How Alice Cures the January Blues
January is here, which means it’s time to throw your trees on the curb, box up the decorations for next year and try not to count all of the holiday cookies you’ve consumed over the past thirty days.
Every new year, we say goodbye to the endless parties, extended vacations and gift-giving and return to the reality of work, stale snow, and below-ideal weather conditions. Come January first, the average question on most New Yorkers mind is the same: exactly how many more weeks do we have left of winter?
Alice, WestHouse’s photographer, agrees: “The winter blues are real. When it snows on Christmas I get butterflies in my stomach, but when it snows in January I don’t want to get out of bed. ” The emotional hangover from the holidays can leave a real dent in the new year, but luckily Alice has the cure: soul-warming nightlife.
“January is the perfect treat yo’self month. The holidays can get pretty stressful, so afterwards I give myself a whole month to recalibrate. I spend the evenings listening to great music and enjoying the city after the craziness of December.”
Another Year, Another Jazzfest
“Winter Jazzfest often gets overlooked after the holidays, but it’s one of my favorite concerts of the year. It’s an eclectic showcase of up-and-coming and veteran musicians that play at different venues downtown. Who doesn’t love a post-holiday marathon of great music in some of the best nightclubs and performance spaces in the city? It’s the ideal way to kick-start the new year.”
Cozy Cocktails
“I’m a firm believer in the year-round cocktail - finding great drinks shouldn’t be relegated to just the holidays! And winter is an especially good time to cozy up with a drink that warms you from the inside out. I’m a sucker for big leather chairs, so the Westhouse Den is one of my favorite spots for an evening sip. The interior is so plush and comfortable. Also, the fireplaces at Art Bar and the Flatiron Room are the perfect remedy on a particularly cold night.”
Dining Out in the New Year
“I generally avoid the restaurant scene during the holidays - everything gets overbooked and overcrowded really quickly. In December, I cook for friends and family at my place, or I’ll spend evenings at theirs for holiday dinners and parties. That way, I can really take advantage of going out to eat in January, without the stress and hassle of the holidays. My current favorites are De Maria and Jack’s Wife Freda, and the small menu at White Gold Butchers gets everything right. If I want to try something new, I’ll pick a spot during restaurant week - their tasting menus are a great way to try the best of what each place has to offer.”