Winter Village at Bryant Park

Ice-skating in Rockefeller Center sounds perfect in theory, but the reality of the situation is that it's often a madhouse with a steep admission fee. Instead, toss on some skate in the shadow of the New York Public Library at The Rink at Bryant Park, which runs this year through March 3rd, though the holiday shops shutter on January 2nd. While we're not promising that there won't be hordes of skaters here, admission is free, which makes queuing up a little easier to stomach. If you already own skates, feel free to bring them with you. Otherwise, skate rentals will cost you $15. And here's a pro tip: locker space is also free, but bring your own lock or else you'll be asked to fork over another $9.