Openhouse Gallery has done it again! They’re known for some of the coolest pop-up shops here in the city, but this is one of the most popular of them all. This holiday season, their present to the city is an early spring. Introducing Park Here – the indoor pop-up park. Decked out with grass, colorful spring foliage, fountains, hammocks, bistro tables, natural sunlights, and an indoor temperature of 75 degrees, it’s like you’re time traveling to spring-time in Central Park! They’ve collaborated with at least 20 local & national companies to put this years Park Here together, [Rolling Stone, HK Street Cart, Snap Food Truck, MiMi + CoCo NYC, etc.] so they have a lot of goodies as well. BBQ food, wine tastings, free wifi, food vendors, AND Rolling Stone concerts every Monday. Yes, concerts every Monday! Until Dec 17th, they’ll also have a “blogger bar”, a station with computers set up. Starbucks will even be here, serving their famous Christmas blend coffee cause it IS the holiday season after all.  Park Here will be open daily from Noon-8PM until February 15th, and it’s the perfect place to get out of the cold and have a fun relaxing day in the sun. Tuesdays are especially appealing, cause ScoutMob will buy anybody who downloads the ScoutMob app MiMi+CoCo food from 2PM-4PM. Park Here also has something special for all you Mommy’s out there. The pop-up park opens at 12PM for the public, but they’ll be opening up at 8:30AM for Mommy Mornings. Everyday from 8:30AM-12PM will be a special designated time just for mommy’s and their little ones. It’s safe, quiet, and fun for your child to run around and play while YOU get to relax with some coffee, tea, chit-chat with other mothers, and some yoga. Cool, right?

Remember, Park Here is open daily from 12PM-8PM. It’s located at Openhouse Gallery – 201 Mulberry St. between Spring and Kenmare. For more information, visit the Openhouse Gallery website.

Saint Nicholas was a real person. He was a generous man in Germany who would go from house to house and leave presents for children during the Christmas season. But, it was a New Yorker who invented the image of Santa Claus that we all know and love today!

Clement Clarke Moore is the author of “A Visit from St.Nicholas.” He’s the guy that you thank for that world famous opening line – “Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.” I used to love when my mom would read that to me during the holiday season as a little kid. Moore’s Christmas story soon became a popular Christmas staple and gave us our modern day Santa Claus.

Moore isn’t the only New Yorker to contribute to today’s image of Santa, though. Both Washington Irving and Thomas Nast helped add to Jolly St. Nick’s appearance and storyline during the Civil War era. The rosy cheeks. The tummy like a bowl of jelly. The red suit. It’s all thanks to these famous New Yorkers.

The New-York Historical Society has an exhibit running until January 8th 2012 entitled It Happened Here: The Invention of Santa Claus. Here you can catch Nast’s cartoons of Santa Claus and Clement Clarke Moore’s desk! Just another cool thing thats happened here in the city. The N-Y Historical Society is located on Central Park West and 76th Street. Check it out!

Face it, there is no better place to be during the holiday season than this city. We’ve got lights, decorations, every size christmas tree you could look for, and more. Add some snow, and you’re set. Although, the holiday season is never complete without some ice skating! [and hot chocolate. good thing they go hand in hand!] Luckily, we’ve got a bunch of different ice rinks here! Everyone knows about the Rock Center rink, thats a NYC must-see for tourists this time of year, but there are plenty others that are even better! Last year it started to snow while I was outside ice skating and I couldn’t stop smiling. I’m being cheesy, so I’m gonna stop talking about that and get on with this list of our PopUp Picks for the Best Places to Ice Skate here in the city!

1) Rockefeller Center Ice Skating Rink – This is only the first one on the list cause I mentioned it before and I figured it should go here. Everyone and their mother tunes in to the Rockefeller Center Tree Lighting each year, so you’ve got to know all about their famous ice rink. Unless you live underneath a rock. Anyway, this is the most well-known ice rink in the city, which is a huge downfall because it’s ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYSSSS packed with trillions of people which makes it difficult to move around and may cause mini panic attacks if your name is meagan brauer or you’re claustrophobic. Of course, it IS ideal to skate underneath the world’s most famous christmas tree. Tickets cost $21 for adults and then you can do all the skating you like! Mon-Thurs 9AM-10:30PM, Fri-Sat 8:30AM-Midnight. Sun 8:30AM-10PM. Rockefeller Center – 49th St & 5th Ave.

2) Citi Pond at Bryant Park – This actually got voted “Best Ice Skating Rink in NYC”, and I’m really not supposed to pick favorites and stuff but I’m going to have to agree. The whole experience of this ice rink is just plain awesome. Entry is free, and skate rentals are only 14 bucks. Afterwards, you can act like an olympic skate pro underneath Bryant Parks OWN beautiful christmas tree. Not to mention, their holiday shops are also open, so when you’re done on the ice, you can do a little shopping. The line does get really long though since it’s the new and exciting rink but it moves quick, i promise. This is where I was when it started to snow. Maybe the same thing will happen to you! Pure magic. Bryant Park: 42nd St & 6th Ave. Sun-Thurs 8AM-10PM & Fri-Sat 8AM-Midnight.

3) Wollman Rink in Central Park - How ideal is that. Ice skating inside Central Park. Thats all I really have to say. Enter the park at the entrance on 59th and 6th Ave, and you can’t miss it. Tickets are $10.75 for adults on weekdays, and $16 on weekends. Open Mon-Tues 10AM-2:30PM, Wed-Thurs 10AM-10PM, Fri-Sat 10AM-11PM, Sun 10AM-9PM.

4) Lasker Ice Skating Rink – In the summer time, it’s a swimming pool. In the winter, it’s an ice rink. Lasker Rink is also inside Central Park so it’s got all the same cute stuff as Wollman Rink, but since it’s all the way uptown it’s like a little hidden gem. Tickets start at $6.75 for adults. Located at Lenox Ave & 110th St, it’s open Mon,Wed,Thurs 10AM-3:45PM. Tues 10AM-3:30PM & 8PM-10PM. Fri 10AM-5:15Pm & 7PM-11PM. Sat 1PM-11PM. Sun 12:30PM-4:30PM.

5) World Ice Arena – It’s not all about Manhattan. Gotta show the outer-boroughs some love. So, why not head to one of my favorite parks of all time: Flushing Meadows! It’s an indoor rink, but it’s just as good. Admission is just $5 on weekdays and $8 on weekends, with a $5 skate rental charge. Since most indoor rinks do a lot of figure skating classes & hockey games, CLICK HERE to check out the public skating schedule for the right times to hit the ice.

6) Standard Hotel Ice Rink – Down in the Meatpacking District, the Standard Hotel sets up an ice rink in the winter! The best part is that it’s open till midnight on weekdays and 1AM on weekends. Admission is $12 for adults, and skate rental is $3. Their outdoor cafe, Kaffeehaus, is there to serve up hot chocolate or any other hot drink you’d like. They let you spike it with a shot to keep you extra warm. But you have to be of-age to do that, so don’t get any crazy ideas kiddos. The Standard Hotel is located at 848 Washington St & W.13th St.

So, thats my list. Thats what I came up with. I’d also like to point out that the WWII Veterans War Memorial Ice Skating Rink in Staten Island was on this list but this year the schedule is all messed up and I didn’t wanna confuse anybody. I hope you guys find this list suitable. And skate-able. Have fun!