What to do in New York when it rains or snows?

To see snow in New York, how lucky!

Snowflakes swirling between buildings, trees in Central Park turning white, fingers freezing in soaked gloves… After the first hour of wonderment, snowy weather in the Big Apple can be hard to endure.

Especially since between 5th Avenue, the Statue of Liberty and the High Line, many unmissable sites are to be discovered from the outside.

Rest assured, if your stay coincides with a period of incessant rain or snow,

has no shortage of refuge.

Cultural establishments, cozy cafes, shopping malls… Here are our ideas for visits to New York when the weather is not so good.

To discover

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Treat yourself (still) to a beautiful view

Immense picture windows are covered with mirrors which send back to infinity the reflections of the sky.

Eric Martin / Le Figaro Voyage

No way, despite the gloomy weather, to skip the panorama of the Manhattan skyline?

Go for

, east of Midtown.

Opened in September 2021, it is arguably the best choice of observatory in case of gloomy weather due to its many closed visit areas.

Obviously, if the fog is thick or the weather really bad, the view will not be as impressive as in sunny weather.

But this is compensated by the various artistic and immersive installations that punctuate the visit to the three floors of the observatory.

Starting with the one that we discover at the exit of the elevator, on floor 91.

The walls, floor and ceiling are covered with mirrors, so that the view of the skyscrapers is reflected from all sides.

The possibilities of original photos are numerous, you have to be creative.

As night falls, colorful lights come on and reflect on all sides.

We also remember the room which houses a work by the Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama, and the one, very Instagrammable, filled with silver balloons.

The visit ends with the only outdoor area.

The presence of bay windows prevents you from admiring the panorama without any reflection, but it remains breathtaking.

Summit One Vanderbilt, 45 E 42nd St, New York, NY 10017. Tel.

: +1 877 682 1401. From €37.

Open daily from 9 a.m. to midnight.

Read alsoWith the One Vanderbilt The Summit observation platform, New York changes its perspective

Spend the day at the museum

Titanic.

The Exhibition

, an immersive exhibit that traces the events leading up to the tragedy of 1912. Musealia

New York is undoubtedly, along with Paris, one of the cities in the world with the most museums.

The Moma, Met or Museum of Natural History promise many hours – even days – of fascinating visits.

In addition to these essentials, several temporary exhibitions are worth the trip.

Among our favorites is the Edward Hopper exhibit at the

.

A dive into the world of the American artist, with more than 200 paintings, watercolors, prints and drawings representing New York, where he lived for almost sixty years, but also personal items such as these theater tickets , remained intact.

The

is offering an exhibition dedicated to the part of reality and imagination in European art.

90 works by Claude Monet, Gustave Courbet, Berthe Morisot, Francisco Oller, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Yves Tanguy, and Vassily Kandinsky.

And if you're not very painting, go for

, an immersive exhibition that traces the events leading up to the tragedy of 1912. You can discover objects found in the ship and even allow visitors to enter certain parts of the boat reconstructed in real size, from the first cabins to third class.

Fortunately, the reconstruction does not go as far as the shipwreck itself.

" 

 ", Whitney Museum of Art, 99 Gansevoort Street, New York, NY 10014. Tel.

: +1 212 570 3600. Open every day except Tuesday, from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Until March 5, 2023. Admission: €23.50.

"Monet to Morisot: The Real and Imagined in European Art

 ", Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY 11238-6052.

Such.

: +1 718 638 5000. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Until May 21, 2023. Admission: €15.

“Titanic.

The Exhibition

,” 526 6th Avenue, New York, NY 10011. Open daily except select Mondays.

Admission: €37.

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Savor a hot chocolate

Nothing like a hot mug to warm your fingers.

And if hot chocolate is such a good remedy against the cold, it is also because it carries with it the comforting memory of childhood.

Those from

, made with Valrhona chocolate, are served with what will undoubtedly be the best (and most generous) cookie of your life.

Head to one of the twenty

New York

for a delicate hot chocolate infused with lavender.

On the other side of the East River, the

is housed in a former apothecary's shop, a nod to the days when these soft drinks were purchased in pharmacies.

Today, in addition to ice creams and sodas, you can find a fine selection of hot chocolates: with grilled marshmallow, salted butter caramel or hazelnut.

Levain Bakery, 340 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012 (also in Harlem, Upper East Side, Upper West Side and Williamsburg).

Such.

: +1 917 464 3746.

Mom, 667 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10022 (20 addresses in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens).

Such.

: +1 646 524 5067.

Brooklyn Farmacy and Soda fountain, 513 Henry St, Brooklyn, NY 11231. Tel.

: +1 718 522 6260.

Read alsoManhattan fever: our new addresses and our favorites

Shopping at Hudson Yard

Hudson Yards is at first glance an American-style shopping mall.

A little smaller, a little more chic.

The big luxury houses Cartier, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Fendi rub shoulders with

brands like H&M, Zara, Uniqlo.

But on closer inspection, the experience is rather innovative.

Hudson Yard / press photo

What is a snowstorm if not the opportunity to spend the day robbing shops without feeling guilty.

The Hudson Yard shopping center, since its opening in 2019, has given access to more than a hundred stores without having to set foot outside: luxury boutiques like Dior, Fendi or Cartier, more accessible brands like Uniqlo or H&M, but also brands not found in Europe such as Rudsak warm clothes or the Californian brand Adriano Goldschmied.

Before returning to face the cold, why not take a trip to the Equinox spa, for a massage followed by a moment of relaxation in the infrared sauna?

On the dining side, there are more than fifteen possibilities, including Peak, where you can enjoy distinguished cuisine with a breathtaking view of Manhattan,

next to the Vessel.

Hudson Yard Mall, 30 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001.

Read alsoNew York and style, Manhattan in fashion mode

Take refuge by the fire

To warm up the tip of your nose and dry your soaked pants after a long walk in the rain, nothing beats a nice blaze.

We don't think much about it, but some bars in New York are home to magnificent crackling hearths.

One of these fireplaces sits between leather armchairs in the whiskey bar at

, in one of New York's oldest buildings built in the 1790s. The venue also features a restaurant, piano bar and even a museum.

A more intimate atmosphere by the fireplace at

, a speakeasy dating back to Prohibition where cocktails are served in cups of tea.

If you are in Brooklyn, rush into the

, a wine bar with a gentle country inn atmosphere, which, here, is not common in the streets.

As is often the case in New York, remember to book early enough before you come to one of these addresses.

Fraunces Tavern, 54 Pearl St, New York, NY 10004. Tel.

: +1 212 968 1776.

The Back Room, 102 Norfolk St, New York, NY 10002. Tel.

: +1 212 228 5098.

Black Mountain Wine House, 415 Union Street Ground Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11231. Tel.

: +1 718 522 4340.

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