement in our apartment. I think we were all just a wee bit sad that there was no snow for Christmas and we were super psyched to finally experience our first snowfall in Manhattan.
As the first snowflake hit the ground, the girls began to panic as the crazy carpets had not made it with us in the move. Grandma saved the day by going out to our local sports store and scooping up two magic saucers. Impatience set in and the girls wanted to head to the park even though there was not nearly enough snow yet for downhill fun. Out we went, the wind was howling and the snow was already gusting sideways as we made our way down to Riverside Park. We passed many Manhattanites who were making last minute purchases at the grocery and liquor stores, stocking up for the impending storm.
Our hearty Canadian girls were the only ones brave enough to endure the wintery park conditions!!
Funny, although New York City is located in the state of New York, which definitely gets its share of winter weather, many people in Manhattan seem ill prepared to deal with ACTUAL winter weather. We passed numerous people whose only defence against the elements were rainboots, ball caps and layered clothing. Of course, we did see many lavish fur coat/hat/boot combos as well. The umbrellas also come out here… something that you would NEVER see in Ottawa. Don’t even get me started on dog coats!!
There really is something truly magical about the falling snow and I forced both Paul and Ron off of the couch and made them go for a walk last night. There was barely anyone on the streets, car or pedestrian and it was extremely peaceful navigating the snow filled avenues. The city itself looks totally different covered in snow and there was a sense of calm that is rare to find during the crazy daylight hours.
Subway entrance 79th and Broadway
Even in a blizzard, the bike guys are still delivering- CRAZY!!
After a surprisingly quiet night (very few sirens or anything else going on) we woke up to a true winter wonderland in Manhattan. No early morning joggers, although a few adventurous types were trying to get in some exercise!
Skiing down Broadway
The streets and sidewalks were barely passable and 20+ inches of snow had fallen, virtually shutting down the city and its surrounding boroughs. The girls were ecstatic and immediately demanded that we bundle up and head out to find a hill to try out sledding in New York City. Out we went, the wind was howling but we were determined. We lasted 30 minutes but the girls had a blast and we all enjoyed a bit of Starbucks on the walk home.
All bundled up and ready to go...
Fun on the hill!
R, taking a break
A, having a blast!
Dopey enjoying the snowy park
Looking down 83rd Street
VERY glad we don't have a car!!
So, what to do for the rest of the day? As the city starts to shovel itself out of the snow, it is a great feeling to be snowed in with no where to go and nothing to do. The kettle is boiling, there are still leftovers and cookies, movies are easily downloaded and worst case scenario, I might have to have a nap 😉 Every once in a while even Manhattan is forced to slow down and I am going to enjoy every minute of it! Stay warm and safe my friends. If you are in the neighbourhood, I will have the hot chocolate waiting…
It's Always An Adventure 
Very cute – looks like it was a great day 🙂
Funny you mentioned Ottawa, that is where I live and up to now, I have only had to use my snowblower once, And you are right, when there is a nice snowstorm, the city does become calm and there a sensation of peace. Then we start hearing the snow clearing equipment all around and its great. Winter is beautiful and it makes you appreciate life and makes you feel so alive.
love the photos, sweet children! great city, too!
nice … manhattan is too cold ,isnt it?
thanks for sharing!
I think not, although I wouldn’t know… only visited once. I’m from Minnesnowta so…
….perfection….
xoxo
I was also privileged to one “snow week” when I lived in NYC for nearly 2 years. It shut everything down–buses took hours to travel on, people were falling left and right…all this, for just 6 inches of snow. HA! That’s a “dusting” up here in Northwestern PA. So glad that you are making good use of the white stuff! Great post! Kudos on being FP!
http://miracleon32ndstreet.wordpress.com
holds true for here in WNY too, where 3-foot lake-effect events are a regular occurrence…..but there are 2 storms though that I don’t hink can be topped, and they both had to do with a lot of rare confluences of factors….the blizzard of ’77…..hardly any new snow fell from that storm….what had happened was that the surface of Lake Erie had completely frozen over and the snow that had fallen was piled up on the frozen surface….then along came a system that didn’t drop a whole lot in the way of new snow but packed a nasty punch in the form of gale-force winds…..picking up all that snow and dumping it in Buffalo and surrounding areas….so the blizzard of ’77 was basically the mother of all blowing and drifting events…whenever I grumble about wind putting little drifts in my driveway I remember that the people here in ’77 had it much worse
the second event that will go down in our history books is the October Surprise….in October of 2006 the leaves were still on the trees…..then we got a system that dumped a bunch of wet heavy snow….not a good combo ladies and gents…..yup…that’s right….the wet snow collected in the leaves, putting enormous strain on all the trees, finally the limbs began breaking left and right….our area was without power for 5 days…….other surrounding areas were without power for even longer…this was because of the falling limbs downing power lines all over the place
Joseph! I lived in Buffalo for the Blizzard of ’77. What a wild time! Snow was propelled through the cracks around our living room windows, where it collected on the floor and Did Not Melt. We moved into one bedroom (pets and all) to huddle together for warmth. It was a grand adventure, because I was not stuck in a car on a bridge, we had no babies or elderly living with us, and we had food to eat. People fought over bread and milk in store aisles because trucks could not get through with deliveries. The best and worst of human nature came to the fore. So the gentle two feet of snow we experienced over the weekend here in Columbia County, NY was a delight.
K.
I would looove to come get some of that hot chocolate. For as disruptive as big storms can be they always present great opportunities to create cool memories. I hope you have a blast. Later on when you wind down I hope you’ll pick out your favorite post from this past year and repost it over on my year end event. Congrats on FP!
I love those snow saucers!
I was a skier for a few years, and I realized sliding downhill on sleds and discs is just as fun and much less work.
Ok, those cars looked so packed down lol… thats how it looks in VA– they shut everything down
Love the NYC experience! Keep it coming for a guy stuck in Mpls!
The new way to search the market–period
yup…i saw the news and the tourist were enjoying it all!!! it looked like fun but we here were shoveling !!!
Really cool. I wish I had some snow here in Portugal (without having to go up north), even if only for christmas.
seems like you guys had a good christmas, now I wish you a even better 2011.
Beautiful … if only a few days late!
😉
I hope you’ll pick out your favorite post from this past year and repost it over on my year end event http://spanishgrowshop.weebly.com/
And here I was, complaining about the amount of snow we got in the midwest! Great to see the kids having a blast. Feeling bad for anyone who may have been needing their car, lol
as a “native” New Yorker I appreciate you pictures reminding me of what is was like. I moved away from there partly bcs of these massive storms (and Bosses who demanded I still come to be on the radio w/o putting me up in a hotel the night before or after). I always said, Mother Nature is the great equalizer to NYC’s hustle and bustle. One Note tho: Yankee/Met caps and layers are part of the FASHIONISTA of NYC in the snow! lol
Kudos on being FPressed like a warm winter scarf.
http://www.achilliad.wordpress.com
[…] Snow Day in Manhattan! (nycitsalwaysanadventure.wordpress.com) […]
I love, love, love that picture of the subway entrance; it’s all evocative and gorgeous and stuff.
snow days are the best! theyre even better in grade school when you could just relax, call your friends and sled down random hills. that picture with the dude on his skis in the street is funny.
http://enjoibeing.wordpress.com/
I enjoyed reading this entry and your view of Manhattan on a snow day…we are usually never prepared for things like this…I myself wanted to go out and enjoy the snow but realized that the last time I owned a pair of snow boots, I was about 10… heehee =]
lovely post. The white snow looks like a canvas waiting for an artist to paint. Kids’ footrpints mark the outlines of a drawing…:-)
http://www.cynicseyeview.wordpress.com
Wonderful pictures! This makes me long for New York even more! I’m going there in the summer though, haha. But I hope I’ll be able to spend Christmas there someday ^__^
I took the snowshoes out in Wisconsin today… even fifty-something can have fun in the white stuff!
ahhhhhhh i wanna live in new york city..
.. even with it’s horrendus weather it must be the most amazing place in the world!! 🙂
thanks for a great post!
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I am a native New Yorker but have been in Southern California for many years. I still miss NYC in the winter. Yes, it is always an adventure.
http://straightinfo.wordpress.com
Like it very much,i mean we got some snow here in Atlanta ,and i consider myself lucky to see snow on Christmas Day!
Oh Sandra, you are enjoying the snow day as it was meant to be! Loved reading that the girls wanted to get out in it and you all lasted 30 minutes.
Snow day in Toronto are not so fun – as posted here…
http://workingtechmom.wordpress.com/2010/12/14/how-does-a-traffic-jam-lead-to-a-head-cold/
Maybe it feels better for those in town with no car or traffic to deal with. Enjoy your snow, and your nap. 🙂
Congrats on being freshly pressed.
I just escaped the city before being trapped. Looks like fun!
I love all the pictures! It’s simply gorgeous! It’s one of my dreams to live in New York someday… 🙂
ohh it’s soooo nice
i would to be here with you ^_^
i have no snow in my country…want to touch it…
You’re living one of my dreams by living in NYC. Me – I’m living in … Ottawa! Small world sometimes.
I enjoyed your post and it looks like you’re enjoying the Big Apple.
Congrats on being Freshly Pressed!
I’m from Rochester NY…Wow HOME!!!! NY City looked a lot like Rochester NY look around this time of year. I LOVE the winter. Our last storm a few weeks ago Mother Nature was kind to us…STRANGE! So I know Mother Nature is coming and this time she isn’t going to be so nice. Just make sure you have a emergency kit with you while in a vehicle of any sort, specially in this type of weather!
This story was a pleasure to read. How fun, big snow in the big city! Way to make the best of it. Happy Holidays!
Thank you =)
Wish I could add a picture here, my son & family are living in Brooklyn and sent pictures of their snow buried stoop plus two buses that had been stuck on their street since the night before. (I guess the drivers stay with the buses until they can be dug out.) He mentioned four foot snowdrifts by this afternoon. (BTW, he’s a California boy but loves NYC.)
I saw some coverage of Brooklyn on the news and friends of mine posted pics of the snow drifts in their backyard- CRAZY!!! An exciting adventure indeed!
Well hello fellow “Freshly Pressed” blog friend! I hope you’re ready for the fall out in coping that #1 spot! I held it for 2 days (Christmas Day and yesterday) and even though I’m now 2nd from bottom I’m STILL getting slammed! Its wonderful though knowing my photos are being enjoyed by the masses! Over 8500 hits in 3 days! My email may die on me! LOL!
I LOVE snow….if u stop on over on my blog you’ll see just how much, and I am so jealous you’ve gotten soooooo much! Our measley 3.5″ here in TN shut down our town for 2 days! LOL! And I just got back from a drive to the local Tellico Mtns where there was nearly a foot on top….oh how I wished I lived there! I love your photos and your “I don’t care….we’re still going” attitude….sounds just. Like. Me! Hahaha!
Thanks for posting, Welcome to the U.S. (I’ve allllways wanted to visit Canada btw), congrats on your #1 spot, and pleeeeease keep the photos coming! 🙂 Loved your writing as well! 🙂
Sincerely,
BraskaJennea Photography
Even I love snow but have not been lucky to see it. Just waiting for my chance to have a glance at it.
Nothing like a White Christmas! We had another Wet Christmas in Vancouver:)
It doesn’t really matter that the Blizzard wasn’t on Christmas day because in a couple of months the snow will melt and the memories will fade as to when and how much snow actually fell.
But you will always have the memories and great pics of the kids (and dog) frolicking in the Manhattan snow!
Blessings,
Ava
xox
love your stories.:):):)
Thank you!
What a lovely story! I moved to the Bronx last August for the semester and just moved back home to CT. I was so sad I missed this storm! I would’ve loved NYC covered in snow 🙂 so glad you enjoyed it!
yup…i saw the news and the tourist were enjoying it all!!! it looked like fun but we here were shoveling !!!
i have no snow in my country ;////
Love the picture of skiers on Broadway. Very cool, thanks for sharing.
Thanks for reading =)
Looks amazing!!!
We’re used to see people skiing on our slopes, pretty strange to see skiing down Brodway! Must be funny!!!
[…] e treni soppressi, meraviglia lo stupore ed il candore con cui i disagi sono stati affrontati. Qui trovate le belle immagini di chi ha goduto di una nevicata speciale (sci di fondo a Broadway? […]
Very nice: I linked it to my blog!
Greetings
Gpcastellano aka ventefioca
Thank you!!
[…] Snow Day in Manhattan! (nycitsalwaysanadventure.wordpress.com) […]
A lot of snow in Manhattan.
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http://calogeromirafoodand.wordpress.com
Great photo! 79th and broadway is my subway entrance in my NYC holiday ! 😉
Excellent dog name, Dopey. The storm managed to move upstate and dump a foot on us. It is beautiful, as we shoveled the drive all day yesterday! Thanks for the pics.
Thanks, Dopey was a rescue pup- there were seven of them, named after the seven dwarves =). My brother has sneezy. Sometimes we get weird looks… Hope you are all shoveled out by now and are able to enjoy some winter fun!
I am SOOOOO jealous!!! That seems absolutely awesome! We have sun, sun, and more sun…… and no matter how hard i pray- i will need to get on a plane for at least 10 hours to have a white Christmas, or holiday!! Dont get me wrong…… it is stunning being able to sit on our patio, while my princess swims and read some blogs!
x
I don’t know, sitting on the patio, going for a swim… all sounds pretty awesome right about now!! It is freezing here today! Thanks for visiting my blog =)
i miss the snow. i love it
Folks are going to need to use this list of things to do when you are snowed in!
http://www.bofads.com/stories/snow.htm
Wow, I am feeling the love of being “Freshly Pressed”. Thank you to all who are reading my blog. Such an amazing feeling being connected with people all over the country and the world!! Looking forward to sitting down and visiting all of your blogs… now, where did I put my glass of wine 😉
I live in Minneapolis and we are about to get dumped on once again!
Ben Ganje, Urban Realtor®/DadThe new way to search the market–period
Live the Urban Life today
I love this! Makes me kinda homesick for New York but atleast I can swing by here to remember the good times. Keep it up!
PS – you have BEAUTIFUL children. :] & I love the name of your dog.
O Jesus, son of Mary! Is thy Lord able to send down for us a table spread with food from heaven?
http://jesussonofmary1432.blogspot.com/
Love your blog and love this post. You take very captivating pictures.
Glad you guys had so much fun. I haven’t had a snow day in quite a few years myself, since I left New York. I do miss sledding though – we used to go down our front lawn with our hedges as a barrier.
We spoke with the family up in the Bronx. OUCH.
I’m glad were here in Richmond, VA. We only had six inches!
Loved the shots of the city streets; we miss it up there…
This post makes me want to move to Manhattan right now!! I lived in Erie, PA for the first ten years of my life, and I remember how wonderful that first snow day of the season always was. There’s nothing else quite like it!
speaking about snow..I live in JB, malaysia..tropical weather for he whole year. I appreciate the shining sun a lot, but sometimes I do want to see snow falling outside my house..
I’m just back from Hong Kong, it was cold..but no snow..hmmm
I enjoyed reading your posts. The snow in NYC reminded me of the snow in Chicago in 1968. The entire city shut down, got quiet, and life was serene for a few short days. Enjoy it while you can.
wow ! Love it
OMG! The picture catching people skiing is hilarious! in NYC? I always heard but never saw and now I’ve seen. Great job overall on capturing the pics of NY under snow. Oh, I love snow, too, but it wasn’t fun when I had to shovel the snow from the driveway, which took four hours! Yet, having a snow day helps to appreciate the little things in life…like actual day off from work : ). Thanks for sharing and congrats on being Freshly Pressed.
nice blog! I stay here in Russian Federation, and trust me, we are having an ice age here
nice to read your blog. Keep writing
I have enjoyed reading your blog, I agree with one of the other comments someone left, I too enjoyed the picture of people cross country skiing in NYC. All your photo’s are great but, as something that seems so unlikely, that made me smile!
wow! isn’t it amazing how so many people live in places where snow is abundant, yet they have no idea of how to even bundle up? great post! congrats on FP!
-Tia
http://www.tiallarising.wordpress.com
I’m brazilian and I never see snow 😦 To touch it is my little dream,… I hope to visit New York someday. Here is so hot(and here is summer now!), I love the brazilian beaches, but the snow is like magic to me *-*
I loved your blog, really. I’ll visit always. Keep writin’, pls!
(Sorry my incorrect english, I’ll improve it.)
I sure miss the snow. Now in Florida
http://www.jumju.com
Scott D
I ventured out in this last night, too! Quite the winter wonderland we have in NYC. 🙂
We have a hot xmas lol it is summer in NZ now. The sunshine is lovely and beach is awesome…. But I hope I would have a white xmas in NYC one day.
You made the snow seem so wonderful! When I return up north I’ll leave my car behind.
nothing brings out pure, unadulterated joy quite like a snow day…thanks for capturing.
http://dearexgirlfriend.com/
[…] The Joy of Winter! After a wonderful, relaxing Christmas day with the family, almost if on cue, (a day late) a winter storm started to roll into the East Coast. In typical New York fashion, the first snowfall of the year was not going to be a small affair and the winter storm watch quickly turned into a full blown blizzard warning. There was much excitement in our apartment. I think we were all just a wee bit sad that there was no snow for Christmas and we were s … Read More […]
[…] Somehow this is the perfect NYC blizzard picture. It’s from this guy’s blog. […]
whitening brushhead
Pretty pics I love the snow 🙂
I especially like the pics of people skiing down broadway!
Hi, without any doubt there´s no other landscape more beautiful than a snowy landscape. Congratulations and you´re a lucy to live in a place like that where snows, I live in Brasil, an amazing country in an amazing city (Rio de Janeiro), but here it doesn´t snow hehe, we have a strong summer, the advantage is the beautiful sunny day (if you visit my blog you will see some photos), beaches and etc. Thanks for posting it you made my night fresher
I miss snow! We had about one day of it, then it disappeared. I am quite jealous of your sledding adventure. *sigh!*
❤ Milieu
aww I’m so jealous. i was dying to come into the city yesterday morning but NOTHING worked to get me there from Brooklyn. I couldn’t even get to Prospect Park from where I live to fully enjoy the snow =(
It was great though, wasn’t it? I’m glad you guys enjoyed your first NYC blizzard! Great post =)
I love your photos! You are making me homesick. My daughter would have loved to enjoy the NYC snow! Well at least it snowed on Christmas day here in Georgia. Now that’s a miracle!! Be well–and warm!
So jealous.. We dont have snow here..
The girls are so lucky.. You captured their laugh and joy so perfectly.. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year anyway 🙂
Wow, Awesome… i live in Manchester,England,UK i wish we’d have got as much snow as you guys, looks like you had an awesome day! =) check out my blog at http://reynolds365.wordpress.com and my twitter http://twitter.com/Reynolds365
great pictures…
Hi! Merry Christmas to everybody! Veeery nice NYC scenes… I’m from Brasil and far away from snow, but I really wanted to enjoy a little bit of that… Hope you citizens are not ‘so’ upset with this situation!
Ah… Happy 2011 with MORE Peace and Love.
Rodrigo Kladwan
kladwan.wordpress.com
Hey cool, Ottawa shoutout. Nothing like a good snow day. We had our first big one about a month ago, but now it’s nothing but cool air.
It brings back great memories! But not good enough to want to move back…I’m happy I’m in the warm SW in AZ!! I had one of those flying saucers when I was a kid…it was a lot of fun!! Your children are cute and look like they are having fun! Snow is always fun as it falls and as long as it’s nice and clean…good luck to you and Congrats on being FP’d!
evelyngarone.com
i love Manhattan
Your article and the pics made nice reading. Living where I do snow is the stuff of dreams but I doubt I’d enjoy it being so cold.
nice blog…….. and fotos you live in a great city; from europe kiss
some day i go there ….
i*m in lexembourg ;;;
Wow this is really amazing, looks just like here in Berlin 😀
but wow – skiing on Broadway … …
Congrads on making “Freshly Pressed.” From seeing the news reports from my home in Texas, I can see this has been a terrible ordeal for many. As an individual born and raised in New York City (Manhattan), I have experienced “whiteouts” in the city in my youth. Out of respect for many in the city, I removed the WordPress theme extra snow from my site, as well as comments about wishing for seasonal snow.
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this page there is my pictures of my city in iran.
please Visited my blog and see my pictures and leave comments about them
tanx.
Nothing like a good snow day to enjoy a spontaneous day, and also to take some good shots of the scenery! I’m also in NYC currently, experiencing all the white snow around… 🙂
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http://whatsinwonderland.wordpress.com
Wonderful blog. Thanks for posting this article. I appreciate your work. Web Design
OMG..hopefully one day i will get there~
a delightful approach to nature’s curve ball .. perspective and attitude is everything and you’re teaching your girls to have a sense of adventure vs. just toughing it out. Sorry the crazy carpets didn’t make the move (I grew up in SK with them, too) but saucers will do just fine. Great post!
Congrats on being fresh pressed as well 🙂 Cheers! MJ
OMG! I wish I could live in Manhattan 😀 amazing!
Good night, my friend.
I came here to absorb the knowledge that you provide on this blog. I’m so glad to find this blog and read interesting articles.
Nice to visit here. Next time I will come back.
My greetings.
Good luck!
Love the pictures, they evoke such warmhearted and contented feelings . I find it all so amazing, reading your
blog and gazing out my window at warm yellow sunshine
and gently swaying trees, a typical day here in the
Caribbean . So much to choose from, the abundance of
the world. Thanks for sharing, truly enjoyable.
Wonderful pictures. I am in the midwest where snow has been a part of our life for several weeks now. My kids are estatic and happily sled where ever there is a hill or pile of snow.
I live in Canada where winter like the Blizzard in Manhattan is just winter. Although when it comes down that quickly it slows us down too. I love the way you embraced it rather than be cooped up inside. Cheers to you and your lovely description!
Great pictures 🙂
Snow is amazing.
I loved this post. I live in Bangkok and imagine that the ONLY place I could ever do winter would be New York City. Your photos have convinced me of that! Let it snow!
Nice yourk
I would love to run amok in any part of New York. It’s going to be a wild adventure for you.
I’d always wanted to go to Canada, actually!
love the picture you took
I am no fan of the snow, but it is pretty to look at. Thanks for sharing the photographs!
http://humanitarikim.wordpress.com/
Kids with sleds in the elevator! Brilliant! Nice post.
—Gassy Guy
wow…amazing.. i never see snow anymore! i hope sometime i’ll be there to feel snow in manhatan..
Great post! I’ve never been to NY but now I’m deffinitely going there! Not much snow in London now, but hope is the last one to die! 🙂
Best Wishes
http://www.translationdigest.wordpress.com
Looks a lot like Helsinki, Finland – but we have even more snow. Some of the cars are totally covered by snow and streets are closed since there is no way to get rid of the snow. And there’s more to come, this is just the beginning…
Aww, sometimes I really miss the snow, especially when it was 42C (that’s 108F) here on the 27th. Yuk!
Very nice pics!
i miss the snow!
v good post, fun to read.
.perfection….
What is it like this week? Is the snow still hanging around or is it all gone?
Not much snow left on the ground, a couple of piles here and there. There is a snow storm warning in effect. It is supposed to start snowing late tomorrow night and into Wednesday- could be up to 12 inches. We shall see….
เที่ยวญี่ปุ่น เที่ยวฮ่องกง ทัวร์มาเก๊า
v good post, fun to read.
Ein Indiz für die Skepsis ist die Renditedifferenz zwischen österreichischen Staatsanleihen und deutschen Bundesanleihen. Noch nie war sie so groß wie derzeit. Für zehnjährige Laufzeiten zum Beispiel beträgt die Differenz fast 1,4 Prozentpunkte. Bundesanleihen rentieren mit 2,9 Prozent, österreichische mit immerhin 4,3 Prozent. Auf dem zu Übertreibungen neigenden Markt für Kreditausfallversicherungen (CDS) ist die Diskrepanz zwischen Österreich und Deutschland sogar noch größer. Die Aufstockung der österreichischen Staatsanleihe ist daher keinesfalls Routine.
love this post. Wonderful pictures! wanna go there someday