I still call Australia home

Believe it or not, if you have a good coat, hat, boots and gloves, Winter in New York is a wonderful playground.  It may not be “normal” for an Australian to enjoy living in weather where the mercury never rises above “freezing” (I use that reference now as a multi-lingual term that both Americans and Australians can understand). Usually, the movie studios start filling the theaters with their Oscar fair so there is always a list of good movies to see.  One of the best places to go in the City is “The Angelika” – really its only to watch the crowd before and after the movies as generally the theaters suffer from poor sound (the rumble of the subway during a romantic scene is particularly amusing), cramped seats and scratchy film.  There is always a buzz on a Saturday night as the crowd starts lining up for 30 minutes or more before the show – usually an indie flick with a foreign name and subtitles.  The crowd is an eclectic bunch – students, retirees, yuppies, etc. – but they are united by their love for “intelligent” film. It reminds me of the scene from “Annie Hall” where Woody Allen and Diane Keating are on line for a movie and the whole crowd is crapping on about movies – the director, movie theory etc.  I can’t claim to have that knowledge (or even want to) but its really fun to just people watch (and over-hear).  Also, its a great contrast to the Multiplex experience where the lobby is filled with teens and young 20-something males, jostling each other and goofing around while getting their tickets for the next slasher movie.  Anyway, going to the movies in the City is always a fun experience for me – you have so many to choose from and once you decide you get all dressed up and then brave the cold to get there at least 15 minutes before the screen time to get a seat that doesn’t cause you to have neck cramp and then sit through 20 minutes of ads with your coat and hat on your lap because the cinema is packed!  Sounds terrible I know, but once you’ve seen the movie, gone for coffee afterwards and made it back home you really feel as if you’ve accomplished something!Then there are the museums… but that is for another blog. Actually, another great thing about Winter is snow!  On a weekend it is great to grab a train out of the City for a day trip up the Hudson to Fahenstock State Park where they have 15kms of trails.  It is skiing in the slow lane!  A pass costs you $8 for the day and then you are left to your own devices to explore the groomed trails (including a large lake that you can ski around).  After a couple of hours you are exhausted and feel great.  Then its time for Apres Ski in the town of Cold Spring about 10 minutes from the trails by car/taxi at one of 2 or 3 good restaurants.  After a late lunch you can then catch the train back to the City and snooze as the sun sets over the Hudson River.  By the time you get back to Grand Central you feel refreshed and ready to hit the City again.Winter in New York has many more wonders……